Considering Children’s Rights and our approaches to Assessment Leanne Henderson, Research Student School of Education, Queen’s University Belfast

The purpose of this session Consider why, and how, recognising “the role of assessment in the delivery of children’s right to education” (Elwood & Lundy 2010, p349) can be useful in developing collaborative learning activities with our European Partner Schools.

Considering Children’s Rights and our approaches to Assessment: A brief overview Why children’s rights and assessment? - The importance of assessment in education - The value of children’s views What can we do? - Continue what we are already doing - Add value to the learning experiences in our classrooms How can we do it? - By defining our thinking and actions - Through an inclusive approach

Why Children’s Rights and Assessment? Assessment is a powerful driver of education (How) are we assessing children in the context of ESP activities? (How) have we considered the rights of all children under the CRC? (How) have children been given a voice? (How) are the best interests of children being met? (How) do we maximise what we are doing well?

Activity: What are we already doing? In multi-national groups -Discuss how European Studies activities fit in your classroom -Discuss how you assess the activities: informally and formally -Does your assessment reflect the purposes of the activities? In home country groups -Discuss how what you are doing compares to your European colleagues -Identify an aspect that might benefit your learners

(How) are we assessing children in the context of ESP activities? To complement an existing curriculum provision (contributing to existing subjects) To develop complementary curriculum activities and Subjects (offering new subjects – widening our curriculum) To gain recognition for our schools

(How) have we considered the rights of children under the CRC? All state parties have committed to the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989). Elwood & Lundy (2010) outlined how we might consider assessment approaches in the context of the provision of these rights Article 3 Best-interests To what extent are children’s best interests a primary consideration? Article 2 Non-discrimination Will the decision have adverse impact on any particular groups of children? Article 12 Participation Are children engaged meaningfully throughout the decision making processes? How does the provision of these rights fit with our assessment practices?

Questions in consideration of assessment and children’s rights (Elwood & Lundy, 2010) Best interests (Article 3) To what extent are children’s best interests a primary consideration? How are school assessment policies prioritising children’s best interests? Are mechanisms in place to ensure quality of school-based assessment systems? Are school assessments administered at optimum times? What are the uses to which assessment data are put and are these equally applied to all children?

Questions in consideration of assessment and children’s rights (Elwood & Lundy, 2010) Non-discrimination (Article 2) Will the decision have adverse impact on any particular groups of children? Do school assessment policies adhere to principles of equality of access and fair assessment? Are there a range of assessment techniques available to students across all subjects and phases of schooling? Are teachers and students aware of those factors that can create bias in assessment practice and products?

Questions in consideration of assessment and children’s rights (Elwood & Lundy, 2010) Participation (Article 12) Are children engaged meaningfully throughout the decision-making processes? Do students have the right to appeal assessment decisions? Are children equal stakeholders in the formation of school assessment policies? Are children meaningfully involved in the design and development of classroom assessment systems: the development of assessment criteria, moderation systems, and reporting mechanisms to parents/guardians and other accountability audiences?

What can we do in our schools? Engaging teacher and pupil voice Teachers Be clear about our purposes Encourage colleagues to become involved Ensure we have the capacity to effectively assess the learning Students Engage students in the planning and evaluation of programmes by actively consulting and listening to them Enable all students to participate effectively Develop opportunities for pupils to get credit for their achievements

Activity: How do we maximise what we are doing well? Discuss with a partner one strategy we might use to… Share what we are doing well Identify what we want to achieve Take a meaningful and inclusive approach Get the maximum value from our efforts

Considering Children’s Rights and our approaches to Assessment Leanne Henderson, Research student, School of Education, Queen’s University Belfast References Elwood, J. & Lundy, L., Revisioning assessment through a children’s rights approach: implications for policy, process and practice. Research Papers in Education, 25(3), pp Elwood, J., Educational assessment policy and practice: a matter of ethics. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 20(2), pp Lundy, L., 'Voice' is not enough: conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. British Educational Research Journal, 33(6), pp United Nations, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Geneva: United Nations