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Marking, feedback and assessment policy ECC

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Marking, feedback and assessment policy ECC

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Does assessment hinder learning?

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The VASCR principles ensure assessments are fair, meaningful, and, fostering learner development through validity, and accessibility.

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The future of learning and the future of assessment

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The future of learning and the future of assessment

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For young people, exams, like death and taxes, were once certainties of life. That was the case, at least, in a society that couldn't have imagined a pandemic shutting it down and forcing it to adapt as radically as it has.

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Scotland changes to assessment following OECD report

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Scotland changes to assessment following OECD report

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Scotland's schooling system is facing a significant overhaul following publication of research that proposes a greater role for approaches such as teacher assessment, online exams and oral presentations.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said "full consideration" would be given to the paper from the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

It comes after the same organisation published a wide-ranging report on Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) that urged Scotland to consider reforming what had been branded "19th century" arrangements for testing and examination.

Ms Somerville has already said the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) will be replaced. Ministers are also preparing to break up standards body Education Scotland, with inspection activity due to be split off and made independent.

The latest OECD paper was written by Professor Gordon Stobart, Honorary Research Fellow at Oxford University. His work was informed by a consideration of how other countries run pupil assessment systems.

READ MORE: Scotland should reform '19th century' pupil assessments

Among the possible options it sets out are:

development of a senior phase (S4-6) qualification system based on a combination of teacher assessment and exams

simplification of S4-5 assessment by "de-cluttering" the historical diet of exams

the increased use of online exam resources and oral presentations

inclusion of pupil views in decisions around assessment

enhancing the role of vocational qualifications.

Ministers have said a formal exams diet will be held next year if it is safe to so do. Tests were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the effects of Covid-19.

Ms Somerville said: "The OECD have been crystal clear - CfE is the right approach for Scotland and is viewed internationally as an inspiring example of curriculum practice. Throughout the pandemic it delivered credible results for our children and young people in the face of exceptional circumstances.

"Our decision to cancel exams as a result of the pandemic rightly sparked a great deal of discussion about the best way to recognise learners' achievements and how we continue to meet their needs. That is why we asked the OECD to undertake this vital work and I welcome this important contribution from Professor Stobart, which is informed by how other countries run an assessment process.

"Working with teachers, parents and young people as well as other stakeholders we will give full consideration to the options that Professor Stobart has outlined. This will form part of our work to ensure that every part of our education system is designed so that young people can demonstrate their full potential."

She added: "I will update Parliament on how this work will be taken forward and on the on-going implementation of OECD recommendations on Curriculum for Excellence in due course."

READ MORE: SQA to be replaced as part of wide-sweeping reforms

Fiona Robertson, SQA Chief Executive, welcomed the OECD report.

"The pandemic has shone a spotlight on learning and teaching and the way young people are assessed," she said.

"Today's paper is a welcome contribution to the debate about the future of assessment in Scotland. SQA is well placed to play a leading part in that debate, as its successor will be.

"Whatever reform intentions emerge over the coming months, it is in everyone's interests to commit to maintaining the high national standards in the short and long term that have long been the hallmark of Scotland's qualifications.

"In the meantime, SQA will continue to serve Scotland's learners, including the delivery of exams next year - should it be safe to do so - as part of the established and agreed assessment approach.

"The pandemic has shone a spotlight on learning and teaching and the way young people are assessed. Today's paper is a welcome contribution to the debate about the future of assessment in Scotland. SQA is well placed to play a leading part in that debate, as its successor will be."

She added: "Whatever reform intentions emerge over the coming months, it is in everyone's interests to commit to maintaining the high national standards in the short and long term that have long been the hallmark of Scotland's qualifications.

"In the meantime, SQA will continue to serve Scotland's learners, including the delivery of exams next year - should it be safe to do so - as part of the established and agreed assessment approach."

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OECD study proposes overhaul of Scottish exams and assessments

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Scotland's schooling system is facing a significant overhaul following publication of research that proposes a greater role for approaches such as teacher assessment, online exams and oral presentations. Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said "full consideration" would be given to the paper from the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

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TLCs: A vehicle for improving children’s outcomes one habit at a time. - Teacher Development Trust

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Alex Beauchamp is an Expert Advisor for TDT’s Sheffield and Doncaster CPD Excellence Hub, a programme run with the support of the Department for Education. In this blog, Alex explores a CPD approach that he and his colleagues have been using at Hunter’s Bar and that he has been sharing with schools…

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Promoting Learning and Achievement Through Self

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Black, Wiliam and Assessment for Learning - Teaching Expertise

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Black and Wiliam (often mispelled as Black and William, with two ’L’s) developed a radical approach to learning, as Charles Dietz reports

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New Heys Case Study

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Refer to debate on assessment at the foot of the article

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What do we mean by assessment?

Assessment refers to a variety of methods used in schools to measure and evaluate student progress. It involves systematically documenting and analysing data to inform future planning and progression; assessment can be used to guide teachers in terms of the support, extension and intervention they offer their students.

Assessment also provides a way of measuring student outcomes relative to expected progress, meaning that schools can set future targets, and governments can monitor and assess school performance.

What are the different types of assessment?

Assessment comes in many forms and the approach used to measure pupil progress will differ depending on the reason for the assessment taking place.

Formative and summative assessment

These are the two main types of assessment, in which students demonstrate knowledge and understanding either in an informal and continuous way (formative) or show what has been learned at the end of a set period of time or unit of study (summative).

Often referred to as assessment for learning, formative assessment is day-to-day ongoing assessment that can be used to gauge what has been learned.

As a result, planning can be adjusted, and interventions put in place if necessary.

Summative assessment, on the other hand, is focused on a final assessment of what has been learned. There is usually a mark or grade to be reported, which can then be shared with pupils, staff and parents/carers.

Baseline assessment

This is used to assess what pupils can do before a unit or topic begins. It provides teachers with a starting point for learning, which is vital for measuring pupil progress.

Baseline assessments can also help to identify misconceptions and gaps in pupil knowledge, as well as highlighting skills that pupils already have.

Internal and external assessment

Assessments are usually either internally created and marked by the school, or set externally by an awarding or governing body.

Internal assessments provide data that can be used in-house to further inform planning and intervention, while external assessments (marked by third-party examiners) result in final gradings for pupils and schools.

What are the debates around assessment?

It is generally agreed that assessment is a necessary and integral part of the education process; schools and teachers need to know whether or not pupils are actually learning and developing.

However, there are many debates that focus on how assessment is used, how frequently students should be formally assessed, and the extent to which the assessment process is actually beneficial to students and teachers.

Some key points of discussion are:

How teacher accountability and "teaching to the test" can hinder the learning that takes place in the classroom.

The emphasis on student outcomes and results for teachers (and students) can often undermine the assessment process as teachers teach "tricks" for passing and may even manipulate results of internal assessments to make progress appear greater than it is.

This leads to questions surrounding the reliability of data and whether results are, in fact, accurate reflections of the learning taking place.

Concerns surrounding the appropriateness and fairness of the examination process. It is suggested that a one-size-fits-all approach to assessment favours pupils from higher socio-economic backgrounds.

In terms of design and content, the traditional, formal examination might disadvantage pupils who may not have had the same experiences or support, and are therefore (potentially) unable to access the materials in the same way as other pupils.

Worries over the stress the assessment process and sitting formal exams (internally and externally, from an early age) causes pupils and teachers.

The pressure to perform and meet targets or achieve certain grades is thought to be responsible for much of the anxiety felt and, as initiatives and national strategies continuously change, staff and students find the goal posts constantly moving and the expectation level greater.

Questions surrounding the usefulness of marking and assessment in student books; much research into this area suggests that the majority of written feedback has little impact on the overall progress made.

In order for marking to be truly effective, students need to engage with teacher comments and actively respond to targets.

With the pressure to cover large amounts of content during lessons, teachers (and students) often feel uneasy about taking time to go over previous work, meaning important feedback gets lost or forgotten and gaps in skills and knowledge remain unaddressed.

Further reading

Department for Education information on curriculum and assessment: National curriculum and assessment from September 2014: information for school

Cambridge Assessment International Education training publication: Getting Started with Assessment for Learning.

Professor Mary James' commentary on assessment: Assessment in Schools: Fit for purpose?

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Assessment refers to a variety of methods used in schools to measure and evaluate student progress. It involves systematically documenting and analysing data to inform future planning and progression; assessment can be used to guide teachers in terms of the support, extension and intervention they offer their students.

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Play millions of free online trivia quizzes. There is a fun quiz about virtually every topic imaginable: Geography, History, Sports, Music, TV and more!

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn – any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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TES: Are timed exams really the best way to assess students?

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TES: Are timed exams really the best way to assess students?

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Are timed exams really the best way to assess students