Reporting
INTRODUCTION
There have been major changes in world economic, communications and social conditions in the last 20 years. These changes are being mirrored by a significant change in the education landscape. We all still recognise our ‘old school’ from the outside, but it is unlikely we will be familiar with what is taught and how it is taught, on the inside. Our education system was originally founded to serve the Industrial Era, for New Zealand to maintain what it has and what it values, it now needs to serve the Knowledge Era.
NZ CURRICULUM
The implementation of the new NZ Curriculum has been a major step in this change process. Rather than just describe a number of academic and skill outcomes and levels, the Curriculum also describes the competencies and qualities young New Zealanders will need for their future and how these can best be acquired.
ELEMENTS
Vision: Confident, Connected, Lifelong Learners, Actively Involved
Values: Values are deeply held beliefs about what is important or desirable. They are expressed in the ways in which people think and act - excellence, innovation, inquiry and curiosity, diversity, equity, community and participation, ecological sustainability, integrity, respect
Principles: The principles embody beliefs about what is important and desirable in school curriculum and should underpin all school decision making - Excellence, Learning to learn, Cultural Heritage, Equity, Connections, Coherence
Key Competencies: Key competencies are the capabilities people need to live, learn, work and contribute as active members of their communities - Managing Self, Relating to Others, Participating and Contributing, Thinking, Using Language, Symbols and Texts
Learning Areas: Social Sciences, Technology, Science, Mathematics and Statistics, Learning Languages, English, Health and Physical Education, The Arts
Effective Pedagogy: Actions promoting student learning - create a supportive learning environment, encourage reflective thought and action, enhance the relevance of new learning, facilitate shared learning, make connections to prior learning and experience, provide sufficient opportunities to learn, inquire into the teaching - learning relationship.
ICT has a major impact on the world in which young people live. Similarly, e-learning (learning supported by, or facilitated by, ICT) has considerable potential to support effective pedagogy. It can also open up new and different ways of learning.
Achievement Objectives: Across the eight levels in each of the seven learning areas.
THE NATIONAL STANDARDS
The government has developed National Standards for Reading, Writing and Mathematics for each year level of primary and intermediate schooling. Schools are required to report on student’s achievement of the National Standards.
Using their own ongoing professional judgments and information from standardized tests, eg. PAT, NZCER, teachers will assess each student against the standard, using the required scale of Above, At, Below and Well Below, the Standard. To avoid confusion, we now also use this scale in reporting student achievement in other Curriculum areas.
Copies of the National Standards for Reading, Writing and Mathematics for Year 7 and for Year 8, can be found on the Ministry of Education Website. We also have hardcopies available for parents/caregivers, at the school.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION AND REPORTING
With the above changes, the purpose of classroom assessment has moved from sorting and classifying students, to supporting all students’ learning. Assessment, evaluation and reporting practices have undergone changes to come into alignment with the focus of the 21st century classroom.
At Pasadena, we once believed, one of our most important professional responsibilities was to keep students and parents/caregivers fully INFORMED about school activity and student progress. We now believe, one of our most important professional responsibilities is to keep students and their parents/caregivers fully INVOLVED in the student’s learning.
Accordingly assessment and evaluation and reporting is no longer a half yearly event, it is a continual and ongoing activity involving the student, their parents/caregivers and the teacher.
PARTNERSHIP
At Pasadena Intermediate School, programmes are designed to develop each student to the very best of their natural abilities. This can be best done when there is a close co-operation between the home and the school. In different situations, each has a knowledge of the child that is helpful to the other.
It is our policy to contact parents/caregivers early if problems arise and hope that this is a two-way process. The school has access to a range of support services that are available to students and parents/caregivers.
Parents/caregivers are invited to contact the school at any time if they have any information they would like to share with the school or want to know more about the current programme being offered their child.
INFORMATION
The Prospectus, Newsletters, the Website, Essential e and the Student Information Book detail for parents/caregivers and students, school activity and class programme information.
INQUIRY PRESENTATIONS
Curriculum delivery is arranged through three major Inquiries. The Inquiry Presentation represents the culmination of the work for the term and is an essential component of the learning and of the reporting to parents/caregivers.
STUDENT LEARNING LOGS, INQUIRY LOGS, REFLECTIVE JOURNALS AND SHOWCASES
Student Learning Logs, Inquiry Logs, Reflective Journals and Showcases are important tools for 21st Century to enable self directed, self motivated, independent learners.
They not only document what the student is learning at a given time, they also reveal information about the student’s level of understanding. They also provide insights into the student’s disposition to their learning.
These documents are electronic and are available through the student’s OLE (Online Learning Environment) for teachers and parents/caregivers to view and contribute to at any time. Timely, regular and current observations by the teacher, parents/caregivers and the student themselves, about the learning and most importantly the next learning steps, contribute significantly to student success.
Unlike a static report, the OLE environment allows parents/caregivers to ‘interact’ at anytime with their child’s learning and also with the teacher. This interaction can take a number of forms including feedback, feed forward, asking questions, seeking clarification.
STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Students are increasingly involved in communicating to others about their learning. Involving students in communicating their learning in these ways, supports learning because -
When students communicate with others about their learning, they learn about what they have learned, what they need to learn, and what kinds of support may be available to them.
When students show evidence of learning to an audience, they receive feedback and recognition from themselves and from others. This descriptive (non-judgmental) feedback helps guide and support their learning.
The process of selecting what evidence of learning to show, who to show it to, and what kind of feedback to request, gives students an opportunity to construct their understanding and to help others make meaning of their learning. When students are offered choices, they are personally motivated.
Research indicates that when parents/caregivers are involved in talking about learning with their children, they achieve more. The more parents/caregivers are involved, the higher the student achievement levels.
When students communicate their learning using a variety of work samples
They go beyond what grades, numbers and scores alone can show,
They are able to examine the depth, the detail, and the range of their own learning to identify their strengths and what they need to work on next.
Student involved conferences, support learning and enhance communication with parents/caregivers.
REPORTS
Via the above parents/caregivers will receive timely, regular and current observations about their child’s learning.
The Ministry of Education prescribes that intermediate age students should be working at Level 4. Each of the two Reports (July and December) will give parents/caregivers a summary of academic progress and effort relating specifically to their child.
Participation in sports, arts, social and cultural activities of the school's programme, are also reported.
The Reports will also record the student’s achievement in respect of each of the NZ National Standards - Reading, Writing and Mathematics.
SCHEDULE
TERM I
Week 2 Informal School and Families Picnic/Meeting
Week 10 Student Led Conference Evenings
TERM II
All Term Student Learning Logs, Inquiry Logs, Reflective Journals and Showcases online to be shared with parents/caregivers
Week 2 Student Led Conference Summary available on OLE
Week 9 Term II Inquiry Presentations to parents/caregivers
Week 10 Report I (Terms I and II) forwarded to parents/caregivers
TERM III
All Term Student Learning Logs, Inquiry Logs, Reflective Journals and Showcases online to be shared with parents/caregivers
Week 10 Term III Inquiry Presentations to parents/caregivers
Week 11 Student Led Conference Evenings
TERM IV
All Term Student Learning Logs, Inquiry Logs, Reflective Journals and Showcases online to be shared with parents/caregivers
Week 2 Student Led Conference Summary available on OLE
Week 8 Term IV Inquiry Presentations to parents/caregivers
Week 10 Report II (Terms III and IV) forwarded to parents/caregivers