Standards, data and assessment

Links to Tfel 1.6 Design, plan and organise for teaching and learning 2.4 Support and challenge students to achieve high standards 4.3 Apply and assess learning in authentic contexts

What is mandated by DECS? Running records taken until level 30 and reported to DECS once per year. NAPLAN year 3, 5 and 7 These measures can be used to focus on whole school trends but there also need to be other measures that can be used more regularly that relate to class contexts directly.

Northern Adelaide Region has set standards for reading In 2011 the Northern Adelaide Region has set performance standards in reading which describe the understandings and skills important for students to acquire when they commence schooling from Reception to Year 2 and reading skills as measured in NAPLAN testing in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. These standards and targets will enable schools and the region to measure improvement over time

Standards set for 2011

These standards are designed to help sites set targets that can move students towards higher achievement. They are goal posts that will not move.

What do the standards look like? Level 10- end of reception

What do the standards look like? Level 20- Year 1

What do the standards look like? Level 26 -Year 2

NAPLAN standards-what do they look like? All of the standards set by NAR in reading involve higher order thinking skills, inference or higher. This is the only level of reading where the answer is ‘on the page’

Creating questions Read the text about e- books. Develop one question using each type of question provided on the jigsaw pieces.

This summary is on the back of the student summary report. It contains a snapshot of some of the skills that were expected in reading in each band. Available on naplan.edu.au

For example,NAPLAN 2010 reading test was assessing the following types of comprehension NAR Year 3 Standard in Reading 4Connects ideas across a labelled diagramInferential 4Identifies the meaning of a connecting word and draws conclusions about the purpose of pictures in an illustrated information text Synthesis 4Makes connections between ideas in a narrative. Inferential Literal questions alone are not going to support reaching the NAR standard OR Provide learning growth for each student

Discuss what the standards expect Use the handout to look at what types of reading skills are needed at each band using the example of 2010 NAPLAN Discuss- Which bands contain most literal questions? What are the skills involved in each band? How could you teach these skills?

What does NAR recommend? NAR recommends that sites have formative assessment practices in place that inform teaching and learning, which can be achieved through summative tests. Self-review.How are we doing? StandardsWhat are we aiming to achieve? Improvement planningWhere to from here ?

Standards: What are we aiming to achieve? What are the regional standards in reading and comprehension? What are the site standards for success – early literacy, oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics knowledge, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension? Needs to be crystal clear across all year levels

Standards Student Achievement Running Records – how are they analysed to determine levels of comprehension? NAPLaN proficiency bands – what does this mean in terms of reading / comprehension? What about reading skills that are needed for independent comprehension – oral language, alphabet knowledge, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary and fluency? What comprehension strategies do we expect our students to use and how do we know if they can?

Standards Organisational Conditions What does this mean for teacher practice? What does this mean for leadership practice? What does this mean for site practice?

Improvement Planning: What more do we need to do? Where to from here? What does the data tell us is the most important priority? Less is more!! Develop SMART targets What do we know about our learners’ patterns of achievement? What else do we need to know? Form PLC’s based on shared responsibilities. What data will demonstrate improvement? Identify criteria for success / shared assessment tasks. Begin with the end in mind!! What are the research-based strategies that lead to improvement in this? Decide on a strategy to implement? (1 or 2 research based). Plan the implementation of the strategy – time-lines, sharing, reporting and measurement of improvement. Level 1 intervention: whole class strategies

So.. What is it we expect them to learn? Australian Curriculum How will we know when they have learned it? Common assessment tasks, summative assessment How will we respond when they don’t learn? Re-teach, differentiate, formative assessment How will we respond when they already know it? Enrich, challenge

3 main forms of assessment. Formative Assessment for learning occurs when teachers use inferences about student progress to inform their teaching. Metacognitive Assessment as learning occurs when students reflect on and monitor their progress to inform their future learning goals. Summative Assessment of learning occurs when teachers use evidence of student learning to make judgements on student achievement against goals and standards. End of teaching cycle Have the standards been met? Has there been growth?

Assessment FOR learning frequent, formal or informal (e.g. quality questioning, anecdotal notes, written comments, testing), evidence that informs, or shapes, short term planning for learning embedded in teaching provides clear and timely feedback that helps students in their learning progression.

Gaining evidence FOR learning can happen in these four ways: InformalFormal Before new learning starts asking questions brainstorming (informal diagnostic) PAT-R Torch test (formal diagnostic) During learning process observe class work and see where problems occur (informal formative) read and give feedback on tasks (formal formative)

The region has a position paper on assessment It can be found in the Regional Plan (appendix) Has been ed with invitation to PAT- R workshop.

Tests that support formative assessment relating to comprehension strategies-supported by Literacy Secretariat and NAR PAT-R TORCH PROBE If your site has no test in place- recommended by NAR If you have used this test successfully recommended to keep using it An alternative test for specific comprehension information

PAT-R Advantages Whole class screening tool Multiple choice answers (similar to NAPLAN) Comprehension data Tests a wider range of students CD provided with graphing qualities Disadvantages Time spent on marking can be alleviated by paid marking through ACER Need to identify appropriate tests for year levels/individuals

TORCH Advantages designed for Australian students allows teachers to match the difficulty of the test with the expected level of achievement of each student can readminister the test using an easier or more difficult reading passage measures different aspects of comprehension including literal and inferential and synthesising information presented, to assist teachers build a picture of student’s developing reading comprehension skills. Disadvantages Using it only as a summative test Time needed to fully analyse results Year 3-10 only the assessment involves students reading silently rather than reading aloud, so does not assess oral reading fluency as a measure of student comprehension scoring and interpretation of the test results may require additional time and training for teachers

Self Review: How are we doing? How do we know?  Has the SMART goal been achieved? How effective have we been? What classroom based strategies have had the most impact? How do we know? How do we maintain the improvement? Where to next? Back to for next cycle.