I had a fascinating conversation with Amarbeer Singh Gill who is one of the deepest thinkers on assessment. We riffed on a number of themes, the recording is a selection of clips and below are the headlines of our conversation!
Assessment: Cultivating Trust, Culture, and Professional Judgment in Schools
Assessment is at the heart of effective teaching and learning, yet it remains one of the most complex and often misunderstood areas within education.
For years, we've operated within systems that emphasize frequent marking, data collection, and the pursuit of measurable outcomes—often at the expense of trust, professionalism, and meaningful engagement with students' learning journeys.
It's time to pause and reflect on how we approach assessment, and whether our current practices truly serve our students and the wider educational community.
The External vs. The Internal Control
One of the first distinctions we should make when contemplating assessment is between data collected externally—such as standardized tests, public examinations, and government-mandated assessments—and what we, as educators, have direct control over.
External assessments, while flawed in some respects, do hold some degree of validity and reliability, offering a broad picture of student achievement that outsiders can interpret. However, they are outside of our control, handled externally, and often stimulate a culture of performativity that may undermine more nuanced forms of assessment.
In contrast, assessments that happen within the classroom—formative activities, teacher observations, peer assessments, and student reflections—are within our professional reach.
These are the assessments that can be tailored, trusted, and aligned with our pedagogical values. They shape the day-to-day dialogue between teachers and students and form the bedrock of learning.
Reframing What We Mean by Assessment
As a sector, we are often guilty of using the term "assessment" as a catch-all, encompassing everything from data collection and grading to feedback and informal checks for understanding.
However, these components are distinct, presenting unique challenges and opportunities:
Data Collection: The numbers and scores teachers gather—be it through quizzes, homework, or observations—are snapshots, not complete pictures. They are useful but limited. The question should be: What does this data tell us about student understanding?
Assessment Practice: This includes formative practices like questioning, discussions, and observations that inform day-to-day teaching. This is about real-time adjustment rather than summative judgment.
Feedback: Focused, concise, and aimed at improving student learning. It should be rooted in trust and professionalism rather than compliance.
Understanding these distinctions helps us design better assessment strategies that serve learning rather than just ticking boxes.
The Power of Trust and Culture
A recurring theme in intentional assessment approaches is the importance of school culture.
If teachers, leaders, and students trust each other—believing that assessment is about growth, understanding, and professionalism—then practices can evolve beyond performative tick-box routines.
For example, some schools have experimented with reducing or even eliminating traditional marking. Teachers find that if they communicate clearly the purpose of feedback—centred on student progress, understanding, and self-regulation—then the necessity of red pen corrections diminishes.
This shift requires a culture that values trust in teachers' professional judgment and recognizes that assessment should be about informing teaching and empowering pupils, not merely appeasing external accountability measures.
The Narrative Around Assessment
Assessment practices are often embedded with misconceptions. For instance, marking frequently becomes a signalling tool for leaders to demonstrate activity rather than impact.
Senior leaders often ask, "Have you marked these books?" rather than "What can we learn from this work about student understanding?"
This performative culture emphasizes quantity over quality, leading teachers to spend excessive hours on red-pen exercises with questionable impact.
When the focus shifts to whether assessment helps students understand their progress and informs future teaching, the entire dynamic improves.
In fact, a well-placed sample of student work, combined with targeted conversations, can be more insightful than marking every piece in detail. Sampling, combined with professional discussion and observation, offers a manageable, meaningful view of learning that aligns with trust in teacher expertise.
Moving Toward Genuine Evidence of Learning
One significant challenge is how to gather authentic evidence of student understanding without over-relying on summative tests. The answer lies in recognizing the diversity of assessment methods that are embedded in everyday teaching practice.
Student products: Can students articulate their learning? Do they generate new insights? Are they producing work that demonstrates understanding, creativity, and connection? For example, students writing, speaking, or engaging in projects can reveal much about their grasp of concepts.
Professional conversations: Discussing students' work, reflections, and self-assessment strategies can help teachers gauge comprehension. These dialogues build trust, foster metacognition, and reduce the need for excessive marking.
Representation of understanding: Use of a variety of evidence—artifacts, presentations, or performances—can serve as indicators of learning that go beyond traditional tests.
It's essential to recognise that no single data point offers a complete picture. Let’s become comfortable with that.
With thanks to Amarbeer for a fascinating conversation!
Until next time
Mary
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