Association for Achievement and Improvement through Assessment

1. Association for Achievement and Improvement through Assessment “Pupil Voice and Personalised Learning Who’s talking? Who’s listening?” Norman Emerson Learning and Teaching Scotland Learning and Teaching Scotland

2. Voice – parents-pupils teachers To allow pupil voice to be heard –we must ensure that a culture is created in our schools where all voices are heard and respected. Learning and Teaching Scotland

3. The Policy Context -Scotland • UN Rights of Child –Article 12 Ratified in Scotland 1991 • The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 • Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act 2000 • National Debate in Education 2002 • Policy Developments in Scotland • Education for Citizenship • Assessment is for Learning Programme • Curriculum for Excellence • Determined to Succeed • Better Behaviour –Better Learning • HMIe –Journey to Excellence Learning and Teaching Scotland

4. Learning and Teaching Scotland

5. From formative assessment to Personal Learning Planning • Self-assessment by pupils-the link to personal learning planning • ‘Many successful innovations have developed self- and peer-assessment by pupils as ways of enhancing formative assessment. This link of formative assessment to self-assessment is not an accident; indeed, it is inevitable.’ • Dylan Wiliam and Paul Black Learning and Teaching Scotland

6. Formative assessment -making the link to personal learning planning Learning and Teaching Scotland

7. What is an AifL School? A Place Where Everyone is Learning Together Our pupils and staff help to set their own learning goals Our pupils and staff identify and reflect on their own evidence of learning Our pupils and staff practise self- and peer-assessment ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING Learning and Teaching Curriculum Staff use a range of evidence from day-to-day activities to check on pupils’ progress Our pupils, staff and parents are clear about what is to be learned and what success would be like Using evidence as feedback to inform improvement ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING Staff talk and work together to share standards in and across schools Our pupils and staff are given timely feedback about the quality of their work and how to make it better Staff use assessment information to monitor their establishment’s provision and progress, and to plan for improvement Our pupils and staff are fully involved in deciding next steps in their learning and identifying who can help Assessment Our classroom assessment involves high quality interactions, based on thoughtful questions, careful listening and reflective responses Learning and Teaching Scotland

8. Teacher Voice - Personal Learning Planning Light on paper-heavy on the process Learning logs were useful as a reflection on learning, and provided good notes for later revision, because they are written in pupils’ own words and are easier to remember. These notes were also useful for the teacher because they gave an insight into how much each pupil had learned and so fed the planning of the next steps. Lawside Academy Dundee Learning and Teaching Scotland

9. Personal learning planning and Inclusion- The use of video diaries • The next step for development is to share the completed videos with families. One Traveller family has left, but the mother has indicated that she intends to return to collect the film. Another pupil's video has been used at an educational review in support of the pupil's transfer to high school. This was a multi-agency meeting which included the parents, and the video was well received as a useful tool for assessment • Lochgelly West Primary School, Fife Learning and Teaching Scotland

10. Up for some blogging? The potential for opening dialogue between teachers and their pupils and personal learning planning online is an attractive one. Parents dialogue with their children and their learning is another potential benefit - finally they might get an answer to the question 'What did you do at school today?'  http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/cs/blogs/ Learning and Teaching Scotland

11. Up for some Blogging? Keith Grammar School Blog – S.1 Modern Languages • Your homework for next week is to use some of the vocabulary you have learned so far and write up a short piece about yourself. For example, you might want to write your name, age, bros and sis, animals, describe your rooom/house,favourite teachers and why etc... 50 words.bonne chance! • ps if you are stuck, you could have a look at what other people have done for a bit of help, but watch out, they might make mistakes too! Learning and Teaching Scotland

12. Up for some Blogging? • Hello my name is Aaron I live in Keith in nothern Scotland. I have 4 people in my family my sister Sadie, mum Fran and my dad George. I have 1 pet fish called Sprite and my sisters pet called Fisher Dood. I have got a blue bed and wooden floorin and cupboards. My favorite subjects at school are Techi, Pe and Music. • Bonjour! je m'appelle Gary jai douze ans jai une frere, il huit ans j'habite a Keith je suis ecossais. Mon anniversair cest le treize julliet. jai un chein, jai deux chatz. je suis grand, beau, jeune. j'aime la francais, cest super, je deteste la maths, cest nul. un blanc ordinateur. Au revoir. • Posted by: nadine | January 19, 2007 at 10:07 PM • Aaron i think u had to do it in french... Learning and Teaching Scotland

13. Assessment is for Learning and the new Curriculum in Scotland Successful learners- Black and Wiliam research from 250 international reviews provides evidence that formative assessment provides significant and substantial learning gains Confident individuals- Scottish teachers and researchers have reported increased confidence for all pupils and significant gains for the lowest attaining groups when formative assessment strategies have been used. Effective contributors In working in pair and share and peer evaluation activities, our pupils are learning to respect others and their views Responsible Citizens The use of open questioning is likely to result in developing enterprising attitudes while the use of personal learning planning is likely to lead to pupils who are more self -reliant Learning and Teaching Scotland

14. Pupil Councils Are we serious? Learning and Teaching Scotland

15. Pupil Councils – Are we serious? There is a danger that the management style of the pupil council results in pupils simply being consulted and informed –not fully involved in decision making process. (Baginsky and Hannam, 1999; Dobie, 1998; Hannam, 1998; Hart, 1997; Lister, 2001; Mills, 2002; Rowe, 2000). Learning and Teaching Scotland

16. Pupil Councils and Pupil Voice –Are we bothered? A survey of nearly two thousand young people about representation and pupil councils found that the majority of secondary school pupils knew that their school had a pupil council. However, of those who were not currently members, nearly one third regarded their school council as boring while 18% felt that the council did not have enough power to make a difference. Older pupils increasingly said they felt their council did not have enough power to make a difference. Scottish Consumer Council SCC by Ipsos MORI 2007 Learning and Teaching Scotland

17. Pupil Voice- Are we serious? ‘ With "pupil voice" a topic in most staffrooms, texting offers a way to move on from frumpy schools' councils. • Why have representative pupils when they can all have their own voice? Try this: buy a £5 pay-as-you-go Sim card. Put it into an old Bluetooth phone. Give the new number to students and they can text their thoughts to it 24/7. Free software allows you store or display their feedback on to a server. Because the phone only receives texts it won't cost the school a penny.’ • Stephen Heppell on Pupil Voice Learning and Teaching Scotland

18. Pupil Voice –Can it impact on learning and teaching? Learning and Teaching Scotland

19. Pupil Voice- Are we serious? `We don't learn democracy, we live it!': consulting the pupil voice in Scottish schools’ The authors were involved in a research project designed to promote citizenship values through a democratic approach to learning in a large mixed ability Religious and Moral Education (RME) class in a West of Scotland comprehensive ( The key objective was to discover whether a participative learning style and citizenship curriculum content in core RME altered pupils’ citizenship values. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice 2006; Henry Maitles and Ross Deuchar Learning and Teaching Scotland

20. Pupil Voice- Are we serious? • Pupils completed a questionnaire expressing preferences about learning styles. • Autocratic styles (teacher-centred and highly authoritarian) and solitary activities were most unpopular. • At least 90 per cent of pupils were keen to work with partners or teams of their own choice. • Most felt that teacher exposition had an important place, especially in small groups, but also wanted to learn from visiting speakers, videos and independent resource-based learning, for example, using ICT. • 83 per cent expressed interest in contacting pupils in other schools and countries. Learning and Teaching Scotland

21. Pupil Voice- Are we serious? • This was to be a participative class, but not a permissive one. • Pupils responded positively and suggested class values based on respect. • Thanks to the groundwork on ethos, there was a relaxed, open, warm atmosphere during teamwork with pupils acting responsibly. • Indiscipline was rare and minor, kept in check as often by other pupils as by the teacher. • The class teacher, other teachers in the school, the pupils themselves and their parents commented that they felt that there was a major improvement in the dispositions, values and attitudes and learning of this class • 87 per cent of pupils agreed they were learning better because the teacher was trying to involve them. Learning and Teaching Scotland

22. Pupil Voice- Are we serious? “ In Doune Nursery (Stirling), consultation with children and parents about curriculum planning is embedded in practice. There are regular meetings with children to find out how they felt about the activities available, and to give them an opportunity to evaluate their learning” Learning and Teaching Scotland

23. Parental Voice- Are we just playing at it? Learning and Teaching Scotland

24. Parental Voice- Are we just playing at it? All Saints Secondary School , Glasgow The school has also identified a number of key supporters amongst the parent group who hold ‘living room consultations’ with other parents, and bring feedback to the school. They find that some parents are more comfortable giving their views to another parent in an informal setting, so this gives them indirect access to parents who would not normally participate. Key supporters receive expenses so that they can cater for their ‘group’ or take them to a café or another venue where they feel comfortable. Learning and Teaching Scotland

25. Parental Voice- Are we just playing at it? Law Primary School Blog • Comment from kemp familyTime: March 26, 2007, 4:40 pm • Comment from Emma KerrTime: March 26, 2007, 10:52 pm • How amazing to look at the website tonight and see pictures and comments from the P7’s away at camp, it was great to see the photos and very reassuring to read the comments from some of the pupils. What a brilliant use of blogging - well done. • Comment from Liz HughesTime: March 28, 2007, 6:35 pm • To Katie & Gemma, I hope you both have a great time but I am a little concerned about what your parents will get up to while you are gone. Take care and have lots of fun!!!! Learning and Teaching Scotland

26. Parental Voice- Are we just playing at it?Law Primary School Blog • 3. Callum's DAD - October 11, 2007 I do not think that it is good idea for the child to accompany the parent on ‘parents night’ because I believe there should be privacy to allow a truthful discussion to take place. If the child was present the teacher could feel inhibited and therefore the true picture may not emerge. • 4. Rob ‘s Dad - October 11, 2007 I thought the P7 parents evening was an unqualified success. The idea of allowing the pupils to self assess seems to me to be an excellent innovation. It let us get a really clear insight into how Fergus was finding P7 and also seemed to be a useful step towards accurate self assessment for him, and he really seemed to be happy about making a contribution - not easy in front of both parents and teachers!Well done everyone involved!PS the amount of work all the P7s have managed to complete this term is truly brilliant! Learning and Teaching Scotland

27. Teacher Voice-Is it being heard? Learning and Teaching Scotland

28. Teacher Voice-Is it being heard? teachers 1n 2004 Wrigley argued that ‘teachers in Britain have become so accustomed to every detail of the curriculum being decided from above that the idea of negotiation sounds almost revolutionary’ • Our collective past? • ATIS- Assess them into submission • DTIP –Drown them in paper • NMTQMIM – Never mind the quality make it measurable • KTWLOI – Know the words live other ideas • Cascade; pilot and rollout; dissemination Learning and Teaching Scotland

29. Teacher Voice- Is anyone listening? ‘We cannot tell teachers what to do. The situations they face in their classrooms are just too varied to predict. That is why professional judgement is so important’ Dylan Wiliam ETS Europe Conference 11 July 2006 Learning and Teaching Scotland

30. Contact n.emerson@ltscotland.org.uk www.LTScotland.org.uk/assess Learning and Teaching Scotland The Optima, 58 Robertson Street, Glasgow G2 8DU T: Customer Services 08700 100 297 www.LTScotland.org.uk Learning and Teaching Scotland