Writing better tests - Of Mice and Men
One of the happy outcomes of the removal of NC levels has been the need for schools to look again at assessment at KS3, and refresh thinking in this fundamentally important area. There is much to be gained, with improved materials, approaches and systems carrying the potential to positively influence teacher workload, clarity of course design, efficiency and impact of feedback etc. Problem is, it's hard to write reliable, valid tests that provide us with the sort of precise information on what students can / can't understand that we need. I've been working with our English department to try to write mid-term tests for a Year 8 unit on Of Mice and Men. This has led to some great discussion as we try to find greater clarity in terms of what exactly we want to teach and assess. We've come up with the below draft so far, but I'd really be interested in any views on how this is shaping up - in particular: - are these questions clear and valid (by which I mean are we test...