KNOW THY IMPACT : THE THREE ‘ A ’ S TO BECOMING A DATA POWERFUL SCHOOL
BY SAM HOLLIDAY
“ My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there .” Charles Kettering
In Volume 5 : Issue 2 , of Teach Middle East Magazine , I talked about how schools can be Data Powerful to enable Assessment Capable Learners . In this article , I would like to delve a little deeper .
Charles Kettering always provides inspiring quotes to reflect on and the above quote is one of my favourites . When considering the future of our learners , from a data perspective , we should study The Three ‘ A ’ s ; Attainment , Aptitude and Attitude .
Sharing Good Practice
Attainment
Attainment is the most common focus and the likely ‘ default mode ’ which schools go into when reporting and reviewing data . Of course , we can analyse historic data and identify trends , strengths and areas of focus ( for individuals and cohorts ) and naturally refer to it as evidence of our success when speaking to parents and inspection teams .
Here is my question : What about the children ?
As schools , we are responsible for their development : academically , socially and morally . This is where we should be studying the other two ‘ A ’ s .
Aptitude
A child ’ s potential is much more than a motivational phrase or advertising byline ; it is a fact . We need to identify exactly what batteries our children are strong in and where a deficiency may be holding them back . We should identify preferred learning styles to aid progression and full curriculum access . We ought to set consistent and appropriate levels of challenge for our pupils and share their potential with them .
At Kings ’ School Nad Al Sheba , our teachers use the CAT4 outcomes to challenge pupils to move themselves through a series of progressive learning objectives which are moulded around Bloom ’ s Taxonomy . The culture and atmosphere allows for this , as our pupils understand that learning is not achievement . They understand that the development that takes place in reaching and exceeding their potential , through the learning pits , is their true achievement . We invite everyone to come and see the wonderful work our teachers are doing in action .
Naturally , this brings some challenges , and this is where the third ‘ A ’ is crucial .
Attitude
As common with every other learner on the planet , a large majority of learning depends on attitude . Pupil conferencing is key , as is learner voice . Finding out what concerns pupils face , be it academically , socially or emotionally , will highlight many inconspicuous pupil difficulties , to schools . Changing mindsets of what makes a good learner has to become priority . Work to move children ’ s responses from sitting quietly and looking at the teacher , to persevering and taking risks .
In addition to this , reflect on the PASS outcomes . These review tests look at Pupils Attitudes to Self and School and the outcomes can be grouped into how pupils feel about themselves , their learning or their school . They can often highlight a child ’ s perspective that pupil conferencing can ’ t , especially for pupils that have difficulties articulating their feelings and opinions .
Combining The Three ‘ A ’ s is no quick fix . It may be a cultural shift in a school ’ s practices and is most effective when fully embedded . Using the data outcomes of the CAT4 tests for challenge and the summaries of PASS scores alongside Learner Voice , can help turn opinion into fact , making it very difficult to argue with . When facts are presented and actioned , a whole range of barriers to learning can be removed .
Sam is an Assistant Head teacher at Kings ’ School Nad Al Sheba where he is responsible for whole school Data , Assessment and Curriculum . He has a Masters Degree in Primary Education and is completing his National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership . Follow him on Twitter : @ mrhollidayteach .
Class Time | | Jan - Feb 2018 | 11