WFRC#13 Summarise Key Changes in Student Learning...

'The average scale score progress for each year group is described by a benchmark scale score for each year level from the Term 1 trials. They can be used as a guide to compare individual student /class progress between two assessment time points.' - source NZCER

To build a rich picture of my students’ learning I used their historical data, their current data (PAT Reading and Maths, STAR, e-asTTle writing, Probe running record analysis, IKAN and GLoSS), student voice (T1, T2, T3) and my own in-class observations.

Student self-efficacy and self belief about their own ability to understand, interpret and answer questions when in a test, determines the level of confidence or anxiety they bring to that testing situation. The insight my previous inquiry has given me in regards to student self-efficacy and self belief has strongly influenced the way I introduce new learning, guide and feed back to my learners. By this I mean, I have reflected a lot on the changes I made to my teaching practice last year. The excerpt below is taken from a blog post I wrote at the end of 2018.

'I lived by the idea of 'Repetition without boring' which when unpacked, means repurposing, revisiting and tapping into the known to help access the unknown. In other words repeat, repeat, repeat, but do it in a creative way! I used the same lesson format, regardless of text type. Began each lesson by co-constructing the success criteria and revisiting the available scaffolds and exemplars created by our group. Talk was actively planned for to front-load the vocabulary needed to unpack the topic in context, and the language of instruction personalised and explicit. Moving forward I will continue to actively plan time for front-loading, time for planning and time for talk in my lessons, but most importantly, I will try really hard to make sure my learners not only think that they’re good at writing but also think I think they’re good at writing.'

Whilst my previous focus was solely on writing, I found myself applying the same thinking across the curriculum areas. As this year has progressed I have noticed student engagement, work completion rates and confidence levels have increased so I was keen to see if this increased level of efficacy and self belief would be make a difference to my learners when we compared how they felt during data collection time point one with data collection time point two. 

After the Term 1 assessments, my target group shared the fact that for most questions, they simply clicked on any answer. This honesty meant I did not have a true picture of their achievement as I was not actually assessing their ability to interpret, recall and use their knowledge; instead I was in reality, assessing their skills of random selection.
It seems quite a lot has changed since our time point 1 testing. I asked these three questions at the end of each time point 2 assessment session to ensure their responses were authentic. The responses below reflect only the students in my target group who were at school during assessment week.

Link to Google Draw

'A rising tide lifts all ships' and I hope that the levels of confidence and self belief are strong enough to keep these students believing they have the knowledge and skills to swim with the current as they begin next year's learning journey.