Assessment of Cross Curricular Skills Anne Marshall CCEA

Assessment of Cross Curricular Skills Anne Marshall CCEA Key Stage 3 Programme Manager 18 June 2009 ‘Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better. ’ Samuel Johnson Email: amarshall@ccea. org. uk www. nicurriculum. org. uk

PROGRAMME § § § Overview of Rationale Outline of Training Programme Decisions on Comparability Managing the Media Towards Policy

DE Circular 2007/11 “The revised curriculum… has literacy and numeracy at its core. The curriculum provides for a broad and balanced education and focuses on developing skills as well as teaching content through the wide spectrum of the curricular areas” Circular Number 2007/11 LITERACY/NUMERACY

Assessment Support Programme – message from Stage 1 The Education (NI) Order 2006 Article 8: Skills ‘The curriculum for a grant-aided school must ensure, wholly or mainly through the teaching of the minimum content of areas of learning and religious education, the acquisition and development by pupils of§ (1) the cross-curricular skills § § (a) communication (b) using mathematics (c) using information and communications technology. (2) any other skills specified under Article 8(1)(b). ’

Legislative Requirements: Assessment The Education (NI) Order 2006 Article 9: Assessment (1) The curriculum for every grant-aided school shall require each pupil in each key stage at the school to be assessed in each school year in accordance with such stage. assessment arrangements as are specified in relation to that pupil and that key stage under paragraph (2) The Department may by order specify, in relation to – (a) an area of learning; (b) a cross-curricular skill; and (c) any other skill specified under Article 8(1)(b), such assessment arrangements as it considers appropriate for pupils in each key

DE Circular 2008/22 Levels of Progression 12. “Currently the Levels of Progression are in draft format and the Department will analyse advice, expected later in the autumn term, about how they relate to existing levels. Clearly principals and teachers need time to familiarise themselves with the Levels of Progression once they are finalised. Part of the advice expected from CCEA therefore is whether the intended timescale to introduce the Levels of Progression from the 9/10 school year is realistic and achievable in that context. ” Circular Number 2008/22 CURRICULUM, ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS 2008/9 http: //www. deni. gov. uk/microsoft_word_-_department_of_education_circular_2008_22 -2. pdf

Developments: Statutory Arrangements § Statutory Rules now in place: § § § Curriculum minimum content Skills and Capabilities General assessment arrangements Transition reporting arrangements On www. opsi. gov. uk (2007: 43 -46) or link from www. nicurriculum. org. uk § Revised schedule for implementation § Annual Report statutory for all years from 2009 -10 § Assessment of cross-curricular skills using levels of progression – not statutory until at least 2011 § Phased Arrangement starting with Communication and Using Maths…. ICT to follow one year later

Changing Emphasis in the Statutory Requirements KS 3 From To Detailed programmes of study and attainment targets Minimum content (i. e. statements of requirement), including learning outcomes End of Key Stage assessment in English (Irish), Mathematics and Science: - teacher assessment - use of assessment units (optional) - external tests Levels of Attainment in English, Mathematics and Science Teacher assessment by end of each year (Years 8, 9, 10) in: - area of learning - cross-curricular skills - other skills (Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities) Choice of assessment types integrated into teaching and learning Data transferred to DE at end of KS Levels of Progression in Communication, Using Mathematics and Using ICT Annual Report

Legislative Requirements (Education Order, 2006) ‘each pupil in each key stage… to be assessed in each school year…’ in each cross-curricular skill, with reference to the levels of progression. Proposal Assessment evidence for each of the cross-curricular skills should be drawn from at least two areas of learning across the key stage. In Using ICT, evidence should be drawn from at least two areas of learning each year.

Assessment Support Programme Stage 1 Training Understand audit the requirements for the CCS Select departments formal assessment Whole school level SMT/Curriculum team in consultation with departments Map assessment opportunities in Yr 8/9/10 Identify and develop assessment opportunities Departmental level Stage 2 Training Carry out assessment activities as part of L&T Use evidence to make judgements Discuss and agree standards in school Departmental / Interdepartmental level Making a summative judgement for a pupil

The Cross-Curricular Skills Development Acquisition Assessment Promoting Demonstrating Applying Transferring Reporting

Acquisition § May be focussed in certain discrete subjects or may be across the curriculum § Coherent programme of learning for the pupil § What do pupils need to know and when § Where is the most natural place § How will they recognise it again § Co-ordinated/mapped § Method of communicating this

Development § § Responsibility of everybody Learning Outcomes Build on existing good practice Aiming to infuse and integrate skills into everyday business of the classroom § Recognition of where these skills can enable and enrich learning § Encourage transferability, application and connections

Assessment § Probably fewer contributors § Link between development of skills and their assessment § It should: § sit comfortably within planned units of work; § be relevant to the subject; § facilitate Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

The Northern Ireland Curriculum Cross Curricular Skills are embedded and infused throughout the Northern Ireland Curriculum They are bedrock skills through which young people access knowledge. Shift in emphasis away from perceiving these as ‘subjects’ taught discretely (within English, Mathematics and ICT) towards skills that are developed across the curriculum and are therefore the responsibility of all teachers. Communication Using Mathematics Using ICT Specified in terms of Levels (1 -7 in draft form)

Levels of Progression The Levels of Progression: § are for Communication, Using Mathematics and Using ICT. § will be used to make holistic summative judgements about pupil progress each year; § form the basis for reporting on the skills; § also provide a continuum of development and progression directly linked to the requirements; § are competence based - ‘Pupils can’ ; § are mapped to National Qualifications Framework (Functional/Key/Essential Skills); § are currently in draft format, until detailed legislation is in place.

Commonly asked questions § § § How are Lo. P different from Lo. A? What is the link between UM , Numeracy and Maths and English and Communication and Literacy? When should Maths assess UM? When should English assess Communication? How many pieces? What is the coverage? Can Tasks be designed to cover more than 1 Cross curricular skill? What methods of departmental partnerships are most effective? What is the view of the proposal ie 2 Ao. L per key stage? How to reach consensus in making a judgement? How can we trust other schools? What about the feeder schools?

Developments: Tasks § Debate around Tasks – should these be generic no subject home specified § Associated rubric – specific criteria eg what would a Level 4 website contain? § Different Approach across the key stages § Compromise – 3 exemplar tasks

What are they for? The assessment tasks are intended to: § provide opportunities for pupils to demonstrate, apply and transfer their competence in the crosscurricular skills; § help teachers to make judgements about the level at which a pupil is working; § be integrated into planned work, so that tasks are carried out within meaningful contexts within the learning and teaching that provide a reason for pupils to apply their skills.

What they aren’t… § Time-limited tests. § External bolt-ons completed in isolation of ongoing learning and teaching. § An end in themselves. § Tasks which deliver the prior learning as well as the opportunity to demonstrate learning. § Step-by step instructions (we need to assess what we really want to assess).

The tasks provided will be: § Generic - so that they can be contextualised; § Holistic - in that pupils may have to draw on different aspects of a skill; § Standardised - in that assessment criteria are based on the level descriptions and remain the same regardless of context.

Range of Evidence Methods of Assessment § § § Oral…Written…. ICT/digital; Practical/experiential; Expressive/performance; Process…Review…Product; teacher observation of groups and individuals – both planned and incidental; § teacher interaction with groups and individuals; § observation/evidence of peer and self assessment.

Communication

Levels of Progression: Format Context Statements Progression in Requirements: colour-coded Requirements Level Standard: Pupils can… www. nicurriculum. org. uk

Communication Three strands § Talking and Listening § Reading § Writing Two Questions § What am I looking for? § What does the standard look like?

Communication: Writing What am I looking for? Language and register matched to audience, purpose and form What does the standard look like?

Communication: Reading What am I looking for? § § ability to decode / read common sight vocabulary (Levels 1 – 3) picking up the literal (Levels 2 - 3) picking up on the implicit (Levels 4 &5) analysing / evaluating / synthesising (Levels 6 & 7) What does the standard look like? § difficulty of text § importance of question-setting

Communication: Talking and Listening What am I looking for? § Contribution § Interaction (including listening) § Use of language What does the standard look like?

Using Mathematics

Using Mathematics § Focus on the ‘how’ as well as the ‘what’. § Can pupils ‘do the maths’? § Can pupils ‘use the maths’? § Pupils demonstrate both their knowledge of the coverage/range and their ability to use and apply this as appropriate. § Role of the Maths teacher

Levelling a piece of work § Identify the requirements assessed by this sample § Identify the coverage/range assessed by this sample § Observe how the requirements and coverage/range progresses through the levels § Identify which level descriptors best match this evidence and annotate on the sample § Look for evidence of the requirements and Coverage/range in the sample § Ensure the context statement is also reflected in the sample § Assign a level to the sample

Assessment Grids Highlight the context statements that will the levels appropriate to Identify the range impact. Identify on the level of theofpiece the activity and requirements how the requirements the Demonstrate coverage/range progress through thatand are coverage/range covered in levels the activity

Activity 2: Levelling Work

Activity 3: Nature of Evidence What do we need to know about pupil work in order to decide/agree the level it has achieved? § Assessment evidence can be in a range of forms, including: § § Written (pupil work, both process and product) Annotation of pupil work Observational (of practical and oral activities) Planning documentation (e. g. activity outline, pre-agreed assessment grid, learning outcomes/success criteria for pupils) § Assessing teacher will have access to a broader range of evidence that ultimately inform judgements.

Activity 4: Creating Enabling Tasks How can we ensure that assessment activities: • are accessible to pupils? • allow pupils to demonstrate achievement at a range of levels? • encourage pupils to use their mathematics at an appropriate level?

Making Summative Judgements § ‘Best fit’, holistic Communication/Using Mathematics level § Based on the pupil’s performance as a whole § Evidence likely to be drawn from a range of activities and tasks § Pupils demonstrate both their knowledge of the coverage/range and their ability to use and apply this as appropriate.

The Challenges for CCEA § Professional development – Subject purists § Dumbing Down vs falling standards - managing the media message § Link with Primary – lack of trust § Dependency Culture § Creating Enabling Tasks embedded in the learning and teaching – resisting a bank of tasks § Comparability § Clear messages

The Challenges for Schools § Competing priorities – Post primary Education/Selection § Legislation Outcomes – vacuum of uncertainty § Target Setting § Mismatch – lack of alignment § Genuine discomfort ie the teacher who has literacy/numeracy fears § Cascading Training § Perceived Progression/Regression § Accountability § Equity of Workload

What’s Under Development? Support Planned for Schools § Departmental support for planning meetings – requests processed through CCEA to § provide additional guidance on task development and task design § guidance on making a judgement § Exemplification Database of standards. § fully populated resource § ongoing examples of pupils’ work plus commentaries to illustrate performance at a level § § § Support through Online Forum in Moodle Flow chart of the planning process ie what departments need to do Preparation for moderation – clustering.

Guidance and Support Materials NICurriculum: KS 3: Assessment & Reporting http: //www. nicurriculum. org. uk/key_stage_3/assessment_and_reporting/ind ex. asp § Training materials Northern Ireland Curriculum: KS 3: Regional Pilots http: //www. nicurriculum. org. uk/key_stage_3/regional_pilots/index. asp § Case Studies on Planning for Assessment § 6 Case Studies of Reporting Exemplification Database Task Writing Tool Online Moderation Online Moodle Support – Standards Discussion Forum

Ni Curriculum Web Site www. nicurriculum. org. uk

Closing Thought Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better. ’ Samuel Johnson