Website

Martin Caust

What is this site?

This site has been developed to provide access to Martin Caust's thesis on an alternative form of documenting and then managing learning, specifically ‘calibrated’ teacher judgements. 

Grades (A-F or similar) are appreciated mainly  by those students who are above average or above grade standard.  The approach proposed, calibrated teacher judgements, assumes  scales of learning development that notionally range from knowing just a little bit, or not yet having developed a targeted skill, through to mastery. A student (and teacher) can see the learning growth through the distance moved along the scale with time.

These scales overlap allowing for an open ended, always able to increase, scale position; what is often termed a ‘vertical’ scale of learning.  The scales are developed from an item response theory (in this case the Rasch model) understanding of learning development and provide a basis for teachers to understand (and note) where each individual learner is, at any time.  Better understanding of where a student is, in principle, can lead to better support to the student in leaping their next learning hurdle.  All students, including those making exception progress, experience these hurdles every day.

Not everyone likes data about students.  If it comes through statewide or large scale testing, it is a cumbersome process with long time delays.  Students have moved on by the time results arrive.  Many teachers argue that the test results are not necessarily valid when they consider what they had observed for particular students.  This cuts both ways; assessment errors have an impact on what support a teacher might decide is necessary.  Learning progress has to be under constant review and reconsideration, particularly when it is appreciated that an incorrect (or inaccurate) assessment can have a significant impact on either boredom (this stuff is too easy) or frustration (this stuff is too hard).  My thesis establishes that it is feasible for teachers to be trained to be accurate (and precise) in their judgement assessments, and that teachers and tests ‘see’ the progress of leaning in the same general way.

Teachers are conflicted about the value of standardised tests.  As indicated above tests 'measure' with considerable error; much more imprecisely than many parents, commentators (and some teachers) appreciate.  However the structure of learning progress revealed by the relative difficulty of test items is shown in the thesis to approximate the general perceptions teachers have of the learning status of individual students.

The use of teacher judgement assessments is (or has been) applied in a small number of school systems.  It is not generally appreciated how closely these assessments track test assessments for the same populations of students over time.  This phenomenon provides a possibly improved basis for teachers to observe, record and communicate the learning progress of students. 

As a corollary, how testing is viewed and used by teachers could change. Once it is appreciated how strong the link is between the two forms of assessment, well-designed tests could provide a basis for confirming the professional judgement skills of experienced and developing teachers.  Tests add to the range of moderation processes available to help teachers maintain a common view of learning progress.