26 replies to this topic

[Lesley Ann]

GCSE Progression - Tracking, target setting and proving using AfL


I'm just floating this idea

FFTA targets are set for GCSE students

Using AfL I want to break their targets down into specific, challenging, achievable, & measurable within lessons. I also want to prove the progression in skills that they make.

So with the aid of post it notes at the end of each lesson I ask them to complete a post it note

Fold the post it over in half:
On the top half of the post it they write:

WILT - What I learned today…
Or
WWW – What worked well…

On the other half of post it they write:
EBI – Even better if…
Or
SUA- Still unsure about…

Stick Post it on file over the work that day

Instant review of learning in lesson recorded in their folder to see what they got and did not get.


To track and monitor the source evaluation skills required for GCSE – I use DAMMITT for source evaluation Date, Author, Material, Motive, Intended audience, Type, Tone in lessons to get students to remember to evaluate –

BUT I want to track their progression of these skills, get them into a habit and get them to prove to me that they can do it. So I have created the first draft of a tracking sheet for GCSE D-B students where students have 7 steps to source success –
Students must complete the sheet to prove they have examples for each step.
They must find 3 examples in their folder per target to sign a step off.
They record which piece of work & date it.

I’m still in early stages and I’m thinking about differentiating this further for G to E students and another for A to A*.

I also have another sheet in the pipeline to encourage written knowledge answers for Describe, Explain, Assess, Decide.

I'd love to hear what others do to track progression of skills in lessons to prove with evidence when the door opens and an inspector calls...

Attached Files

•  source target sheet.doc   57K   1089 downloads

[Tony Fox]

The more I see the more I am becoming convinced that exercise books are no longer fit for purpose.

May I suggest that post it notes will fall out, and therefore if students had a ring binder file, then an A6 sticker ( or an A5 sheet) could be stuck to the work done on A4 paper. Also a log could be kept of the skill levels, either by students and added to the file, or done by you and you could provide printouts for students.

I know this creates storage problems, but what is easier to take home and mark, a wad of A4 sheets, or a box of books?

[Lesley Ann]

I'm only using the post it with ks4 folders stuck on A4 file paper then placed in a plastic wallet for extra safety

[David Buttress]

I share Tony's view that exercise book are less efficient for GCSE. Last year I began using folders for the first time. I had observed how PE and Science used them. Students had a jumble of papers that seemed more dispiriting than an exercise book and less useful. I decided to give my classes a set of ten part dividers as well as the folder. Then I composed a contents page to tell them what they would study and where to put it. Seven sections of content - topics, one for the revision notes I supply for each topic, one section for assessments, and one for miscellaneous admin etc. such as spec documents. They labelled each tabbed section. They very much liked the organisation it offered - it felt like A-level they said (siblings' experience?). They told me they preferred to keep revision notes in each section of content - I learn from them. They would like a revision timetable sheet and maybe little tests for the revision section next year. Costs are not great when bulk buying. The contents page and the dividers made the massive difference.
I also composed a sheet to go opposite to the content page to chart their assessments/progress which the students fill in as the course proceeds. I detailed the topic assessment question, what it tested, their grade for it, and the EBI (even better if) advice given. Over the course of the year I could see progress on different types of historical work eg causation, source evaluation, analysis, evaluation.
I like Lesley Ann's 'DAMMITT'. It is very thorough and brings in the comparison of sources which is vital at GCSE.
I try to introduce students to a simple mental model of Artist/author > image/source > audience > reaction. By asking a similar range of questions about each stage of the process of evidence generation in turn, I hope they can learn source evaluation skills and an approach that can be employed in the exam.

[Lesley Ann]

I use 10 part folder dividers too - It really helps to organise the most disorganised students. About two years ago I tried giant A4 books after years of folders - well I went straight back to folders the following year.

I like your source questions.

[Lesley Ann]

I have devised some knowledge based progress mats.

I have uploaded two examples - one from KS4 (Crime and Punishment: Later Middle Ages) and one from KS3: (Slave Trade.)

It is basically sharing medium term planning with students linked to attainment to prove progression within and over a series of lessons.

During the topic I ask students to refer to the progress mats and to tick when they feel they can answer the question to see which level they are working at and what they must do to improve.

To deter them from just ticking everything - I have told them I will ask them (and I expect them to) either prove in their work the answer or verbalise the answer. I have also told them they are now the experts on this topic and if anyone walks into the room (I am thinking ofsted/SLT- but they think SLT) and asks them what they know and they are asked about the grids they must be able to prove they can explain. So no ticking if you cannot answer.

I wish I had made these mats many, many years ago. I have used similar to mark work before but never used the grids like this to share the big picture. My students really seem to like them. They review and recap learning using the grids.

I hope you find them useful - I have. I am writing them for Crime and Punishment & Germany first. Then Year 9 and 7 topics.

Attached Files

•  Later Middle Ages progress learning Mat.doc   55K   527 downloads
•  slave trade progress mat local link.doc   39.5K   377 downloads

[Lesley Ann]

Raj (RSangha) thank you I'm pleased you like the mats. Can you send me your email via PM & I'll send you some more mats for crime & punishment.

[Lesley Ann]

Thank you Raj. The email & Mats will be with you in the morning.



added: email sent

[Lesley Ann]

I have uploaded the other Progress Mats I am using with Crime and Punishment. My students really love these.

Attached Files

•  Saxons progress learning Mat.doc   50K   270 downloads
•  normans gcse progress learning Mat.doc   40.5K   309 downloads
•  Early Modern Britain progress learning Mat.doc   69K   597 downloads

[RSangha]

Thanks Lesley.

I will definitely use these in class; they are fantastic!

[Lesley Ann]

Thank you ;-)

[Ed Podesta]

I really like these too, especially the way that they show what students have to DO in order to progress up the levels. I've got two questions though :

(1) We know from research on formative assessment that giving grades and formative feedback at the same time severly restricts the effect of the written feedback, as students fixate on the grades - could these mats have even more impact without the grades?

(2) if we take the approach I suggest in (1), how do we get grades to students so that they know where they are, and have a sense of progression?

[Tony Fox]

(2) if we take the approach I suggest in (1), how do we get grades to students so that they know where they are, and have a sense of progression?

Just an idea, but you could inform the students of their 'target grade', and then use a 'traffic light' system, where they are exceeding, matching or underachieving, the colours could be shown on the work, assessments and on a class spreadsheet, and without the grades being shown, there can be no stigma attached.
I used this with a GCSE class,, it worked well,as the kids could easily identify which pieces of work were good (green tick) and which were poor (red cross) and when asked by a local authority advisor they could say what grade they were aiming for and show the pieces of work where they had met expectations. (the authority advisor criticised it as the 'students did not have an overview of how they were progressing', I ignored the sour grapes as she didn't have a clue). I produced a spreadsheet, and living graphs showing the units in the course and the traffic light colour, it worked well when we were looking for revision ideas, if the majority of the class had orange and red, then I went over that topic again, Marking was easy, I just got pelt tips and wrote in the traffic light colour, I could even underline the key passages.

[Lesley Ann]

Ed. Thank you: I produced the mats to share an overview & success criteria for students to give them an indication on what they needed to be able to do to improve their work. We are also using the mats in place of detailed lesson plans. Students also have a big picture of where they are going & what is needed to improve. We could remove the grades but my students like aiming for the grades. I am trying to focus them on knowledge skills required to achieve the grades - recall/identify (G/F), describe (E/D), explain (C/B), assess/decide (A/A*)

Tony - you beat me too it. I was about to add I'm using traffic lights in my mark book. Yellow (A/A*), Green (B/C), Amber (D/E), Red (F/G) White (U). I can instantly see where students need some intervention in their work.

[Ed Podesta]

Really like the idea of traffic lights linked to meeting your targets, rather than meeting a grade - will nick that I think, and I really like the approach on your mats Lesley, in that they're really clear in terms of success criteria.

I'm genuinely asking the question though - how can we wean pupils, administrators and even (perhaps) ofsted off getting grades on individual pieces of work, when we know that grades seem to severely dilute the formative power of feedback?