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STANDARD 5: ASSESS, PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND REPORT ON STUDENT LEARNING
5.1 ASSESS STUDENT LEARNING
---Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning.
There are various ways to assess student learning formally and informally through observations, verbally and non-verbally, asking questions, formative, summative-written and oral procedures, practice tests, multiple choice just to name a few.
One of the ways I have assessed student learning while on my practicums, has been to conduct pre-practice tests based on content descriptors, designed to determine what a student already knows, what they need to learn, and concluding with a question asking what a student might like to know further. This assists me to further plan and modify lesson plans to be relevant, based on what students know, and need to know, to help students achieve required learning outcomes.
Evidence 1: At the commencement to a unit of work on money where I had only spent a short time getting to know students, I designed a question sheet to be used as a pre-assessment to determine what students already knew about money. I always stress at the beginning, that such tests do not count towards any grades; nor is it a test to grade spelling. This immediately removes any fear that some students have about "tests".
5.1 ASSESS STUDENT LEARNING
---Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning.
There are various ways to assess student learning formally and informally through observations, verbally and non-verbally, asking questions, formative, summative-written and oral procedures, practice tests, multiple choice just to name a few.
One of the ways I have assessed student learning while on my practicums, has been to conduct pre-practice tests based on content descriptors, designed to determine what a student already knows, what they need to learn, and concluding with a question asking what a student might like to know further. This assists me to further plan and modify lesson plans to be relevant, based on what students know, and need to know, to help students achieve required learning outcomes.
Evidence 1: At the commencement to a unit of work on money where I had only spent a short time getting to know students, I designed a question sheet to be used as a pre-assessment to determine what students already knew about money. I always stress at the beginning, that such tests do not count towards any grades; nor is it a test to grade spelling. This immediately removes any fear that some students have about "tests".
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Evidence 2: Giving students a rubric in the form of a self-assessment checklist, has been beneficial for students on many occasions. This enables students a visual record of the expectations for their work, and to self-check and recheck as necessary. In a year 4 class, students learnt about procedure writing, based on their choice of topic. Part way through their procedure writing, I used formative assessment to gauge the students learning outcomes. Performing this assessment, indicated some students were not quite grasping all concepts. To rectify this, all students were required to design a procedural text, based on a familiar topic - how to make a Vegemite sandwich. I purchased the ingredients for students to make the sandwich and after students had written their procedure, each took turns in pairs with one student reading their procedure, while a class peer, made the sandwich according to the written procedure. Not only did this enable me to assist them with skills and knowledge to develop procedural texts that were more relevant to learning outcomes, but also enabled the students to self assess their existing knowledge, their written procedure, and where they needed to improvements for successful outcomes.
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5.2 PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO STUDENTS ON THEIR LEARNING
---Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning.
Feedback must be provided timely and accurately. I believe positive feedback is essential. In the early part of my studies I remember being taught to give feedback like a "sandwich" -positive feedback, followed by any improvements/negatives, followed by another positive.
There are also multiple ways to provide feedback including ongoing, during lessons, at the conclusion, verbal, written, non-verbal, corrections, and suggestions along the way.
While individual written feedback can time consuming, I believe it is essential to give students feedback where necessary that is more than just "great", "well done", or if in the case of errors/mistakes, more than just "x" or "incorrect".
Evidence 1: To conclude a unit of work on procedural texts, students were required to write their own procedural text on a topic of their choice, as part of their assessment. Students were given a rubric checklist to assist them with the assessment criteria. Not only did I give students one (or more) ticks for an element done well, but also included many suggestions for improvements/additions, and just comments about their work in general.
---Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of providing timely and appropriate feedback to students about their learning.
Feedback must be provided timely and accurately. I believe positive feedback is essential. In the early part of my studies I remember being taught to give feedback like a "sandwich" -positive feedback, followed by any improvements/negatives, followed by another positive.
There are also multiple ways to provide feedback including ongoing, during lessons, at the conclusion, verbal, written, non-verbal, corrections, and suggestions along the way.
While individual written feedback can time consuming, I believe it is essential to give students feedback where necessary that is more than just "great", "well done", or if in the case of errors/mistakes, more than just "x" or "incorrect".
Evidence 1: To conclude a unit of work on procedural texts, students were required to write their own procedural text on a topic of their choice, as part of their assessment. Students were given a rubric checklist to assist them with the assessment criteria. Not only did I give students one (or more) ticks for an element done well, but also included many suggestions for improvements/additions, and just comments about their work in general.
Evidence 2: During some team teaching my mentor was engaged with a group of students working with more difficult list words, while I remained with the group with easier words and assigned tasks. I was able to provide instant feedback/assessment - both verbal and non-verbal as they progressed through their tasks. While team teaching is not always a possibility, it was beneficial for students to know whether they were on task with their work, or where they needed further additional work to successfully achieve.
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5.3 MAKE CONSISTENT AND COMPARABLE JUDGMENTS
---Demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
Moderation enables teachers to ensure judgments made on a students work, is fair and consistent. Assessment criteria and rubrics, are useful sources for teachers to ensure each student receives marks/grades that are consistent with the criteria used for another student and are comparable.
Evidence 1: I was able to conduct reading comprehension assessments using the PROBE system, designed to assess reading accuracy, behaviour and comprehension of students.
Specific answers were required from students for each question to be considered correct. This meant answers between students had to be consistent to receive marks, which were then converted to a percentage. This would then indicate whether a student was successful in going up to the next reading level.
---Demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
Moderation enables teachers to ensure judgments made on a students work, is fair and consistent. Assessment criteria and rubrics, are useful sources for teachers to ensure each student receives marks/grades that are consistent with the criteria used for another student and are comparable.
Evidence 1: I was able to conduct reading comprehension assessments using the PROBE system, designed to assess reading accuracy, behaviour and comprehension of students.
Specific answers were required from students for each question to be considered correct. This meant answers between students had to be consistent to receive marks, which were then converted to a percentage. This would then indicate whether a student was successful in going up to the next reading level.
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Evidence 2: At the conclusion to a unit of work on report writing, the following rubric was designed and used.
Students were issued with this criteria for the assessment before beginning on their draft reports.
The rubric enabled me to make consistent and comparable judgments, which could also be used for teacher assessment/reflection. If several students did not include certain elements from their final document, was it because I had failed to include it in my initial teaching, or was it because I had not taught it appropriately/successfully that students understood?
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5.4 INTERPRET STUDENT DATA
---Demonstrate the capacity to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice.
Student assessment data can be used to compare individual students results from week to week, or term to term, to evaluate how successful their learning has been, and enables a teacher to modify delivery and lesson content accordingly.
When using student data to evaluate learning or modify my teaching practice, I question whether a student with lower than expected results, did not understand something due to the way I instructed?
Evidence 1: Using the pre-assessment worksheet on money, (see above 5.1, evidence 1), I was able to interpret data collated from all students work, to determine where students were not meeting curriculum outcomes. This enabled me to modify my lesson plans and provide suitable teaching practices to achieve outcomes.
Evidence 2: After a unit of work was followed by an assessment item on patterns and algebra, assessment results formed the basis for where further teaching practices were required to help students understand concepts of measuring in degrees.
5.5 REPORT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
---Demonstrate understanding of a range of strategies for reporting to students and parents/carers and the purpose of keeping accurate and reliable records of student achievement.
Various ways to report on student achievement include progress folders, assemblies, newsletters, report cards, Learning Community Meetings, letters home/telephone calls to parents/carers, staff meetings, and newspaper articles.
Evidence 1: On placement each week, an open space unit containing 6 classes, meet as a learning community. This is an ideal time to report on student achievement and often is based around behaviours, being strong leaders, and showing resilience. Students from each class are selected to read out the awards, which are then presented to the recipient. These awards are either placed in the students progress folder, or taken home for parents/carers to see.
---Demonstrate the capacity to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice.
Student assessment data can be used to compare individual students results from week to week, or term to term, to evaluate how successful their learning has been, and enables a teacher to modify delivery and lesson content accordingly.
When using student data to evaluate learning or modify my teaching practice, I question whether a student with lower than expected results, did not understand something due to the way I instructed?
Evidence 1: Using the pre-assessment worksheet on money, (see above 5.1, evidence 1), I was able to interpret data collated from all students work, to determine where students were not meeting curriculum outcomes. This enabled me to modify my lesson plans and provide suitable teaching practices to achieve outcomes.
Evidence 2: After a unit of work was followed by an assessment item on patterns and algebra, assessment results formed the basis for where further teaching practices were required to help students understand concepts of measuring in degrees.
5.5 REPORT ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
---Demonstrate understanding of a range of strategies for reporting to students and parents/carers and the purpose of keeping accurate and reliable records of student achievement.
Various ways to report on student achievement include progress folders, assemblies, newsletters, report cards, Learning Community Meetings, letters home/telephone calls to parents/carers, staff meetings, and newspaper articles.
Evidence 1: On placement each week, an open space unit containing 6 classes, meet as a learning community. This is an ideal time to report on student achievement and often is based around behaviours, being strong leaders, and showing resilience. Students from each class are selected to read out the awards, which are then presented to the recipient. These awards are either placed in the students progress folder, or taken home for parents/carers to see.
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/7/9/11791210/1447766632.png)
Evidence 2: Teachers and parents/carers need to have positive relationships, that allow 2 way communications at any time. In a classroom of students with difficult behaviours, the use of a form, enables regular contact between the teacher/parent/carer, discussing what went well for the student on any given day, and what needs further work. This information must be accurate and reliable and can be used to determine further support for the student.