Monday 25 April 2016

Jesus Strand Assessment 2016

In 2014 and 2015 we worked through the theology and key concepts for each RE strand.  Bearing these in mind the staff came up with key ideas which we could keep constant and develop through each child’s journey at St Joseph’s school.  The need for this was based on the high number of children who enter our school at different levels, many missing out on junior and middle teaching in RE.  The concepts had to be ones which would be accessible to both 5 and 13 year olds, at different stages of RE knowledge and at different stages in their faith journeys.

We proposed to “test” these concepts over three years, 2016 being our final year.  We hoped that keeping these concepts at the forefront supported by the strand teaching at each level, we would see a deepening of understanding of these concepts as children move through the school.  2016 is our fourth year of using the SOLO thinking taxonomy in RE to promote and assess depth of thinking and we are using this to guide our assessment.
MAIN CONCEPTS WHICH WERE ASSESSED
1. Jesus was human (as well as God)
2. Jesus came to show us how to live and save us. (covered year 2- showed love, year 4- by example, year 6- repent and live a good life, year 7- Our Saviour, Year 8- the Beatitudes
3.Jesus is God. (covered years 3 and 5)
Theses three concepts will be the context of the Jesus Strand teaching throughout the school. We continue to teach the learning outcomes for the Religious Education Curriculum at each year level in the context of these three concepts


At the end of term 1 our first comparative results for the Jesus strand across all three years is available.  As we are tracking over three years we are tracking the year 1-6 cohorts of 2014:



In most year groups the 2016 total is above the 2014 and 2015 total which shows that groups of children have improved their understanding over time.  The baseline data is the results of the year group that were two years ahead of the year group in 2014.  Without intervention, this would be the expected achievement level for that group in two years time.  Our results show that most groups exceeded their two year projection.  

Our second comparison shows many things:

1)That it looks as if children’s understanding of the key ideas have increased over two years of teaching the key ideas, when compared with the class which was two years ahead of them in 2014.  Over two years they have already exceeded the achievement we would be hoping to have seen in three years.  It would seem that returning and reinforcing the key ideas has helped children to deepen their understanding.

2) We discovered that many of the children who have just joined our school this year or are English language learners need extra support in articulating their learning particularly at assessment time. Taking this into account an overall teacher judgement is made between hubs and children may have received extra support throughout the strand. Our Pasifika teacher Tua Misiloi has also supported children by reinforcing the main concepts taught in her weekly Tongan Language class. 

3) Whanau groupings across the school happen at the end of each strand and help to reinforce the main concepts taught with children learning off each other and sharing their learning in many different ways
 



4) In 2016 we have had four new members of staff start and for all of them this is the first time they have taught and assessed using both the Religious Education curriculum, Jesus strand and St Josephs main concepts as decided by staff in 2014. To combat this we have made sure that when we came to forming OTJs we did this in hubs and that teachers new to Catholic Schools were given a tagged teacher as a mentor. 

5) Overall we are steadily improving and maintaining the teaching of the main concepts in the Jesus strand throughout the school.


FOR TEACHERS:
Specific assessment information is available at:
Assessment Overview for 2016 Open here
Jesus Strand Assessment 2016 Teachers can open link here

and the year level breakdown of comparisons from 2014 is at: teachers can open link here


Holy Spirit Strand Meeting and Assessment gathering/ info for teachers

Teachers to bring with them
Holy Spirit Strand teacher’s book http://www.faithalive.org.nz/
-Modelling book from previous year if they have it.
-Assessment from previous year (on Google Drive)

Teachers silently read the Teacher’s Prayer on the inside cover of the strand book        from which they are going to teach.  After a few moments of reflection, each teacher shares a line/phrase from their prayer.
In groups, read the Holy Spirit – Notes sheet and discuss/comment/question any points on
1) The Holy Trinity section   2) The Holy Spirit section   3) The Symbols of the Spirit section
  Share your comments/observations

                    
To Share from 2015 Teaching of the Holy Spirit Strand

  • Share what was on your wall display towards the end of your strand – what work was child generated
  • In groups discuss what was best about your teaching of the strand
  • What was challenging for you
  • How did you use the digital resource and what great lesson(s) came from it
  • What didn’t work well/fell flat
  • What will you do to improve the teaching of the next strand
1. What did our assessment on The Holy Spirit from 2015 tell us?
Step 1: Have a look on the assessment data we have gathered about the Holy Spirit strand:
a) look at your own information in:  2015 Holy Spirit Assessment- Individual classes
b) look at the overall information in: Holy Spirit Overall 2015
c)Three year comparison

2.Look at what we decided in 2014 and 2015 was important for  an "end point" for our school leaver of what we would like them to know about the Holy Spirit https://docs.google.com/a/stjoseph.school.nz/document/d/1S78jJecjaqURT33vbnuYGkpRdUX9O0zs0tGGB8b8ws0/edit
Step 1: read the theology about the Holy Spirit at the beginning of your strand book.
Come to the meeting prepared to discuss any tricky or challenging parts, or share anything you just love about it.
Step 2: Have a look at the key learning objectives for each year level: https://docs.google.com/a/stjoseph.school.nz/file/d/0B5kVPCsXjRbYdTJDMnZuOUxRQjA/edit
Step 3: Have a look at the SOLO assessment rubric - we need to keep this the same as 2014 and 2015 so that the assessment is fair and we can track it over the 3 years. https://docs.google.com/a/stjoseph.school.nz/file/d/0B5kVPCsXjRbYOXVGamM5UDJYWVE/edit
Step 4: Share with your hub buddy an example of something you have done about the Holy Spirit which has helped the students to feel or understand the Holy Spirit better in an effective way (doesn't have to be in the curriculum, or at your present year level).
Step 5:   Even though the basic understandings underpin the teaching and learning, we will still teach the content at our level and use that to access the basic understandings.
Step 6: Assessment for Holy Spirit Strand (same as 2014 and 2015) To be completed in term 2 following Whanau groupings.2016 Assessment Data Entry Whanau groups after mass in week 5 (June 2nd- 10am-10.20am). Assessment completed on that day and inputted by the following Monday morning. (week 6)
Remember we use the main concepts to assess with the same marking criteria from the past two years- we MUST stick to this so that all the data is relevant and can be tracked.
Step 7: Discuss hub/class displays- displaying the Key concepts we want the children to know.
REVIEW-
Whanau groups
-You MUST wait for the bell to ring before sending children back as it interupts other groups. 
-ALL children must be prepared to share something. 
-Year 7s need to be trained in how to run the sessions by current year 8's
-15-20 (when they hear the bell they will know its time to wrap up.
-Year 8s to take photos, video and pick up NE


The following questions are for all teachers to consider –
1) What gifts has the Spirit given to staff members for the common good of the school?

(These are for sharing aloud – eg consider: who are the wisdom figures? Who has the knowledge about the faith or other topics?  Who can heal the wounds of children/parents/ colleagues?  Who brings joy and humour to the school?  Who works miracles with a smile?  Who speaks other languages?  Who takes time to understand other cultures and customs?

Who is a gifted listener?  Who is good at discerning?  Who are the caring ones?)
2) How can we nurture the life of the Spirit in our students and help them to grow in awareness of the Te Wairua Tapu?
(For example in class we could:
Pray each day to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit
At the beginning/end of the day pray, “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” to which the students reply, “And with your Spirit.”
Each time the students return to class (after play/after lunch/PE/before a change of curriculum subject, the teacher proclaims “May Te Wairua Tapu be at work within us.” to which the students reply, “Come Holy Spirit.”
Affirm students as they demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit
Invite students to ask Te Wairua Tapu for help to tell the truth/make the correct choices/bring peace/cooperation to the classroom, playground or home etc.
Affirm students’ mana when they act with courage and attribute it to the Holy Spirit
Give the students a card to take home on which parents can write how they see the Holy Spirit working in their child.)
Final Prayer

Holy Spirit give us the kindness to hear with compassion,

to offer support,

loving comfort and care.

Holy Spirit give us the courage to do what is needed,

the wisdom to choose
what is right and fair.

Holy Spirit give us the faith
that will help pave the way
for a present that is hopeful,
a future that is peaceful.

Holy Spirit give us a heart to bring joy to each day.

Any files containing student information are private to us.  Everything else is public.