1. www.cemcentre.org CEM Conference

2. www.cemcentre.org Welcome Peter Tymms

3. www.cemcentre.org Outline The day Assessment for excellence –Why Monitor? –Choices –Layers –Traps CEM E-Assessment Metrics

4. www.cemcentre.org Why Monitor From “Assessment for Curriculum for Excellence”: –to support learning; –to give assurance to parents and others; –to provide a summary of what learners have achieved; –to inform future improvements

5. www.cemcentre.org Some key points From time to time teachers also take stock of their learners’ progress. –This is vital in ensuring that learners’ progress is on track. –This stocktaking is particularly important at transitions. CfE emphasises literacy and numeracy Greater breadth and depth of learning and a greater focus on skills development The practices for arriving at a shared understanding of standards and expectations involve teachers Self-evaluation in schools –It is important that staff in schools reflect on a wide range of sources of information. They need to have easily available valid and reliable performance data to help to identify areas of strength, aspects which prompt further questions, and scope for improvement

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7. Choices: Assessment Domains Physical Cognitive Affective Behavioural

8. www.cemcentre.org Layers of Information Brain modules Schools Authorities Classes Pupils

9. www.cemcentre.org Traps Relying entirely on teacher assessment –Reliability? Comparability? Bias? Discrimination Believing that top down accountability raises standards –Failed south of the border Using only aggregate data –Ecological fallacy

10. www.cemcentre.org CEM 1,000,000+ students each year 1000s schools Ages 3 to 18+ Scotland, England, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Hong Kong, China, S. Africa 100s of international schools Confidential and accurate Translations into a dozen languages Norm and criterion Paper based and e-assessment Cognitive, affective, physical and behavioural With support

11. www.cemcentre.org E-Assessment Two main approaches –Flat assessment – paper move directly on to computers –Adaptive assessments – capitalising on advances in psychometrics and IT capacity

12. www.cemcentre.org Traditional approach LowAverageHigh

13. www.cemcentre.org Individual approach LowAverageHigh

14. www.cemcentre.org Disadvantages Closed questions Computer access Atmosphere in computer room Not suited to high stakes tests. Gremlins Takes years of development

15. www.cemcentre.org Advantages Efficient Economical Rapid Good student experience Detailed feedback LAN or web Green Standards referencing and/or norm referencing

16. www.cemcentre.org What children know and can do

17. www.cemcentre.org Which metric?

18. www.cemcentre.org Choices: Criterion and Norm Referencing

19. www.cemcentre.org Possibilities Norm referenced –IQ style –T scores –Z scores –Age equivalents Criterion Referenced –A, B C etc –Alpha, beta etc –1st, 2:1, 2:2 etc

20. www.cemcentre.org Issues Criterion referencing generally preferred Because –Progress is clear –We can work together –Goals are clear –Can tracking progress

21. www.cemcentre.org But

22. www.cemcentre.org Reporting in CfE Experiences and Outcomes @ levels –Developing –Consolidating –Secure Are these categories discriminating enough? Will they satisfy parents? How will modest progress be shown? How will agreement be ensured across Scotland?

23. www.cemcentre.org Possibility

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