Ongoing Reporting Guiding Principle 5 Be manageable and not take time away from learning and teaching

In this workshop we will explore keeping a focus on formative feedback emphasising the importance of oral feedback planning to avoid an over-reliance on written record-keeping exploring ways to develop reporting processes that are effective and manageable

Guiding Principle 5 effective feedback is dialogue between students and teachers emphasis in reporting should be on oral feedback oral focus avoids unnecessary record keeping written reports contain short meaningful comments on progress in the most significant aspects of learning

Exercising your judgement in record keeping purpose of assessment determines how much information is recorded by teacher immediate use can be made of much information gathered from ongoing assessment in supporting student learning involving students in reflecting on their own learning and encouraging them to record significant self-assessment moments can reduce what teachers record and enable genuine student voice

Reviewing what we do Use the statements on page 29 of the booklet to reflect on your own practice and on the practice in your school generally. Now consider this question: What can our school do to ensure that our reporting practices are both effective and manageable? Record the outcomes of the discussion as action points.

Two practical issues Given that teachers may have a considerable amount of evidence of student learning from ongoing classroom work, how can we plan to efficiently record and report learning achievement? One way of freeing up time for learning and teaching would be to reduce time spent on preparing and marking school examinations. What steps would we need to put in place if we were to decide to move away from the use of in-house exams in first and second year of junior cycle?

Which Guiding Principle is next for us? You have now completed the discussion on this Guiding Principle and recorded the agreed changes or action points Decide which of the Guiding Principle/s you plan to discuss next.