Consistency of Moderation Languages 7-10

What is moderation? Moderation is a process where teachers compare judgements to either confirm or adjust them. The process involves close collaboration to establish a shared understanding of what achievement of syllabus standards looks like and whether or not the student has demonstrated achievement of the syllabus standards. Teachers work towards making judgements that are consistent and comparable.

Why we moderate To: develop shared or common interpretations of standards and expectations of what constitutes achievement of syllabus standards develop shared understandings of what students’ achievements look like develop accuracy and reliability in making judgements ensure judgements are equitable in terms of implications for student learning strengthen the value of teachers’ judgements inform well-targeted teaching and learning programs

Moderation Techniques Which processes facilitate moderation? Examples: Teachers are familiar with the Curriculum Standards Framework (CSF) and are able to set tasks designed to meet learning outcomes Criteria for assessment are agreed upon, so that teachers know what they are looking for Criteria for judgement are explicit and easy to see Appropriate and realistic tasks are set for particular levels to meet students’ capabilities Tasks are sufficiently open-ended to allow students to demonstrate achievement more widely across levels Details of the context are provided Substantial amounts of work are sought from the students Provision is made for pooling and discussing opinions about students’ work

Examples of Professional Dialogue Discussion of the generic framework for the K-10 Languages syllabuses Discussion across languages of generic objectives, outcomes, and Learn about/Learn to statements Sharing interpretations and understandings Examining work samples collaboratively Shared understanding of student achievement at a particular point