Counterblast
ASSESSING ASSESSMENT
Politics or progress?
Tony Ashmore
Malcolm Trobe
Executive Summary
High stakes external assessment has come to dominate the educational experience of students in our schools and colleges. Assessment is important. It is an everyday tool used by teachers to determine what students know and can do, and to plan their teaching. Students need evidence of their attainments for entry to higher education and employment. Schools and Colleges are rightly held accountable for the service they provide and Government needs evidence to develop policy.
However, the amount of assessment has increased, its purposes have become confused and in some instances counterproductive. The curriculum has become narrowed and teaching has been diminished as a profession. Too much time and money that could otherwise be used for productive learning is wasted on external assessments.
Prime responsibility for assessment should be restored to schools and colleges through initial and continuing professional development of teachers. A cadre of Chartered Assessors – teachers in schools and colleges with enhanced expertise in, and responsibility for, assessment - should be established. Qualifications awarded to students at the end of compulsory education should continue to be externally verified.
The assessment industry (awarding bodies) should refocus its activities on applied research and development in assessment methodology. The industry should produce assessment tools and professional development for teachers and a much slimmed down external verification service.
In this government's first term, there was a strong focus on primary education. The literacy and
numeracy strategies saw improvements in the teaching of the basic subjects. But once those
initial improvements had been achieved, the government turned its attention to secondary
schools. Primary test results stalled. There was little attention - aside from Jim Rose’s 2005
report on phonics - paid to the quality of teaching for younger pupils.
Although there have subsequently been reviews of the curriculum and further endeavours to
introduce catch-up programmes in the basics, there has been too little systematic attention paid
to these formative years of a child’s development. And while there are a number of exciting
initiatives to attract the brightest and best to teach in our secondary schools, primary schools
and their teachers risk being treated as the poorer cousins of the sector.
Yet without a good primary education, it is far more difficult to achieve well in secondary school
and to hope to go on to further and higher education. Extensive international and national
evidence tells us that, while what children learn is very important, how they are taught and by
whom is decisive in maximising progress and achievement, particularly for those from poorer
backgrounds.
So this paper seeks to put a spotlight on the critical importance of recruiting the best men and
women in the country to teach our primary-aged children.
The Tories plan to scrap SATs as this week's headlines proclaim opens up a much-needed debate about tracking pupils' progress between primary and secondary colleagues.
It is certainly true that, since the advent of SATs in the 1990s, the vast majority of secondary schools have continued to test pupils on entry, not fully trusting what the Year 6 results were saying. Though whether that argues the case for abolishing Year 6 national tests is another matter altogether.
Michael Gove’s announcement may well be a shrewd move to bring out into the open what primary and secondary heads really think about tests at 11+. And a skilful manoeuvre to flush out the teaching unions’ views on the future of tests throughout the school system.
The current government’s think-tank on assessment is placing real store by the School Report Cards. But they may fall, given a national election beckons.
What should we do about SATs, CATs, reading and spelling tests and the rest? Who are they for? What do they tell us about children and young people? And what do results tell us about schools? How would Ofsted operate without test scores and Raiseonline?
The National Education Trust is holding an Invitation Seminar, in conjunction with ASCL, in early September. We shall use this seminar as a starting point for the Trust’s thinking on tests and assessment. We wish to offer informed advice to shape national policy from 2010.
Please send any comments you have on this, and on any related issues around assessment, to
Roy Blatchford
Director
31 March 2009
Read the NET response to Sir Jim Rose's Interim Report on the Primary Curriculum by Richard Howard, with contributions from some of our Leading Thinkers and from associated schools and individuals.
Overall, NET warmly welcomes the thrust and direction of the Interim Report. One respondent wrote: "…this wide-reaching, thoughtful, cogently argued, balanced review says important things about the education of primary children, and offers much that will inform, enlighten and sustain those involved with it." Click here to read the full response.
3 February
21st Century Schools by Tony Ashmore
The National Education Trust (NET) broadly welcomes and supports the government's overall vision of a 21st century school system, but cautions that there is still much to be done to achieve collaboration between schools, colleges and other services for children. Click to read the full article ...
27 January
Looking for a NEET solution by Roy Blatchford
It will be 2015 before the long march to compulsory education and training up to 18 is complete, unless we are overwhelmed by a depression with a capital D, and we find last year’s legislation becomes next year’s law. Click to read the full article ...
8 December
Sir Jim Rose's Interim Report on the Primary Curriculum
The National Education Trust warmly welcomes Sir Jim Rose's Interim Report on the Primary Curriculum. He proposes a number of sensible changes and developments, anticipating the future and reflecting best primary practice already in evidence across the country. He is particularly - and rightly - focused on improving literacy, numeracy and ICT skills for all our children, and ensuring smooth transitions from the early years to the primary years, and right through to secondary school. A commentary from Roy Blatchford can be accessed here.
For further information and comment, please contact Marc Rowland (T 02077020707).
21 November
Let's stand up for our children! by Roy Blatchford
The cover of iconic TIME magazine recently asked the question whether Britain's young people were 'unhappy, unloved and out of control'. Click to read the full article ...
30 October
"Events dear boy, events" Tony Ashmore
These oft repeated words of Harold Macmillan, when asked what could blow a government off course, came to mind in an unlikely context over the summer. Click to read the full article ...
3 July 2008
An open letter to HMCI
Dear Christine Gilbert
At a time when you are asking the question 'What next for Ofsted?'…>> more
The Children's Plan
The National Education Trust warmly welcomes the major thrust of the Children’s Plan and the resources that government is pledging to realise its ambitions…>> more
31 March 2009