Guideline Principles For Teaching , Learning and Assessment In A Brigidine School

Key values that inform practice

Justice

Hope

Reconciliation

Building success

Basic Understandings About Learning And Assessment

Learning

Assessment

Formative

Summative

Students Learn Best When:

Knowing students

Experiencing success 

Meaningful learning  

Knowledge of preferred learning styles 

Experiential learning 

Negotiation 

Self assessment
 

Joy in achievement

Communicating Achievement To Students

Respect for the individual learner  

Non competitive 

Good Communication

Timing of communication 

Variety of methods   

Higher order skills

Use of dialogue and descriptive comments

Reporting

Use of Grades

The Role Of Teachers In Learning and Assessment 

Professional learning

Establish a supportive learning environment

Team based planning

The practice of teaching, learning and assessment in a Brigidine School is informed by the core values of 'engender a love of learning, hope and a sense of purpose' and 'image and practise justice and service'.

Embedded within these core values is a commitment to classroom processes that reflect a just allocation of human resources to all students including those perceived to possess lesser ability or who are disadvantaged by socio-economic factors. Justice also demands that the desired outcomes of the teaching and learning program are achievable for all students.

Central also to these core values is the communication of hope that conveys a message that all students have a developing future with possibilities and potential to explore. Linked to the value of hope is the principle of reconciliation that provides opportunities for students to overcome setbacks and points of difficulty within the teaching and learning program. The communication of hope and the provision of experiences of reconciliation are major professional responsibilities for teachers who must recognise the God given giftedness and potential of all students, irrespective of the difficulties that are sometimes inherent in teaching.

The most significant implication of allegiance to these values is an absolute commitment to building successful learning outcomes into the teaching and learning program for all students.

Learning is a process in which students move along a continuum of cognitive, social and affective development. Such development is not necessarily a straight line process but one that may include periods of stability or regression.

Assessment becomes the process of mapping or locating where students are situated on the learning continuum, one in which feedback is provided to students about achievement and areas for future development. The primary focus of assessment should be that of affirmation to provide confidence for students to take the next appropriate steps in the learning process.

The focus of assessment should principally be formative, that is, strongly oriented towards the teacher and student identifying strengths and areas for future development through analysis of work in progress. Summative assessment, that is assessment that draws together an overview of student achievement at the end of a period of time, should not be the primary focus of a teacher's work.

It is the responsibility of schools and individual teachers to create an environment that maximises opportunities for student learning. Students will learn best when:

• they are known and respected by their teachers, and where positive inter-personal relationships exist within the teaching and learning environment
• they experience success through the identification of achievable goals and outcomes
• they are engaged in meaningful learning experiences with a clear understanding of the steps or processes required to achieve positive outcomes
• recognition and understanding exists about their preferred learning styles
• opportunities exist for applied and experiential learning
• they have some say in the design of the teaching and learning program and opportunities to provide feedback about curriculum design and implementation
• self assessment is part of the overall assessment program with opportunities to reflect on their own work and try again when desired outcomes have not been realised
• a sense of joy and celebration permeates the achievement of desired outcomes

The process of communicating student achievement should at all times respect each individual and be based in the belief that every student can learn.

The context for such communication should be the student's own work and not be based in a comparison with other students.

Good communication of student achievement will:

• be clear, unambiguous, positive, honest and constructive
• reflect the criteria set and communicated to students for assessment tasks
• be clear about what students need to do to improve
• involve some negotiation between teacher and student
• emphasise the student's strengths as well as areas needing development

The communication of assessment information enhances learning when it is integral to the teaching and learning process and is based in a variety of assessment tools in the belief that different students can best demonstrate achievement in different ways.

Assessment tasks should also, in part, focus on higher order skills such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation that provide developmental challenge to students.

The most effective time for the communication of such information is as close as practical to students undertaking assessment tasks and is best accomplished through dialogue or descriptive comments.

Communication of achievement should be consistent with feedback already given to students. Such reporting should be:

• ongoing and directly connected to a student's work and achievement
• provided in a manner that is accessible to students and parents
• free of jargon and respectful of culture
• complemented by dialogue within parent/student/teacher interviews and supported with examples of student's work that reflects the development that has taken place

The use of grades is a problematic issue because of the underlying assumption that they are a comparative means of describing student achievement and because, as a form of shorthand, on their own, they say little about the actual qualities of students' work. It is acknowledged that community expectations exist regarding parental and student access to grades. Accordingly, if grades are used as a means of describing student performance, the following needs to be taken into consideration:

• they should form only a part of an overall approach to the provision of assessment information
• a clear and common understanding of what each grade means should be articulated through their linking to specific criteria or descriptors
• it should be acknowledged that elements of subjectivity are always present in the awarding of grades
• grades should never be averaged over a range of assessment tasks as this approach provides no valid feedback regarding achievement on individual tasks
• following from this, grades should not be used to provide an overall unit result because such an approach implies averaging
• grades should not be awarded on the basis of student ranking within a normal curve

Teachers themselves must be professional learners who reflect on their own practice, work collegially with colleagues, and context their own teaching within Brigidine and Catholic values. Generosity of spirit and effective inter-personal relationship skills with colleague teachers and students are essential pre-requisites for successful teaching.

In their quest to establish a supportive learning environment teachers should:

• model and foster a sense of right relationships with students, free from any form of violence, prejudice or discrimination
• do all in their power to establish positive attitudes to learning
• respond to the pastoral needs of students
• focus strongly on developing in students confidence, self esteem, adaptability, resilience and responsibility for self and others as pre-conditions for effective learning

The delivery of an effective teaching and learning program is significantly dependent upon the quality of planning and follow up work on the part of teachers. Effective planning best occurs in team based situations where teachers work collaboratively to develop, implement, and document units of work.

Parents become a positive factor in promoting student learning when a strong sense of partnership exists between the school and home. Such an environment will exist when

• agreement exists between parents and the school regarding the goals and values that underpin the teaching and learning program
• they take active interest in the work undertaken by students and demonstrate support and affirmation for achievements
• they encourage attendance, and sound organisational practices within the home
• they experience a sense of welcome and inclusion in the activities of the school irrespective of cultural or socio-economic backgrounds