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Cracking the code
A key component of the success of any assessment is to ensure measurable standards are incorporated. This was a key conclusion of a recent conference held in Glasgow.
The Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) at Durham University, in conjunction with Fife council, hosted the latest Assessment for Excellence (AfE) conference in Glasgow during March. The conference saw a number of delegates from various local authorities come together to look in more depth at Quality Assurance within Assessment and how to move the agenda forward from the previous meeting, held in June last year.
The purpose of the meeting was to facilitate discussion around different methods of assessing pupils' progress in the context of CfE. Examples of developing practice, some of which included CEM's widespread monitoring systems, were given.
One of the day's main discussion points concerned how teachers should implement and use the data provided by CEM to add value to the other methods of assessing their pupils.
This was deemed to be of high importance because, if teachers could measure how a pupil is progressing, they could see where interventions are needed to help that child. Being able to accurately measure this progress is where CEM comes in.
CEM offer assessments for both primary and secondary level pupils that provide detailed information on an individual level and on a wider scale. The information provided through CEM assessments can help teachers monitor pupils' progress, set targets, facilitate school improvement and inform the teaching and learning process.
The assessment provides raw and standardised scores in core areas of the curriculum through the use of computer-based assessments, covering everything from early maths, reading and phonological awareness for primary pupils to vocabulary, non-verbal and additional skills for secondary pupils.
Fife Council has been using the CEM assessments in its authority for the past 11 years and had a wealth of information and experience to share with the rest of the conference.
Ken Greer, Executive Director of Education for Fife Council, addressed the importance of setting standards to ensure that assessment data was being used appropriately. He said: "We don't want assessments that don't support learning. We want to promote improvements in learning, teaching and schools' performance."
The Head of Education for Fife, Craig Munro, talked about how breaking the data down on an individual level helps teachers in Fife see how they are adding value for a pupil, as well as identifying areas for improvement.
He said: "It comes down to the quality of what happens in the classroom, putting children at the centre. If we know a child can attain better, how can we help? We need to become interventionists."
Director of Research and Development for CEM, Christine Merrell, posed the key question of the day. She said: "The big question for many people is, 'How do we translate this data into improving learning?' We offer research-based advice on how to help children succeed in the classroom and we give detailed feedback which the teacher can use alongside their detailed professional knowledge of each pupil."
South Ayrshire Council implemented the CEM assessment system in their primary schools this year.
Quality Improvement Manager in the Children and Community Directorate in South Ayrshire Council, Mona McCulloch, said: "We felt that it was important that we take our time and get this right so we get measurable standards. We decided to go with CEM because a lot of authorities already used their monitoring systems so there was a big network of support.
"We have found that the maths and writing assessments give early indications of children who may require additional support, as well as confirming the progress of those who are doing well."
The day finished with a group discussion on the real issues facing local authorities in terms of assessment. The main points that were made included taking time when implementing a system such as CEM to ensure it is fully utilised, as well as keeping in mind that these assessments do not replace formative assessments which are key to the teaching process, but rather act as a tool to enhance the results.
For further information on CEM systems please visit www.cemafe.org
CEM Facts
- CEM has been providing assessment systems for more than 25 years and holds one of the largest educational data banks in the UK.
- It assesses more than 1,000,000 students each year.
- CEM systems are used by almost half of Scottish local authorities.
- It is the largest provider of computer adaptive assessments outside the United States.
- It assesses pupils in a number of countries worldwide, including: Scotland, England, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Hong Kong, China, and South Africa.