Assessment Focus Group by Eoin O'Carroll https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla ARCS Assessment Reflections and Next Steps en-us 2021-11-30 06:20:20 UTC 2021-11-30 11:21:05 UTC hello@padlet.com petercarty https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1919800784 I feel that there needs to be a longer period of time spent on our topics.  One week to cover e.g. multiplication or division is unrealistic.  I propose a fortnight with a short assessment at the end.  That would be 6 assessments over the 12 weeks.

If I am to continue with the current approach, one of each RIT band recieves direct attention at a station from the teacher once a week. This is not enough.

I feel that Science should take a similar approach.

For the ELA and Reading I think that a reading and writing genre should be our focus for 6 weeks at a time across the school.  With the Reading and Writing matching up it will increase exposure and awareness, therefore boosting progress.  It will provide siblings and peers with a chance to discuss this outside of class. They can showcase their work in the pods as they improve. Students and teachers can peer assess others from similar RIT bands as their attainment and progress increases. It can lead to our students "living it" as effective author's and readers.

In addition, SPAG, as advised by Leanne, can be completed one topic at a time in one lesson each week.  We can then draw on these topics in mini-lessons throughout the 6 week period at our stations.

Assess Reading and ELA with one cold/hot task at the beginning and end.  You could potentially do some very small tests on a fortnightly basis to document progress.  ]]> 2021-11-30 07:46:15 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1919800784 almaimamovic https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1919947058 When it comes to the progress tracker I would suggest, first of all, that the form of it perhaps should be different, in order to make it more effective and simple to understand, and at the same time unburden the teachers.

The simpler form of it perhaps would contain for every subject, just one spreadsheet, in which we have as now, names with their RIT scores and from the left side topics, but without the RIT bands, which enable us to have a clear vision of the progress for every student and clearer picture of the topics. If followed by the example of proposed progress tracker by the end of the week, everyone would be able to follow properly the progress of the students.]]> 2021-11-30 09:20:20 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1919947058 petercarty https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1919962867 I would strongly advise that there is a consultation and feedback period amongst CRTs before formative assessments are put in place.  Our staff are capable, competent and experienced teachers.  We ought to be consulted on the collation of formative assessment data as we are the ones who are collating this.

This approach would help to refine the tracker and the assessment tool as a whole, enabling us to use it more effectively.

Various staff members raised multiple constructive comments surrounding the progress tracker and we were not listened to.  The issues we raised then became new changes that we had to make to the tracker week upon week.

Formative assessment is crucial and a worthwhile part of our job but not at the expense of planning, teaching and learning.

I do not believe that daily use of the progress tracker is an effective use of our time.  I believe it should be tied to the assessment timescale I suggested for Q1.

Maths and Science - once per fortnight
ELA and Reading - once per week

What is the benefit of doing the progress tracker every day for every skill/concept for every subject when realistically we will not be teaching these in every lesson?

In my opinion, daily completion of this progress tracker as it stands dilutes the quality of assessment and the quality of instruction because it takes away what little planning and assessment time we currently have.

Additionally, we are consistently being told that we must have evidence for our assessments.  Yet in contrast, we are told to use our judgment on skills/concepts during activities in other subjects in order to make a decision on concepts and skills that have not been explicitly taught.

Personally, I would appreciate a decision and some clear direction on this before you tell me to complete formative assessments. It seems to me that there is little or no room to allow for anecdotal notes or the exercising of professional judgement.

]]> 2021-11-30 09:30:25 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1919962867 Math- One assessment at the end of the topic. Over 12 weeks you can possibly get 6 assessments if its done once in two weeks. Mental math informal assessments on a daily basis at the start of each lesson. afsanaramlucken https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1919993596 2021-11-30 09:49:51 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1919993596 ELA- Writing assessment (if it is a big write) should incorporate the stages of writing (planning, drafting, editing, publishing) ELA assessments should incorporate the various skills - writing, grammar , oral (listening , speaking, reading), reading comprehension, phonics afsanaramlucken https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920006365 2021-11-30 09:57:33 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920006365 Science- An assessment at the end of the topic. Atleast 1 practical. One investigation. Perhaps a project once a term. afsanaramlucken https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920009181 2021-11-30 09:59:15 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920009181 frequent spelling test/ spelling quiz- perhaps 5 words a week for weaker students afsanaramlucken https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920016884 2021-11-30 10:04:00 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920016884 petercarty https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920023188 I think we need to look at it from the initial problem which for my class is:  my students in 4E cannot read.

If we place a greater emphasis on the phonics and guided reading then it stands to reason that the children's marks will improve if they know what the question is asking them.

What daily reading do students do at home? How can we increase this?

When I read a Study Island question to a student, they can make a good attempt at answering.  For the majority of our students, they cannot read the Study Island questions when they are doing the test independently.  Teachers physically do not have the time to read each question to every student.

Devote some of the time that would otherwise be spent on Study Island assessments to reading and phonics.]]> 2021-11-30 10:08:12 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920023188 Various assessment strategies should be used. This term we only used one form of assessment (Study island). Posters, drawings, comprehension passages, oral, mini projects, cloze procedure, quizzes etc can be used to assess. Study island can be used as supplementary assessment at the end of each topic. to expose students to this type of questioning. Perhaps one lesson at the end of each topic can be consolidation and review using study island afsanaramlucken https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920028415 2021-11-30 10:11:43 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920028415 If daily/ weekly tracking is required, it should be a quick and simple way of recording. Just like the colour coding system that we used now on the tracker. Or perhaps putting in codes, or ticks/crosses. afsanaramlucken https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920035961 2021-11-30 10:17:06 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920035961 https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920066273 I would like to have longer between assessments so we are assessing at the end of a unit, rather than every week. We discussed the possibility of having an 'assessment rota' where 1 or 2 tests a week were done and the subject would differ each week. so 1 week math, next week reading, week 3 ELA then back to math. Science could then be assessed topically separately to this rota. ]]> 2021-11-30 10:37:31 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920066273 https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920066814 I agree with Peter. I also think one assessment per unit or focus topic per subject would work ]]> 2021-11-30 10:37:56 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920066814 Appropriate Test paulmurphy6 https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920068588 By using Study Island we are exposing the students to MAP style questions. The initial approach of making a test per RIT band was impractical and does put a ceiling on what a child can achieve. (It was also very difficult to correlate class results). A whole Grade Assessment while not ideal in terms of each student experience a huge amount of success at least compares everyone against their peers and some Grade level norms. Assessments can include lower grade level/RIT band qs that even low achieving students can complete as well as allowing them the opportunity to challenge themselves.

]]> 2021-11-30 10:39:11 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920068588 https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920095338 Each RIT band should only have statements from that specific RIT band to assess. We shouldn't be assessing kids on statements that are 3 or 4 RIT bands above their ability, even if we have exposed them to it. If they have achieved it that should be highlighted in the RIT band that it is, not their RIT band. ]]> 2021-11-30 10:57:42 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920095338 https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920130385 The progress tracker should be grouped by topic - LO's colored according RIT (new LOs introduced in that RIT band).
Topics should be grouped according to the order they will be taught in the Curriculum Map.]]> 2021-11-30 11:21:05 UTC https://padlet.com/eoin_ocarroll214/zlvgl3md72l5zfla/wish/1920130385