Formative and summative assessment
One way of helping student teachers make sense of the role of assessment in learning and establish good practice, is to include it in the tasks that student teachers carry out in schools early on, and to use the evidence gained from these tasks in training sessions on assessment.
Formative assessment
For learning about formative assessment, such tasks might include some of the following:
- take a pupil's exercise book and focus on one or two pieces of work. Consider what features of teaching led to the final product and how the work might have been scaffolded
- find and photocopy three examples of comments written on pupils' work that you feel are particularly effective
- interview a pupil and ask them what they find useful in the kind of comments teachers give them including verbal and written
- track and photocopy a piece of work from first draft to the final version, considering whether and how the teacher's comments, and possibly peer assessment, and the drafting process itself have aided progression
The tasks suggested above came from a steering group of English mentors. Sharing and using the good practice of mentors is one way it can be helpful to encourage consistency across ITE partnership schools.
Summative assessment
For learning about summative assessment, useful experiences might include:
- attendance at standardisation meetings
- double marking alongside experienced teachers
- double marking sections of examination scripts
It can also be useful for student teachers to learn from mentors who are examiners, taking them through examination syllabuses and grading criteria, helping them to analyse and assess sample exam and coursework scripts.
In order to make effective personalised provision for pupils with English as an additional language, it will also be helpful for student teachers to become familiar with the
QCA Extended Scales for assessing the speaking, listening, reading and writing of those who are working below National Curriculum levels.
