1 ASSESSMENT: THE SCOTTISH PERSPECTIVE ‘Assessment is for Learning’ Carolyn Hutchinson Qualifications, Assessment and Curriculum Scottish Executive Education Department

2 ASSESSMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME: Looking back ASSESSMENT REVIEW (1999) AND CONSULTATION (2000)  Evolution, not revolution  Assessment, not measurement should be the key concern  A common framework for record-keeping and reporting  Manageable change, properly resourced and supported  Improvements to National Testing process  Due attention to research evidence

3 ASSESSMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME: Looking back Two main purposes for assessment:  to support learning, provide feedback to pupils, parents and other teachers, and identify next steps in learning  to provide information as a basis for monitoring and evaluating provision and attainment at school, education authority and national levels These two purposes seen as being in tension with one another

4 ASSESSMENT DEVEL0PMENT PROGRAMME Why assess at all? The purpose of assessment in education is to provide all stakeholders with sufficiently dependable information and feedback to inform judgements, choices and decisions about learning, and to inform planning for improvement

5 ASSESSMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME: ‘ASSESSMENT IS FOR LEARNING’ ‘To provide a streamlined and coherent system of assessment that will ensure that pupils, parents, teachers and other professionals have the feedback they need about pupils’ learning and development needs’

6 ‘ ASSESSMENT IS FOR LEARNING’ Evidence as Feedback  Develop professional practice and confidence in assessment, so teachers’ judgements are dependable (valid, reliable, comparable)  Quality assure teachers’ judgements locally and nationally, so standards are shared  Monitor national attainment in a way that promotes good classroom practice 10 linked development projects linked strands of work

7 'ASSESSMENT IS FOR LEARNING‘ Policy into practice Build informed research Create informed policy Grow informed communities of practice

8 'ASSESSMENT IS FOR LEARNING‘ Linked networks  Assessment Action Group and Programme Management Group  Local Authority Assessment Co-ordinators  Associated Schools Groups  LT Scotland and SQA Development Officers  HEI representatives and evaluations  Consultants  ‘Open Space’ meetings

9 'ASSESSMENT IS FOR LEARNING‘ Linked networks : professional reflection …self assessment…, far from being a luxury, is in fact an essential component of formative assessment. Where anyone is trying to learn, feedback about their efforts has three elements – the desired goal, the evidence about their present position, and some understanding of a way to close the gap between the two - Sadler, 1989

10 'ASSESSMENT IS FOR LEARNING‘ Linked networks : professional reflection Peer evaluation: learning intentions  For participants:  to gain insight into the range of questions which might be used to elicit the information needed to evaluate a report or a piece of work  to have an opportunity to practise peer- and self-evaluation after developing such insight  For the programme:  to get advice on the kind of information to include in project guidelines for ASGs in

11 'ASSESSMENT IS FOR LEARNING‘ Linked networks : professional reflection Peer evaluation: success criteria  Participants will:  be clearer about the role of questioning in prompting critical reflection  have made use of enhanced questioning skills to prompt peer and self-evaluation  The AifL team will:  have a better idea of the kind of advice new ASG groups would find useful at the start of their project

12 'ASSESSMENT IS FOR LEARNING‘ Linked networks : Self-evaluation  Activities:  individual reading and initial impressions  group discussion of issues arising  group work – interrogating the reports  feedback to whole group  individual activity - self evaluation & response  pairs and trios – articulating understanding

13 'ASSESSMENT IS FOR LEARNING‘ The Policy Context Key ideas:  Learner at the centre  Partnership in learning  Less assessment  Self-evaluation, reflection, professionalism  Evidence as feedback

14 'ASSESSMENT IS FOR LEARNING‘ The Policy Context Curriculum and Assessment 1 Nov 04 ‘Ambitious, Excellent Schools’ Education 3-18  High expectations, leadership, ambition  More freedom for teachers and schools  Greater choice and opportunity for pupils  Better support for learning  Tougher, intelligent accountabilities

15 'ASSESSMENT IS FOR LEARNING‘ The Policy Context Curriculum and Assessment 1 Nov 04 ‘A Curriculum for Excellence’  Successful learners:  Enthusiasm, determination, open minds  Confident individuals  Self-respect, well-being, values, ambition  Responsible citizens  Respect for others, commitment to participate  Effective contributors  Enterprising, resilient, self-reliant

16 'ASSESSMENT IS FOR LEARNING‘ The Policy Context Curriculum and Assessment 1 Nov 04 ‘Assessment, Testing and Reporting 3-18’  All schools part of AifL by 2007  Assessment bank developed and extended as tool for teachers  Local moderation to promote shared understanding of standards  Sample-based SSA to replace annual 5-14 survey from 2005  Link national and international information  Continuing support for schools and LAs - ‘using evidence as feedback to inform improvment’

17 Assessment is for Learning in a coherent national system of assessment Formative Summative InternalExternal Formative assessment Personal learning planning Involving learners, and parents and other adults, in the learning process Teachers’ judgements, with local moderation and (electronic) National Assessments as part of quality assurance Scottish Survey of Achievement P3, P5, P7, S2 National Qualifications International studies HMIE inspections LA collection and analysis of school’s information to inform provision and improvement HMIE feedback and subject/ quality/improving reports

18 ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING What is an AifL School? A Place Where Everyone is Learning Together Curriculum Learning and Teaching Assessment Our pupils and staff help to set their own learning goals Our pupils and staff practise self- and peer-assessment Our pupils and staff identify and reflect on their own evidence of learning Staff use a range of evidence from day-to-day activities to check on pupils’ progress Staff talk and work together to share standards in and across schools Staff use assessment information to monitor their establishment’s provision and progress, and to plan for improvement Our pupils, staff and parents are clear about what is to be learned and what success would be like Our pupils and staff are given timely feedback about the quality of their work and how to make it better Our pupils and staff are fully involved in deciding next steps in their learning and identifying who can help Our classroom assessment involves high quality interactions, based on thoughtful questions, careful listening and reflective responses Using evidence as feedback to inform improvement

19 AifL-Assessment is for Learning  Empowering those at the chalkface  Continued (level) funding for LAs and ASGs  Renewed emphasis on teachers’ ownership and involvement through ASG ‘action research’  Support from LTS development officers for teachers in ASG projects  Local area ASG networking meetings  Universities – evaluation of impact and ITE  LA field officers and moderators for SSA in authorities to support ‘sharing the standard’  AifL triangle ‘toolkit’ pack for schools  Website, case studies, newsletters

20 Assessment is for Learning