Category Archives: NAR

Assessment, BtC5, CfE, Early Years, Expressive Arts, Health and wellbeing, Health and wellbeing, Languages, Literacy, Literacy and English, Mathematics, Moderation, Modern Languages, NAR, Outdoor Learning, Profiles, Profiling, Religious and Moral Education, Responsibility of All, RME, Sciences, Social studies, Supporting Learners, Technologies

Taking a closer look at the National Assessment Resource: A professional learning resource

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Education Scotland have recently developed this professional learning resource.  It provides an opportunity to reflect on effective practice in learning, teaching and assessment, drawing on the work published on the National Assessment Resource (NAR).  It also provides a structured look at the NAR flow chart as a tool for planning effective learning, teaching, moderation and assessment.

The resource can be used by individual practitioners keen to reflect and improve on their assessment practice as well as pairs, groups of practitioners, associated school groups (ASGs) or clusters working collegiately to reflect on and improve practice.

It is available to download from the Education Scotland website and welcome section on NAR.  There will be a Glow meet on Wednesday the 13th of February at 8:20am and Thursday the 14th at 4:15pm to explore the resource further.

Assessment, Early Years, NAR, Sciences

Assessing Progress and Achievement Professional Learning Resource

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Education Scotland has recently published Professional Learning Resources on assessing progress and achievement designed to support quality assurance and moderation activities.

The resources are a work-in-progress and draw on emerging practice from practitioners from 3-15.

Tell us what you think

We would like to hear what you think about what has been produced so far for your sector or curriculum area. Your feedback will help inform on-going work on annotated exemplification of achievement of levels in each of the curriculum areas to be shared through NAR.

We would like to hear what you think about what has been produced so far for your sector or curriculum area. Your feedback will help inform on-going work on annotated exemplification of achievement of levels in each of the curriculum areas to be shared through NAR.

In particular we would be interested in your views on:

· How well does the outline of the significant aspects of learning in each of the curriculum areas describe the range of learning in the Es and Os in a clear and succinct way?
· How well do the descriptions of breadth, challenge and application in each of the curriculum areas support planning for progression?
· In what ways have you used (or intend to use) the resources to support professional learning and reflection?
· What aspects of the resources did you find particularly useful?
· What aspects of the resources could be improved ?
· In using the resources to reflect on your practice, what aspects have you identified for improvement in your approaches to supporting learners in their progress and achievement?
· What further support would be helpful in managing assessment within each of the curriculum areas?

In your comment response please can you let us know which sector you work in – early, primary, secondary, special and also the curriculum area you are responding to. Many thanks.

Assessment, BtC5, CfE, Expressive Arts, Moderation, NAR, Profiles, Profiling, Sciences

Assessment Professional Learning Community on Glow

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The assessment team at Education Scotland are developing a professional learning community on Glow, in collaboration with practitioners across Scotland.

There are a number of opportunities in our Learn area, including a suite of Glow meets from January to March 2013:

Date           Time                 Title

24.1.13      3:45 – 4:10    What is NAR?
29.1.13      8:20 – 8:45   The Moderation Process
31.1.13      3:45 – 4:10    The Moderation Process
06.2.13      8:20 – 8:45    Making Good Assessment Decisions
07.2.13      3:45 – 4:10    Making Good Assessment Decisions
13.2.13      8:20– 8:45     NAR professional learning resource
14.2.13      3:45 – 4:10    NAR professional learning resource
20.2.13      8:20 – 8:45    Profiling
21.2.13      3:45 – 4:10    Profiling
6.3.13        8:20 – 8:45    Glow to support assessment
7.3.13        3:45 – 4:10    Glow to support assessment

In the Share area, we continue to add a number of key power points which staff can use to explore the ideas in Building the Curriculum 5, including the ’10 key assessment messages’ and ‘What is NAR?’
You can always get help in our Support area and in the Change area you can add an intention of what you are going to do to improve assessment in the classroom, the wider school community, across the local authority or inter-authority.

I hope you will take the time to sign up and spread the word! And of course you are more than welcome to join us for the Glow meets and watch any you missed here: http://bit.ly/Teondr

Assessment, NAR, Sciences, Technologies

Assessing progress and achievement professional learning resources

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Education Scotland has recently published Professional Learning Resources on assessing progress and achievement designed to support quality assurance and moderation activities.

The resources are a work-in-progress and draw on emerging practice from practitioners from 3-15.

Tell us what you think

We would like to hear what you think about what has been produced so far for your sector or curriculum area. Your feedback will help inform on-going work on annotated exemplification of achievement of levels in each of the curriculum areas to be shared through NAR.

We would like to hear what you think about what has been produced so far for your sector or curriculum area. Your feedback will help inform on-going work on annotated exemplification of achievement of levels in each of the curriculum areas to be shared through NAR.

In particular we would be interested in your views on:

· How well does the outline of the significant aspects of learning in each of the curriculum areas describe the range of learning in the Es and Os in a clear and succinct way?
· How well do the descriptions of breadth, challenge and application in each of the curriculum areas support planning for progression?
· In what ways have you used (or intend to use) the resources to support professional learning and reflection?
· What aspects of the resources did you find particularly useful?
· What aspects of the resources could be improved ?
· In using the resources to reflect on your practice, what aspects have you identified for improvement in your approaches to supporting learners in their progress and achievement?
· What further support would be helpful in managing assessment within each of the curriculum areas?

In your comment response please can you let us know which sector you work in – early, primary, secondary, special and also the curriculum area you are responding to. Many thanks.

Assessment, NAR

Innovative Approaches to QA and Moderation

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Education Scotland has been working with a range of practitioners on developing innovative approaches to Quality Assurance and Moderation processes.  These projects covered practice in the early years, primary, and secondary sectors across a range of subjects, with partners and through transitions.  All projects are submitted to a national quality assurance and moderation group (NQAG).

 To access the materials log on to NAR and copy and paste the URL below.

 https://www.narscotland.org.uk/_search.jsp?search_phrase=QA%20and%20Moderation%20Innovation%20Sharing%20the%20Standard

Further case studies demonstrating innovative approaches to moderation both within and across authorities will be published at the end of June 2012.

Assessment, NAR, Profiles, Profiling

S3 Profiling and Profiles

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Schools and local authorities are working with the Assessment Team on continuing to develop profiling 3-18.  In particular, 18 schools from across the country are going to be working on developing approaches to S3 profiling and profiles.  In June, at the end of this supported development, materials will be published on NAR.  Presentations made at the start of this development can be found on the National Assessment Glow Group.

Assessment, NAR

NAR Familiarisation CPD Package for Workshop Facilitators

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Material to support the facilitation of a NAR Familiarisation CPD can be found HERE.

The material comprises: Facilitator Notes; Worksheet; and PowerPoint.  It is designed for a hands-on session of around an hour and twenty minutes, and seeks to introduce colleagues to the NAR user interface, and to allow participants to explore ways in which NAR can support their practice.

Work is on-going on a second session which introduces additional features, such as the upload facility.

The documents are in Word and PowerPoint format to allow facilitators to customise the material to meet the needs of their group.  The PowerPoint has been saved in compatability mode in order to allow the widest possible access to this material.

Assessment, Expressive Arts, Literacy and English, Moderation, Modern Languages, NAR, National Qualifications, Profiling, Religious and Moral Education, RME, Sciences, Technologies

CfE & Glow News – February Issue

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The CfE and Glow News update provides you with information about Curriculum for Excellence and support for practitioners, along with all the latest developments within Glow. Read it here.

To sign up for this newsletter, please click here.

Assessment, BtC5, Moderation, NAR, Profiling, Religious and Moral Education, Religious Education in Roman Catholic schools, RME

Planning for Learning, Teaching and Assessment in RME

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A new resource has been developed to support practitioners in planning for effective learning, teaching and assessment in RME. This resource takes you through the process of unpacking the Es and Os to gathering evidence. There are tasks for staff to undertake and help develop your thinking. There is also an interactive powerpoint presentation and templates for you to use. The resource can be found by clicking here.

NAR, Social studies, Technologies

S2 Business & Enterprise

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On Wednesday (08/02/12) I had the opportunity to visit Claire Grubb a Business Education teacher from Kincorth Academy in Aberdeen. Claire described how they have re-written their second year Business and Enterprise Course using the Technologies and Social Studies Experiences and Outcomes. She also describes how they assessed the learning.

To find out more about my visit view the video of Claire on the Chalkface Blog.

NAR, Technologies

Designing a Design & Technology Curriculum

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Yesterday (o8/02/2012) I had the opportunity to visit Kirsty McFaul, the Principal Teacher of Design and Technology at Hazlehead Academy in Aberdeen. During this visit Kirsty described how they redesigned their S1-3 curriculum for  Design and Technology using the Technologies Experiences and Outcomes. One aspect of the course included an interdisciplinary project which involved the Maths and Art Departments. Kirsty also discussed how they used the National Assessment Resource (NAR) to help move towards a more formative assessment approach.

To find out more about this visit, watch the video on the Chalkface Blog.

Assessment, Moderation, Modern Languages, NAR, National Qualifications, Sciences, Social studies, Technologies

CfE & Glow News e-update – January

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The CfE and Glow News e-update provides you with updates on Curriculum for Excellence and support for practitioners, along with all the latest developments within Glow.

Click here to view the newsletter or click on the links below.

Read the January issue to find out about the following:

Assessment, BtC5, NAR, Profiling

New Case Studies Published on NAR

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Education Scotland has worked with a range of establishments to publish new case studies on the National Assessment Resource (NAR). These case studies focus on the process of recognising achievement, profiling and reporting.

All of Scotland’s local authorities were involved in developing these materials, which reflect the local flexibility that schools and local authorities have in developing their processes, in line with the guidance provided by Building the Curriculum 5. The materials cover the early years, primary, secondary and ASN sectors and all have been through a national quality assurance and moderation process.

Support materials are available to help practitioners find their way around NAR and include videos of teachers and headteachers talking about their experiences of NAR, step-by-step video guides on how to get the most from using NAR, and a downloadable User manual and poster.

On NAR, and on the Education Scotland website, you will find information on assessment, quality assurance and moderation, all of which are integral to planning learning and teaching.

You can access these new case studies by focus by selecting ‘Aspects of Assessment’ under ‘Browse’ within NAR. You will need to login to NAR with your Glow login or through SQA Connect.

Assessment, BtC5, CfE, CLD, Moderation, NAR, National Qualifications, Profiles, Profiling, Senior Phase, Young people, children & families

Award in Volunteering Skills

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The Award in Volunteering Skills at SCQF Levels 3, 4 and 5 provides formal recognition of volunteering activity. Through participation in volunteering activities, candidates will develop a range of skills and personal development experiences which will help to prepare them for responsibility, further education and employment.

Candidates learn about the context of volunteering; plan a volunteering placement; review and reflect on their own skills and volunteering experience; and complete an investigative project.

More information is available here.

Assessment, Moderation, NAR

Using NAR to Support Local Moderation

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The National Assessment Resource contains a variety of support materials, one of which supports local moderation: Using NAR to Support Local Moderation: Planning for Learning, Teaching, Assessment and Local Moderation.

This support material is designed to aid practitioners in the process of local moderation, from the initial planning of the learning—through to evaluating the learning and the learner. 

This document is available for download from the National Assessment Resource homepage.

Assessment, NAR

NAR 3B Development Event (2)

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Participants in NAR 3B met together yesterday at the Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow.  There were a range of presentations and workshops related to the theme of leading and managing change.  A good number of participants managed to brave the elements to attend this event, the material for which is on the National Assessment Glow Site.

Assessment, Moderation, NAR

National Quality Assurance Group Training

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The Assessment Team have been working to prepare for a National Quality Assurance Group (NQAG) training event tomorrow.  NQAG members comprise practitioners from all Scottish Government sectors and representatives from education authorities, the college sector, higher education, Education Scotland and the Scottish Qualifications Authority.  The NQAG quality assure material before it is published to the National Assessment Resource (NAR).  A quality mark is added to materials that NQAG identify as particularly strong examples.

Assessment, NAR

NAR 3B Development Work

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The National Assessment Resource continues to be developed by teachers and practitioners.  The Education Scotland Assessment Team are preparing to work with nominated participants from local authorities throughout Scotland in phase 3B of NAR development work.  This phase of NAR exemplification is focused on assessment for larger groups of learners–within a whole class, school, and across associated school groups.  Support material which is being used at the first NAR 3B event can be found on the National Assessment Glow Group.

Assessment, NAR

NAR Familiarisation Events

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The Assessment Team have been running regional National Assessment Resource (NAR) Familiarisation events.  These engagements have provided a practical opportunity to learn together how to perform a variety of online tasks within NAR.  The sessions have also explored how NAR can be used as a CPD resource to develop: an understanding of sound assessment practice; a shared understanding of standards and expectations;  the capacity to make sound judgements which can be consistently applied.  Material from NAR Familiarisation events can be found in the National Assessment Glow Group.

Assessment, Modern Languages, NAR

CPD Session with practitioners in Aberdeen

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I was lucky enough to be invited to Harlaw Academy in Aberdeen City this week to discuss a coherent and collegiate approach to planning assessment, curriculum and learning and teaching.  Every Modern Languages Department in the city is currently planing their own “mini NAR” assessment project and it was my priviledge to be able to share my experience of undertaking a NAR project and discuss how we used the NAR in my own department as a valuable tool for CPD.  It was wonderful to see how many practitioners from City and Shire, state and private sectors, were willing to give up their own time to attend this twilight session and take part in very fertile professional dialogue.  I’ve posted the presentation slides and the evidence folders on the National Modern Languages Glow Group in the CfE Emerging Practice Section.  To access the presentation please click here