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Authentic Learning,
Assessment and
Progress;
Describing the journey from the
EYFS onwards
“Assessment is arguably the most
powerful policy tool in education…it
can…be used as a powerful source
of leverage to bring about change”
Broadfoot 1996
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“Assessment is the most
visible expression of what
we value as educators”
(Dubiel)
Definition and role of assessment
“Knowing and understanding children in order to support
their learning and development”
Which
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•
Expresses values of education and perception of
learners
•
Defines the curriculum, pedagogy and outcomes
•
Enables accountability
Jan Dubiel: ‘Effective Assessment in the Early Years’ Foundation Stage’ SAGE 2014
“Teaching should not be taken to imply a top-down or formal way
of working. It is a broad term, which covers the many different
ways in which adults help children learn.
It includes their interactions with children during planned and
child-initiated play and activities: communicating and modelling
language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas,
encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what
they are doing, facilitating and setting challenges.
It takes account of the equipment they provide and the attention
to the physical environment as well as the structures and routine
of the day that establish expectations.
Integral to teaching is how practitioners assess what children
know, understand and can do as well as take advantage of their
interests and dispositions to learning (characteristics of effective
learning), and use the information to plan children’s next steps in
learning and monitor their progress.”
Ofsted: Evaluation schedule for inspections of registered early years
provision Nov 2013
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“Ukfundisa”
Teaching
To cause to learn
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Deep level learning Surface level learning
Learning
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•
Learning as a quantitative increase in knowledge.
Learning is acquiring information or “knowing a lot”
•
Learning as memorising. Learning is storing information
that can be reproduced.
•
Learning as acquiring facts, skills and methods that can be
retained and used as necessary.
•
Learning as making sense or abstracting meaning.
Learning involves relating parts of the subject matter to
each other and to the real world.
•
Learning as interpreting and understanding reality in a
different way. Learning involves comprehending the world
by re-interpreting knowledge.
Säljö (1979)
Current Dominant Narratives
• Neo-Traditionalist
• Simon Stylites Approach
• Surface level regurgitation
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An EEx counter narrative that…
• Derives from values
• Draws from appropriate research
within an ‘ethical praxis’ (Pascal)
• Acknowledges reality and exists
within the truth
• Is practical, adaptable and effective
• Clearly identifies and works towards
outcomes with a holistic definition of
‘success’
• Empowers practitioners
Values
“Values are principles, qualities, or objects that a
person perceives as having intrinsic worth. Every
individual has a personal hierarchy of values … The
choices we make reflect what we value the most
at a particular point in time. When people possess
what they value, they are contented. If they are
deprived of what they value, they feel frustration or
dissatisfaction. Humans, therefore, unconsciously
behave in ways that move them toward what
they value or away from anything counter to that
value.”
(Lloyd-Yero 2010)
‘Ethical Praxis’ (Pascal)
‘..a realisation of a fusion of
research, theoretical, conceptual and
philosophical perspectives, values
and ethics’
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“Pedagogy is seen as an ‘ambiguous’ space,
…as one-between-three (actions, theories
and beliefs) in an interactive, constantly
renewed triangulation. Convening beliefs,
values and principles, analysing practises
and using several branches of knowledge
(philosophy, history, anthropology,
psychology, sociology amongst others)
constitutes the triangular movement of the
creation of pedagogy. Pedagogy is thus
based on praxis, in other words, an action
based on theory and sustained by belief
systems”
Pascal 2014
Values – constant, embedded,
determinant
Beliefs – dynamic, flexible,
reactive
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"Not everything that
counts can be counted,
and not everything that
can be counted counts."
attributed to Albert
Einstein
“Poor mental health is the largest
cause of disability in the UK. It’s also
closely connected with other
problems, including poor physical
health and problems in other areas
like relationships, education and
work prospects. If we want to
improve these aspects of people’s
lives, we’ll need to make
improvements to mental health and
wellbeing.”
www.gov.uk
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Mental wellbeing includes the
capacity to:
• realise our abilities, live a life with purpose
and meaning, and make a positive
contribution to our communities
• form positive relationships with others, and
feel connected and supported
• experience peace of mind, contentment,
happiness and joy
• cope with life’s ups and downs and be
confident and resilient
• take responsibility for oneself and for
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others as appropriate
Good mental Health is vital to life,
happiness and productivity…
• We need a definition of ‘holistic
achievement’ and ‘success’
• We have a responsibility to
acknowledge and support the
development of children’s Well
Being
• We cannot ‘afford’ to sacrifice
achievement and wellbeing for
surface level attainment
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“No other period in human history can match
the present one in sheer scale, speed and
global complexity of the changes and
challenges we face... We are preparing
children for jobs that don’t exist yet, using
technologies that haven’t been invented, in
order to solve problems we don’t even know
are problems yet.”
‘The Element’, Sir Ken Robinson
“…emotional maturity, empathy and
other interpersonal skills are as
important as proficiency in English
and mathematics in ensuring young
people’s employment prospects.
Assessment should reflect this
reality…”
‘Making Education Work; A report from an Independent Advisory
Group chaired by Professor Sir Roy Anderson’; January 2014
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TES
21st September 2015
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“To say that the acquisition of facts
should be the overwhelming priority
of the education system is to look
backwards, not forwards, in my
view,” he said. “There’s a point at
which if you don’t liberate [pupils] to
be able to explore and undertake
individual independent research,
you’re not equipping them for the
modern world”
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Leuven Definition of Well-being
“Well-being is a particular state or
feeling that can be recognised by
satisfaction enjoyment and pleasure.
The person is relaxed and expresses
inner rest, feels the energy flow and
radiates vitality, is open to the
surroundings, accessible and flexible.”
Leavers et al 2012: A Process Orientated Monitoring System
(POMS)
Level 5 Involvement
Continuous intense mental activity
• Signals of concentration, persistence and
energy are strongly represented
• They readily make choices and as soon
as they have started an activity they are
completely absorbed
• Even strong stimuli in their surroundings
will barely distract them
• They take pleasure in exploring the world
and operate at the very limits of their
capabilities
Leavers et al 2012: A Process Orientated Monitoring System (POMS)
A state of flow is…
“…being completely involved in an
activity for its own sake. The ego
falls away. Time flies. Every action,
movement, and thought follows
inevitably from the previous one, ...
Your whole being is involved, and
you're using your skills to the utmost”
Csikszentmihalyi
Key drivers of learning
• Curiosity
• Imagination / Creativity
• Motivation
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Critical Learning behaviours
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Self regulation
Cognitive flexibility
Resilience
Persistence
Sense of Achievement
Self Awareness
Empathy
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Children’s Intellect / ‘Nous’
Academic
Social
Cognitive
‘Nous’
Academic
•
•
•
•
•
Knowledge
Facts
Terminology
Skills
Curriculum Content
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Cognitive
•
•
•
•
•
•
Thinking
Understanding
Applying
Creativity
Connecting
Classifying
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Social
•
•
•
•
•
•
Self awareness
Self confidence
Emotional Literacy
Relationships
Understanding contexts
Managing behaviour
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“If, as Pamela Moss suggests ‘what
isn’t assessed tends to disappear
from the curriculum’ then we have to
find a way to assess educational
outcomes that we value. Otherwise
outcomes that can be easily
measured will take their place”
Margaret Carr 2001
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Rationale for EExBA
•
Assessment of what matters
•
Builds on existing approaches and tradition of
observational based practitioner led assessment
•
Operates as part of everyday effective practice
•
Supports professional judgement of practitioner and their
knowledge of the child
•
Works within the principles and practices of the current
EYFS
•
Includes multi-perspectives of the child’s development
including parents
•
Fully inclusive for children with EAL and SEND
•
Provides formative pedagogically useful information
•
Provides principled choice for practitioners
•
Meets DfE requirements, therefore useable by all
Schools
Practitioner Led Assessment
Effective practitioner led assessment
involves practitioners in making
accurate and meaningful judgements
about children’s attainment through
observation of and interaction with
children.
Observational Assessment
• Is the act of selecting, processing
and reflecting on authentic
information.
• Often happens during episodes of
interaction.
• Is a skilled and skilful
process of identifying
significant learning
demonstrated by
children
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Numerical Score
EExBA ‘Layered’ model
Areas of Learning and
Development
Characteristics of
Effective Learning
Leuven Scales for Well
Being and Involvement
Practitioner Led,
Observation based
judgements
information from
parents and previous
settings
Initial
observation and
screening
Follow us on Twitter @earlyexcellence
Authentic Learning,
Assessment and
Progress;
Describing the journey from the
EYFS onwards