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Value Added Project Practitioners Conference 3 rd February 2006. Biology group. Rationale . Value added results vary between schools, subjects and students. Some of the variation is due to subject specific issues. Biology Group . The purpose of the group is to:
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Value Added Project Practitioners Conference 3rd February 2006 Biology group
Rationale • Value added results vary between schools, subjects and students. • Some of the variation is due to subject specific issues.
Biology Group The purpose of the group is to: • Allow biology teachers to meet, share good practice and support each other. • Try to ensure that targets are specifically aimed at individual students. • Allow subject specific issues to be addressed.
The starting point • Provision of specific data may vary from school to school. • Biology teachers may vary in their knowledge and use of data analysis. • Monitoring procedures will be different. • Teaching and learning techniques will vary.
Subject specific information • Who studies Biology? • Who achieves the best results? • Who provides the best value added? • How difficult is Biology A level?
What data can we use?(Slides to follow relating to these.) • ALIS and ALPS - predictions. • ALIS and ALPS - analysis of results. • Results in each GCSE band. • Comparison with other subjects. • Ethnicity information. • Own school data and previous results. • Module analysis.
What we do – one example. • The role of the form teacher – discussion of general predicted grades and student targets. (Using ALPS). • The role of the Biology teacher – knowledge of the specific target grade for Biology (using ALIS). • Inspection of past results in each GCSE band.
What we do – one example(Slides to follow related to these.) • Student record keeping after AS. • Monitoring of grade boundaries. • Monitoring of “safety margins” related to grade needed. • Targeted module resits. • Targeted support including peer support. • Targeted UMS marks for January A2 exams. • Discussion of when to resit a module. (The implications of the unifying concepts paper.)
Teaching and Learning monitoring.(Slides to follow relating to these.) • Monitoring of overall module results. • Analysis of reasons for variation. • Targeted changes to the scheme of work or teaching / learning strategies if appropriate. • Analysis of which students underachieved. • Pupil questionnaires (ALIS).
What we still need to do. • Address the reasons for the “dip” early in the AS course. • Analyse the impact and appeal of the subject. • Address precisely what the student needs to do to successfully make the transition from GCSE to AS and AS to A2. • Use own questionnaires that may be more specifically useful.
Future plans – discussion of what would be useful. • Berkshire Heads of Department and KS5 biology teachers to be contacted about joining the group. • Sharing of present strategies - related to success. • Needs and support identified. • Meeting times to be arranged. • Size/area of groups? • Suggestions.
Contact details Mary-Clare Maunder Head of Biology Reading School RG1 5RE mcmaunder@readingschool.reading.sch.uk