Comments on: Assessment in UK schools: a convenient hypocrisy? http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/09/28/assessment-in-uk-schools-a-convenient-hypocrisy/ Education, Technology, Productivity. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:47:03 +0000 hourly 1 By: Ian http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/09/28/assessment-in-uk-schools-a-convenient-hypocrisy/comment-page-1/#comment-3372 Ian Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:40:50 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3175#comment-3372 I'm with you Doug, and as you say in your opening lines levels were never designed for this. In moderation we often talk about this and I wonder if we should not spend more time planning and teaching. If a student has shown level 4 skills reward them and show them how to get to level 5 not 4a! I'm with you Doug, and as you say in your opening lines levels were never designed for this. In moderation we often talk about this and I wonder if we should not spend more time planning and teaching. If a student has shown level 4 skills reward them and show them how to get to level 5 not 4a!

]]> By: Ian http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/09/28/assessment-in-uk-schools-a-convenient-hypocrisy/comment-page-1/#comment-2988 Ian Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:40:50 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3175#comment-2988 I'm with you Doug, and as you say in your opening lines levels were never designed for this. In moderation we often talk about this and I wonder if we should not spend more time planning and teaching. If a student has shown level 4 skills reward them and show them how to get to level 5 not 4a! I'm with you Doug, and as you say in your opening lines levels were never designed for this. In moderation we often talk about this and I wonder if we should not spend more time planning and teaching. If a student has shown level 4 skills reward them and show them how to get to level 5 not 4a!

]]> By: Ian http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/09/28/assessment-in-uk-schools-a-convenient-hypocrisy/comment-page-1/#comment-2955 Ian Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:40:50 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3175#comment-2955 I'm with you Doug, and as you say in your opening lines levels were never designed for this. In moderation we often talk about this and I wonder if we should not spend more time planning and teaching. If a student has shown level 4 skills reward them and show them how to get to level 5 not 4a! I'm with you Doug, and as you say in your opening lines levels were never designed for this. In moderation we often talk about this and I wonder if we should not spend more time planning and teaching. If a student has shown level 4 skills reward them and show them how to get to level 5 not 4a!

]]> By: Doug Belshaw http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/09/28/assessment-in-uk-schools-a-convenient-hypocrisy/comment-page-1/#comment-2954 Doug Belshaw Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:39:37 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3175#comment-2954 Exactly. But the answer isn't to, as you say, cater for the 'lowest common denominator' and pull the rest down. The answer is to re-professionalise those who don't know (or don't care) enough to be able to move students forward. Exactly. But the answer isn't to, as you say, cater for the 'lowest common denominator' and pull the rest down. The answer is to re-professionalise those who don't know (or don't care) enough to be able to move students forward.

]]> By: Doug Belshaw http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/09/28/assessment-in-uk-schools-a-convenient-hypocrisy/comment-page-1/#comment-2953 Doug Belshaw Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:38:35 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3175#comment-2953 "I know my students and I shouldn't have to produce meaningless evidence to back myself up." Bang on. :-) “I know my students and I shouldn't have to produce meaningless evidence to back myself up.” Bang on. :-)

]]> By: Doug Belshaw http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/09/28/assessment-in-uk-schools-a-convenient-hypocrisy/comment-page-1/#comment-2952 Doug Belshaw Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:38:05 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3175#comment-2952 'Stock control' - absolutely right, Roger! 'Stock control' – absolutely right, Roger!

]]> By: Doug Belshaw http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/09/28/assessment-in-uk-schools-a-convenient-hypocrisy/comment-page-1/#comment-2951 Doug Belshaw Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:36:53 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3175#comment-2951 There's *so many* factors that it doesn't actually tell you anything useful. And, in fact, it's pretty invidious as it makes students focus on improving their level rather than their skills and knowledge of the subject.<br><br>And yes, they *are* two separate things. There's *so many* factors that it doesn't actually tell you anything useful. And, in fact, it's pretty invidious as it makes students focus on improving their level rather than their skills and knowledge of the subject.

And yes, they *are* two separate things.

]]> By: Doug Belshaw http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/09/28/assessment-in-uk-schools-a-convenient-hypocrisy/comment-page-1/#comment-2950 Doug Belshaw Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:35:52 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3175#comment-2950 We may be talking at cross purposes, but the level descriptors for subjects in the Secondary phase are so vague sometimes that it would be easy to place a student at Level 4 or Level 6, never mind the sub-levels... We may be talking at cross purposes, but the level descriptors for subjects in the Secondary phase are so vague sometimes that it would be easy to place a student at Level 4 or Level 6, never mind the sub-levels…

]]> By: joga5 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/09/28/assessment-in-uk-schools-a-convenient-hypocrisy/comment-page-1/#comment-2949 joga5 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:31:37 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3175#comment-2949 But the accusation will be that we do not want to be accountable if we say that we don't think that we need to produce evidence. Unfortunately there are too many horror stories certainly in primary of teachers without a foggiest notion of where there children are to push that line But the accusation will be that we do not want to be accountable if we say that we don't think that we need to produce evidence. Unfortunately there are too many horror stories certainly in primary of teachers without a foggiest notion of where there children are to push that line

]]> By: nstone http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/09/28/assessment-in-uk-schools-a-convenient-hypocrisy/comment-page-1/#comment-2948 nstone Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:20:10 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3175#comment-2948 One of the many contradictions in teaching...<br>You need to assess, but you want students to think creatively and not have to jump through loops and rubrics, but you need them to pass exams and do well in coursework, so they end up jumping through hoops anyway.<br><br>Every subject is so different at Secondary that these assessment tools and levels vary so much - I can't assess a student that I teach one hour a week in as much detail as an English or Maths teacher that sees them 2/3 hours a week. I can't physically mark their work as often as a teacher who sees half the number of students I do... and most importantly I think it's much more effective spending time planning great lessons than assessing out of lessons. I know my students and I shouldn't have to produce meaningless evidence to back myself up. One of the many contradictions in teaching…
You need to assess, but you want students to think creatively and not have to jump through loops and rubrics, but you need them to pass exams and do well in coursework, so they end up jumping through hoops anyway.

Every subject is so different at Secondary that these assessment tools and levels vary so much – I can't assess a student that I teach one hour a week in as much detail as an English or Maths teacher that sees them 2/3 hours a week. I can't physically mark their work as often as a teacher who sees half the number of students I do… and most importantly I think it's much more effective spending time planning great lessons than assessing out of lessons. I know my students and I shouldn't have to produce meaningless evidence to back myself up.

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