Assessing withut levels in Key Stage 3 Maghull High Schl September 2014 Reviewed September 2015
What d we want t achieve? A KS3 assessment system that: Is based n develping the key knwledge and skills required fr success in KS4 Is based n ur high expected standards f students Is based heavily n frmative feedback and allws all students t succeed and s develps a grwth mindset Incrprates peridic summative assessment t supprt this nging frmative feedback Is simple and easy t understand fr staff, parents and students. Has cnsistent principles, t be used acrss subjects, but the flexibility t be suitable fr all subjects. The Grwth & Threshlds mdel in a nutshell What are the big ideas in each subject? What d students need t master, in terms f knwledge and skills, in rder t be successful in KS4? What des excellence lk like in each subject? Scaffld prgress twards excellence thrugh the threshlds, frm a baseline threshld. Use the threshlds t fcus assessment and feedback n what cunts.
This is hw the 'Grwth & Threshlds' mdel can be implemented in Maghull High Schl. 1. D a baseline assessment in Y7 Use the KS2 levels, CAT scre (average), infrmatin frm feeder schls, reading tests (and ther internal tests?) t d a baseline assessment in Y7. Use this baseline assessment t place students int 4 ability bands (Threshlds) based n prir ability. This culd then be linked t future GCSE grades: The new grades explained: KS2 Levels KS3 Threshlds GCSE (Current) GCSE (New) 5a+ Very Able A* 9-8 5 Upper A-B 7-6 4 Middle B-C 5-4 3-2 Fundatin D-G 3-1 Grade 9: tp A* perfrmers; awarded t the tp 20% f pupils wh achieved a grade 7 r higher NATIONALLY Grade 8: the rest f thse wh btained A* but did nt qualify fr a 9 Grade 7: equivalent t an A grade pass Grade 6: equivalent t the tp tw thirds f a grade B Grade 5: equivalent t the tp third f a grade C and the bttm third f a grade B Grade 4: equivalent t the bttm tw thirds f a grade C Grade 3: apprximately equivalent t a D grade pass Grade 2: apprximately equivalent t an E grade pass Grade 1: apprximately equivalent t grade F and G passes Current Grade New Grade G F E D C B A A* Tp 20% f 7+ natinally 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 2. Subject areas t identify the cre knwledge and skills Each subject area identifies the cre knwledge and skills that students will need t master in rder t be successful at GCSE. This will be based n the knwledge and skills that subject staff knw t be key t success in Y10 and 11. They will als link t the Natinal Curriculum prgramme f study. e.g. in science: the cre knwledge might be cells, interdependence, frces, energy, particles The cre skills might be identify, describe, explain, analyse and link
Once we knw where we want the students t g in ur subjects, in terms f achieving excellence by the end f Y11, we can then plan backwards with the curriculum fr Y7-11. 3. sure the curriculum delivery in each subject develps a grwth mindset If we want successful learners, we need t develp a Grwth Mindset within ur students. This can nly be dne effectively if it is an integral part f ur teaching, as well as ur day t day interactins with students. S within ur teaching f the curriculum we need t ensure that we are develping the fllwing attributes: Expect excellence develp a belief that everybdy can imprve and reach fr excellence, when expectatins and levels f challenge are high. Be resilient develp in students an understanding that learning requires hard wrk, effrt, deliberate practice and learning frm ur mistakes but that with the right apprach, we can all vercme bstacles. Respnd t feedback give gd quality and specific feedback, as well as the pprtunity fr students t respnd t this feedback. Inspired by thers use the success and excellence f thers t inspire students t g n and imprve their wn wrk.
4. Subject areas utline the standard expected fr each threshld A starting pint is t map ut the KS3 curriculum. What are the big ideas and what tpics will be taught, when and what are the key knwledge and skills t be assessed in each unit f wrk: When planning a curriculum in this way, it is als wrth bearing in mind hw it will supprt learning. The diagram abve shws hw traditinal curriculums have been planned i.e. blcks f tpics ver the curse f the year. As we learn mre frm neurscience, we understand that if tpics are nt revisited ver time, it becmes difficult t recall the infrmatin. See belw:
The blcking methd f curriculum design des nt supprt this recalling f infrmatin. S when designing the curriculum it wuld be wrth cnsidering an apprach f interleaving tpics thrughut the year i.e. cming back t them regularly. Fr each unit f wrk, subject teachers will need t discuss, decide and agree what standards are expected frm each threshld, in terms f the cre knwledge and skills. This allws us t set the high standards we expect frm ur students. It als allws us t be selective abut the key knwledge and skills that we think are imprtant and s need t be assessed s we dn t just assess everything. S each unit f wrk wuld start with a cmpleted cpy f this table: Threshld Threshld Knwledge Threshld skills Very Able Upper Middle Fundatin Very Able Upper Middle Fundatin Level f Learning Deep Surface What des it mean? Can extend and apply ideas. Extended thinking Can link and relate ideas. Strategies fr thinking & reasning Many ideas. Basic skills & cncepts Single idea. Recall & reprductin Which wuld then lead int a learning schedule fr that unit f wrk:
Learning Schedule fr a unit f wrk Year: Unit f wrk title: Threshld Assessment Threshld Level f Learning Key Knwledge Key Skills Very Able Deep Upper Middle Surface Fundatin 5. suring Prgressin When subjects are planning their threshlds, it is imprtant that there is prgressin thrugh the years. S fr example, if a student has a baseline threshld f Middle learners, if they make expected prgress thrugh KS3, they shuld achieve a minimum f a grade C by the end f Y11. This means that the Middle learner threshlds in Y7 and 8 shuld shw increasing levels f demand in terms f expectatin, t allw them t maintain this trajectry. Ideally what we wuld like f curse, is fr them t rise thrugh the threshlds twards Very Able. 6. Tracking prgress & reprting t parents In terms f tracking prgress and reprting t parents we can lk at hw students are perfrming, relative t their baseline threshld: Wrking belw their baseline threshld Making less than expected prgress Wrking within their baseline threshld Making expected prgress Wrking int the next baseline threshld Making gd prgress Wrking tw abve their baseline threshld r at the tp f r beynd the mastery threshld Making exceptinal prgress
Alternatively, each threshld culd be divided t shw hw students are prgressing within the threshld which culd then be linked t GCSE grades: Threshld Very Able (KS2 L6+) Upper (KS2 L6-5) Middle (KS2 L5-4) Fundatin (KS2 L3-2) GCSE Frecast 9 (A*) 8 (A*) 7 (A) 6 (B) 5 (B) 4 (C) 3 (D) 2 (E) 1 (FG) Threshld Knwledge Threshld skills Wrking belw their baseline threshld Making less than expected prgress (-1) Wrking at the lwer end f their baseline threshld e.g. Middle 4 Making expected prgress (0) Wrking at the upper end f their baseline threshld e.g. Middle 5 Making gd prgress (+1) Wrking abve their baseline threshld r at the tp f Very Able i.e. excellence 9 Making exceptinal prgress (+2) Numbers in brackets are what culd be entered int spreadsheets fr ur mnitring see belw: Name CAT V CAT NV CAT Quan CAT Mean KS2 KS2 Ma Baseline Threshld Av Frecast GCSE Frecast Grade Maths Frecast Grade Shaun 99 99 99 99 5 6 V 7 6 7 0 1 1 Kate 100 105 110 105 6 6 V 7 7 7-1 0 1 Pete 84 86 84 85 3 3 F 3 3 3-1 -1 0 Chris 90 94 92 92 3 4 M 4 3 4 1 1 2 Jane 110 115 120 115 6 6 V 7 7 7 1 2 2 Sue 108 104 106 106 4 3 M 4 4 3 0 1 2 Jhn 70 71 70 70 2 2 F 2 2 2-1 -1-1 Nami 109 99 101 103 6 4 U 5 7 4 0 1 1 Vic 100 100 100 100 6 5 V 7 7 6 0 1 1 Advantages t this: Recgnises achievement and prgress within a threshld especially imprtant fr lwer ability students, wh culd still be making gd prgress at the lwer learner level. Allws thse subjects that want t use GCSE grades t link t assessment in KS3 t d s. AP 1 AP 2 AP 3 7. Frmative assessment These banded threshlds f knwledge and skills (alngside the grwth mindset attributes) can then be used t give students nging frmative feedback, based n their day t day wrk, abut hw t imprve and mve thrugh the threshlds. In rder t supprt a grwth mindset, the feedback shuld be aimed at mving students thrugh the threshlds twards mastery, s develping resilience and grit. S expectatins are cnsistently high.
8. Summative assessment Summative assessments (termly) can be used t further assess hw well students are ding twards the end f the unit f wrk. Based n their perfrmance n these tests, they culd be awarded a threshld level, based n hw they have dne. As an example, a single summative test culd be used t award students a threshld level, as shwn belw: Test scre % Threshld 75-100 Very Able 50-75 Upper 25-50 Middle 0-25 Fundatin % are illustrative nly. Alternatively, Summative tests culd be used t prduce a Frecast GCSE grade Test scre % Threshld Frecast GCSE Grade 75-100 Very Able 9-8 50-75 Upper 7-6 25-50 Middle 5-4 0-25 Fundatin 3-1 % are illustrative nly. We culd break this dwn int individual grades, but a brader frecast might be mre sensible, certainly in Y7 and 8? Sme subjects might want t d tiered tests e.g. 1-3 r 2-4. Fr sme subjects, fr example practical subjects, it wn t be suitable t d a test. They will need t intrduce termly peridic assessments that assess acrss all the threshld knwledge and skills.