Assessment for Learning without Limits

Book excerpt: This book explores assessment practices that offer an enlightening and enabling view of all learners. Following the demise of national curriculum levels, the book embraces a unique opportunity to change how children are assessed. Rather than simply replacing the old structure with a new one, it focuses instead on enabling children to learn in meaningful ways so that assessment becomes a tool for improvement rather than judgment by building on two influential research studies, Learning without Limits (Hart et al 2004) and Creating Learning without Limits (Swann et al 2012). Inspired by a relentless focus on every child’s capacity to learn, the book explores what can be achieved when we remove limits on learning. School leaders and teachers, struggling against practices that seeks to define, label and rank, explore the opportunity to view assessment reform as a means of reducing inequity through ‘learning without limits’ principles of collaboration, professional learning and inquiry. Children share their views and offer powerful insights into what may be achieved when limits are lifted on their learning. Consequently a liberating and alternative view of assessment is presented, achieved through children and adults working in partnership. At a time when schools are in pursuit of new assessment practices and reporting of progress, the insights in this book about what is possible are highly pertinent for individual teachers, school leaders and teacher educators wondering how best to foster children’s learning capacity. “Everyone who cares about children’s lives and their futures should read this book!” Carol S. Dweck, Professor of Psychology, Stanford University, US and author of Mindset "This book tackles the difficult and very important task of bringing together the Learning Without Limits big ideas and the challenging topic of assessment.” Mary Jane Drummond and Susan Hart, Co-authors of Learning without Limits and Creating Learning without Limits, UK “This is a great book, and as one of the nine teachers who was part of the original ‘Learning without Limits’ research project I can vouch for Dame Alison Peacock’s unswerving commitment to, and passion for, the principles of Learning without Limits embodied within its pages.” Dr Claire Taylor, Pro Vice-Chancellor, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London, UK “The book's agenda and commitment are uplifting - to generate a love of learning and realise achievement in every child, irrespective of their circumstances or prior attainment.” Professor Becky Francis, Professor of Education and Social Justice, King's College London, UK "Alison Peacock makes a powerful case for trust and dialogue as the essential building blocks of this 'different way'." Mary Jane Drummond and Susan Hart, Co-authors of Learning without Limits and Creating Learning without Limits, UK "In contrast to some rather 'dry' books on assessment that start with abstract principles and seek illustrations of them, this book works the other way around. It is full of rich stories of practice and the voices of children and their teachers." Mary James, Professor Emerita, University of Cambridge Faculty of Education, UK