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3.9 Assessment K-10: Developing sound assessment practices

Description

This is a new activity. It is designed to support classroom teachers across Kindergarten to Year 10 to develop, in a collaborative way, assessment that will support student learning. Assessment is an integral part of the teaching/learning cycle and as such it influences the quality of teaching as well as the quality of learning.

From the students' point of view, assessment determines what needs to be learnt, and in doing so drives the learning outcomes. From the teachers' point of view the learning outcomes should drive assessment. For the other stakeholders such as parents or prospective employers, assessment should provide a reliable indication of what the student is capable of in a given discipline. Given the emphasis that all these parties place on assessment, it is important that it support and focus on student learning, that it is varied, and provides useful feedback to both the students and the teachers.

This project will focus on assessment and supporting school communities in the development of quality assessment strategies. It will provide teachers with opportunities to reflect and refine assessment practice in line with current best practice and within the Quality teaching framework, as well as ensuring that assessment provides a variety of evidence upon which to base A-E grades for twice yearly reporting requirements.

The implementation of this activity will be supported by diocesan curriculum officers, academic partners and school based professional learning teams.

Contacts

Outcomes

Through participation in an AGQTP project, teachers will have strengthened the currency and depth of their pedagogical knowledge and skills.
Through participation in an AGQTP project, teachers will have engaged productively in collegial networks that extend and support knowledge and skills.

Access

All teaching staff including early career teachers.

Design

The professional learning strategy for this activity includes:

• participation in formal workshops incorporating common messages about assessment


• school-based projects to engage teachers in the assessment needs of their particular community


• provision to KLA groups to work in collegial networks, especially in relation to developing consistent teacher judgement


• on-site and off-site professional development in knowledge building and skill-sharing activities


• workplace mentoring and coaching aligned to meeting the NSW Institute of Teachers' professional teaching standards


• partnership with professional associations and higher education institutions to provide expertise in the development, design and implementation of the professional development activities


• incorporation of strategies to enhance both assessment for learning and assessment of learning.

Implementation

The implementation of the activity will be supported by the following personnel: designated project officer (education consultant), and school based professional learning team.

Delivery

Workplace learning, workshops/course

Timeline

By May 2007:

• professional development day designed and delivered by designated officer and possibly academic partners for teachers from participating schools


• evaluation of the professional development day


• submit progress report in May.

• writing and implementation of strategies, exemplar units of assessment linked to the teaching/learning continuum within schools and school networks, using best-practice assessment strategies for a variety of KLAs and stages of schooling.


• submit annual report in November.

Sectors