ASSESSMENT 5-14
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LEARNING AND TEACHING
AN OVERVIEW

 

PART TWO:
GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSMENT IN SCHOOLS

  


PLANNING:
KNOWING AND SHARING WHAT IS TO BE LEARNED

TEACHING:
ASSESSMENT AS PART OF EFFECTIVE LEARNING AND TEACHING

RECORDING:
SUMMARISING SUCCESS AND PROGRESS

REPORTING:
PROVIDING USEFUL FEEDBACK

EVALUATING:
USING ASSESSMENT TO EVALUATE LEARNING AND TEACHING

  • Teachers should be clear about learning aims for individuals, groups and classes, taking into account what has gone before

  • Teachers must take account of attainment outcomes, strands and targets in the 5-14 guidelines

  • The school's and teachers' aims, other than those in the curriculum guidelines, and local circumstances should also be incorporated into planning

  • Planning should be explicit enough to make it easy to communicate aims to pupils, parents and other teachers
    		•

    Assessment as an integral part of learning and teaching involves attention to four concerns:

  • Clear teaching and learning aims

  • Motivation

  • Previous experience and present abilities

  • Effective tasks and flexible teaching methods

    • Assessment is based on what pupils say, write and can do

    Assessment occurs mainly on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes specific tasks or tests will be set by the teacher, such as those in the catalogue of national test units

  • At appropriate times during each term, the progress of individual pupils, groups and classes should be summarised

  • The progress of each pupil should be updated and recorded in a convenient way

  • The process of assessment should be selective and should focus on key learning aims

  • Success and progress should be recorded for all pupils, including those with a Record of Needs
    		•

    Feedback following assessment should:

  • contribute to a co-operative relationship among teachers, pupils, parents and others involved in the pupil's learning

  • help pupils to identify

    - what they have learned

    - what they still have to learn

    - their next steps in learning

  • inform pupils and parents of progress, and respond to their comments
    		•

    Assessment in school should help teachers to evaluate the effectiveness
    of all the various arrangements made to ensure that learning takes
    place

    Consideration should be given to:

    - the curriculum
    - teaching methods
    - individuals, the group and the class
    - resources

    Together these sources of evidence should suggest:

    - where effective learning and teaching has taken place
    - where change is needed

    This evidence will be used by teachers to inform their future planning


     

    PART THREE:
    FROM GUIDELINES TO POLICY AND PRACTICE

    		  


    PLANNING:
    KNOWING AND SHARING WHAT IS TO BE LEARNED

    TEACHING: ASSESSMENT AS PART OF EFFECTIVE LEARNING AND TEACHING

    RECORDING:
    SUMMARISING SUCCESS AND PROGRESS

    REPORTING:
    PROVIDING USEFUL FEEDBACK

    EVALUATING:
    USING ASSESSMENT TO EVALUATE LEARNING AND TEACHING

    Clear planning is essential to effective assessment. A framework is provided to build attainment outcomes and targets into long term planning.

    1. Assessment and Planning

    How planning is linked to the other aspects of the assessment process

    2. Planning: knowing and sharing what is to be learned

  • Knowing what is to be learned

    - (a) Attainment Outcomes and Targets

    - (b) Existing Circumstances

    .

  • Sharing what is to be learned

    - The importance of sharing learning and teaching aims
    - Some suggested ways of sharing planning

    3. Looking ahead to the year's work in the primary class and the secondary department

  • Individual teachers and departmental teams
  • The Year Plan

    - Planning Curriculum Coverage
    - Cross curricular planning in secondary schools

    4. Planning a block of Teaching

    5. Activities

  • Planning for the Year Ahead
  • A 5 -14 Planning Model for Secondary Departments

    • 6. Review

  • Implications for practice

  • Implications for policy

    		•

    1. Effective assessment as part of teaching and learning involves
    answering four key questions:

  • What is to be learned?
  • Do the pupils want to learn?
  • Are the pupils ready?
  • Are teaching and learning effective?

    2. Obtaining evidence

    (a) When will evidence be obtained?

    - Day to day activities
    - Special tasks

    (b) Where will evidence be obtained?

    - Pupils' talk
    - Pupils' writing
    - Pupils' practical activities

    (c) How will judgements be made?

    - Teacher's professional judgement
    - Self assessment
    - Peer assessment
    - Other sources, e.g. parents

    3. Acting on Judgements

    (a) Sharing evidence

    (b) Taking a closer look

    - to question judgements
    - to identify areas of surprise or concern.

    4. Assessment as Part of Effective Learning and Teaching. An Overview

    5. Activities

  • When will evidence be obtained
  • Evidence from talk
  • Evidence from writing
  • Evidence from practical activities
  • Judging the evidence
  • Sharing evidence

    6. Review

  • Implications for practice
  • Implications for policy
    		•

    1. Why Record?

  • To inform teachers
  • To inform parents
  • To help teachers evaluate the curriculum
  • To provide a basis of reporting to the School Board

    2. What kind of evidence will be available?

    Evidence from

  • Day - to - Day Activities
  • Special Tasks and Tests
  • Other Sources e.g. Parents

    3. What Types of Record are Needed?

  • Teaching Records
  • Individual Records
  • Summaries of overall class performance

    4. Examples of Ways of Recording

  • Descriptive notes
  • Coded record of experience

    5. Recording: Summarising Success and Progress

  • When should summaries be made?
  • How should these be related to levels of attainment?

    6. Activities

  • Collecting evidence
  • Recording
  • Working with levels of attainment

    7. Review

  • Implications for practice
  • Implications for policy

    • 1. The characteristics of good feedback:

  • Knowing what is to be learned
  • The criteria for success
  • The importance of constructive feedback

    2. When and how often feedback is likely to be useful

    3. Feedback to pupils

    4. Reporting to parents

    5. The contribution of parents and pupils

    6. Activities

  • Sharing with pupils
  • Reporting to parents

    7. Review

  • Implications for practice
  • Implications for policy

    • 1. Assessment is part of effective learning and teaching.

    Assessment information should help teachers to:

  • evaluate teaching

    - pace
    - relevance
    - appropriateness of resources

  • evaluate success and progress

    - individuals
    - group
    - class

  • identify information which suggests

    - effective learning has taken place
    - where change is needed

    2. Activities

  • Using assessment information to evaluate teaching

    - for the teaching group
    - for each pupil

  • Evidence of effective teaching

    3. Review

  • Implications for practice
  • Implications for policy



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    © The Scottish Office Education Department, October 1991.