Strategies for Progress Checking

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Meryl York
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1 Improving Teaching and Learning Strategies for Progress Checking A teaching and learning resource by staff at Bodmin College

2 Outstanding Teaching and Learning (Ofsted, 2013) Much of the teaching in all key stages and most subjects is outstanding and never less than consistently good. As a result, almost all pupils currently on roll in the school, including disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs, those for whom the pupil premium provides support and the most able, are making rapid and sustained progress. Research has shown that students made significant progress when: Objectives were limited in number and focussed The success criteria for intended outcomes were shared and understood by all students towards the beginning of the lesson There was high quality interactive teaching involving effective teacher questioning and quality dialogue Students were given opportunities to improve their work, either against success criteria or in response to feedback Underpinning the above factors, teachers had a clear understanding of progression. Learning is a journey over time. As teachers we use target setting, formative assessment, marking and intervention to ensure that students make progress over time. Students benefit from regular progress checks (PCs) which enable them to clarify misconceptions and embed knowledge as understanding. Teachers benefit from PCs as they enable us to reshape and adapt learning activities to personalise it to suit individuals and groups more accurately, without capping the learning of others. These PCs (referred to as checking the temperature of learning ) should be utilised in conjunction with well-crafted learning objectives that provide a framework for assessment. Checking the temperature of learning against these learning objectives enables a learning thread to weave the bigger picture together.

able, are making rapid and sustained progress.

3 It can be challenging to demonstrate that students are making progress within an individual lesson. The following ideas have been generated in collaboration as a consequence of staff training in Autumn Set Appropriate Learning Objectives Consider checking that these are skills based and sufficiently challenging and engaging. Try to explore them in an interactive way. Ensure they are returned to throughout the lessons, thus keeping them live for learners. Students will then have a reference point for thinking or talking about their progress, at any given moment. Students put their name on a post-it and stick it next to the learning objective when they have understood the learning. Post-it notes are able to be moved during the lesson as progress is made. Ask students to identify the grades/levels attached to each learning objective and which one relates to their target. They then identify how to progress if they want to achieve it. A Recipe For Success Think about checking that students have access to success criteria within each lesson. These function as a recipe or map showing students precisely how to progress in their learning. Stick criteria... In their book on the wall in front of them.

Set Appropriate Learning Objectives Consider checking that these are skills based and sufficiently challenging and engaging. Try to explore them in an interactive way.

4 The Power Of Peer And Self Assessment This is well documented. Students own responses to their work can be supported by grids containing success criteria, which they can link to their own work. Crucially this allows them to talk in specific detail about their targets rather than superficial comments such as I need to get to level 5. Peer teaching of a skill The teacher can assess how much the peer teacher has learned and how much they have missed. The peer learner can also assess how much has been understood. Give one student the responsibility of assessing the learning of a small group. Scaffold this through learning objectives and success criteria. The student then feeds back to the teacher. Progress Bites In other words, quick implementation/application tasks to demonstrate that students have grasped the main learning point. This could be a timed paragraph, equation, demonstration or question which again, can be dropped into a lesson at any point and serve to provide a portable plenary. Students produce a short response and swap. The second student has to improve it. Use a wireless keyboard that can be passed around the class. One student produces a response. On the teacher s command, the keyboard is passed to the next student who continues the improvement.

Peer teaching of a skill The teacher can assess how much the peer teacher has learned and how much they have missed. The peer learner can also assess how much has been understood.

5 The Killer Question Why not make a point of asking students What do you know now that you didn t know an hour/week/month ago? What can you do now that you couldn t do an hour/week/month ago?? Then ask students to respond to this in a variety of ways: verbal, written, diagrammatic or physical. Don t forget plan, pose, pause, pounce, BOUNCE! Quiz and trade questions: each student writes a question based on the learning objective and then takes it to another student. If the question can t be answered, they continue to ask others in the class. After a time limit, check which questions are unanswered in the classroom. Beat the class Use what students know/have learned to try to defeat the class with a question. Explain It To A Five Year Old Staff suggested that we ask students to simplify and synthesise their learning in order to explain it to a much younger pupil. This really exposes any gaps in their learning. Socrative software allows you to create quizzes and provide feedback with areas to improve progress.

Quiz and trade questions: each student writes a question based on the learning objective and then takes it to another student.

6 Portable Plenaries These can be popped into a lesson at any point to allow you to gauge student progress. Interactive strategies such as last man standing and 2 for true are particularly effective. Try using two ticks and a wish. Students, in pairs come up with two things they have learned and one question. The teacher collects questions and the class try to answer them. Ask A Big Question This would be an over arching question, maybe spanning several lessons which could be displayed in the classroom. At any point you could ask students what do you feel that we know now that would help us to answer this question? Create a permanent learning line which is used as a continuum of the lesson s learning. Students use post-it notes to identify their understanding at points in the lesson. Below the line shows less confidence in their understanding. Above the line shows strong confidence. Moving along the line shows progress. Targeted Questioning This has a key role to play. The random generation of students names to answer questions helps to ensure that all learners are fully engaged. Mind-maps or post-it notes are used as a starter in one colour. At portable plenary points, add to the mind-map or post-it in a different colour. Review the progression of learning.

Ask A Big Question This would be an over arching question, maybe spanning several lessons which could be displayed in the classroom.

7 Fill In The Gaps Consider presenting students with an overview of the lesson or unit in the form of a cloze activity (fill the gaps or cover over). This could take the form of individual students versions or a giant display, which students independently fill in when they are confident that the know the answers. Progress Points In Classrooms Staff felt that these can be very helpful in signposting students progress by making it very visible to all. Strategies such as KWL (What do we Know? What do we need to find out? What has been Learned confidently?) QUADS (QUestions, Answers, Details, Source). Graffiti walls, post-it park-it walls, can also be used interactively in the lesson itself. Students plan the steps they need to take to achieve the objectives at the start of a lesson. These are modified and checked by the teacher and student to ensure progress. This is particularly useful in coursework based lessons. Transposition Or Transformation Of Learning By asking students to present their learning in a new way, we can begin to see shades of understanding. For example, ask students for a metaphor, If the topic idea was an object it would be a... because.... Students can also represent their learning in the form of models or movement which can be captured in photographs or films. Photograph group/individual work and Bluetooth it to a laptop. Present it to the class and discuss the progress.

Progress Points In Classrooms Staff felt that these can be very helpful in signposting students progress by making it very visible to all. Strategies such as KWL (What do we Know?

8 Podcasts or soundbites Catch them being clever! Keep this evidence safe using a dictaphone or ipad (for example, Who would like to have a go at summing up what we have learned so far, in one sentence, that we can record it? (We love this idea!) This sort of classroom culture actively encourages students to develop their vocabulary and speaking skills. For further information: 25 Top Tips For Using Learning Objectives by Karen Taylor The Power of Six by Bodmin College Both are available in the stafftroom area in Moodle Contact: Karen Taylor School Improvement and Partnership Adviser tk@bodmincollege.co.uk Michelle Nineham Senior Vice Principal nm@bodmincollege.co.uk

record it? (We love this idea!) This sort of classroom culture actively encourages students to develop their vocabulary and speaking skills.

Assessment in the New National Curriculum

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