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Assessment and Moderation Circles North Lanarkshire Council Session 2 – October/November 2011

Professional learning through Assessment and Moderation Circles Session 1 – assessment policy, unpacking the Es and Os and planning valid assessment Session 2 – moderation policy, considering the key features of sound assessment, and validating plans for learning and robust assessment Session 3 – essential features of assessment for learning, considering one piece of evidence and agreeing quality formative feedback Session 4 – periodic assessment of learning, considering a range of evidence and working towards consistency in professional judgements of pupils’ progress

What do we remember from session 1? Discuss in your trio or quartet what you remember and understand: what we assess when we assess how we assess and, ultimately why we assess

Objectives of session 2 To explain why teachers’ professional judgements are so important in CfE To perceptions of moderation To clarify the meaning of moderation in CfE To encourage a rigorous approach to assessment To provide support for critical professional reflection

Reflecting the values and principles of CfE What we assess Principles of assessment Why we assess Informing self- evaluation for improvement When we assess Reporting on progress and achievement Ensuring quality and confidence in assessment How we assess BtC5: a framework for assessment (2010: p.10)

Assessment in CfE – the increased profile of professional judgement ‘Teachers’ professional judgement about the progress children and young people are making and the point at which they should progress from one level to another will be important features of learning and teaching approaches.’ Building the Curriculum 3: a framework for learning and teaching (2008: p26)

Why the emphasis on assessment as part of learning and teaching? Teachers are increasingly seen as the main assessors of important aspects of learning There are important aspects of learning which cannot be assessed by formal tests These aspects require human judgement in authentic assessment tasks Stanley, MacCann, Gardner, Reynolds & Wild (2009)

What other reasons for professional judgement have been suggested? Greater reliance on formative approaches leading to improved learning Opportunity to improve teacher expertise in assessment Acknowledgement of the need to assess a range of learning (validity) Increasing use of assessed learning outcomes to evaluate the quality of educational provision. Broadfoot (1995)

and because human judgement is involved … ‘Regular, planned opportunities for dialogue will be required within and across establishments to help staff share and consistently apply standards.’ Building the Curriculum 3: a framework for learning and teaching (2008: p27)

Connect Extend Challenge Connect How does this with what I already know? How does this connect with what I already know? Extend How does this my thinking? How does this extend my thinking? Challenge What my thinking? What do I want to ? What challenges my thinking? What do I want to challenge?

What has been your experience of ‘moderation’ to date? Moderation

Moderation in CfE ‘Moderation is the term used to describe approaches for arriving at a shared understanding of standards and expectations for the broad general education. It involves teachers, and other professionals as appropriate, working together, drawing on guidance and exemplification and building on existing standards and expectations to: plan learning, teaching and assessment check that assessment tasks and activities provide learners with fair and valid opportunities to meet the standards and expectations before assessments are used sample evidence from learners’ work and review teachers’ judgements agree strengths in learners’ performances and next steps in learning provide feedback on teachers’ judgements to inform improvements in practices.’ BtC5: a framework for assessment. Quality assurance and moderation (2010: p3)

The purpose of moderation Moderation is needed to : builds professional confidence in arriving evaluating learning help ensure dependable professional judgments share standards between colleagues within and across schools and authorities enable critical reflection on practice and support improvement planning

What does this mean for our practice? We need to discuss plans for learning and teaching as well as pupils’ responses, considering: the learning purpose identified from the Es and Os – is the interpretation correct? the evidence suggested – is it appropriate? the activities and experiences – will the evidence emerge from these activities? the criteria for evaluating the evidence – do they relate to the evidence as well as to the Es and Os selected?

Connect Extend Challenge Connect How does this with what I already know? How does this connect with what I already know? Extend How does this my thinking? How does this extend my thinking? Challenge What my thinking? What do I want to ? What challenges my thinking? What do I want to challenge?

Reviewing completed plans Complete the first part of the moderating planning sheet - each sheet will be completed by someone else in the group Work in a ‘trio’ or ‘quartet’ to peer moderate the four features of each plan. Make notes for your colleagues on the links between: learning purpose activities to support learning or develop skills evidence of learning or skills development the criteria to be used to evaluate the evidence Finally, hand completed sheets back with feedback

Policy expectations ‘Teachers and other practitioners should work with colleagues to develop a shared understanding of standards and expectations through moderation activities which involve coherent planning, checking, sampling, reviewing and providing feedback for improvement.’ BtC5: understanding, applying and sharing standards (2010: p11)

Roles and responsibilities in assessment and moderation Learners Teachers and other practitioners Principal teachers, faculty heads and SMT Education authorities BtC5: understanding, applying and sharing standards (2010: Annex 1, pp11-13)

Moderation - teachers’ roles and responsibilities Work collaboratively to develop approaches to monitoring, self-evaluation and improvement planning Engage regularly in collegiate working, locally and nationally Work with colleagues to develop a shared understanding of standards Ensure assessment always supports learning Plan, design and carry out assessment as part of learning and teaching and periodically use specific assessments Involve learners fully in assessment and develop learners’ roles in moderation activities

Moderation – PT & SMT roles and responsibilities Provide opportunities for staff to work collaboratively in planning, learning and teaching and assessment Provide opportunities for staff to discuss, share and develop and understanding of standards and expectations through moderation Ensure that quality assurance and moderation activities are fit for purpose, proportionate, manageable and accessible Ensure an appropriate focus on coherent planning, checking, sampling, reviewing and providing feedback Ensure that monitoring and tracking … is used to support learning and involve learners in target setting Ensure that self-evaluation is based on a wide range of evidence across all aspects of learning…

Moderation – EA role and responsibilities Ensure that schools have suitable arrangements in place to support teachers’ judgements … Facilitate local networks and … to ensure fitness for purpose and proportionality Facilitate effective collaboration across authorities Provide assurance that schools in their area are consistently applying national standards and expectations and that they are participating in both local and national quality assurance and moderation activities and using these processes thoroughly Ensure assessment information is used appropriately to encourage and challenge staff …

Connect Extend Challenge Connect How does this with what I already know? How does this connect with what I already know? Extend How does this my thinking? How does this extend my thinking? Challenge What my thinking? What do I want to ? What challenges my thinking? What do I want to challenge?

Homework and next steps In your own school: adjust your plan, if appropriate, in the light of today’s discussion work through at least one of the activities agreed in your trios today collect evidence produced while pupils are working through the activity consider what three of your pupils have done well and what they need to do next Bring to the next meeting: evidence from three pupils and a note of the formative feedback you gave each of them

References Broadfoot, P (1995) ‘Performance assessment in perspective: international trends and current English experience’ in Torrance (ed.) Evaluating Authentic Assessment. Scottish Government (2008) Building the Curriculum 3: a framework for learning and teaching Scottish Government (2010) BtC5: a framework for assessment Scottish Government (2010) BtC5: a framework for assessment. Quality assurance and moderation Scottish Government (2010) BtC5: a framework for assessment. Understanding, applying and sharing standards Stanley, MacCann, Gardner, Reynolds and Wild (2009) Review of teacher assessment: what works best and issues for development; Report commissioned by the QCA.