Is assessment for learning one of the keys to personalising learning for students?

I want to repeat the question posed in the title on assessment for learning as its been raised by teachers and parents recently as we complete our strategic plan for the next 4 years. What is personalised learning and is it different from individualised learning? How does assessment for learning fit into this picture?

Lets reverse the question how can one personalise learning for students if one doesn’t assess students needs using a variety of tools? Is the goal that all students should reach the basic standard?

This is a cultural shift as often the goal was to teach, assess and grade [pass /fail] and move on – not go back to teach again till all students achieved the standard. Personalising learning is seen as way to achieve this goal, 

One of the better definitions on personalised learning comes from England. High expectations of progress, differentiation in teacher instruction and student learning tasks and assessment that supports students knowing the next improvement targets are essential keys in personalising learning.

The clip above often typifies what we as students experienced as assessment – summative assessment. While summative evaluation has a place in schools often the balance is wrong and assessment feedback is not used often enough to support the identification of the future learning goals. 

A recent BBC report on the politicking of assessment for learning helps us start to sort out the feeling and issues that surround this debate.

Rick Stiggins and Robert Marzano have lots to say on the issue.

We have 4 years to get this right particularly around student success in Mathematics, which is one our improvement targets. My point is showing the video is really to stimulate staff and parent discussion on assessment for learning and what might have to change in schools to achieve this.

When we started this discussion at leadership level we started to realise that we had to train team leaders to run professional learning teams or communities that focused each week on these issues and conducted some action research on problems of practice identified by teachers. Of course the discussion usually comes at some point on when this is going to occur – time poor – is the cry from most teachers and quite legitimately. Teacher planning time needs to be balanced between the individual needs of the teacher to complete work [e.g. display student work] and the need of the team to plan and challenge each other to assess, moderate and discuss results, personalise learning plans and get observational feedback and reflect upon our instructional practice.

This is a cultural change for most teachers and forms part of the challenge to personalise learning for students. Ideas or stories of progress from schools on the same journey are welcomed.