How do Summative Assessments support you to maximise pupil outcomes in Sonar?
Summative teacher assessments are a vital tool in enabling teachers and senior leaders to make accurate predictions, spot any emerging issues, and deploy any additional teaching resources appropriately.
The Sonar Assessment model has been designed around this premise. Sonar is flexible and supports multiple models of assessment. The following describes usage of the Sonar Assessment model but the method is the same regardless.
The following video explains how the model works, details the attainment codes and how they are reflected in reports.
Each attainment code has a specific meaning and importance:
Firstly the ‘Just At’ code
One of the main reasons to maintain summative assessments in a school is to indicate if pupils are likely to attain the national expected standard at the end of the key stage.
The Just At code indicates that pupils are Just At the age related expectation at the point in time the assessment relates to. So if they continue to achieve at the expected rate they should achieve it, whether that is the Expected Standard at Key Stage One or 100 in the Key Stage two scaled score.
This code is important as it empowers teachers to give an honest assessment. The Just At Age Related Expectation pupils are on track but are vulnerable to any upsets, such as a prolonged period of absence.
Next, the ‘Securely’ At code
These are pupils who are securely at the age-related expectation at this point in time. An assessment here means the pupil is securely on track. If they continue to progress at the same rate they are very likely, close to 100%, to achieve the expected standard at the end of the key stage. Obviously, there are no guarantees, and much can happen in the course of a school year but, as things stand, these pupils are not a cause for concern.
The ‘Above’ code indicates pupils who are above the age-related expectation.
Similar to the Just At code, these are pupils who are on track to achieve the higher standard at the end of the key stage. But they will only do so if their rate of progress is maintained.
Next, the ‘Below’ code
These are pupils working below the age expected standard. They are not on track to achieve the expected standard but may have the potential to attain more highly. For example, their attainment may be affected by factors such as absence. They may be pupils for whom extra support through intervention strategies may be of benefit.
For pupils accessing curriculum content above or below their current year group it may be useful to enter an assessment within the appropriate range. The method is detailed later on.
For reports, these pupils will be described as ‘Significantly Above’ or 'Significantly Below'.
Significantly Above are pupils, for whom, the Higher key stage standard or 110 scaled score is very much their expected outcome.
Significantly Below would usually represent pupils working below the band for their year group, and accessing curriculum content appropriate for them. They will probably be on a stage of SEN.
Using the Summative Assessment tool
This short video demonstrates how to use the summative assessment entry tool and the following notes provide additional detail.
Using The Assessment Tools
To add summative data go to the assess icon on the left sidebar.
From the Teacher assessments list select Primary Summative
When the Select Pupils dialogue opens use the pull down menus to select the year group(s) and/or classes. Then, click Load Assessment.
The input page opens with the selected pupils and the subjects for the current time period. The academic year, assessment time period and subject can all be adjusted as by using the pull down menus or the View Options. The pupils can be amended by using the Filters button.
To add an assessment click the appropriate cell for the pupil and aspect and the Choose Code tool opens.
Here you see the list of possible assessment categories.
The following describes the default codes. Your school may differ but the method will still be the same.
Regardless of the codes it is essential that assessments are entered with a consistent, meaningful understanding. The codes in the Sonar Assessment Model may be described as follows:
Any pupil assessed as Just At will be considered as on track to achieve the end of Key Stage Expected Standard and this will be reflected in reports.
Similarly, any pupil assessed as Above will be considered as on track to achieve the Higher Standard.
For both the Significantly Above and Significantly Below codes you may want to be more specific about where that pupil is working. This is also possible within the model. For example you may want to indicate that a pupil in, say, year 5 who is significantly below, is working within the expected range for a year 3 pupil.
Clicking Show All Codes will display a picker with the full range.
The Bands represent the curriculum content for each year group. So if you wanted to assess a pupil as working at the expected range for a year 3 pupil you would select At in Band 3.
Once selected the code is added to the cell.
Bulk Fill
It may be helpful to add the same code to a row or column of cells at the same time. For example, a pupil may be the same code for all but one subject.
To do this for a pupil simply click their name and the bulk fill tool will open.
Click the grey box and the Choose Code tool opens - click the code you require and select Bulk Fill.
The chosen code is added to all the subjects displayed for the chosen pupil.
A single subject could then be amended in the usual way by directly clicking in the appropriate cell.
Bulk Fill can also be applied to all selected pupils in a single subject in the same way.
NB Selecting Bulk Fill with no value entered in the grey box will remove any values already entered in the cells.
All data auto saves so please ensure the save tick remains green in the top right of the screen as poor internet connection can sometimes hinder this process, particularly when bulk editing is in progress.
Effective Assessment
Sonar has a clever feature called Effective Assessment. To avoid having to re-enter the same summative judgements term after term Sonar pulls any assessment through from the previous term.
Effective Assessments may be identified by the little icon in the corner of the cell. Hovering the mouse over this will show when that assessment was entered.
You can enter the same code to 'confirm' it as current if you wish, alter it if the current assessment has changed or just leave it in place. Reports will use Effective Assessments as current assessments.
This video gives a bit more detail on the feature.
Choosing Subjects
The View Options Button allows users to select one, or a a range of subjects from the curriculum and have then on screen at the same time. Subjects are selected by ticking or deselected by unticking and clicking on Update View.
Bookmarking a view
If you want to save and reuse a view of subjects and pupils then by clicking the Bookmark button and naming it..
The bookmark will then be available at any time by clicking your user name in the top right of the screen and choosing Bookmarks.