PED2022 - Science - Session 11
What is the purpose of assessment?
What is the difference between formative and summative assessment?
Assessment is used to assess where a child is in their learning. It can show where a pupil needs more help or is exceeding. Formative: informal and more frequent assessment. Summative: Formal, for example, SATS or end of unit tests. It is a summary of what they have achieved and learnt.
Assessment records can be passed on to the next teacher to inform them “this is where the child is at and this is what they can do.”
“The crucial distinction (between summative and formative assessment) is between assessment to determine the status of learning and assessment to promote greater learning.”
(Formative assessment promotes greater learning)
“…successful learning occurs when learners have ownership of their learning; when they understand the goals they are aiming for; when, critically, they are motivated and have the skills to achieve success.”
Formative Assessment can be:
· Making learning objectives explicit
· Encouraging children to restate the learning objectives in their own words
· Making success criteria explicit
· Exploring children’s ideas – verbally, drawings or other means
· Teacher feedback to children
· Negotiating individual learning targets
Methods of Formative Assessment:
Observation whilst planning and investigating
Evidence from planning boards/recording sheets
Enquiry based assessment tasks
Alien Soup - http://archive.teachfind.com/ttv/www.teachers.tv/videos/materials-activities.html (03.53 - 7.39)
Video/ Photographs/ Displays
Using and Understanding Vocabulary
Debate/Discussion/Teacher – Pupil Dialogue
Drama, Role Play/ Lab-coat/ Loop Games/ Video Diaries http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zvj8q6f
Application to songs and poems
Subject knowledge / conceptual understanding
structured/creative writing – ‘The Drop Goes Plop’
annotated writing and drawing
talk balls; plenary balls
role play - electricity; life cycles
use of interactive websites www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science
Using Summative Assessment
*What are the problems associated with summative assessment?*
How does the government monitor science attainment?
In 2014, the science tests changed to a new science sampling model; the tests are administered in a sample of schools every two years. The sample is composed of 1,900 schools.
Five pupils are randomly chosen from each of these schools to take part in the sample. Fifteen papers were produced to cover the whole key stage 2 science national curriculum.
Each pupil chosen takes a combination of three papers. The time allowed for each paper is 25 minutes.
Overall, the questions will ramp in difficulty throughout each paper.
‘Working scientifically’ will be assessed within the context of the topic areas of the programme of study.
The papers are designed to assess topics within either a biology, chemistry or physics context. Pupils will take one paper in each of these core areas. An equal number of marks are attributed to each of these core areas across the suite of 15 papers.
The main purpose of sample statutory assessment is to estimate national performance in relation to areas of the national curriculum (2014) in science, based on the performance of a sample of pupils. The main use of the data is to inform schools and other stakeholders about trends in pupils’ performance in science nationally. No information is kept or reported on any school’s or pupil’s performance on the science sampling assessment
It has been announced that there is no science sampling to take place in 2016 to 2017 academic year, but will take place in 2017-2018.
Assessing and recording children’s achievements enables us to:
– set appropriate targets
– share assessment information
Records should be informative and manageable.
Developing a Recording System
Record where each child has reached in the development of:
– ideas, knowledge and understanding
– procedural understanding
It should enable teachers to access and use the information efficiently
It should enable the efficient summary of detail for other purposes
– E.g. reporting to parents
Tracking Pupil Progress: Whole Class Records
This tracker is designed to work with the “mastery” model of curriculum delivery.
It requires very little recording but provides all the information needed to track pupils progress in science learning. It mirrors the topics that are presented in the Science National Curriculum (NC).
This tracker sheet is used at the end of each unit to record how well each pupil has performed in that unit. This judgement is made against the NC statements that should have been mastered during that unit.
You should base your judgement on the wide range of evidence gained largely from the ongoing formative assessment that underpin your teaching of the children during the topic.
If the child has mastered all the expected NC statements in the unit you do not need to record anything.
Children who have not mastered all the expected NC statements should have a downwards arrow recorded in the knowledge column and/or in the Working scientifically column depending on which statements they have not mastered.
Tracking Pupil Progress: Below Expectations
For those children who have not mastered all the expected NC statements their name/initials and a note of why this arrow is downwards should then be recorded on the ‘Knowledge / Working Scientifically Pupil Performance Record’.
Tracking Pupil Progress: Beyond National Standard
The move to mastery makes it very clear that teachers should ensure breadth and depth in a topic and children should not accelerate through curriculum content. They should be encouraged to develop their ability to work as scientists by undergoing more independent “Working Scientifically”.
For children who have greater than expected skills in “Working Scientifically” an upwards arrow can be recorded on the tracker and a note made on the ‘Working Scientifically Pupil Performance record.’
