West Sussex DeputiesCurriculum Forum

A World without Levels?

ObjectivesProvide a context for the session.Overview of current literature about assessment

without levelsCase study: what can we learn from the

Downlands experience of working without levelsUse the NAHT Design checklist to evaluate your

schools approach to assessment and begin the process of constructing a new assessment framework.

What features of assessment do OFSTED expect to see?

Provide opportunities for professional discourse about assessment/questions for Tim Leunig…

DfE – assessment without levelsAs part of our reforms to the national

curriculum , the current system of ‘levels’ used to report children’s attainment and progress will be removed.  It will not be replaced.

We believe this system is complicated and difficult to understand, especially for parents. It also encourages teachers to focus on a pupil’s current level, rather than consider more broadly what the pupil can actually do.

Continued……

Schools will be able to introduce their own approaches to formative assessment, to support pupil attainment and progression

Ofsted’s inspections will be informed by whatever pupil tracking data schools choose to keep

Although schools will be free to devise their own curriculum and assessment system, we will provide examples of good practice which schools may wish to follow

Primary assessment and accountability - DfE‘Secondary ready’Our ambition is that all pupils, excepting some of those

with particular learning needs, should be secondary ready at age 11.

For that reason, we will expect a very high proportion of pupils to reach the new, higher secondary readiness threshold for a school to be above the floor standard.

Statutory assessment in core subjects at the end of key stages is crucial for robust external accountability.

We propose to report national curriculum test results using a scaled score, and compare pupils against the national cohort by decile.

Awaiting publication of the outcome of the consultation

LiteratureDfE websiteNFER – where have all the levels gone?NAHT Commission on assessmentASCL response to NAHT Commission on

assessmentSSAT: Redesigning Schooling 8: Assessment

(due Spring 2014)

NFERImportance of a shared understanding of

assessment and a set of agreed principlesImportance of supporting teachers with high

quality professional development in assessment

ASCL response to NAHT CommissionASCL believe that levels aren’t perfect but they…are understood by the profession, parents and

learnersProfession, parents and pupils comfortable with

the language of levelsGovernors understand level and make good use of

the datahave improved transition between Key Stages 2

and 3enable schools to be clear about progresshave been relied on by OFSTED

Options….retain levels but amend in line with new KS3

programmes of study; adopt a commercial package; develop an entirely new system as an

individual school or part of a cluster; wait until the reformed GCSE content

specifications are published and then devise a new assessment system for KS3 working backwards from GCSE, possibly using numbers similar to the new proposed GCSE grades.

NAHT Commission Feb 2014Remit…A set of agreed principles for good

assessmentExamples of current best practice in

assessment that meet these principlesBuy-in to the principles by those who hold

schools to account.Also case studies, international snapshot.

Don’t panicThere will be a mixed economy in most

schools as they see current pupils through the final years of the old system and engage with the new curriculum. Schools are advised to evolve new structures, rather than try to cope with a barren landscape devoid of the old.

NAHT Commission

International snapshotSweden – high degree of trust in school professionals

Australia – high degree of trust and extensive autonomy

Norway – schools accountable to local communities rather than national authorities

New Zealand – teachers have prime responsibility to assess learning

Finland – inspections abolished in 1990’s. System relies on proficiency of teachers

Japan, Korea – teacher assessmentAll of the above feature testing as an evaluative

measure using small cohorts of students.Singapore – as UK

Our context…..Low degree of trust in professionMovement away from teacher assessmentLow amount of autonomyHigh accountabilityTarget driven (imposed targets)Heavily centralised

Case Study – Downlands Community SchoolCurriculum Review triggered by weak outcomes

and staff voice led to 2 year Key Stage 3We wanted to ensure a very robust Key Stage 3Working parties…Developing independent and resilient learnersCross curricular links between subject areasReporting and AssessmentBest INSET ever?

Reasons for moving to GCSE grades from yr7

Rationale

Parents & pupils relate

better to GCSE grades

Creates a 5yr

continuum

Promotes mastery of

skills

Enables benchmarki

ng & consistency in standards

Case study Downlands• End of KS4 GCSE Target grades are

shared with pupils in the Autumn term of yr 7

• Lesson objectives are criteria based linking to GCSE target grades

• ARR Focus is on progress to end of ks4 targets (& pupil feedback) reported termly as AOB

• Flight paths (progress trajectories) indicate expected progress each term, this is tracked back from expected yr11 outcomes.

• Fine grades (+/-) show progress within grades

• Outcomes can be measured against national standards that staff are familiar with

Progress Bars – Maths Example

Flight Paths – Progression Trajectories

Flight Paths – Progression Trajectories

Case study downlandsThe Challenges:• Informing & responding to parent concerns about use of

lower grades• Making GCSE criteria meaningful and appropriate for

ks3 (converting NC Levels according to DFE matrix doesn’t work e.g a pupil working at L7 does not equate to a C grade at GCSE)

• Ensuring robust assessment data within a flexible framework

• Future challenge is realigning current assessment criteria to new KS3 National curriculum (Attainment targets By the end of key stage 3, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the programme of study.) & to move to the new 9 point scale when guidance is available.

NAHT frameworkActivity Test your current assessment practices against NAHT criteria

Assessment without levels checklistAssessment is integral to high quality

teaching and learning. It helps us to ensure that our teaching is appropriate and that learners are making expected progress.

All staff are regularly trained in our approach to assessment.

We have a senior leader who is responsible for assessment.

Assessment without levels checklist

The main purpose of assessment in our school is to help teachers, parents and pupils plan their next steps in learning.

We also use the outcomes of assessment to check and support our teaching standards and help us improve.

Through working with other schools and using external tests and assessments, we will compare our performance with that of other schools.

*DCS uses GCSE criteria this lends itself to national comparisons. We can for any year group predict (in theory) GCSE outcomes at Yr11

Assessment without levels checklist We assess pupils against assessment criteria, which are short, discrete,

qualitative and concrete descriptions of what a pupil is expected to know and be able to do.

*DCS uses progress bars in each lesson with clearly defined success criteria for each target GCSE grade. Assessment criteria are derived from the school curriculum, which is

composed of the National Curriculum and our own local design. (NAHT are working on a model attainment descriptors)

*DCS criteria are derived from current GCSE syllabi Assessment criteria for periodic assessment are arranged into a

hierarchy, setting out what children are normally expected to have mastered by the end of each year.

*DCS uses personalised flight paths (progression trajectories) The achievement of each pupil is assessed against all the relevant

criteria at appropriate times of the school year. DCS Proposal to publish Assessment timetable for pupils/parents

Assessment without levels checklist

Each pupil is assessed as either ‘developing’, ‘meeting’ or ‘exceeding’ each relevant criterion contained in our expectations for that year.

*DCS uses AOB Above – On – Below pinned to expected progression trajectories – this is not currently tracked against every criteria which the NAHT recommends. Where a pupil is assessed as exceeding the relevant criteria in a subject for that

year they will also be assessed against the criteria in that subject for the next year. For those pupils meeting and exceeding the expected standards, we provide more challenging work.

*DCS pins Lesson objectives to pupils targets. Targets are reviewed each year. If a pupils target is increased so does the challenge in lessons. Assessment judgements are recorded and backed by a body of evidence created

using observations, records of work and testing.DCS uses pupil trackers to record AOB in Sims that are published to parents online each term. Assessment judgements are moderated by colleagues in school and by colleagues in

other schools to make sure our assessments are fair, reliable and valid. (note E)*DCS uses national GCSE criteria (or adapted), teachers accuracy in assessment judgements are tested against these each year through prediction analysis.

Assessment without levels checklist Teachers use the outcomes of our assessments to summarise and analyse attainment and progress

for their pupils and classes. DCS Staff update trackers on Sims termly using AOB this informs intervention Teachers use this data to plan the learning for every pupil to ensure they meet or exceed

expectations. Teachers and leaders analyse the data across the school to ensure that pupils identified as vulnerable or at particular risk in this school are making appropriate progress and that all pupils are suitably stretched.

DCS AOB data at class level is the focus of line management meetings & regular meetings with Heads of Year and intervention manager The information from assessment is communicated to parents and pupils on a termly basis through a

structured conversation. DCS Termly performance to target is reported to parents online – structured conversations is an area for review (Maybe addressed by AFA) Parents and pupils receive rich, qualitative profiles of what has been achieved and indications of

what they need to do next.DCS Marking policy has agreed frequency of marking and the expectation is diagnostic feedback for each Dept. We celebrate all achievements across a broad and balanced curriculum, including sport, art and

performance, behaviour, and social and emotional development.DCS House system promotes the celebration of positive performance in attendance, sport e.t.c. there are termly House celebration assemblies – the tracking & acknowledgement of PLTs or an alternative skill based curriculum needs reviewing.

Ofsted ExpectsBy Sept 2016Schools will be expected to have a robust assessment system to track pupil progress

Robust Assessment Systems• Lesson observations• Book scrutiny• Pupil voice* (learning

conversations)• Data sets

Evidence of Assessment informing practice • Assessment leader CIEA

certified• Assessment working

party• Assessment timetable• Clear link between

assessment data & informed practice