Task 1: Diagnostic Assessment Interview

For this task, you will need to arrange to interview your MST at a time
convenient to her. The focus of this task is to understand:
- what diagnostic assessment has taken place this school year in your
class,
- who developed the diagnostic assessment (teachers, school
management, ADEC/MOE, etc.),
- how the diagnostic assessment was carried out,
- what the purpose of that diagnostic assessment was/is, and
- what decisions the teacher made as a result of the diagnostic
assessment.

You need to prepare a minimum of 10 questions prior to the interview. You

may add additional questions during the interview based on your teachers
responses, i.e. to clarify answers or garner further information.

You will need to record your teachers responses use the strategy that
works best for you. If you are using a voice recording device, you MUST
inform your MST.

The interview must be typed and included in your Portfolio.

You may develop your own questions specific to your context, however
the following may give you some ideas.
Example Interview Questions
1. What diagnostic assessment has taken place this semester?
2. When did this occur?
3. What types of assessments were conducted? (written, oral, practical,
etc.)
4. Who developed these assessments?
5. Who conducted the assessments? (classroom teacher, Arabic teacher,
classroom assistant, etc.)
6. Were the assessments completed by students individually?
7. What information did you hope to get from the assessments?
8. What decisions did you make based on the assessments?
9. How did you group your students? (same/different academic levels,
friendship groups, similar interests, etc.)
10. Do the groups change for different learning subjects/topics?

After the Task - Reflection

Reflect on the interview and the information gained about diagnostic
assessment from your MST. Consider how/why you would implement
diagnostic assessment in a UAE primary classroom in the future. Explain
how this practice will affect student learning in a primary class.

I wanted to record my MST for this interview but there was the AC
noises, so she decided to write her answers in a piece of paper and I
will scan this for the portfolio. So MST told me about the diagnostic
assessments they are taking in RAK Academy. Though 10 questions
(Example Interview Questions) I was able to collect few information
about the diagnostic assessment. The assessment that they are
using in the school called Base Line. They are observing each
childs start in the school in order to detect any concerns and their
causes though the child development. Within 4 weeks, the teacher
must finish 2 simple observations (6per child) in order to complete
the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) goals. At the end of each
term, they will be able to collect 2 simple observations from each 4
weeks in the term. The assessments were written, especially the
Base Line and the 2simple, and the profile is for each child and
it is highlighted or ticked. The person or people who develop these
assessments are either the year group leader or the introduced
programmer from HOS or DFES (British council).
They must implement these diagnostic assessments in the UAE
because they parents would like to know how do their children
develop in their first years of school, and it would give feedback for
both of the teachers and parents about the child needs, strength,
and weakness. These diagnostic assessments must take place in the
education in the UAE, not only in private schools, but also in all the
government schools because we must know everything about the
child from the first day he enters the school in order to make goals
for his learning in future/primary classes.