maximum impact minimum effort marking

‘Maximum impact, minimum effort' marking…MIME

Lazy Marking?

How can we make the following extracts from the marking and assessment policy a reality and not increase workload?

Marking for Learning:Teachers will

• Set clear learning objectives / intentions and success criteria during lessons in order that there is a fixed reference point to use when marking

• Mark students’ books at least every three weeks / twice a term using clear, diagnostic marking and engaging the student in a learning dialogue. Please note that the frequency of formal diagnostic marking should also reflect the curriculum time subjects are delegated. The minimum expectation is that for a core subject with full allocation of lessons exists books should be marked at least once every three weeks

• Use the Learning and Progress Reflection Form before, during and after said marking of students’ books to facilitate and encourage learning dialogue

• Complete summative, formal assessment of students’ progress every six weeks• Acknowledge the positive aspects of work and reinforce success with praise• Always celebrate a positive aspect of the student’s work• Consider an individual’s prior attainment and individual needs in marking for learning• Provide oral feedback on a regular basis and clearly mark in a student’s book where

oral feedback has been given• Make contact with home where significantly better than expected progress is made

or significantly less than expected progress is made• Refer clearly to assessment objectives / criteria / foci in diagnostic marking

Marking for Literacy:Teachers will

• Use a common marking code which students understand clearly• Make clear (whether through using a consistent colour / symbols / annotation) what is

teacher feedback (rather than self or peer assessment)• Ensure that all lessons compliment the ‘Literacy Focus’ identified in the staff bulletin and as

resourced in tutor time; colleagues may build the ‘Literacy Focus’ into the success criteria of lessons for students to follow and then to allow for specificity in marking of said work

• Identify spelling errors (maximum of five per page) but not show correct spelling• Identify errors in punctuation but not suggest the correct punctuation• Identify where a new paragraph should be started and explain why• Identify where there are grammatical / expression errors but not suggest a ‘correct’

alternative • For STAG students and in the interests of differentiation staff may decide that rather than

identifying specific errors that it is beneficial to identify a minimum number of errors a student needs to find themselves in their work

• Allow time when marked books are returned for students to correct errors using a dictionary and by proof-reading. These lessons / phases will be referred to as reflection time. Students to have ‘Literacy Buddies’ to assist in proof reading work

• Decide whether it is appropriate to set a literacy related target on the Learning and Progress Reflection Form and facilitate ways to address that target

• Provide oral feedback on a regular basis and clearly mark in a student’s book where oral feedback has been given

Shannon Darroch & James Stonebridge Year 8

Marking that helps us make best progress:

(Student slide to be inserted here)

Labour Saving Tricks

Jot down onto a sticky note your top tip for labour

saving when it comes to marking students’ work

(1) ‘Triple Impact’ Marking

Self

•reflecting against LOs and success criteria

•proof reading for literacy

Peer

•reflecting against LOs and success criteria

•proof reading for literacy

Teacher

•reflecting against LOs and success criteria

•proof reading for literacy

Minimal time / effort required from teacher in marking for literacy, students take more care in accuracy of work as they know this is a mandatory part of the process,

all are involved in a continuous feedback loop

(1) ‘Triple Impact’ Marking - Example

Students / peers identify errors

Students make corrections BEFORE teacher input

(1) ‘Triple Impact’ Marking - Example

Students make ALL

corrections identified by teacher in ‘marking for literacy’

This then discourages ‘lazy’ self or

peer assessment!

(1) ‘Triple Impact’ Marking - Example

Examples of corrections post self /

peer assessment

Consider the amount of quality reflection evident

here – it has all happened PRIOR to

teacher input. Thus, the hard work

has already been done!

Success criteria highlighted in work (use of connectives)

(1) ‘Triple Impact’ Marking - ExampleAll

corrections (identified by

self / peer teacher) made and ‘ticked’ off

(1) ‘Triple Impact’ Marking – Self and Peer Assessment

Students engaged in detailed self and peer assessment prior to

teacher marking.

They have used APP level ladders and

comment banks here to formulate feedback

Note minimal teacher input during this

phase of reflection

Consider the evidence of

progress and learning here (against the

success criteria related to speaking

and listening)

(1) ‘Triple Impact’ Marking – Self and Peer Assessment

(2) Progress and Reflection Forms (Blue Forms)

Avoid using blue forms at the end of a project where several skills were tested

Avoid long, vague assessment foci

Avoid / discourage vague comments that have no relation to assessment foci

Pre-fill the ‘WWW’ / targets boxes with skills that students can mark ‘Y’ / ‘N’ / ‘Some’

Be seen to value the process and be a strong advocate; students will reciprocate your attitude towards the process

Assign a specific assessment focus; some of the most successful examples have only one skill / assessment focus being measured

Pre-write the assessment focus / foci

Offer students ‘comment banks’ or use level ladders which gives students specific phrases to use

Pre-fill the www / targets boxes with skills that students can mark ‘Y’ / ‘N’ / ‘Some’

Model best practice for student with example / completed sheets

(2) Progress and Reflection Forms (Blue Forms) Examples

Assign a specific assessment focus; some of the most successful examples have only one skill / assessment focus

being measured

(2) Progress and Reflection Forms (Blue Forms) Examples

Pre-write the assessment focus / foci

(2) Progress and Reflection Forms (Blue Forms) Examples

Offer students ‘comment banks’ or use level ladders which gives students specific

phrases to use

(2) Progress and Reflection Forms (Blue Forms) Examples

(3) Verbal Feedback Stamp

Use during 1-2-1 session at teacher’s deskUse during circulationUse on Progress and Reflection Forms

Student asks for / needs feedback

Teacher stamps relevant page in student’s

book

Student transcribes feedback

around the stamp

(3) Verbal Feedback Stamp Examples

Teacher circulates during ‘on task’ moments and stamps a students book

before dictating targets / feedback and students writes into book

(4) Mini Plenaries / Learning Dialogue1. 'Find one example you are really proud of and circle it. Tell the person next to you

why you are pleased with it. Write a comment in your margin and I will respond when marking.'

2. ‘Decide with your talk partner which of the success criteria you have been most successful with and which one needs help or could be taken even further; colour

code your work in the margin R-A-G and I will suggest how to make improvements when I mark your work'

3. (After whole-class sharing for a minute or two) 'You have three minutes to identify two places where you think you have done this well and read them to your partner.

Highlight it in your books for me to find later.' 4. 'You have five minutes to find one place where you could improve. Write your

improvement at the bottom of your work and explain how you made this improvement by highlighting and labelling.'

5. 'Look back at the problems you have solved today. Where were you successful? What approach did you take?

ASK STUDENTS TO HIGHLIGHT IN THEIR BOOKS WHERE THEY HAVE DEMONSTRATED A SKILL / MET SUCCESS CRITERIA

YOU CAN COLOUR CODE THE ALL – MOST – SOME CRITERIA AND STUDENTS CAN THEN COLOUR CODE EXAMPLES OF SUCCESS CRITERIA BEING MET IN THEIR WORK

Guiding Principles – ‘MIME’

• Students are active in the process of learning and reflection

• Students complete 80% of the ‘work’ and effort associated with good progress made; we can’t

‘mark’ them into making progress – it is their journey to make

• The teacher appraises learning and gives specific formative assessment and targets based on the

student and peer reflection• Students’ books look covered in annotation and feedback.

They are; only the vast majority is generated by the students