Page 102: What is assessment and how should this look in a primary classroom (3)?

Page 102:What is assessment and how should this look in a primary classroom (3)?

Happy Sunday! (or whatever day you are reading this all ...) Thank you for joining me in my final instalment of my exploring into assessment following my reflection on evidence informed research learning completed on my NPQLT. So far I have explored the relationships between assessment and feedback culture, principles for effective feedback and barriers to overcome 'myth busting'. Today I am going to be looking at assessment on a whole school level.

So, how should assessment look on a whole school level?

When looking at assessment on a whole school scale (whether this is primary or secondary), we must consider the patterns of performance. There are six key steps that lie in harmony together (not just to be considered independently) that are integral in understadning the evidence to support a conclusion. It is great to have what are believed to be 'good' assessment cycles in place, however, as a leader (whether this is whole school or in your classroom) understadning the evidence to inform future practice is vital. We must consider all available steps:

1. Actions

2. Assumptions

3. Interpret data

4. Summarised data

5. Selective data

6. Available data

There are two types of assessment. Formative assessment (also known as assessment for learning) and summative assessment (also known as assessment of learning). Your formative assessment is what happens in the day to day classroom, for example using questioning to decide if another worked example is needed before setting pupils off on an independant task. Summative assessment is often what is considered assessing and data analysing on a whole school level. This assessment tests pupils knowledge retention and understadning such as through a quiz. 

Here are some pros and cons to consider when using summative assessment on a whole school level:

Pros

- Summative assessment assesses a wider range of achievement which provides information about learning processes as well as outcomes.

- Summative assessment is measurable and can be compared over time (e.g., class to class, cohort to cohort)

- Summative assessment can reach satisfactory levels of reliability.

- Teachers have greater freedom to pursue learning goals,

Cons

- Validity depends on learning activities and opportunties schoolwork provides.

- Teacher assessment can be perceived as bias or unreliable.

- Responsibility of summative assessment can increase workload.

- Training in interpretation and use of assessment criteria is needed. 

This concludes me rather long (3 page) introduction to assessment. I have found completing my NPQ particularly beneficial in informing my practice, thinking about big ideas, considering both sides of a theme and using these reflections to inform my practice. 

- Miss Yeoman