FRASER CRESCENT SCHOOL

ASSESSMENT GUIDE

          

 

This document provides the following information

-         Purpose of assessment

-         Our assessment process explained

-         Reports and work samples

-         Assessment Schedule

-         Assessment of the Key Competencies

-         National Standards

 

 

May 2010

 

Rationale

Assessment is a process that involves the collection and evaluation of evidence, in order to improve teaching and learning, through the evaluation of both student progress and teaching programmes. Good quality assessment practice is essential for the provision of quality, needs based programmes of work. It also provides evidence of student learning and teacher effectiveness.

Assessment is not undertaken in isolation. It is an integral part of the teaching process, permeating all aspects of learning.

 

At Fraser Crescent School, written reports are undertaken each term and are accompanied by work samples that clearly demonstrate the learning. We also ensure that the children are central to the assessment and reporting process, and that it is not something that is done to them. It is ‘instead’ a partnership between the child, family and teacher. Our philosophy of regular reporting is underpinned by the notion that this better allows parents and caregivers to further support their children, by understanding their needs.

 

The Assessment Process Explained (the build up to reports):  

 

• Use the initial sample to help structure your teaching programme. This will constantly be revised to meet the needs of the children.

 

• Co-construct the learning with the students from appropriate examples, models etc. This will often lead to the development of specific success criteria to support the children. Use pictures, examples, and other scaffolds if required to support the children to understand the success criteria.

 

• Share the learning – do this all the way through. Get the children talking about their learning and reflecting on it.

 

• Plan and prepare for assessments (where possible). The development of marking sheets, templates etc, will help you to clearly demonstrate the desired learning to both students and parents. It will also save time when marking.

 

• Don’t try and cover too much. Go deep, not wide. Think about the transformational change curve and the children who never get out of ‘The Pit’. It is vitally important that the children get lots of opportunities to practice, and receive feedback which identifies next learning steps.

 

• Mark against success criteria, and provide verbal comments about the success criteria. Children also need to be self and peer assessing on a constant basis. If children are unable to self assess, then the success criteria is not supportive of their learning.

 

• Success criteria often requires modification. Also, extension success criteria may be needed for some children.

 

• Collect samples along the way that SHOW THE LEARNING. Show improvement. Your job as a teacher is to add value.

The Report and Work Samples

 

Written reports are completed each term, but change slightly over the year as children have more input into the reports. The reports also change over the years as children become more aware of their own learning and our assessment and reporting process.

 

Guidelines Reports and Work Samples

• The report is not the focus of the assessment and reporting process. It is a ‘snapshot in time’ into the capabilities of the children. If quality teaching occurs, with consideration of the principles of formative assessment (ie the process identified on the previous page), then the report is largely completed for teachers.
  
• Each report is accompanied by various work samples. These samples should depict the learning and form the basis of the comments written on the report. Another teacher should be able to look at the success criteria and the work samples, and write a similar comment to yourself (or what the child has written).    
• For most learning areas, particularly maths, reading and writing, there should be multiple samples which highlight the progress made throughout the term.
  
• Teachers need to avoid using jargon, complicated assessments or graphs, and ensure that the samples are easily understood by both parents and students. It is recommended that a highlighter is used to show particular areas of interest for those who read the reports. The more children are involved in the report, the more the report will be understandable to parents.
• The samples are not intended to show ‘pretty’ work or published pieces. Photocopies out of student workbooks are a great way to show the learning. It is often helpful if matrices or templates are developed and used, as this is an easier way to provide large amounts of feedback, without needing to write copious explanatory notes.
  
• As reports are undertaken each term, it is important that teachers work smartly with them, and in a way that doesn’t detract from the usual teaching and learning programme. There are times when children in a similar group may have similar learning needs, and therefore similar comments on reports. It is encouraged that teachers will select from a range of comments in relation to the success criteria, however there will often be times when personalised statements need to be written.

 

National Standards  

The National Administration Guidelines state:

• the requirement to report to parents in plain language at least twice a year
• the requirement to include school-level data in the board's annual report
• the requirement to include in the school's annual report the numbers and proportions of students achieving at, above, below and well below the standard including Maori, Pasifikia, and gender (where the school does not breach an individual's privacy.
• how students are progressing against the standards as well as how they are achieving.

Our current reporting system is very much along the lines of the National Standards, in most cases, far exceeding the minimum expectation around reporting. We will report against the National Standards at least twice a year. At the end of Term 2, interim progress will be shared through our Term 2 report. This is progress towards achieving the standards. At the end of the year, the Term 4 report will indicate achievement against the standard. In both Terms 2 and 4, progress will be listed as either well below, below, at or above expectation. It is recommended that teachers highlight the work samples in reports which have been used to form part of the assessment against the standard.

For mathematics, NumPA, GloSS, IKAN, ARBS e-asTTle, NEMP, PAT Maths, and NZC Exemplars are the formal tests which can be used to assist teachers in levelling children against the National Standard levels.

For reading, e-asTTle, Observation Survey, STAR, PAT Comp, PAT Vocab, NEMP, Running records, PM Benchmark, Probe, CAP, Tell Me, TORCH, NRA, Cloze, ARBs, Schonell, M&PNWR and BURT are all formal tests which can be used to assist teachers in leveling children against the National Standard levels.

For writing, School Entry Assessment, ARBs, e-asTTle, NEMP, Observation Survey, and NZC Exemplars are the formal tests which can be used to assist teachers in levelling children against the National Standard levels.

In all cases, a range of assessments (at least three) will be used to inform teachers in making a judgment against any particular standard. Work samples will be moderated regularly to ensure consistency and accuracy. Teachers need to ensure that they have evidence to support their judgments.

 

Assessment of the Key Competencies

Opportunities for monitoring the key competencies may involve:

• Learners performing real tasks in real contexts
• Noticing students’ application of the key competencies in day-to-day life at school, rather than only during designed activities
• Monitoring what the students have had the opportunity to learn in specific contexts and how this new learning is transferred to other situations
• Learners Interacting with other others, rather than working in isolation
• Teachers monitoring key competencies with students, rather than ‘doing monitoring’ to students
• Formative opportunities that enable responsiveness, rather than summative
• The accumulation of information, rather than one off examples
• Self and peer-assessment, rather than just teacher judgments
• An emphasis on qualitative information (that foregrounds the dynamic, contextual, and complex nature of key competencies) rather than just quantitative information
• Teachers reflecting on overall student performance in a task, how it might have enhanced content learning and determining areas for future focus
• Teachers evaluating units/lesson plans for both content and key competency learning

At Fraser Crescent School, the majority of the monitoring of the key competencies will be captured online using Ultranet. There is an expectation that each term, at least one new key competency template will be completed and uploaded online. This template unpacks both the key competencies and the FRASER qualities that we aspire to instil in our students at Fraser Crescent School. When possible, photos will accompany the work and a buddy will also make a comment.

Ideally, we are aiming to have the children use Ultranet to capture experiences outside of school. Children will be able to access the site from home and use the template to demonstrate how they are like FRASER and using the key competencies outside of school.