[MUSIC] Today we're going to talk with our Maori teachers about the purposes of assessment. We've already had some instruction and information from them about how they carry out assessment in their classrooms. And we'll want to especially talk about how that compares and contrasts with external requirements posed by government and school leadership. So, in the last week, the last session we talked about how you carry out an assessment and you support students so that you can diagnose student learning. But you mentioned, Kikee, that there are requirements from outside and you mentioned about overall teacher judgements, Davika, so can you talk to us about the external requirements of assessment and how those especially impact on Maori students and Maori learning? >> Okay, so the external assessments are usually calendared, so we are told or given a year's calendar of when the senior leaders will expect teachers to have their students sit a particular test, and often it's school-wide, so it's happening all in that week. >> Okay. >> So, all the students are going to be required to sit that test and often the tests are the data that's collated analyzed by the senior leaders and the students are graded as either being above, they've achieved, or below, or even well below. And then that information is sent on to the governance body, which is the board of trustees of the school and-- oh I was actually just told yesterday that our school, because we've just finished the process, is required to send the data every term on literacy, reading, writing and mathematics to the ministry of education. >> How does that external element of assessment impact on your practice as a classroom teacher, where you've described a much more intimate relationship with students, where your goal is to support their learning? Does that compliment or contradict or... what? >> In my practice, I try and integrate whatever test there is into the context of what we're learning about. At times it is a stand alone form of testing for spelling, or whatever is required. But again, like Kikee, it's all calendered, it's all set out in advance for you. And that's how I do it. Sometimes children find them hard and I find that you just do the test with them at times, and you pass that data on to management, but prior to that, we're all given our own autonomy around the data. How do you want to-- you've got your baseline data from computer systems, from all the previous years tests, from everything you've done - present, raw data - how can you form that with your teaching practice, your own identified teaching practice? How can you make that learning journey for the children? And then we carry out the tests and pass them through to the management, which we as leaders sit down and talk about and categorize and put into areas - which is then formed through the board, with charter work and everything like that, or data for the government, and then it goes on But what we look for is process of success and highlighting that statistic. Where is the success? Where are the gaps? And we really hone in on the gaps. And we go, look at what it is that those children are finding hard, and teach to that. And we teach - whether it's in a multiple intelligence style - to try and capture learning for that child, to reach that target of external expectation. >> So, to extend on what Rose was saying, "finding the gaps". That external testing requirement or that assessment data requirement for the senior leaders and eventually the board of trustees, is also about looking for patterns. So, as a teacher, I understand that it actually has another role to play. So, by looking for patterns in the school, it might be that it's been identified in the numeracy assessment that a lot of the children were struggling with percentages or fractions, that area. So, it might be then the senior leaders will say "Okay, staff general can receive professional development in picking up their skills to support the students." So, sometimes that bigger picture assessment is to an advantage to look for patterns school wide or within that year group, so say the junior or school, or maybe in the senior school. >> So, you're still able to use that external test diagnostically. >> To target, yes. Diagnostically, yes. >> Yeah. But it's sort of about a bigger scale. >> That seems quite interesting to me because the research evidence from especially United States, where there's externally mandated tests, is there is a temptation for teachers to cheat and inflate scores to make the school look good. I don't get the impression that that's what you're talking about. >> Well, at Maori medium our tests aren't standardized in terms of, you know, there are nation-wide stats, however they're not - even though we are required to report to the ministry - again the overall teacher judgement takes over of what that the one particular test. We don't actually have a data system where we report to individual tests. >> Mm-hm. >> We report externally to the ministry once a year. >> Mm-hm. >> So, you have that year period to report for literacy and numeracy, but we don't report to a specific test in terms of Maori medium. >> So, there are tests, but they are counterbalanced and complementary to your own experience and judgement. >> At Newton Central, we have three path ways. We have learning in English, we have bilingual learning in two languages, and we also have immersion in total Maori. So, in all those areas there are robust measurement, in terms of literacy and numeracy. And then particularly in the Maori medium there is quite an advantage of assessment procedure there, that has been developing in the last three years or so. And what I find exciting about that, is that we have a test that is seen nationally, that is used by many Maori medium schools, and it gives those teachers added value and I suppose, a framework or some benchmark that they can use as well as OTJ. And the amount of teacher development going into understanding the tests, the amount of data collated, it's phenomenal. But at the end of the day, they love it, because there's something that they can say I can assess you on oral language, I can do the panel reading test whether it's probe or running record, I've got something here that I can analyze your language with, your procedures and mathematics. So, I'm humbled by that, because decades ago, that was not available when I first started in an immersion Maori classroom. I had to do a lot of OTJ, a lot of translation of data and books, and I felt like I was queen bee. But really, I was queen bee of making children feel comfortable, with myself especially, and their parents. >> So, in the past, some Maori medium tests were just translations of an English test, whereas now a lot of the tests are actually specifically created within the Maori language, within the Maori context, catering for the needs of that environment. So, that's now been recognised. But I'd also like to-- the question you asked was around the teacher. >> Yes. >> And the risk of teachers tampering with the test or feeling a sense of stress so they start teaching to the test. So, for example, one way of avoiding that is we've just finished the ES tour writing, or for our junior school we don't use that programme, we use an internal writing, "Children Write". Our school has created for the five and six year olds, our own rubric. >> Mm-hm. >> The individual teacher marks and grades the child against that rubric, but prior to the marks going into the school wide database, we meet as a team, and we moderate. >> Okay. >> So, we have our papers, we have what we think is a good example of a pre-level writing, or above-level writing - two B, one B, one A. And we put those samples forward as a group of teachers from our class and then we all comment, we share and we keep each other in check. About just in case we're not sure, we might have like some queries and that happens prior to the final-- And that OTJ, that one test is then - the OTJ is that overall teacher judgment - so, we're looking at that sample, plus their general school work because we're looking for consistency. >> Cool. >> It's not just a one-off thing. They did really well today or they didn't do well, but too bad that's what happens. And that all happens prior to the data going into the school system. >> And on the other hand, you have, you know, some of the teachers that I support, they're actually a Maori medium classroom within an English medium school. So, there's also the downfall of them not having others to feed off to be able to moderate, so what they have or what they know of a certain level may not be the same as somebody else but that's all they have to work off with so-- >> It's a challenge. >> It's a challenge, yeah. >> Yes, being by yourself is always hard. It seems to me then that with this kind of framework, there mustn't be negative consequences for reporting students being well below, or below expectation. What's the consequence system if your students are below, or well below? >> Well, I think what I'm experiencing now is that I think there are still myself and quite a few teachers that still feel very uncomfortable about reporting to families and actually saying, "Your child is well below or below." But at the same time so some of us have rephrased and say, "They're working towards", "They're not there yet", and "This is what we need to do to get them there". And, in some situations we have to accelerate their learning because this is the time. The requirement is to get to this stage by the end of their third year at school. >> Right. >> And right now, they're working here and we've got a lot of catching up to do. >> This word "below", "well bellow" and all of that is new speak. >> It's new speak. So, it's still something that-- >> It causes some discomfort. >> Yeah, it causes some discomfort. >> But in terms-- >> But at the same time, our parents are savvy. They need to know, they want to know is my child on track? And they don't want surprises too and if "Your child is, oh, your child is..." you know, general waffly, "Oh, your child's doing so well" and you only hear about behavior, "Behavior, behavior, behavior" and then suddenly they're at the end of their primary school year, going on to the next stage of schooling, and they're suddenly told "Your child's actually hasn't met the grade." And it's the first time they've ever heard it. So, there's that balancing, no surprises. >> We report quite a lot at the beginning of the year, meeting the parents and we have pamphlets and brochures that go out, but throughout the year there's discussion with teachers and the parents about national standards. And it was a potentially big discussion about how you can interpret it, like you said. We use teacher speak when it comes to "working towards" and this aspect. However when it comes to the crunch, the standards say this and that. And usually we are encouraged to be as thorough in all aspects of our assessment because we should communicate throughout the year, Don't leave the surprise for them. Oh, in fact, be professional in your judgement, in your practice - tell the parents straight up, tell them where they're coming from, try to do as much as you can to share, and to interpret. At the same time, there are nights where we invite parents in to talk about these standards. There's board discussions around what they are, how can the board help us? The third thing we have is a network of people in the school, and oh my goodness, it's amazing. We have assistant teachers come in, and they're taking children on paths and counselling. They're just parents and they're helping out. They're not "just" parents-- but they're helping out. And they add a slice to the cake. It's amazing how everyone's judgement comes into play for this. >> So, contrary to other countries like the US or the UK where there are high stakes of consequences for low performance, it sounds to me like you're being encouraged to be professional about the truth. The reality that children, not all children are meeting the standards. You're encouraged to make a difference, share that difference, and support it professionally to maximize the gain rather than be shamed or blamed for not succeeding. >> Yeah, it's a task and half reading media comments about how schools compare to each other and how they use national standards and how they're interpreted. At the end of the day, when you teach from the heart and you are passionate about your teaching, children that pick up. They understand that where they're at, and that's normal speed, to where they can go and goodness me, where the success will lead them. >> I think another key aspect to assessment is that we're teachers, we are always endeavouring to create a culture and a relationship with the Whanau, with the families, with the caregivers, that we are all working together for the same role and we can all contribute to the progress of your child. And to empower the families and the caregivers, the parents to believe that their knowledge and their experiences are valuable. And no matter how small or big it is, they can support their children. So, we set goals and have to be realistic about each family's contribution, even if it is-- it might be really simple, but we value it -- getting your child to school every day, the time in school, you coming in and our open door policy, coming in and contributing, reading a book or sharing a little thing or a child reading to you. >> Mm-hm. >> Every contribution, that is a partnership. >> Right. >> So, it's not a one-off assessment, pass or fail. It is a relationship, a continuous process, yeah. >> Thank you ladies, I think people listening to you describe how assessment is done with that interaction between school-wide, government, and classroom assessment being based on an interaction between a range of tests - not a single test, but multiple tests - as well as the teacher's judgement will make people jealous of teachers in New Zealand and they'll probably want to come and work with you here in New Zealand. >> I think one aspect that I adhere to and I keep to is that I view learning as a place of acknowledgment for how children can learn. I represent my culture, the Maori culture, how do we see our values? How can we share? And the workplace I'm at, Newton Central, we honor that. We identify who we are. We have our Marae set up, our meeting place together. And the principles run through from an embedded Treaty of Waitangi, that it's a partnership between people, but also there's goodness in what we both have and can share. When it comes to knowledge, we are together. And even together with the universe! You know, our cultural maps keep us there. But in saying that, when I look at those Maori students in my room and I just say "Come and have a hug, let's get on this journey together because it's going to be great and wild!" >> Far out. >> Exciting. >> Thank you Rose. And thank you Kikee, and Davika. Thank you for your time and thank you for sharing. [MUSIC]
