Assessment and Working Scientifically at KS3 Alex Holmes ASE 2015

“If you believe you can develop yourself, then you're open to accurate information about your current abilities, even it it's unflattering. What's more, if you're oriented toward learning, you need accurate information about your current abilities in order to learn effectively”  (Dweck, 2006, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success)

Aims of this workshop Examine assessment models for demonstrating measurable progress. Draw on research, classroom practice and a flexible assessment model Examine resources from Smart Science that make a significant difference to assessment and working scientifically.

DfE current assessment challenges National Curriculum reforms meant that levels used to report children’s attainment and progress were removed in September 2014. “By removing levels we will allow teachers greater flexibility in the way that they plan and assess pupils’ learning.” (DfE, 2014)

The view from Ofsted … We will not endorse any particular approach. But we do expect every school to be able to show what their pupils know, understand and can do through continuous assessment and summative tests. (Sir Michael Wilshaw, Ofsted, Jan 2014)

Ofsted inspection framework Assessment is a critical part of how a school manages the new curriculum: How is the school’s assessment model linked to the programmes of study and schemes of work in the new curriculum?

Ofsted - Accuracy In evaluating the accuracy of assessment, inspectors will usually consider how well: Assessment is used to modify teaching so that pupils achieve the expected standards. Assessment identifies what pupils know, understand and can do through regular testing Teachers make consistent judgements.

Ofsted - Progress Pupils have the knowledge, understanding and skills as set out by the assessment system Pupils are set aspirational targets and meet or exceed these expected standards Assessment is used to ensure that all pupils make the progress

Ofsted - Tracking and monitoring Schools must be able to demonstrate what involvement pupils have in their own assessment cycle and their own understanding of their learning journey

Discussion activity Please introduce yourself to your neighbour. In pairs, discuss your current assessment practices What is your assessment for? Who does it, and to whom? When does it happen? Make a list of 5 examples of activities where assessment takes place across your subject.

The state of assessment “A wealth of research – a poverty of practice.” (Black and Wiliam, 1998) Shift from teaching to learning Confusion of terms of assessment Formative Summative

What is Assessment? The word assess comes from the Latin verb assidere meaning to sit by or near to. The Latin noun assessor is one who sits by to give advice. Thus it is something we do with and for pupils and not to pupils Green, 1998

Formative or summative? Formative: assessment for learning, focusing on future achievement “… often means no more than that the assessment is carried out frequently and is planned at the same time as teaching.” (Black and Wiliam, 1999) Summative: assessment of learning i.e. what has been learnt in the past “… is carried out at intervals when achievement has to be summarised and reported.” (Harlen, 1998)

Summative assessment If summative assessment measures learning accurately, pupils who excel in achieving the goals can be rewarded As teachers, we also get feedback about our teaching i.e. if a significant number of pupils do not improve, we can revise our teaching methods.

How do you prioritise improvements to learning and assessment? Monitoring progress Small group intervention Classroom assistant Teacher specialism Initial assessment Regular feedback Planning for literacy Formative assessment Summative assessment Planning for numeracy Planning Quality resources

Theories of learning from cognitive science Distributed practice : encourages mastery and memory. Overlearning: keep pupils learning so that familiarity becomes knowledge Interleaving:  revisit content in different contexts. Testing frequently: using memory improves memory.

SS – the thinking behind the doing Assessment sheets find out where a pupil is starting from.   The end of unit test reflects where the pupil is heading. The end of year test consolidates all learning and encourages pupils to revisit topics. 

Skills and Knowledge Assessment Model

Progress escalator & NC level equivalent The progress escalator builds on the old National Curriculum levels for setting targets and recording progress.

Attainment bands and progress escalators Learning (levels 3 and 4): recall and describe Mastering (levels 5 and 6): apply knowledge Expanding (levels 7 and 8): synthesise knowledge.

GCSE grade ‘flight path’ Projected estimate to equivalent GCSE grade. DfE recommendation of 3 levels of progress from KS2 to KS4.  

Smart Science testing Help teachers determine whether pupils are making adequate progress or meeting expected targets. Test content not limited to mirroring scheme of work, so less teaching to the test and more application of ideas as determined by Bloom’s taxonomy.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create Revised by Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001

Skills and Knowledge Assessment Model

What about working scientifically? Focus on developing science skills common to all GCSE specifications Recognising the key words and adjusting answers

Share ideas with your neighbour What is ‘science’ in the real world? What do scientists do? How does school science compare with ‘real’ science?

Promoting working scientifically Key science skills - identifying evidence, testing, evaluating and communicating conclusions. Not dependent on pre-existing scientific knowledge, but not applicable without content. Uses science knowledge applied to different situations

Five strands of working scientifically Thinking scientifically Using investigative approaches Working critically with evidence Using maths in science Communicating in science

Reflections of ‘real science’ Asking questions and defining problems Developing and using models. Planning and carrying out investigations. Analysing and interpreting data. Constructing explanations Engaging in argument from evidence. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.

Key skills covered Communication Thinking Literacy Data processing Mathematics Reasoning Working with others Enquiry Self-evaluation Creative thinking Problem solving Evaluation

In summary, Smart Science aims to Develop key skills prior to KS4. Encourage pupils to think and work scientifically. Evaluate both pupil learning and skill acquisition. Track and monitor individual pupils accurately. Set targets that build on previous achievement as well as aiming for the next level up.

Anderson, L. W. Krathwohl, D Anderson, L.W. Krathwohl, D.R et al 2001 "A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives, abridged edition. " NY: Longman (2001). Black, P. and Wiliam, D. (1998) Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. Granada Learning, 1998. Department for Education (2013). The National Curriculum in England: Framework Document. London: DfE [online]. Dweck, Carol. Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House LLC, 2006. Green, J. M. (1998, February). Constructing the way forward for all pupils. A speech delivered at “Innovations for Effective Schools” OECD/New Zealand joint follow-up conference, New Zealand. Harlen, W. (1998) Classroom assessment: A dimension of purposes and procedures. In K. Carr (Ed.), SAMEpapers (pp. 75–87). Hamilton, New Zealand: Centre for SMT Ed. Res. Lehrer, R. and Schauble, L. 2007. Scientific thinking and science literacy. In W. Damon & R. Lerner (Eds.) Handbook of Child Psychology, 6th Edition (pp. 153-196). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Ofsted (2011). The Impact of the ‘Assessing Pupils’ Progress’ Initiative. Manchester: Ofsted [online]. Elena Silva (2008) "Measuring skills for the 21st century." Education Sector Reports 11 (2008). Willingham, Daniel T. "Strategies That Make Learning Last." Strategies 72.2 (2014): 10-15.