Assessing MFL in the primary context

1. Assessing MFL in the primary context

2. The programme 09.00 Arrival / registration / tea / coffee 09.05 Introductions H and S Session 1: What are we doing currently? What’s expected? What are the devices 4 measuring? Principles of Practice Session 2: On-going, periodic and “final” assessment Session 3: Medium and short term planning Session 4: Tranfser and transition

3. Objectives • To confirm and clarify the purposes of assessment in MFL • To consider the essential “component pasrt” of effective assessment systems • To evaluate example models of “good practice” in assessing MFL • To consider how assessment supports from KS2 to KS3

4. Caption competition Teacher Parent

5. Reporting Progress What must be reported to parents, carers or guardians? • Brief particulars of achievements in all subjects and other activities forming part of the school curriculum • Comments on general progress. In each year during Key Stage 2

6. Describing achievement in MFLis easier when we are familiar with……….. • KS2 (and 3) Framework of Objectives • KAL and LLS • KS2 “Expectations” • Languages Ladder “grade” statements • Level Descriptions

7. A description Stephanie can usually understand the gist of recorded material in French spoken at near-normal speed, but finds it difficult to pick out details. She should aim to develop this particular skill. She makes a lively contribution to class oral practice, speaking with confidence and generally correct pronunciation. She is willing to use new structures and vocabulary. Stephanie has little difficulty in understanding simple written French, but has less confidence when reading more complex texts. She must try to understand the general sense of a sentence, even if there are unfamiliar words in it. She should note down new vocabulary and must learn this more carefully. Stephanie can write a simple message in French but must try to be more accurate in both spelling and grammar.

8. What is expected? there should be informal classroom assessment of every child’s learning near the end of Key Stage 2 by reference to the Languages Ladder, so that the Key Stage 3 teacher is well informed about the pupil’s learning standards and needs. We recommend use of the Ladder because it provides the teacher with assessment at the level appropriate to the child in each of the four strands of learning; speaking, listening, reading and writing, and because it is to a common national standard. Its purpose is different from the SATs, which in the past have been essentially a summative means of assessing a school’s performance with all pupils taking the same test. The assessment we recommend is formative in purpose, fit for the individual child, not aggregated, and should not be the basis for any league tables. Dearing review final report March 2007

9. What is expected? • Progression across KS2: listen, present, converse, speak, read, write, cultural understanding and appreciation …… :confidently, with expression, independently, from memory, with empathy….. • Significant cf superficial experience so that… • By the end of the KS children attain at a similar NC level in MFL to other subjectsRose interim dec 2008

10. What is expected? Read the expectations and outcomes for each of the three core strands from the Overviews of the KS Framework for Languages. How useful would these statements be: • As a basis for identifying assessment opportunities; • As a basis for self evaluation by the children; • For day to day assessment; • For summative assessment?

11. What “tools” have we got? • Aligned frameworks for KS2 / KS3 • Revised ATs • “Merged” LDs • “Can do” statements (Languages Ladder) • Portfolio

12. What should we use them for? Framework: to inform our planning so that our teaching is purposeful = a shared understanding of what is to be learned (the learning objectives) and what children might be expected to do after they have learned it (the learning outcomes). To ensure that appropriate emphasis is given to acquisition of SKILLs and knowledge; ATs / LDs: to “measure” and describe (words always more meaningful than numbers) achievement to help “us” identify ways to improve (teachers and pupils) Can do’s: “public” endorsement of attainment

13. Principles of Practice • Planning and progression + priority • On-going, periodic, end of…… • Formative in nature…. • Words not numbers • Involves the stakeholders (pupils, teachers, parents?) • Manageable • Meaningful

14. Periodic • What features of the KS3 “model” would wse want to retain?

15. Making and Marking Progress • Formative features or • Periodic validation of TA = EVIDENCE

16. Day to day / ongoing assessment • Periodic assessment • Transitional assessment

17. Day to day • A lesson plan • What could the teacher be ‘doing’ / looking for throughout the lesson? • How would the teacher know whether the objectives of the lesson had been met by most / all? • Would there be any activities where teachers might pick up an idea of how some individuals were progressing?

18. Some ideas • Get pupils to try and write some simple words with ll, e, h, in them on mini whiteboards • When doing group work, walk around class listening to all groups, or focus more on one group, even make some notes (becoming more of a focus assessment task) • A pronunciation challenge / game. Teacher could choose certain pupils to answer questions in the game

19. SO What is needed to make day to day / ongoing assessment effective? • Clear idea as to how to plan an objective led lessons, with activities clearly planned to ensure progression. Types of activities which ‘lend’ themselves to AfL. Opportunities for group work, pairwork, activities using mini whiteboards etc etc. • Types of L.O. • those involving teaching of specific content eg. know 5 parts of the body • those involving teaching of specific language point(s), eg. make a simple negative • those which are infinitely extensible (need to be worked on and added to) eg. be able to make simple sentences

20. Periodic assessment • An opportunity for a more focused assessment. • Some ideas from the QCA units Unit 13 • Pupils record their own cookery programme • Pupils produce recipe as magazine article, or make a step by step booklet by taking photos of every stage

21. Unit 14 : X factor type competition • Each group to perform a rap about what music they like and what they play • Could have one group as judges and who interview groups about what music they like and what instruments they play • Judges give simple opinions (I like it / don’t like it) • The audience could have colour coded opinion cards (great, OK, terrible) to vote

22. Unit 19 • Produce a DVD of a school showing areas, what they do in these areas etc. • Create a who’s who board for teachers / TAs etc in school

23. A look at some y7 tasks

24. discussion • Think of anything you’ve been doing recently. Is there any task which would have ‘lent itself’ to being used for assessment purposes? • Speaking: roleplay, presentation, instructions, describing • Even at a simple level in KS1 eg. sharing a book with words or phrases, a simple roleplay, or producing their own book

25. What is needed to make periodic assessment effective? • Planned at medium term (even longer term) level. Being clear of the ‘task’ being set and assessment criteria before teaching the unit of work. ie. The task is part of the planning and integral to a series of lessons.

26. Considering a whole unit : unit 4 • Medium term plan / overview • Expectations of unit 4 • In groups discuss a particular lesson. Discuss any assessment opportunities within the lesson. Day to day? Periodic?

27. y y

28. games • Coloured card game • Simon says • etc

35. The relationship between transfer information (at any stage) and assessment • What information should we pass on? • How much should / does the need for transitional information drive assessment? • We need to develop assessment and a way of recording and reporting this at the same time as considering what information may be provided for the next teacher.

36. Discussion activity : which of these are useful? Why / why not? • A grade / level? • The relationship between transfer information (at any stage) and assessment • A note about achievement in terms of skills to go from primary to secondary • A list of topics covered to be shared with secondary colleagues • One or more pieces of work from each pupil • Information about number of years of prior language learning to be given to secondary colleagues • Information about the KAL pupils have acquired in KS2 • A note about attitude towards language learning for each pupil

37. Co-ordination of effective transfer arrangements between KS2 and KS3 for eg. Records • What kind of pupil records are most helpful to pass on from partner primaries to the teachers of pupils in y7? (should be informative, reliable and manageable, not a burden for primary teachers to compile or a mass of information for secondary teachers to assimilate. )

38. TRANSFER OF ATTAINMENT INFORMATION from Mind the Gap • A summary or copy of the primary scheme of work • A list of topics which have been covered • The skills developed • A list of key phrases which are familiar to children • A class list with information about number of years of prior language learning • Comments about mother-tongue community language and bilingualism • Particular points of interest eg. Links abroad, penpals • A note about achievement in each skill area

39. When? • Could we / should we be bothering with transitional assessment before language provision is well developed in each school?

40. A look at some transfer documents from schools / LAs • ELP • from schools / LAs

41. Key messages • Work towards transfer information, but don’t let it drive your assessment. If it’s too soon to be giving appropriate info. on individuals concentrate on the ‘next teacher’ being aware of what’s gone before ie. Prior learning in terms of LLS and KAL as well as ‘topics’ and how you can best achieve this.

42. Focus on the KS2 /3 FWK. If you are working with these objectives and all teachers from y3 to y9 are familiar with these and plan using these, this will encourage progression, which has to be understood before teachers can embed AfL in languages.

43. AfL is the most important. Ensure lessons have clear and appropriate objectives, and are planned with activities which will allow the teacher to assess day to day (ie using the activities they do already). Plan opportunities for periodic assessment. • So focus on medium and short term planning and assessment should ‘take care of itself’