Moderating National Standards

Moderation is a collaborative process aimed to assist teachers in making dependable decisions about student progress and achievement. At Muritai we have been using the moderation processes for a number of years to increase assessment dependability between classrooms (of the same year groups) and for tracking student progress as they move through the different year levels.

"Making consistent, reliable and valid decisions across different points in time is important when schools report student progress or compare cohort data with historical information."

(NZ Curriculum Website)

THE MODERATION PROCESS:

• The moderation process begins with the planning of teaching, learning and assessment.
• Moderation involves a group of teachers discussing evidence of student learning.
• Assessments of the evidence are made using specific shared criteria.
• The criteria may be exemplified through annotated examples and other national resources (e.g. Numeracy Development Project Books or the New Zealand Curriculum Exemplars).
• Moderation may involve teachers within a group, within and across a school or from different schools.

WHY IS MODERATING IMPORTANT?

• Increasing the dependability of the assessment information teachers gather improves the decisions they make about student learning.
• Teacher-guided moderation between students helps them to develop their skills of self and peer-assessment.
  
• Moderation has a direct, positive impact on teaching and learning as both teacher and student develop shared expectations and understanding of what quality work looks like and what criteria define it.
  
• Both students’ and teachers’ assessment capability can be enhanced.
• Can also encourage the development of teachers’ self-review skills and inform professional development decision-making.

HOW WILL THE MODERATION PROCESS HELP TEACHERS MAKE OTJs?

Teachers at Muritai will use many forms of assessment evidence when making their OTJ (Overall Teacher Judgements) against the National Standards. When teachers draw together evidence to form an overall teacher judgement there is a need to ensure consistency of those judgements between teachers. At Muritai we already have an established moderation process and in relation to the national standards will use this to assist when:

1. Interpreting the national standards.
2. Making judgments based on the assessment information gathered.
   

We have found this process of sharing ideas really beneficial in the co-constructing of the learning environment for the children. We hope that it will also provide us with dependable information that can be discussed with parents, families and whānau.

For more information about moderation I encourage you to click on the following link:

http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/National-Standards/Key-information/Fact-sheets/Moderation