Evidence Based PracticeAt Geraldine High School

What does EBP look like at GHS? school wide Assessment for Learning

professional development -2nd year

strategic decisions are evidence based

Starting to investigate ways of using achievement data and analysis tools to enhance teaching and learning

Assessment for Learning PD Programme ERO report 2005 recommendations

Anecdotal feedback from teachers, students and parents

Analysis of NCEA results in school self-review

Told us we needed to encourage students to take more responsibility

for their learning develop strategies to meet the range of

learning needs within classes extend the use of achievement information to

guide programmes

Assessment for Learning programmeSupported by research: Black & Wiliam (1998) –Inside the black box

Assessment Reform group (1999)

Black & Wiliam (2002) Working inside the black box: assessment for learning in the classroom

NZ Research Hattie (1999) Alton-Lee (Best Evidence Synthesis) Bishop –Maori student achievement AIMHI project

• Students taking more responsibility for their learning

• Students becoming more engaged

• Students achieving better learning outcomes

Research evidence strongly supports the idea that using AFL strategies effectively will result in:

Sharing learning goals with students.

Involving students in self assessment.

Using timely and formative assessment to provide feedback which leads to students recognising and taking the next steps.

Being confident that every student can improve.

AFL strategies involve

Inside the black box a meta-analysis of 250 studies showed that

‘improved formative assessment helps the (so called) low achievers more than the rest, and so reduces the spread of attainment whilst also raising it overall’

(Black and Wiliam, 1998)

Goal of AFL “Goal of assessment for learning is not to

eliminate failure, but rather to keep failure from becoming chronic and thus inevitable in the mind of the learner..”

So when learners suffer a failure, we must get them back to success as quickly as possible to restore their confidence in their capabilities

Rick Stiggins Assessment Through the Student’s Eyes

Test marks vs formative asessmentLow achievers become de-motivated by constant evidence of

their low achievement if the classroom culture is one of obtaining the best test marks

(Assessment Reform Group, 2002). Formative assessment can help create a classroom culture of

success

Hattie (1999)

The simplest prescription for improving education must be “dollops of feedback” …

….providing information about what a student does and does not understand, and what direction the student must take to improve. Hattie (1999)

The Assessment ExperienceFor students on winning

streaks assessment results provide:

Continual evidence of success

For students on losing streaks assessment results provide:

Continual evidence of failure

The student feels hopeful and optimistic

empowered to take action

Hopeless

initially panicked

eventually resigned

The student thinks It’s all good. I’m doing

fine. I want more success.

School focuses on what I do well.

Feedback helps me.

I know what to do next

Public success feels good

This hurts. I’m not safe here

I just can’t do this…again. I’m confused.

Nothing I try seems to work.

Feedback is criticism. It hurts.

Public failure is embarrassing

The student becomes more likely to: Seek challenges Seek exciting new

ideas Take initiative Persist in the face of

setbacks Take risks and go for it

Seek what’s easy Avoid new concepts and

approaches Become confused about

what to practice Avoid initiative Give up when things

become too challenging Retreat and escape –trying

is too dangerous!

These actions lead to Self-enhancement Positive self-fulfilling

prophecy Acceptance of responsibility Manageable stress Feeling that success is its

own reward Curiosity, enthusiasm Continuous adaptation Resilience Strong foundations for future

success

Self-defeat, self destruction

Negative self-fulfilling prophecy

Denial of responsibility High stress No feelings of success, no

reward\boredom, frustration, fear

Inability to adapt Yielding quickly to defeat Failure to master

prerequisites for future success

Rather than sorting students into winners and losers, AFL can put all students on a winning streak

Immense potential of AFL has gone largely untapped Failed to deliver proper tools into hands of teachers Need to adjust vision of excellence in assessment in

two ways: - evaluate assessments in terms of both quality and

quantity - importance of student thoughts and actions regarding

assessment results

R. Stiggins (2007)

What makes good professional development ? Directly relevant to what teachers do in the

classroom every lesson Focused on deep learning Involved collaboration & co-operation within

departments and across departments Recognition of the different stages teachers are at Using the right outside provider for “expertise” and

“credibility” Ownership

Assessment for Learning PD Began at the start of 2007 Facilitated by an external “expert” –Jan Hill

Unit plans revised to include: Achievement objectives Learning outcomes in student friendly language Performance criteria in student friendly language Planning formative assessments - Timing of formative assessments –quality not quantity - Using self –peer assessment Planning summative assessment Barriers to learning (specific to the unit and a particular

group of learners) Learning activities –literacy/numeracy strategies;

multilevel teaching; extension/enrichment Resources Vocabulary (subject related, academic)

Followed by workshops on Writing clear learning outcomes and criteria Analysing and giving verbal feedback/feed

forward - using Tunstall & Gipps (typology)

Analysing/ writing effective written feedback Self assessment/peer assessment

- teaching students to self and peer assess

Evidence collectedStaff feedback after AFL workshops to inform next steps (informal, short

written /verbal feedback) on AFL project overall and where they are at to inform

planning for next year (confidential on- line survey) survey on PD in the school and possible ways of restructuring

delivery for 2009

Student perceptions

student perceptions of teacher reference to learning outcomes/criteria in the classrooms ( survey of 107 students)

Evidence continuedIn class observations video of teacher –student classroom conversations to analyse

verbal feedback

performance management visits –AFL focus- report written by observing teacher

School & community consultation process for reviewing charter and strategic plan Quality of Service delivery survey commissioned by BoT –on

all aspects ( yet to be analysed)Data NCEA data analysis ; MIDYIS ?

Student survey

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

none some most all

studentresponses (%)

How many teachers regularly share the learning outcomes for the lesson?

Student survey

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

none some most all

studentresponses (%)

How many teachers regularly explain what you have to do to do well?

Student were also asked What do your teachers do that help you

to learn?

Why do you think that helps?

Over 30%“…Give detailed feedback on my work, what’s

good about it and what needs to be done to improve/to get a higher grade

“…..encourages me to improve/try harder/tells me I’m on the right track”

Using feedback/feed forward

20% “…. explains in detail what to do ; explains

clearly/thoroughly; may explain more than once/explains in different ways”

This helps because

“I can then try to do the work on my own.”

Sharing criteria

15 % “..moves around the class while we are

working and helps students one-to-one; helps me when I ask.”

This helps “..because I feel comfortable asking questions and it lets others get on with work; It’s easier to understand one-to-one.”

feedback

12 % When teachers

“use examples/exemplars to show what good work looks like.”

This helps

“..because it gives an idea of how to do something/ it helps me to see what good work looks like/to understand what the teacher means.”

Sharing Criteria

8 % When the teacher“…. tries to make it fun/makes subject interesting by

having fun/ interesting activities/ uses humour/ uses a variety of teaching activities.”

We learn “….while we are enjoying ourselves; we get more

involved.”

Knowing your students / building relationships

Next steps for GHSUse the results of the recent surveys and evidence collected so far

to inform planning of next steps

How are we going to deliver PD in the future?

Where to from here with assessment for learning and how we can link this to the implementation of the new curriculum?

How to provide staff training in accessing and using data/ learner profiles to inform teaching practice?

What has changed in our classrooms? English department – Jason Shaw Science department – Katie Martin, Adele

Quinn Social studies – Geoff Love