Making Good
Assessment Decisions
Contents
Making Good
Assessment
Decisions
Planning for
assessment as
part of learning
National quality
assurance
How to ensure quality
and confidence in
assessment
Carrying out
assessment as
part of learning
SQA quality
assurance of National
Qualifications...
Quality assurance …
Making professional
judgements
SQA quality
assurance of National
Qualifications...
Resources available
on Education
Scotland’s website
Local quality assurance
and moderation
(within and across
establishments)
Evaluation
NAR Flowchart
Local quality assurance
and moderation
(within and across
establishments)
Making Good
Assessment
Decisions
Why is consistency
of judgement
important?
Local quality assurance
Planning for
assessment as
part of learning
Local quality assurance
(within and across
establishments)
Introduction to presentation
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Making Good
Assessment Decisions
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This presentation is
intended to highlight the
range of resources which
are available to support
the making of good
assessment decisions
How to ensure quality and
confidence in assessment
“A national system for
quality assurance and
moderation for 3-18 will
be developed to support
teachers in achieving
consistency and confidence
in their professional
judgements”
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(Building the Curriculum 5: A framework for assessment, p4)
Quality Assurance…
• is robust and rigorous and gives confidence in teachers’
judgements.
• provides the opportunity for teachers to collaborate and
participate in professional dialogue and collegiate working.
• ensures fairness for all children and young people and is open
and transparent to all staff, parents and learners.
• is fit for purpose and proportionate with processes articulating
across stages and sectors.
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Resources available on Education Scotland’s website
View Assessment and moderation
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NAR Flowchart
View NAR Flowchart
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Why is consistency of
judgement important?
• It increases awareness about the variety of ways in which
learners may respond to an assessment task.
• It provides staff with confidence in their ability to make
judgements.
• Staff develop shared understandings that enhance classroom
practice and support alignment of curriculum and assessment.
• It helps staff support improvements for learners.
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Principles and
Practice
Planning for assessment
as part of learning
Design the
learning
intentions from
the Es and Os
or Course
Specifications
Agree the
types of task
that would
allow learners
to demonstrate
the success
criteria
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National Course
Specifications
Discuss and
reach
consensus on
the related
success
criteria for
learners
Principles and
Practice
Planning for assessment
as part of learning
Is the
assessment
fit for
purpose?
Does the
evidence
allow
judgements
about
progress and
next steps?
How is
professional
dialogue
encouraged
and
developed?
How do you
know what
quality
achievement
looks like?
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National Course
Specifications
What
information
do you collect
and use?
Carrying out assessment as part of learning
•
Do activities allow all learners to develop and demonstrate their
knowledge and understanding, skills, attributes and capabilities?
•
Do the approaches to assessment enable you to focus on the
progress of each learner?
•
Is there sufficient variety in the evidence gathered to allow
judgements about progress and next steps?
•
How are samples of learners’ work checked against the success
criteria or marking scheme?
•
Do you ensure that judgements are shared with colleagues to
reach a shared understanding?
•
How confident are you that your judgements can be justified to the
learner or parent?
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Making professional
judgements
What input does
each member of
staff have on
what is
collected and
how?
How is
consistency
promoted, and
how are
judgements and
procedures
refined for
future use?
How is
professional
dialogue
encouraged and
developed?
On what
basis do staff
compare and
discuss
judgements?
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What
opportunities
are given to
explain the
context of the
evidence?
Local quality assurance and moderation
(within and across establishments)
Moderation...
‘...is the term used to describe approaches for
arriving at a shared understanding of standards
and expectations for the broad general
education.’
‘...involves teachers and other professionals as
appropriate working together drawing on
guidance and exemplification and building on
existing standards and expectations.’
‘...encourages professional dialogue.’
(Building the Curriculum 5: A framework for assessment, p35)
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Local quality assurance and moderation
(within and across establishments)
In one model, staff review
and assess learners’ work
independently.
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Working with others, staff
engage in the moderation
process and reach
consensus.
Staff individually assess
all their responses based
on decisions reached at
moderation.
Local quality assurance
Verification is used to confirm that...
• centres' assessment decisions are sound
(ie valid, reliable and practicable).
• national standards are being uniformly applied.
• assessments are accurately and consistently
applied across all candidates and levels.
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Local quality assurance
(within and across establishments)
Agree assessment standards by...
• working with staff across different stages or
departments within your establishment.
• working with colleagues in associated
schools/colleges or with schools within the local
authority.
• becoming involved in local professional learning
activities.
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National quality assurance
Setting and agreeing national standards by...
• using and sharing material through Glow/NAR.
• making use of SQA guidance and Assessment
Support Materials.
• becoming involved in national professional
learning programmes.
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SQA quality assurance of National Qualifications…
• establishes and maintains national standards.
• promotes a shared understanding of national
standards.
• builds confidence in assessment decisions taken
by staff.
• develops a collaborative and partnership approach
with schools, colleges, local authorities and SQA.
• builds long-term capacity.
• reduces risk.
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SQA quality assurance of National Qualifications…
•
Quality Assurance Panels and Nominees – a pool of
nationally trained experts from all sectors who will share
information about national standards and quality assurance
and provide support.
•
Trained Nominees will be drawn from the pool to undertake
verification activity and apply national standards.
•
Verification in November/December, February and May –
allowing for early identification of issues and provision of
support and guidance.
•
Intense verification in the first three years, leading to an
intelligence-led approach being adopted.
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Evaluation
How might our
moderation
processes be
extended to other
curricular areas?
What did the
moderation
process reveal
about the
knowledge of the
curriculum and
progression in
learning, or about
assessment?
What further
professional
development
might be needed?
How can the
information
gained from
moderation be
shared across
other areas of the
school?
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How does this
impact on our
improvement
planning process?
Making Good
Assessment Decisions
Additional Resources
•
Education Scotland Sharing Standards and Expectations http://bit.ly/QUrhNX
•
Building The Curriculum Series http://bit.ly/ROA5bq
•
Education Scotland Assessment and Moderation http://bit.ly/Vfwl03
•
National Assessment Resource https://www.narscotland.org.uk
•
NAR Flowchart http://bit.ly/TBdjoB
•
Principles and Practice Papers http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk
•
SQA course material www.sqa.org.uk/cfe
•
SQA Quality Assurance http://www.sqa.org.uk/cfeqa
•
SQA Academy: http://www.sqaacademy.org.uk
•
SQA quality assurance of National Qualifications: http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/3911.html
•
Education Scotland Professional Focus Papers http://bit.ly/TxFZxG
•
Curriculum for Excellence: Assessing progress and achievement in the 3-15 broad general education
(CfE Briefing 2) http://bit.ly/Oj1n6r
•
Education Scotland: Assessing progress and achievement. Professional learning resource
http://bit.ly/13doMy6
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