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solution: collect accurate assessment for learning data
If we want assessment for learning data to be accurate, we need to take care when collecting it, however this takes time ...
timely practice's well presented, accurate assessment for learning data and targeted resources, make more time available for assessment for learning
To collect accurate assessment for learning data we need to work with the learner - but initially many learners will resist our efforts. Most low attaining learners are more motivated by avoiding shame in maths lessons than they are in learning more maths. See maths anxiety 
box below.
If copying is possible our data won't be accurate. If we enforce exam conditions, we won't be able to use that time for teaching - so timely practice takes a third way.
We make assessment for learning accurate, as each learner is randomly assigned an assessment question, so the possibility of copying is dramatically reduced, and since learners soon spot this, they generally don't even try to copy. We make assessment for learning low stakes, concentrating on what learners know. We appear disinterested in what learners don't know until we are ready to teach them. However once we teach some new learning, we do everything we can - teach on firm learning foundations, remind learners of similar skills they already have and give help within the lesson and if necessary give feedback after the lesson - to ensure that the new learning becomes embedded learning.
Once learners feel that we genuinely want to find out what they know in order to be able to teach them better and they see we value what they know already they are less resistant to assessment. See two types of assessment box below.
Since we track the depth of embedded learning, the teacher only needs to assess a topic once; when the teacher returns to teach the topic again they will find really accurate assessment for learning data which makes planning teaching quicker and easier.
The time and effort we spend in collecting the assessment for learning data pays teacher time dividends almost immediately as
- planning is quicker (we know what learners know and so what to teach them next),
- resourcing of lessons is quicker (as practise-learn worksheets are available for each layer),
- assessment is quicker than marking (single code - no other writing),
- we have less behaviour management problems (learners are less stressed and more engaged in learning).
Later we see more benefits
- when we return to teach a topic again we need do no further pre assessment,
- we very rarely teach the same thing again,
- we no longer have pressure to "teach extra lessons",
- we can, on occasions, "activate" low attaining learners as teachers,
- we are less busy in the classroom - so we may have time to do in class assessment too.
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| title | Maths Anxiety |
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Maths Anxiety can be described as “the panic, helplessness, paralysis and mental disorganization that arises among some people when they are required to solve a mathematics problem” (Tobias & Weissbrod, 1980). https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.753619!/file/Maths_anxiety_strategies.pdf
Christie Blazer says "A number of researchers have hypothesized that math anxiety disrupts performance because it reduces students’ working memory, leaving them unable to block out distractions and irrelevant information or to retain information while working on tasks (Sparks, 2011; Legg & Locker, 2009; Ashcraft & Krause, 2007; Cavanaugh, 2007; Beilock & Carr, 2005). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED536509.pdf ... I would add that often low attaining learners already have smaller working memories so for them this is an even larger problem to overcome.
https://blog.heinemann.com/confronting-shame-in-the-math-classroom
Gerardo Romirez: Motivated Forgetting in Early Mathematics. "Educators assume that students are motivated to retain what they are taught. Yet, students commonly report that they forget most of what they learn, especially in mathematics ... this proof-of-concept study suggests that children may deal with threatening classroom experiences by forgetting important course relevant knowledge
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| title | 2 types of assignment |
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We suggest teachers do not return learners' pre-assess assignments, as they have served their purpose, we have found out what the learner knows. This sends the message that it doesn't matter what the learner doesn't yet know.
Similar questions to those that the learner could do will appear in the learners' timely practice assignments - we explain these are to embed the learners existing learning more deeply, so the learner won't forget what they have learned. We return learners' timely practice assignments the next lesson and give feedback to the learners if necessary - so that we can ensure that the learner is better able to do similar questions the next time they meet them. We are sending the message that we want our learners to be 100% successful in what they can do and we will give them enough help to ensure that they are.
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