A Struga school shows how teachers’ learning teams can improve assessment and learning
This is the second year of intensive promotion of the assessment of students at PS “Brakja Miladinovci” in Struga, where teaching is conducted through three languages of instruction. After the last year’s training on school based assessment standards provided by PEP, quality assessment has become the top priority of the teachers’ work. The effects were immediately visible and the proof was the increased interest and motivation of the students to achieve better results. In that direction, using last year’s experiences, teachers began this year to integrate the assessment in their annual and thematic plans of each subject and in the planning of the work of the teachers’ learning teams. The primary goal around which all activities of the teachers’ learning teams will be revolving around is quality assessment. In the school, the teachers’ learning teams work proactively with higher frequency of meetings, better communication and sharing of ideas in assessment. “The use of formative assessment enables to experience assessment not as a burden to the teacher and the student but as a result that emanates from the process itself of learning and achievement” – commented Viktorija Popovska, school assessment coordinator.
The school has found team work to be very helpful in addressing the challenges of new assessment approaches. The teachers’ learning teams represent a positive force in the promotion of assessment and provide consistency of approaches and standards on a school level. Through sharing experiences in effective approaches of assessment and the joint preparation of assessment instruments such as rubrics, check lists, questions and electronic tests, the work of the teachers is enrichedwith new ideas. As a result students become more motivated and are constantly expecting something new and interesting.
In that direction, using last year’s experiences, teachers began this year to integrate the assessment in their annual and thematic plans of each subject and in the planning of the work of the teachers’ learning teams. The primary goal around which all activities of the teachers’ learning teams will be revolving around is quality assessment. In the school, the teachers’ learning teams work proactively with higher frequency of meetings, better communication and sharing of ideas in assessment. “The use of formative assessment enables to experience assessment not as a burden to the teacher and the student but as a result that emanates from the proc
ess itself of learning and achievement” – commented Viktorija Popovska, school assessment coordinator.
h sharing experiences in effective approaches of assessment and the joint preparation of assessment instruments such as rubrics, check lists, questions and electronic tests, the work of the teachers is enrichedwith new ideas. As a result students become more motivated and are constantly expecting something new and interesting.