Standardised tests have been around for a long time and have been essential to determine academic success. With pressures to pass these tests, it becomes crucial to ensure that the student is performing well academically to achieve their goals.
As providers of standardised testing and practice tests, we strive to ensure that every student achieves success. One way to accomplish this is through benchmarking and progression monitoring.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss why benchmarking and progression monitoring are important for student success.
What is Benchmarking?
Benchmarking is the process of comparing a student’s performance to that of others in the same grade level and subject matter. It’s an excellent tool that measures the student’s progress over time, allowing teachers and parents to monitor and identify areas of improvement.
Benchmarking helps educators gain insight into their teaching practices and curriculum effectiveness and aids them in adjusting their teaching styles to cater to individual students learning needs.
What is Progression Monitoring?
Progression monitoring is the continuous tracking of a student’s academic development throughout their academic year. Mostly, it is used to track the performance of students in the specific areas that they are struggling in, such as maths or reading.
By using this type of tracking, teachers can compare the rate of progress against their peers, making it an excellent indicator of academic success. Progression monitoring is critical in identifying areas that a student struggles with most to determine the level of support, whether it’s tutoring or specific intervention, that the student requires.
How Benchmarking and Progression Monitoring Benefit Students
Benchmarking and Progression Monitoring are essential for students since they provide a framework for measuring progress and understanding proficiency levels. For instance, benchmarking assessments such as the Reach test, provide accurate, objective data on a student’s progression year on year in seven literacy and STEM subjects. This allows teachers to tailor their teaching methods, helping students achieve their potential and fulfil their learning objectives.
In addition, monitoring progress on an individual level helps adjust the support and intervention needed to ensure that the student can progress.
This can help identify strengths, weaknesses and any gaps in understanding which can be addressed by providing targeted interventions such as small group tutoring or one-on-one mentoring. This type of tracking also assists with goal setting so students can be motivated by setting realistic and achievable targets.
Overall, tracking student progress is essential for helping students to reach their full potential in learning. It provides the guidance and feedback needed to keep them on track, as well as the motivation they need to stay focused and achieve their desired outcomes. It also allows parents to stay informed about their child’s progress in school. By tracking student performance, we can ensure that our classrooms are providing the best possible education for every student.
In Summary
Using benchmarking and progression monitoring in standardised tests is essential to aid in individual student success. The Reach test is a valuable tool used to identify specific areas of weakness and strength for each student, leading to a focused curriculum that positively impacts academic performance.
Regular progress monitoring allows early intervention and support to reach struggling students, allowing them to achieve academic excellence. With these tools at hand, every student can achieve success and reach their full potential.
