1. Curriculum and Assessment in Northern Ireland

2. Background Foundation Stage Years 1 - 2 Ages 4 - 6
Key Stage 1 Years 3 – 4 Ages 7 – 8
Key Stage 2 Years 5 – 7 Ages 9 – 10
Key Stage 3 Years 8 – 10 Ages 11 – 14
11+ / Transfer Test for transition to post-primary schools

3. Reasons for Change Perceived problems in NI
Impact of social deprivation
Gender gap
Wider spread of attainment than elsewhere
Extent of remediation in English and Maths
Experience from other countries
Research evidence – educational and neurological
Early evidence from NI Early Years’ pilot project

4. Reasons for Change Subjects fragmented Too much content
Not enough emphasis on skills
Impact of the Transfer Test
Assessment limited to TA in English and Maths at KS2
Assessment limited to tests in English, Maths Science at KS3
Moderation process sound but limited eg no follow-up
Outcomes of assessment lack meaning for parents
Transfer Test was discredited

5. Changes Characteristics Enriched curriculum in Years 1 and 2
Reduced content
Learning areas not subjects
More teacher autonomy
Emphasis on
Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities
Relevance and enjoyment
Formative assessment – AfL Agenda
Informed teacher judgement
Introduction of the Annual Pupil Profile

6. Key Principles - Assessment
Assessment should not distort the curriculum and must match learning and teaching intentions
There should be a strong emphasis on assessment for learning including peer and self assessment
Teacher judgement must be well supported and quality assured
Progress and attainment must be reported to parents and pupils in ways that are meaningful
The system must provide the right information for key stakeholders to monitor achievement and progress

7. Annual Process
Diagnostic assessment in Literacy and Numeracy Years 4 - 7
Programme for teaching and learning for each year
Strategies and mechanisms for assessment and recording
Ongoing formative assessment during the year
Summative judgement at end of the year
Quality feedback to pupil and the parent

8. Product – The Pupil Profile
Pupil Profile – annual report
Replacement for end of key stage assessment
Covers the skills and learning areas according to key stage
Mixture of qualitative and quantitative information
Focuses in on achievement of the child
Flags concerns
Progress can be set in an overall context

9. The Pupil Profile Highlights continuity of progress and attainment
Builds up, over time, a realistic picture of a pupil’s attainment, skills and capabilities, attitudes, aptitudes and interests
Indicates areas for improvement and future learning
Ensures parents, pupils and teachers share the same realistic picture
Not a tool for selection

10. Pupil Profile - Primary
Level and comment for
Communication
Using Mathematics
ICT
Comments on
Personal Development, The Arts, World Around Us, PE and RE
Collective/generic comments for
Skills and Capabilities
Attitudes, Aptitudes and Interests
Highlight key areas for improvement

11. Pupil Profile - Post-Primary
Annual Reporting involving comments on
Attainment in Learning for Life and Work and the General Learning Areas
Skills and capabilities and attitudes, aptitudes and interests
And commentary on and measurement of
Communication, Using Mathematics and ICT
Areas for improvement
Opportunity for pupil input and parental feedback
The annual report is central to the new assessment arrangements. It will fulfil requirements for accountability by providing parents with a range of appropriate information on attainment in Learning for Life and Work and in the General Learning Areas and on progress and development of the skills and capabilities which the revised proposals see as being essential for lifelong learning. The skills of Communication, Application of Number and ICT will also be measured.
CCEA proposes to standardise the detail and method of reporting to parents. The report will be broad and balanced and based on current best practice. CCEA will develop systems to enable the report to be completed electronically with much of the basic information being inserted automatically. Comments can be generated by the teacher or drawn from a comment bank which can be customised to school needs and policy or by a combination of both systems.
Before the new method of reporting is introduced CCEA will trial and pilot reporting systems to ensure that they are effective and reliable.

12. Assessed and Measured Ongoing Process of assessment and recording
Background information based on observation and interaction
Levelling, as appropriate, and recording electronically outcomes of
class work and homework
set tasks and class tests
CCEA tasks
periodic reviews of attainment eg twice per term
Levels of progression have skill descriptors embedded in assessment criteria

13. Quality assurance Standard setting
Exemplification
Agreement trials (cross-phase)
Internal Standardisation
Local Moderation (cross-phase)
CCEA moderation
Feedback to schools focuses on improvement

14. Keeping parents informed
Parent – teacher meeting in October
On the table
Pupil Profile (Statutory)
Diagnostic information ( Non-statutory)
Learning Plan for the year ( Non-statutory)
Agenda for progress and achievement including parental input
Forum for parents and teachers to develop a partnerships based on good quality, well understood information

15. Improving parental confidence
Make parents aware of the assessment process and how it works
Make parents aware of the QA already in place
Continuing Professional Development
CCEA support
Standardised assessment items and tasks
Exemplar materials
Agreement trials
CCEA moderation
Explain how issues of “bias” and “objectivity” are dealt with
Emphasise the continuity of the Pupil Profile and what it means and how to use the information

16. ARG Paper Principles of summative assessment by teachers
Based on school’s programme of work
Explicitly linked to formative assessment
Involves pupils’ self assessment
Supported by pre-service courses and CPD
Supported by set tests/tasks where appropriate
Moderation appropriate to the purpose of assessment
Procedures consistent with local and national policies

17. Benefits Highlights continuity of progress and attainment over time
Builds up over time a shared and realistic picture of progress and achievement.
Continuity of information eg access to previous Pupil Profile reports.
Under-achieving pupils identified quickly and not allowed to drift through the system.
Parents will have the information to ask the right questions.
Supports rather than distorts teaching and learning.
Enables assessment for learning and not just of learning.
The information should promote better planning for learning.
All stakeholders will get the information they need

18. Key Issues Workload and manageability
Blanket diagnostic assessment and using the information effectively
Putting level in context of NI attainment for that year
Parental confidence in teacher assessment
Parental awareness
Teacher confidence in teacher assessment
Quality Assurance/Moderation
How rigorous should it be?
Local moderation?
Transition to post-primary
ICT – packages, confidence, competence and the platform
Timeline for implementation

19. Core Objective
To help parents and pupils in all school years decide on appropriate educational choices / pathways / courses by
providing consistent, high quality information about pupils’ progress, aptitudes and interests
ensuring that the information is meaningful to parents and easily understood
providing a basis for discussion between parents, pupils and schools

20. Thank you for listening Any questions?