National Education Findings of Assess to Learn (AtoL) Report

Outcome 2: Shifts in student learning and achievement

Indicators for outcome 2

Teachers will:

1. examine their assessment beliefs, knowledge and practices in order to better understand effective assessment for learning principles
2. select assessment tools to match the purpose of learning and use the resulting assessment information to inform and improve programmes and practices
3. construct with students what they are learning and why, how they will achieve this, what the learning might look like and how well the learning has been achieved (self assessment)
4. initiate classroom/student discussions about learning, assessment and progress
5. use feedback, prompts and questioning to support learning.

Results

Teachers were observed by AtoL facilitators in term one and term four to determine shifts in their knowledge and practice. Facilitators worked with teachers to identify appropriate goals for their professional learning based on the outcomes of classroom observations. The observational data were analysed confidentially between facilitators and individual teachers, and anonymously by the national evaluators to determine the level of formative assessment practice observed in the classroom using a nationally developed matrix of indicators.

Most teachers focused their professional learning on:

• developing their skills in giving feedback and feed forward
• developing learning intentions and success criteria
• using student achievement information to adjust programmes
• encouraging students to self assess
• using assessment tools such as the Curriculum Exemplars and asTTle V4 effectively
• using samples of student work as a basis for discussion.
  

Teachers who responded to the national questionnaire frequently commented on improvements in their formative assessment practice through clarifying learning for students, using student’s achievement information to inform planning and involving students in assessment. Classroom observation findings (in terms one and four) confirmed these comments of increased teacher and student use of formative assessment strategies. Initially teachers tended to tell students what they were learning but by term four most teachers were co-constructing with students what to learn and what the learning might look like.

By the end of 2007 most participating teachers were clearer and more precise about what they were teaching and regularly reflected with students about their learning and progress. Teacher feedback to students specified achievement related to criteria, next steps and why the learning was relevant and worthwhile. Teachers demonstrated clear links between collecting information about learning, planning, the intended learning, and the learning experiences, as indicated in these teacher comments.

Learning intentions are more specific and explicit in planning. More learning focused rather than task orientated activities. Less need for extrinsic rewards e.g. stickers, stamps, certificates. More conferencing and less marking. (Teacher, TQ, 2206)

Using assessment results more to change groupings according to student needs and planning programmes according to need. Greater focus on the purpose of a lesson. (Teacher, TQ, 8303)

I am explicit in my teaching and what we are learning. I use learning intentions and success criteria in my planning and teaching. The language I use with children is different. (Teacher, TQ, 3204)

I am able to focus on specific learning goals and feedback on that specifically also. (Teacher, TQ, 6101)

Teachers became much more targeted in the way in which they gave feedback to students. They relied less on praise alone and increased their emphasis on giving feedback that focused on the learning and next steps. Teachers became more focused on differentiating learning for individual students. In the words of one teacher:

[I am]More focused on planning and teaching to need; listening to students. [My] Questioning techniques more focused and effective. (Teacher, TQ, 2301)

Teachers reported being more confident and knowledgeable about the use of assessment tools to inform their planning. Greater use of national curriculum exemplars and asTTle V4 was also evident. The use of assessment information to guide planning increased from ten per cent of teachers to a total of seventy eight per cent by the end of their second year in AtoL. After two years with the project, sixty seven percent of AtoL primary teachers fully included links between long and short term planning and developed learning intentions based on assessment information. Such connections between assessment and planning were not as strong for secondary teachers. In classroom observations, secondary teachers were highly effective in the use of formative assessment and feedback during the lesson and with students’ written work, but this information did not appear to alter unit plans or departmental assessments. Current regional data suggest that for secondary teachers there is no flow-through from analysis of assessment data to future planning. This aspect is worthy of further investigation.

Whilst most teachers became more focused in the feedback they gave to students, some teachers needed more time to develop student skills in peer and self assessment.

The end-of-year national questionnaire asked teachers to reflect on the impact involvement in AtoL had on student learning in their classroom. Teachers commented on students:

• knowing what they were learning, why and how
• being more aware of and focused on (achieving) learning goals
• taking greater responsibility or ownership for their learning (such as choosing their learning goals and being able to articulate their next learning steps and success criteria)
• demonstrating increased motivation and engagement in learning
• collaborating with other students and engaging in  self and peer assessment.

I think the children are taking more responsibility for their learning, using more metacognitive skills in the thinking process and have a better understanding of success criteria due to using exemplars and feedback/ feed forward. They actually know what quality looks like and where they are at and are aware of their next steps in learning. (Teacher, TQ, 5102)

More involvement choosing own learning steps, more aware of learning intentions and how to be successful, more eloquent at discussing own achievement, more on task behaviour. (Teacher, TQ, 2206)

Children demonstrate the ownership of their learning and have more input into it. They are much more motivated. (Teacher, TQ, 2204)

Students taking more responsibility with their learning/ improved self assess and peer assessment. Students think about their next learning step. (Teacher, TQ, 2203)

These trends of increased engagement and student learning were confirmed by analysis of teacher planning, classroom observations and student achievement data.