Geoff Masters writes in The Conversation (7.2.17) about how our current way of assessing school students doesn’t let them see the progress they are making over extended periods of time.
‘There is a major flaw in the way we currently assess school students. By labelling them as either “good” or “poor” learners based on their overall grades at the end of each year, students have no clear idea whether they are making progress over extended periods of time.
‘We need to move away from focusing on what grade a child will get at the end of a year, to assessing the progress that students make over time.
‘… One of the best ways to build students’ confidence as learners is to help them see the progress they are making over extended periods of time.
‘A focus on monitoring learning encourages a long-term perspective. Rather than being defined only in terms of year-level expectations, successful learning is defined as the progress or growth that students make over time.
‘Under this approach, every student is expected to make excellent progress every year towards the achievement of high standards – regardless of their current levels of attainment.’
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