Rachel Harrip (PYP Coordinator Unity College Junior School)
Unity College Junior School, part of the Lutheran R-12 school in Murray Bridge, South Australia, has embarked on a transformative journey focused on evidencing learning. By prioritising professional development for school leaders and teachers, the Junior School is enhancing assessment capabilities across the school.
Leading with Intent At the beginning of 2024, Unity College's leaders initiated a program aimed at honing their skills in thinking and acting evaluatively. The focus has been on using clearer methods and tools to gather and use evidence through teacher and student voices to inform decision-making and measure progress and impact. Essentially, the program aimed to amplify leaders practicing what they preach about using evidence to inform learning.
Improving Instructional Practices Simultaneously, teachers engaged in a professional learning program focused on implementing high-quality teaching and learning strategies. The goal? To help students understand their learning goals and be able to independently monitor their progress throughout the learning process. Building assessment capability and a more self-directed learning environment has been a key focus of instruction.
Collaborative Efforts
Unity College partnered with the CT-ed team, engaging in both face-to-face and virtual workshops, one-on-one collaboration, coaching sessions, and cycles of feedback during the testing and trialling phase.
Impact
For Students:
Students have become more engaged and proactive in their learning. Many students can now articulate their learning goals and monitor their progress, leading to increased ownership and responsibility for their learning.
For Teachers:
Teachers have developed a deeper understanding of effective teaching and learning strategies. They are better equipped to gather and use evidence to inform their instructional practices and support student learning.
For School Leaders:
We now have effective tools and processes that enable us, as a Leadership Team, to gather and analyse evidence of progress aligned with our focus – creating assessment capable learners. This in turn is helping teachers articulate their own learning goals and monitor their progress and it ensures that professional learning opportunities are relevant.
Working alongside Vania helped build clarity of effective practice amongst staff. The staff workshops were practical, and many resources were shared. The Leadership meetings in-between workshops were valuable in guiding and supporting us through the process.
Unity College Junior School's focus on evidencing learning has led to significant improvements in assessment capabilities for leaders, teachers, and students. Through professional development and a collaborative partnership with CT-ed, the school has created an environment where evidence informs practice, ultimately enhancing the educational experience for our learners.
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