© Crown copyright 2006 Assessing pupils’ progress in mathematics.

© Crown copyright 2006

Assessing pupils’ progress in mathematics


Crown Copyright Statement

The content of this publication may be reproduced free of charge by schools and local authorities provided that the material is acknowledged as Crown copyright, the publication title is specified, it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Anyone else wishing to reuse part or all of the content of this publication should apply to OPSI for a core licence.

The permission to reproduce Crown copyright protected material does not extend to any material in this publication which is identified as being the copyright of a third party.

Applications to reproduce the material from this publication should be addressed to:

OPSI, The Information Policy Division,St Clements House,2–16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQFax: 01603 723000e-mail: [email protected]


Introduction to APP and exploring the focused assessment materials

Objectives• To introduce the Assessing pupils’

progress (APP) approach• To explore the focused assessment

materials


APP is a structured approach to assessing

mathematics to enable teachers to:• judge pupil attainment in relation to NC

levels• assess learning objectives in order to inform

planning for future teaching and learning

3.1


APP will support teachers in raising standards in mathematics by:• strengthening ongoing teacher assessment,

particularly by increasing talk about mathematics in lessons

• helping teachers link focused assessment to curricular target setting

• enhancing understanding of progression and strengthening teachers’ feel for NC levels

• focusing tracking of pupils’ progress in key areas of mathematics

• helping identify pupils who need additional support to overcome difficulties and secure progress

3.2


The APP approach is essentially about:

• strengthening teachers’ feel for levels• using both planned and unplanned

assessments in day-to-day lessons• planning for focused assessment,

using new materials:– to inform judgements about levels– to provide diagnostic information about

pupils’ strengths and weaknesses

3.3


The APP approach is essentially about:

• using information about weaknesses to set and work on curricular targets

• using information to track pupils’ progress

3.4


Exploring the focused assessment materials

• Teachers make and act on assessment judgements in all lessons

• Sometimes assessment is intuitive and unplanned, at other times it is planned and focused

• The APP approach includes focused, planned assessments, using new materials – the focused assessment materials


What are the key indicators?

• The key indicators (KIs) are the basis of focused, planned assessments in APP

• KIs include all the key objectives, plus a few extra learning objectives from the Framework

Teachers should plan to assess each of these KIs.


Exploring the focused assessment materials

• Focused assessment materials are designed to help assess the KIs in everyday teaching and learning

• Each KI has a set of probing questions


Using the probing questions• The questions are intended to start a

dialogue between the teacher and pupil(s)• They are designed to explore

mathematical thinking and help identify misconceptions and misunderstandings

• They are best used when pupils are working on rich activities based on the KIs being assessed

• They work better with open-ended or problem-solving activities


Targeted use of probing questions

• Use with pupils you are not sure about• Use with pupils to find out more about

misconceptions and misunderstandings


Generating dialogue, using the probing questions: 1

Look at activity sheet 1, Find 15% in as many ways as you can.

• What would you expect pupils working at level 4 or 5 to do when working on this activity?


Generating dialogue, using the probing questions: 2

Look at the probing questions for each of the KIs and consider:

• questions that might be good to use for assessing the KIs as part of this activity

• modifications you would want to make to the questions


Generating dialogue, using probing questions: 3Look at transcript 1. • What did the dialogue reveal about

the pupil’s understanding? • Were any weaknesses revealed?• What does the pupil need to do?• What does the teacher need to do?• How were the probing questions

used to generate and focus the dialogue?


What does the pupil need to do next?

• What might be an appropriate curricular target for this pupil?

• What might need to be done to help the pupil achieve this target?


Incorporating assessment of KIs into schemes of work

Objectives• To analyse and consider when the

learning objectives that are key indicators are taught in schemes of work

• To decide by when each KI will be assessed


Steps to integrate planning for assessment into schemes of work: 1

• Decide when level judgements will be recorded for each attainment target

• Ensure learning objectives that are KIs are highlighted in schemes of work

• Decide by when (unit of work) each KI will be assessed

• Integrate probing questions into the relevant units and lesson plans

• If necessary, devise rich activities that will promote mathematical thinking and dialogue to aid assessment


Planning to assess the key indicators for a chosen unit

Objectives• To explore planning issues for

assessment of key indicators• To collaboratively plan focused

assessment within a unit of work


Steps to integrate planning for assessment into schemes of work: 2

• Decide when level judgements will be recorded for each attainment target

• Ensure learning objectives that are KIs are highlighted in schemes of work

• Decide by when (unit of work) each KI will be assessed

• Integrate probing questions into the relevant units and lesson plans

• If necessary, devise rich activities that will promote mathematical thinking and dialogue to aid assessment


Planning to assess the key indicators for a chosen unit

• Review the activities used – do they provide rich opportunities for assessing the KI(s)?

• If necessary, research or devise alternative activities

• Ensure the level of difficulty is about right – check against KI and examples

• Incorporate probing questions into planning, modifying as appropriate

• Begin to consider possible misconceptions that might be revealed through dialogue


Agreeing initial pupil levels

Objectives• To explore evidence to inform

judgements of initial pupil levels• To ensure that teachers have

access to recent summative judgements and any formative evidence for their pupils


What are our sources of evidence?

• Key Stage 2 test levels• Key Stage 2 teacher assessment levels• Levels from optional tests or progress

tests• End-of-year teacher assessment levels• Records of pupils’ performance against

key objectives• Discussion with previous class teacher• Evidence from recent classwork


Planning next stages

Objectives• To plan for collaborative classroom

work• To agree timings and follow-up work


Paired work in the classroom

• Pairs of teachers meet to plan and discuss a focused assessment lesson for the chosen unit (from session C)

• During the lesson, the teachers work together, using the probing questions with targeted pupils – one engaging with the dialogue and the other observing, then swapping roles

• After the lesson, the two teachers meet to discuss outcomes, evidence of achievement and weaknesses identified. They make notes to take to the departmental meeting


Discussing the process and outcomes of assessment of key indicatorsObjectives• To share good practice in use of probing

questions to assess key indicator(s) for chosen units

• To discuss outcomes of the assessments, including the weaknesses revealed

• To consider appropriate curricular targets for some pupils and actions to modify planning


Using outcomes of APP assessment of key indicators

Focused assessment↓

Curricular targets↓

Actions to achieve targets


Modifying planning to achieve curricular targets

Possible strategies• Teach one or two additional lessons• Use a few focused oral and mental starters• Make changes to a subsequent related unit

of work• Provide focused teaching for targeted

pupils when topic next taught• Provide focused support from a teaching

assistant


The process

• Which probing questions were good for assessing the key indicators?

• Did you modify the probing questions? If so, how?

• How did pupils react? What strategies helped when pupils were reluctant to answer, or if they found the questions too hard?


The outcomes

• What weaknesses, misconceptions or gaps were revealed?

• What curricular targets might be set to address these weaknesses and misconceptions?

• How should we involve pupils in agreeing and understanding these curricular targets?

• What actions are needed to ensure pupils are able to achieve their curricular targets?

• What do we need to do about any gaps identified?


What needs to be recorded?

Only record what you need to use, for example:

• the pupils who are insecure with a key indicator

• pupils’ resulting curricular targets, including a note of progress with these

• periodically, ongoing assessment levels for each attainment target


Strengthening teachers’ feel for levels part 1: Exploring progression in key indicatorsObjective• To explore progression across a set

of related key indicators


Exploring the progression in a set of key indicators: 1ActivityWork in pairs. • Track the progression in the set of

key indicators across the levels, by analysing the differences for one level to the next in the Examples of what pupils should know and be able to do.

• Use the Framework supplement of examples for more detail.


Exploring the progression in a set of key indicators: 2

• Discuss and agree the significant differences across the levels

• Consider the stages in the progression that pupils typically find difficult

• Note any implications for planning for teaching and learning


Strengthening teachers’ feel for levels part 2: Discussing pupils’ work, stage 1Objective• To discuss and agree interpretations

of levels in an attainment target


Exploring and discussing the evidence

Focus on a pupil judged at level 4 in attainment target

• Explore and discuss the evidence• Confirm or question the sense of level,

using the Examples and the level description

• Pinpoint specific pieces of evidence that support or question the level judgement

• Summarise the key evidence that supports the level 4 judgement

• Repeat for other pupils at levels 5 and 6


Using the assessment packages

Objectives• To explore the use of assessment

packages as part of APP• To study one assessment package

in detail• To plan to use the assessment

package with one or more teaching groups


The assessment packages can be used to:• provide teachers with further

evidence to contribute to their ongoing judgements

• support teachers in providing formative feedback to pupils

• strengthen teachers’ understanding of levels

• support professional development activities to discuss and agree standards


Outline of assessment packages in Year 7

Attainment targets

Assessed levels

Number 3/4/5

Number/algebra 3/4/5

Shape, space and measures

3/4/5

Handling data 3/4/5



Attainment targets

Assessed levels

Number 3/4/5/6

Algebra (3)/4/5/6


3/4/5/6

Number/handling data

(3)/4/5/6



Attainment target Assessed levels

Number 4/5/6

Algebra 4/5/6


(3)/4/5/6

Handling data 4/5/6


Each assessment package includes:

• detailed teaching notes for two lessons

• resource materials for teachers and pupils, including ICT resources

• solutions and performance indicators for the assessed activities

• examples of pupil work to exemplify performance at targeted levels


Some practical considerations: 1

To use the assessment packages effectively:

• select an assessment package that fits the programme of work for pupils

• dedicate two consecutive lessons• prepare carefully


Using an assessment package to strengthen feel for levels

Objective• To work with performance indicators

alongside examples of pupil work to explore and discuss evidence of NC levels


Working with the examples of pupil workFor each piece of pupil work:• discuss the evidence – look at what might

be revealed from incorrect responses• pinpoint the evidence for specific

performance indicators – what pupils at this level are generally able to do in this activity

• look at the bullets of what pupils at this level are less likely to be able to do

Discuss any examples where the level judgement seems unclear


Some practical considerations: 2To use the assessment packages effectively:

• before the lessons, decide which pupils you need to focus on

• focus your marking on the assessment activities

• use the notes on ‘good’ and ‘better’ responses to get a feel for the quality and to inform feedback

• use the performance indicators and examples to make a level judgement

• add this to other evidence to inform your level judgement of the attainment target


Discussing outcomes from use of assessment packages

Objective• To discuss outcomes from use of the

assessment package(s) and implications for planning and teaching


• What did pupils typically do well?• What did pupils typically have

difficulty with?• What weaknesses were revealed?• Should we be reviewing any aspect

of our teaching for this area of mathematics in the light of these difficulties and weaknesses? If so, which and how?


Discussing and planning future use of assessment packages

Objectives• To discuss the benefits of the use of

assessment packages• To consider future plans for using

assessment packages


• What are the benefits of using the assessment packages:– for teachers?– for pupils?

• What are the limitations?


Some practical considerations: 3

• When should the assessment packages be used?• How should we coordinate the resourcing of the

assessment packages?• How should we support each other in preparing

and using the assessment packages?• How should we support each other in marking and

assessing the assessment activities, including checking that we are being consistent?

• What are the implications for our ‘in-house’ testing?

Date post:	01-Jan-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	david-hunter
View:	223 times
Download:	2 times

© Crown copyright 2006 Assessing pupils’ progress in mathematics.

Documents