ASSESSING CHILDREN: PROFILING PROGRESSION
Jon Nichol,
History Education Centre,
School of Education,
University of Exeter,
EX1 2LU
During the furore over the Great Reform Act of 1832 the radicals chanted ‘register,
register, register’ to make sure that their voters were on the electoral roll. Today the
educational chant of ‘evidence, evidence, evidence’ is heard in a world of
performance management, target setting, continuous assessment and inspection. A
key factor in collecting evidence about the quality of teaching and learning is the
assessment of pupils. Assessment has three main functions for a teacher – no doubt
for management and inspection purposes the list can be extended into a cat of nine
tails:
a] To help the child improve – as such it analyses how well s/he is doing and then
provides information upon which improvement can be based [formative
assessment].
b] To provide a record of what the child has learned, i.e. knows and can do.
Such assessment is a review, it looks backward and summarises what has been
achieved [summative assessment].
c] Diagnostic – to inform you about your own teaching and related pupil
learning so as to be able to improve your teaching [diagnostic assessment].
These three separate, different yet linked functions provide the information you need
for recording and reporting in whatever form required and for whatever purpose, from
school reports to OFSTED. The three functions depend upon reliable evidence –
accordingly we have developed the grid below to fill a gap in the easy and effective
easily assessment of children’s historical learning.
Assessment in History at Key Stages 1-3: the context How can we easily,
effectively and progressively assess children starting with the framework that the
English National Curriculum for History has laid down? In History the National
Curriculum deals with criteria for assessment in two places: the Programme of Study
for each Key Stage and the Attainment Target. Each Programme of Study for KS1,
KS2 and KS3 lists what pupils should be able to do by the end of the Key Stage
under what in previous manifestations of the History National Curriculum were known
as the Key Elements. For purposes of clarity and convenience we have retained the
term. The five Key Elements are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Chronological understanding
Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past
Historical interpretations
Historical enquiry
Organisation and communication
However, the History attainment target provides a series of eight holistic
statements, i.e. levels, about the qualities that a pupil should have attained at
different stages of their education. Levels 1-3 cover Key Stage 1, Levels 2-5 Key
Stage 2 and Levels 3-7 Key Stage 3. Level 8 leads us into KS4 – GCSE and beyond.
Problems with the History attainment target As an assessment tool the attainment
target is problematic.
 It conflates the five Key Elements into a single, linked statement about pupil
performance. Implicitly in the attainment target the key elements are factored, i.e.
performance in one area is tied to and affects the qualities that the pupil has in
anther Key Element, and vice versa. As such, the five key elements are like five
overlapping Olympic rings, with what happens in the overlapping segments
affecting the rest of each of the five circles - an untested hypothesis, and as such
unproven and deeply problematic. For example, under this hypothesis a child’s
chronological understanding is tied to enquiry skills and organisation and
communication of understanding. Similarly, an understanding of procedural
concepts such as causation is linked to an understanding of substantive concepts
like revolution and imperialism. In both these cases, is this so? And, if so, where
is the evidence??
 It is not genuinely progressive in providing a consistent set of statements about
the qualities expected for each key element at each level. There are gaps and
inconsistencies. Some key elements are introduced at different levels, equally
others disappear from view.
 Thirdly, the attainment target is not comprehensive – it fails to cover all of the
learning outcomes that the Key Elements indicate. Thus for interpretations it fails
to differentiate between pupil interpretations and historians’ interpretations of the
past, for questioning likewise it makes no distinction between pupil and teacher
questioning, and responses.
 Fourthly, it is not inclusive in terms of what historians agree constitutes ‘historical
thinking’. In particular, it does not pay sufficient attention to the emotional,
imaginative, creative and reconstructive dimensions of historical thinking.
 Fifthly, the qualities within a level are not directly and explicitly comparable. The
quality in relation to chronology may be easier or more difficult than the quality
designated for enquiry.
 Finally, there is no evidence that the statements about separate qualities, even
where they appear in consecutive levels, are genuinely progressive, i.e. for
example that each statement in levels 2, 3, and 4 represent genuine pupil
progression during that period. A statement in one level may be either much
more or much less difficult in terms of progression than one would expect for that
level.
A final, general point is that the attainment target does not reflect government funded
research into children’s historical thinking – for example, the typology that CHATA
presented and which could have been easily incorporated into the 1999 modified set
of Key Elements and the related Attainment Target. Project CHATA = Concepts In
History And Teaching Approaches was the government funded project of the 1990s
into pupil thinking and progression in history.
Revising the attainment target To remedy a number of these problems we have
devised an assessment scheme that builds upon and complements the existing
National Curriculum for History documentation. Accordingly, it combines the five Key
Elements and the attainment target in an assessment grid, figure 1. We have also
indicated under each key element the major concepts involved. Our next modification
of the grid will be to include two rows: one for accounts and the other for imagination
in the Organisation and Communication section. The accounts section will
incorporate findings about pupil’s accounts from CHATA. The imagination row will be
based upon a review of research into children’s thinking that looks at their use of
imagination in history.
assessing children: profiling progression
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The grid aims to produce a profile that records pupil qualities in terms of the five Key
Elements. We have attempted to complete and modify the grid where the attainment
was unclear, inconsistent or had gaps
Using the assessment grid How can you use the assessment grid with your own
pupils? Where you have to teach a single class of c.30 pupils you may wish to use
the grid for each individual pupil. Or, where you teach a number of classes sampling
might be more appropriate – we recommend that you take six pupils - two from the
top of the range, two from the middle and two from the bottom. Selection and
categorisation of these pupils is based upon available existing evidence. In
subsequently monitoring each pupil follow the steps outlined in A-D below.
How to do complete the assessment grid?
A] Monitoring Continuously monitor each pupil’s progress in relation their historical
learning. This involves both informal monitoring of how they are coping with
tasks, and formal monitoring, i.e. the marking of work set. In this, try and use the
normal tasks that you set the children – there should be no need to set special
assessment task. This greatly reduces the performance gap between a child’s
understanding of an assessment task and what they actually know, understand
and can do. Too much assessment monitors how well children understand and
can respond to the task as opposed to their genuine qualities.
For informal assessment take into account all elements of pupil performance. You
are looking for all available evidence about their achievement:
 verbal, i.e. .what they say publicly and privately, both chance and considered
remarks, for example informal discussion and replies to questions, reports
and presentations to either groups or the whole class. Verbal evidence can be
of value where they are working cooperatively on solving historical problems
or jointly undertaking investigations.
 iconic, i.e. drawings, pictures, sketches – the ways in which they can
represent their understanding through creating images. Such analysis often
means that you can record the attainment of a pupil whose poor writing skills
limit his or her performance.
 enactive, i.e. role play, drama and modelling, the use of the dramatic and
even the physical shaping of materials in order to express what they know
and can do
 the symbolic, i.e. the written, in whatever form from provisional note making
and recording, rough drafts and lists of points and ideas through to the final,
formal piece of work in whatever form presented.
B] Recording – Colour Coding When you consider that a pupil has consistently
shown a quality that the grid indicates, highlight it using a colour code for the
period during which you are carrying out the monitoring.
C] Baseline Assessment The first such assessment will provide a baseline
profile. Subsequent periods of assessment will result in a profile emerging that
records the progress, and the progression that the pupil has achieved.
D] Assessment Profile At the end of the period a profile will have emerged. The
profile not only shows in details what the pupil knows and can do, it also
highlights [sorry about the pun!] things that you may well not have been covering
in your teaching.
assessing children: profiling progression
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For different periods, use a different colour. So, you may monitor and assess
over two terms in half term units. You would accordingly use a different colour for
each half term.
Conclusion Initial reactions and trialling of the grid have been encouraging. If you
would like to try it out, and let us know, please contact me at the address above.
assessing children: profiling progression
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HISTORY ASSESSMENT : KEY ELEMENTS & ATTAINMENT TARGET DESCRIPTORS
Year:
Class:
Assessor:
Pupil:
Colour Code
Key Elements
[concepts]
1. Chronology
[difference]
[period]
[sequence]
[chronology]
[dates]
[terms
conventions]
[chronological
literacy]
2. Range and
depth of
historical
knowledge and
understanding
[factual
knowledge]
[substantive
concepts]
date
Level 2
By end of Year 2
date
date
date
Level 3
By end of Year 4
Level 4
By end of Year 6
Level 5
By end of Year 7
Level 6
By end of Year 9
Each level subsumes the qualities of the previous level – i.e. qualities are carried forward from one level to the next.
 Recognise the difference
 Recognise that the past
 Recognise that periods
 Have a chronological
 Recognise the
between the past and the present
can be divided into periods
can be divided into subknowledge of key events
significance of key events
in terms of their own lives and
of time such as Tudor,
sections, such as the reigns within a period.
within the chronology of a
those of other people.
Victorian.
of individual monarchs.
 Make links between
period.
 Order a few events and
 Order a number of
 Organise information
features of past societies
 Make chronological links
objects chronologically
events and objects
chronologically within
and periods within an
across and between
chronologically
periods and topics.
overall chronological
societies and periods
 Recognise the role of
 Make appropriate use of framework.
 Understand the use of
 Use simple terms concerned
dates and terms in periods,
date and chronological
 Have a detailed
chronological concepts,
with the passing of time, such as
and how to use them to
terms and conventions,
knowledge of chronological
conventions and vocabulary
then, now, in the past, present,
organise information.
such as BC, AD, century
terms and conventions and
across periods.
future
and decade.
their use.
 Demonstrate some factual
knowledge and understanding of
aspects of the past beyond living
memory and of some of the main
events and people studied.
 Know and recount episodes
from stories about the past.
 Demonstrate knowledge
and understanding of some
of the main events, people
and changes covered in the
periods and topics studied.
 Understand that history
covers aspects of the
human condition in the
past.
 Recognise substantive
concepts in history
 Understand nature of
substantive concepts and
how they are used
 Describe some of the
main events, people and
changes studied.
 Describe characteristic
features of past societies
and periods.
 Recognise and know
something about the
social, cultural, economic,
religious and ethnic
diversity of past societies.
 Classify information
using substantive concepts
 Be able to escribe in
detail features of past
societies and periods.
 Be able to describe and
make links between some
events and changes within
and across periods.
 Use substantive
concepts to structure
information about a period
 Use factual knowledge
and understanding to
explain the nature of past
societies and periods.
 Consider the
significance of main
events, people and
changes studied.
 Make links between the
main features of past
societies.
 Use substantive
concepts to classify
information across and
between periods
Key Elements
[concepts]
Level 2
By end of Year 2
Level 3
By end of Year 4
Level 4
By end of Year 6
Level 5
By end of Year 7
Level 6
By end of Year 9
[Procedural
concepts]
 Make distinctions between
aspects of their own times and
past times.
 Recognise some of the
similarities and differences
between periods in the
past.
 Begin to recognise that there
are reasons why men, women and
children in the past acted in the
ways they did.
 Give reasons for and
results of some of the main
events and changes
studied.
 Give reasons for and
results of links between
events.
 Explain reasons for and
consequences of a key
event or change.
 Understand different
aspects of societies
studied.
 Give a range of reasons
for why men, women and
children in the past acted
as they did within a
particular context.
 Examine and explain
reasons for, and results of,
events and changes.
[understanding]
3.
Interpretations
of history
 Begin to identify some
different ways in which the past is
represented.
 Identify some different
ways in which a past event
or story can be
represented.
 Identify changes within
and across periods.
 Recognise links between
events within and across
period
 Recognise the social,
political, religious, cultural
and economic aspects of
societies.
 Give some reasons for,
and results of the main
events and changes, and
why men, women and
children in the past acted
as they did.
 Show an understanding
that aspects of the past
have been represented and
interpreted in different
ways.
 Answer, through observation
or handling of sources of
information, questions about the
past.
 Ask and answer
questions about the past.
 Use historical sources of
information in ways that go
beyond simple observation
to answer historical
questions .
 Begin to identify, select
combine and evaluate
sources of information to
reach and support
conclusions.
 Be able to plan and
carry out a simple historical
enquiry.
 Produce work, organised
and structured
appropriately.
 Assimilate range of
genres to communicate
understanding to stated
audiences.
 Use sources of
information critically to
reach and support
conclusions.
 Identify useful sources
for specific historical tasks.
 Organise an enquiry
[similarity]
[difference]
[change]
[consequence]
[interpretation]
[explanation]
4. Historical
enquiry
[evidence]
[historical
information]
[historical skills
and processes]
5. Organisation
and
communication
 Begin to understand the
nature of historical clues and
evidence
 Convey an awareness and
understanding of the past in a
variety of ways – written, oral,
enactive and pictorial.
 Present recalled or
selected information, using
specialist terms.
 Use NLS genres in
historical communication.
 Use basic chronological
terms and conventions
assessing children: profiling progression
 Begin to know and
explain different
interpretations of events,
people, situations, changes,
causes and consequences
 Select, organise and
structure information
 Use NLS range of
genres to communicate
historical understanding
 Appropriate use of
dates, terms and
chronological conventions.
 Explain why people in
the past acted as they did.
 Have insight into the
ideas, beliefs and attitudes
of men, women and
children.
 Describe and begin to
analyse why there are
different historical
interpretations of events,
people and changes.
 Use evidence critically to
reach and support
conclusions, showing an
understanding of the
evidential base of historical
argument.
 Initiate and undertake an
historical enquiry
 Deploy relevant
information in structured
work.
 Use fully chronological
concepts, conventions and
vocabulary.
 Use a full range of
appropriate genres
6
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