Welcome
Assessors in some cases use the first form of assessment (known as Formative), in other cases the second (known as Summative) and on occasion assessors try to develop both. In any case, contradictions become apparent between the meaning of assessment, the instruments used, the effect they have on learning and the typical tensions in how to assess students' learning of the curriculum at each stage of their development.
Across Europe, teachers come across difficulties in their teaching and especially in their role as assessors. The issue of assessment is broad and complex as there are many contributing factors. Good assessment practice determines academic success and aims to improve the quality of teaching. Here, a range of factors which can influence day-to-day classroom practice must be taken into account (see: the study of MC Kinsey and Co.: How the world's best performing school systems come out on top (2007).
The Educational Inspection Service of Granada is aware of the need to support teachers in Assessment practice and therefore identified the issue of work to be done in the Comenius Regio based program, asking the question: How do teachers in schools assess students’ learning in the classroom? It was concluded that assessment is a vital issue in schools, and should become an essential part of the educational process. This said, the Inspection Service for some time has been carrying out a number of activities aimed at the assessment, both internal and external, of students in order to raise the achievement of students.
Unfortunately, much of this work is not yet coherently systemic among the teachering profession because of the need for better training and more collaboration among the parties involved in the assessment process, teachers and educational leaders. It was therefore agreed, based on the sharing of these experiences, to develop a support manual for teachers, containing the basic aspects that ought to be considered in all assessment, be it internal or external.
In our region, in recent years there has been great interest in raising achievement in schools through good assessment practices, geared not towards punishing students but towards their academic success.
The Comenius Regio project we are developing between the Education, Culture and Sports Inspection Service of Granada and Rutland Educational Authority (England) on internal and external assessment of students in schools has been approved by the controlling body of European Educational Programmes through the Resolution of the 28 June, 2013. With the participation of the Teaching Development Centre (CEP) in Motril, Alba Longa Secondary school in Armilla and Padre Manjón Secondary School in Granada, together with English partners Uppingham Community College, Rutland LA and the University of Leicester, we undertook the study of the guidelines and legislation governing the assessment of students in the educational systems of both countries, the study of scientific literature on assessment, and the analysis of teacher assessment practices. The project has had the active participation of teachers for the collection of information, the development, validation of the effectiveness and efficiency of the manual, as well as their contributions to the discussion for improving the relationship between the theory and practice of assessment among teachers.
The changes we are currently experiencing affect all education systems of all countries and the results are not producing the learning outcomes required for a global citizen; hence the need, according to Paul Freire, for teaching practice to be constantly reviewed through assessment and, as Perrenaud indicates, the autonomy and responsibility of a professional are not realised without a considerable ability to reflect on one’s practice and act upon those reflections.
At the same time we are witnessing new paradigms in the field of education, where it is necessary to know: the role of the brain in human learning and training; and that teaching practice must be based on scientific research and instructional leadership of educational managers, from principals, teaching coordinators, assessors, inspectors.
Therefore, the entire responsibility should not fall on teachers but on all those involved in education and, we should call on all those working in education to work together and to develop educational programs and assessments that are supported by scientific results and that contribute to the learning of key skills in the global citizen.
Recognizing this reality, the Education, Culture and Sports Inspection Service of Granada has found it necessary to work with the partner region of Uppingham, Leicester and Rutland (England) on assessment practices with all stakeholders in the educational process, in order for assessment practices to contribute to the academic success of students, since this partnership requires that education systems respond to the training requirements of the global citizen in a global world.
"The autonomy and responsibility of a professional is not realised without a considerable ability to reflect on one’s practice and act upon one’s reflections. This capability is within the lifelong development, according to the personal experience, skills and professional knowledge of the individual . "
Perrrenaud
"I think that there exists between us a kind of myth of approval, a myth of disapproval. I find that there is no such thing as practice that should not be evaluated. All practice requires on the one hand, planning, and on the other, evaluation. One’s practice must be constantly reflected upon. Teachers’ planning and re-planning must go hand in hand with constant evaluation.”
Paulo Freire.
Co-ordinator of the Comenius Regio Program
Encarnación Moreno Fernández
Across Europe, teachers come across difficulties in their teaching and especially in their role as assessors. The issue of assessment is broad and complex as there are many contributing factors. Good assessment practice determines academic success and aims to improve the quality of teaching. Here, a range of factors which can influence day-to-day classroom practice must be taken into account (see: the study of MC Kinsey and Co.: How the world's best performing school systems come out on top (2007).
The Educational Inspection Service of Granada is aware of the need to support teachers in Assessment practice and therefore identified the issue of work to be done in the Comenius Regio based program, asking the question: How do teachers in schools assess students’ learning in the classroom? It was concluded that assessment is a vital issue in schools, and should become an essential part of the educational process. This said, the Inspection Service for some time has been carrying out a number of activities aimed at the assessment, both internal and external, of students in order to raise the achievement of students.
Unfortunately, much of this work is not yet coherently systemic among the teachering profession because of the need for better training and more collaboration among the parties involved in the assessment process, teachers and educational leaders. It was therefore agreed, based on the sharing of these experiences, to develop a support manual for teachers, containing the basic aspects that ought to be considered in all assessment, be it internal or external.
In our region, in recent years there has been great interest in raising achievement in schools through good assessment practices, geared not towards punishing students but towards their academic success.
The Comenius Regio project we are developing between the Education, Culture and Sports Inspection Service of Granada and Rutland Educational Authority (England) on internal and external assessment of students in schools has been approved by the controlling body of European Educational Programmes through the Resolution of the 28 June, 2013. With the participation of the Teaching Development Centre (CEP) in Motril, Alba Longa Secondary school in Armilla and Padre Manjón Secondary School in Granada, together with English partners Uppingham Community College, Rutland LA and the University of Leicester, we undertook the study of the guidelines and legislation governing the assessment of students in the educational systems of both countries, the study of scientific literature on assessment, and the analysis of teacher assessment practices. The project has had the active participation of teachers for the collection of information, the development, validation of the effectiveness and efficiency of the manual, as well as their contributions to the discussion for improving the relationship between the theory and practice of assessment among teachers.
The changes we are currently experiencing affect all education systems of all countries and the results are not producing the learning outcomes required for a global citizen; hence the need, according to Paul Freire, for teaching practice to be constantly reviewed through assessment and, as Perrenaud indicates, the autonomy and responsibility of a professional are not realised without a considerable ability to reflect on one’s practice and act upon those reflections.
At the same time we are witnessing new paradigms in the field of education, where it is necessary to know: the role of the brain in human learning and training; and that teaching practice must be based on scientific research and instructional leadership of educational managers, from principals, teaching coordinators, assessors, inspectors.
Therefore, the entire responsibility should not fall on teachers but on all those involved in education and, we should call on all those working in education to work together and to develop educational programs and assessments that are supported by scientific results and that contribute to the learning of key skills in the global citizen.
Recognizing this reality, the Education, Culture and Sports Inspection Service of Granada has found it necessary to work with the partner region of Uppingham, Leicester and Rutland (England) on assessment practices with all stakeholders in the educational process, in order for assessment practices to contribute to the academic success of students, since this partnership requires that education systems respond to the training requirements of the global citizen in a global world.
"The autonomy and responsibility of a professional is not realised without a considerable ability to reflect on one’s practice and act upon one’s reflections. This capability is within the lifelong development, according to the personal experience, skills and professional knowledge of the individual . "
Perrrenaud
"I think that there exists between us a kind of myth of approval, a myth of disapproval. I find that there is no such thing as practice that should not be evaluated. All practice requires on the one hand, planning, and on the other, evaluation. One’s practice must be constantly reflected upon. Teachers’ planning and re-planning must go hand in hand with constant evaluation.”
Paulo Freire.
Co-ordinator of the Comenius Regio Program
Encarnación Moreno Fernández