Teachers and Educators’ Role in assessment for Continuity of Learning – Step 1

Date 21/09/2022 | By Our Place

Teachers and Educators’ Role in assessment for Continuity of Learning – Step 1

Establishing common foundations is the first step that early years educators and school teachers can take when creating a comprehensive and aligned assessment system to ensure continuity of learning.

STEP 1: ESTABLISHING COMMON FOUNDATIONS

The theory

There are currently different approaches to assessment and learning in early learning and school systems. Alignment requires development of a common foundation of knowledge, competencies, norms, and processes for high-quality professional practice, collaboration, and communication within and across professional roles and settings.

In practice

A first step may be to find commonalities despite language differences. Educators and teachers can come together to actively compare frameworks and look for similarities that already exist across the two systems, often hidden underneath different language. A common professional vocabulary can help with communication and understanding.

Example activity: Towards common foundations

Ensuring that children enjoy continuity in their learning experience is the result of shared professional beliefs and an appreciation that the approaches adopted by educators should recognise and attempt to build on the work of colleagues to create a seamless learning experience. The following questions should be used to frame collective conversations around each of the grids:

Further learning

To learn more about the steps early years educators and school teachers can take to create a comprehensive and aligned assessment system, download our free publication Towards Continuity of Learning: Rethinking Assessment HERE

I have to say the school had been great in facilitating it. I have spent one day observing there at the school. And we’ve had two or three visits from the teachers. It’s step by step but we are seeing where the similarities are between the curriculums and building the relationship between our children and the teachers and the students from the school.
Fiona Peterson, Westall Kindergarten