Reporting & Assessments
Our assessment methods and/or tools that are used to evaluate/certify, measure, monitor, observe, and document learning progress, academic readiness, skill acquisition, or educational needs of students. Assessment plays a key role in our data-driven decision making and is an important part of the whole child data picture.
Different types of assessments enable us to answer key questions around student learning. These include:
Diagnostic Assessment
Assesses a student’s strengths, weaknesses, knowledge, and skills prior to instruction. A baseline to work from. Done at the beginning–of the school year, beginning of a unit, beginning of a lesson, etc.
Formative Assessment
Assesses a student’s performance during instruction, and usually occurs regularly throughout the instruction process. Like a doctor’s ‘check-up’ to provide data to revise instruction. Using digital exit ticket tools like Loop can be an easy means of checking whether students have understood lesson content, while also promoting student reflection.
Summative Assessment
Measures a student’s achievement at the end of instruction. It’s like talking to someone about a movie after the movie is over. It’s macabre, but if formative assessment is the check-up, you might think of summative assessment as the autopsy. What happened? Now that it’s all over, what went right and what went wrong?
Norm-Referenced Assessment
Compares a student’s performance against other students (a national group or other ‘norm’). Place, group or ‘demographic’ assessment. Many standardised tests are used as norm-referenced assessments. These kinds of assessments are useful over time in student profiles or for placement in national-level programs, for example.
Criterion-Referenced Assessment
Measures a student’s performance against a goal, specific objective, or standard. Another way to think about it: a bar to measure all students against. These can be a kind of formative assessment and should be integrated throughout your curriculum to guide the adjustment of your teaching over time. Mastery or competency-based learning would use criterion-referenced assessments.
Interim/Benchmark Assessment
Evaluates student performance at periodic intervals, frequently at the end of a grading period. Can predict student performance on end-of-the-year summative assessments. A benchmark assessment is a type of interim assessment so it could be useful to think of them as distinct even though they function in a similar way. Bar graph or chart growth throughout a year, often against specific ‘benchmarks’. Benchmark assessments can be useful for communicating important facts and data to parents, district officials, and others to, among other goals, inform the allotment of resources (time and money) to respond to that data.
End of course Attainment Variable Prediction (VP)
Attainment 8 scores (based on Y11 predictions) allow for Trust wide analysis across all year groups comparing the Attainment 8 points expected from Q3 Academies targets against teachers’ predictions. This enables the Trust to effectively monitor any gaps in key focus groups across the full five years.
Targets have been re-calibrated for Q3 Academy Tipton, due to current starting points of students and these may change year by year. The Trust is aiming for a minimum progress scores for Y10 and Year 11 that would put Q3 Academy Tipton in the top half of academies nationally. The Trust appreciates that this is ambitious.
Data such as targets, attainment and variable prediction is shared with students; this should be a constant conversation.
Q3 Attainment Grades
Behaviour for Learning (includes attitudes to homework)
1 - Exceptional BFL
o Student can work as part of a group or individually
o An effective problem solver who has a range of strategies to deploy when faced with challenges
o Significant effort is put into all work
o Is well prepared for lessons and deadlines are met
o Being an effective communicator both orally and written
o Student is an attentive and enthusiastic learner who is a regular contributor to activities
o Actively seeks feedback recognising the part it plays in improving understanding
2 - Good BFL
o Responds to class expectations and only rarely requires reminders
o Responds fully to all feedback on work submitted
o Equipment brought to lessons and deadlines met
o Will explain understanding but this has to be drawn out
o Will persist in an activity but has limited strategies which can result in giving up
3 - Cause for Concern BFL
o Learning time is not used well with the student completing a small amount of work
o Consistent encouragement is required to respond to questions verbally or written
o Student is frequently not prepared for learning and struggles to sustain effort and enthusiasm throughout the lesson
o The student will correct basic errors identified in feedback but needs to be reminded
4 - Unnaceptable BFL
o Inattentive and may distract the effort of others
o Avoids participation in the learning
o Struggles to focus for the entirety of the lesson
o Is not prepared for learning
o The student completes no or little work during lessons
If you have any further questions, please contact Ms Rhode at the School.