Assessing

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Assessing Pupils Progress (APP)
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Objectives

• To have an overview of the APP approach.
• Consider the model and become familiar with
  process of arriving at and agreeing judgements.
• To outline expectations with regards to
  moderation of judgements.
• To consider the benefits of this approach and how
  this could be used in individual school settings.

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A Consistent Approach

• There are many sets of criteria ( and
  products) that claim to assist teachers in making
  judgements related to national standards. Some
  are commercial, some have been developed by local
  authorities and others are home grown within
  schools or groups of schools.
• Stephen Anwyll, Curriculum Division, QCA
  2008

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What is APP?

• APP is a tool to assess pupils progress
  periodically against National Curriculum levels.
• The APP approach places a much greater emphasis
  on teachers ongoing knowledge of pupils
  progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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APP Background

• QCA has been working with the National Strategies
  for several years to develop materials to
  strengthen teachers ongoing and periodic
  judgements.
• APP materials already used in KS3.
• APP has been piloted in Lancashire schools and
  other authorities.

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Features of Current System
National standards communicated through test
scores.
Teachers reliant on short tests for evidence of
achievement.
Dominant assessment techniques are specific
events rather than part of daily teaching and
learning.
NOW
Progress is articulated through numbers (2,
a/b/c, 3).
High value assessments at theend of stages, not
useful for individual progress.
Assessments seenas reliable because external to
the school.
Separation of day-to-day assessment from national
standards.
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APP

• Is based on the successful introduction of using
  teacher assessment rather than just test results
  at the end of KS1.
• Builds on the effective assessment practices that
  are well established in EYFS.
• Provides a process that is consistent across both
  literacy and mathematics.
• Means strengthening teachers understanding and
  awareness of levels as well as national
  expectations.

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Assessment Ways of Looking
APP SITS HERE
Close-up
Standing back
Public view
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Whats Missing?
For teachers
For pupils

• How well are my pupils achieving overall?
• Can I see the wood as well as the trees?
• Where are the gaps in learning?
• How do national standards inform my teaching?

• How am I doing in this subject/aspect as a
  whole?
• What are the main areas where I need to improve?
• Where do I show what I know and can do?

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How Does APP Close the Gap

• Helps make connections between techniques
  promoted through Assessment for Learning and
  judgements relating to national standards.
• By setting out criteria in each assessment focus
  the full range of the subject is covered and a
  broad curriculum is promoted.
• By describing characteristic features of
  childrens performance at each level, APP allows
  a full picture of childrens strengths and
  weaknesses to be seen.
• By relating to national standards, it offers a
  secure basis for pupil tracking.

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How Does APP Close the Gap

• Gives insights which directly inform future
  planning, teaching and learning in the course of
  a year.
• Engages teachers and learners in all year groups
  in periodic assessment to raise attainment.
• The materials are not a checklist for spotting
  and ticking in the course of day-to-day teaching
  and learning, but broader criteria which teachers
  can use periodically to identify progress.

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APP Materials

• The materials are made up of two elements
• assessment guidelines sheets for assessing
  pupils work in relation to National Curriculum
  levels
• standards files and training files exemplars of
  pupils performance at National Curriculum levels
  of attainment
• materials are available on the National
  Strategies website http//nationalstrategies.stand
  ards.dcsf.gov.uk/app

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APP Materials

• Using APP materials teachers can make level
  judgements for each of the following National
  Curriculum attainment targets (ATs)
• reading
• writing
• using and applying mathematics
• number
• shape, space and measures
• handling data.

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The APP Cycle
Day-to-day teaching and learning
Planning from learning objectives (PNS)
Evidence for AFs
Informing planning and teaching and learning
Periodic assessment using AFs
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How Does it Work?

• In the initial stages, teachers gather evidence
  for a sample group of approximately 6 pupils in
  order to get an overview of progress and
  attainment.
• Periodically the teacher reviews a range of
  evidence (written, spoken, observed) for each
  assessment focus.
• Assessments are taken from a wide range of
  evidence based on normal teaching approaches (no
  extra testing!).

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APP in Mathematics

• Teachers will need
• Evidence of the pupils mathematics that shows
  most independence.
• Other evidence about the pupil as a mathematician
• A copy of the relevant assessment guideline.

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Making a Level Judgement
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Have a go!

• Using evidence from the Standards Training Files,
  look at Peters evidence for MA2.
• Complete the grid and give Peter a level (high,
  secure or low).
• Feedback.

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Securing Evidence
Shade of the grid.
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Securing Evidence (2)
87 - 31
81 - 37
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Types of Evidence
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Types of Evidence
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Types of Evidence
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Types of Evidence
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Types of Evidence
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Framework Support
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Key Points for Mathematics

• Not every child who is a secure level 3 has the
  same profile, it is the different aspects of
  level 3 that children have attained that show
  their overall level, these may be in different
  areas teachers need to take account of these
  gaps when planning.
• To make a secure judgement, a range of open ended
  tasks needs to be planned.
• Probing questions require subject knowledge.

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APP in Writing

• Teachers will need
• A range of evidence of independent work (from
  literacy lessons and cross curricular
  opportunities as they arise).
• A copy of the assessment guidelines for the level
  borderline that is the starting point.
• Making a level judgement handout.

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Making a Level Judgement

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Have a Go

• Using evidence from the Standards Training Files,
  look at Kylies evidence for writing.
• Complete the grid and give Kylie a level (high,
  secure or low).
• Feedback.

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Securing Evidence
A range of evidence of independent work
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APP in Reading

• A range of evidence
• Oral, observed, written evidence
• Quality first teaching of reading

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Making a Level Judgement

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Child A Year 5St Anne and St Josephs

• Reading Evidence Examples
• From The Midnight Fox unit

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Key Points

• Teachers initially struggle to identify evidence
  for reading (in contrast to writing).
• Teachers need to ensure that they are offering
  significant opportunities for independent work.
• Improved questioning and dialogue lead to a wider
  range of better quality evidence.

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Feedback from the Pilots

• School leaders need to be fully supportive and
  engaged with APP.
• Teachers had more confidence when planned time
  was arranged to discuss with colleagues. The
  evidence collected and judgements made were more
  consistent.
• The use of the APP materials was more effective
  where teachers had good subject knowledge.

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Feedback from the Pilots

• Teachers found that completing the APP grids was
  a simple process and enabled them to reflect on
• classroom practice
• areas not covered / gaps in learning
• knowledge of childrens attainment
• moderating their end of year assessment
• Inclusion of more open ended and independent
  tasks provided children with an opportunity to
  demonstrate their knowledge and understanding.

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APP Long Term Aims

• Understanding
• Standardisation and moderation to secure
  standards and improve understanding of
  progression, use of APP resources in classrooms,
  collecting acting upon evidence.
• Implementing
• APP informing learning and teaching as part of
  school improvement cycle.
• Embedding
• Teachers working collaboratively to develop their
  understanding of pedagogy and their subject
  knowledge.

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Implementing APP
SMT planning/implementation
In-school standardisation
CPD
Teachers collecting evidence making judgements
In-school moderation
Cluster moderation
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Implementing APP

• An example

Trial with 6 children in one subject in two
classes (e.g. subject leader and other).
Whole school trials with 6 children in one
subject.
Scale up for use with all children in class for
one subject.
Whole school trials with 6 children in second
subject whilst maintaining first subject.
Scale up for use with all children in class for
two subjects.
Whole school trials with 6 children in third
subject whilst maintaining first two.
Scale up for use with all children in class in
all subjects.
Regular moderation and collaboration throughout
the implementation and beyond.
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Staffing and Responsibilities

• School Senior Leader Responsibilities
• Provide practical support to lead subject
  teachers.
• Chair in-school moderation meetings and have the
  final say in resolving any differences in
  judgements that arise.
• APP Lead Teacher for the Subject Responsibilities
• Attend external APP training and standardisation
  sessions.
• Organise and deliver in-school APP training and
  conduct in-school standardisation and moderation
  meetings.

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Summary

• APP is an opportunity to
• Improve understanding of the characteristics of
  performance over the range of NC levels.
• Gain greater confidence and accuracy of
  assessments being made on the basis of an
  improving range of evidence.
• Develop more ownership of responsibility for
  standards and childrens progress among teachers.
• Integrate assessment with planning for teaching
  and learning.