Qualifications Update:
Mathematics, including
Lifeskills Mathematics and
Numeracy
Developing qualifications - drivers
• Progression – provide progression from Es & Os and maximise
continuity between levels
• More open and flexible requirements – fewer, broader
outcomes, more focus on skills
• Assessment which supports learning - open evidence
requirements – choice of assessment approaches –
opportunities for combined assessment
• Refreshed and relevant contexts for learning, providing
challenge and enjoyment
• Personalisation and Choice – in content/contexts for Units Added Value Unit at National 4
• Robust and credible – current high standards in qualifications
will be maintained
Relationship between CfE and SCQF Levels
Continues to 12
CfE
Levels
2
1
early
years
4
3
≈
4
3
SCQF
Levels
2
1
Key points for Numeracy, Lifeskills Mathematics
and Mathematics
Numeracy Unit :
• develop skills in number processes and handling
information in real-life contexts involving money, time and
measurement
• context-free so can be evidenced from any relevant area
of learning, life and work
• likely to be used as freestanding Unit
Lifeskills Mathematics :
• develops skills in handling information and mathematical
tasks in a range of personal and workplace contexts
• develop mathematical reasoning skills across the Units
Key points (2)
Mathematics :
• has a skills-based Unit structure, with reasoning skills developed
within all Units
• Operational skills are described at a high level within the Units
to encourage flexibility in learning and assessment
• Operational skills are broken down into sub-skills which will
form the basis of assessment at Unit level.
Assessment in Mathematics and Lifeskills Mathematics
• Calculators allowed in Unit assessment
• Access to calculators restricted in assessment of added value
• Formulae which are new to the level can / will be provided for
all assessments
• Added Value at National 4 assessed by two part test
• Added Value at National 5 assessment by two part question
paper
Unit Structure – Lifeskills
Mathematics
National 3
National 4
National 5
Manage Money and
Data
Managing Finance and
Statistics
Managing Finance and
Statistics
Shape, Space and
Measures
Geometry and
Measures
Geometry and
Measures
Numeracy
Numeracy
Numeracy
Unit Structure - Mathematics
National 4
National 5
Expressions and Formulae
Expressions and Formulae
Relationships
Relationships
Numeracy
Applications
Fallback arrangements (1)
Lifeskills Mathematics : National 5 ► 2:
• At all levels Units can contribute to Course Award at the
level below
• Fallback from “National 5” to “National 4” would also
require completion of, and entry for, Added Value Unit to
achieve Course at National 4
Fallback arrangements (2)
Mathematics - National 4 ►3:
To be awarded Lifeskills Mathematics National 3
• If all National 4 Units in Mathematics are achieved( except
AV Unit) candidate can be awarded Lifeskills Mathematics
3
• All Units achieved at National 4 Mathematics these will be
noted on certificate
Fallback arrangements (3)
Mathematics - National 5►4 :
To be awarded National 4 Mathematics
• Expressions and Formulae (Nat 5)and Relationships (Nat 5)
can contribute to Course at National 4
• Candidate must have successfully evidenced Numeracy
Unit at National 4 or National 5
- National 5 Units are likely to provide most of this
evidence but supplementary evidence for probability
also required
• Successful completion of Added Value Unit at National 4
• Separate entry for National 4 Numeracy required
New Quality Assurance arrangements
•
Will cover new National 1 to National 5 from 2013/14
•
New arrangements will promote shared understanding of
national standards through a collaborative and partnership
approach
•
New ‘Nominee’ role - provides a pool of nationally trained
experts
•
Intense verification in the first 3 years, then an intelligence
led approach will be adopted
•
Verification in Nov/Dec, Feb and Apr/May - allows for early
identification of issues and support/guidance to be given
Assessment Support Schedule 2012/13
Oct 12 to Mar 13
N2 to N5 Unit Assessment Support (Package 1)
Feb 13
N2 to N5 Unit Assessment Support (Package 2)
Feb 13
N5 Specimen Question Paper
Apr 13
N2 to N5 Unit Assessment Support (Package 3)
Apr 13
N5 Specimen Coursework (Not applicable for
Maths / LMaths)
Apr 13
N4 Added Value Assessment Support
Mathematics and Lifeskills
Mathematics
Unit Assessment
National 3 to National 5
Unit assessment
• Flexible and open Assessment Standards and Evidence
Requirements in Units
• Greater range of techniques and methodologies for assessment –
encouraged through Unit assessment support packages
• Assessments can be designed to provide evidence across more
than one outcome or Unit – combined assessments
• More opportunities to gather naturally occurring evidence –
assessment as part of learning and teaching
Unit Assessment Support
packages – purpose
Assessment support packages will be provided which you can
use to:
• Assess your candidates
• Adapt for your own assessment programmes
• Help you develop your own assessments
Unit Assessment Support
packages – key features
• Valid from August 2013
• Designed to encourage professional judgement
• Provide broad-based tasks – allow assessors to choose
appropriate context and forms of evidence
• Show range of approaches to generating assessment evidence
• Give information on the type of evidence which could be
gathered and how this is to be judged against Assessment
Standards
Unit Assessment Support
packages – key features
Purpose and Overview
• Purpose - what is being assessed – one Unit / two
Units / selected Outcomes or Assessment Standards
• Description – approach used in exemplar
• Flexibility – reference to how this might be
presented to candidates
Unit Assessment Support
packages – key features
Assessment conditions
• Support - peer support, dealing with group work,
teacher prompts
• Time - not a constraint (conditions must be the same
for all approaches )
• Resources – use of calculators, formula sheets
Unit Assessment Support
packages – key features
Gathering and judging evidence
•
•
•
•
Practical approaches to retaining evidence
Importance of consistent application of standard
Specific advice for exemplar in the package
Specific marking guidance
Judging evidence
Outcomes
Assessment
standards
What evidence must
cover
Making
assessment
judgements
How much is
required &
how well it is
done
Meeting the
standard
using this
example
From where
in assessment
task can
evidence be
obtained, e.g.
question
number / task
Unit assessment support
packages - approaches
Mathematics
Package 1
• Unit by Unit approach – discrete assessment tasks
for each Unit
Package 2
• Combined approach – groups Outcomes and
Assessment Standards from different Units
Package 3
• Portfolio approach – naturally occurring evidence
Relationships : National 5
Assessment
standard
Judging the evidence
Question
Number
Operational skill 1.1
(Applying algebraic
skills to linear
equations )
At least half of the main points of
process and accuracy associated with
the sub-skills in this assessment
standard have been successfully
demonstrated
Questions 1 to
5
Operational skill 1.2
(Applying algebraic
skills to graphs of
quadratic rel’ships)
At least half of the main points of
process and accuracy associated with
the sub-skills in this assessment
standard have been successfully
demonstrated
Questions 6
to 9
Reasoning skill : 2.1 (
Interpreting a
situation ….)
This assessment standard should be
achieved on at least one occasion.
Questions 3
and 16
Relationships National 5
No. of points
of process
Assessment Question
and accuracy
standard
Number
in this
sample
Minimum number
of points in this
sample
assessment
Operational skill
1.1
1 -5
10
5
Operational skill
1.2
6-9
9
5
Reasoning skill :
2.1
3 and 16
2
1
Unit Assessment Support
reassessment
• normally one reassessment
• different questions
• if not all sub skills sampled in first assessment
expected that different ones would be used in
any reassessment
Mathematics Workshop
Unit assessment support
packages - approaches
Lifeskills Mathematics (including Numeracy)
Package 1
• Unit by Unit approach – discrete assessment tasks for each Unit
Package 2
• Combined approach including Numeracy – groups Outcomes and
Assessment Standards from different Units,
AND
• Unit by Unit approach (Numeracy) – discrete assessment tasks for each
Unit
Package 3
• Unit by Unit – discrete assessment tasks using SOLAR based eassessment
Lifeskills Maths
Assessment
standard
Judging the evidence
Question
Number
Strategies:
Identified valid/effective methods and/or
approaches, e.g. theorem or formulae to
solve given problems or answer questions
in at least half ….
Questions 1–4
Processes:
Used the appropriate steps and/or
techniques….. Processes must be correct
or followed through correctly in at least
half…...
Questions 1–4
Communication:
Communicate mathematical information
and/or justified solutions by using the
results of measurements or calculations in
at least half of the finance opportunities
available in the specific assessment
guidelines.
Questions 1–4
Numeracy
Assessment
standard
(example)
Judging the evidence
Question
Number
Selecting and
using appropriate
numerical
notation and
units
Selected/used appropriate numerical
Tasks 1–4:
notation for calculations and/or recording
measurements on at least one occasion
for each of the following: money, time and
measurement.
Extracting and
interpreting data
Extracted and interpreted data from one
graphical form correctly.
Task 5
Lifeskills Mathematics / Numeracy
Workshop
Qualifications Update:
Lifeskills Mathematics
SOLAR
• Online delivered rules-based assessments
• Dynamically generated from bank of quality
assured questions every time
• Pre-verified question content with no
verification requirement*
• Can be delivered securely on USB/Laptop
offline
• Supports assessment-on-demand and
when-ready
SOLAR & Lifeskills
• E-only whole unit assessment
• Dynamically generated using rules and
criteria
• Pass awarded if standard in each outcome is
met
• Range of question types and marking
methods
• Supports e-verification
Marking methods
• Automatic
• Smart
• Human/manual
Re-Assessment
• Whole unit re-assessment
• Outcome-level re-assessment
• Using same bank of question items and
same rules as first attempt
• Same QA rules apply as for paper-based
delivery
Available from 30 April 2013
• Single fixed version assessments for each of
the 9 units
• Exemplifying question types and structure
of assessment
Available from August 2013
• Dynamic-rules based summative
assessment for each unit, verified and
quality assured
• Formative assessments at N3, N4 and N5
On-going Development
• Further development of question items
• Production of formative questions to
support system use and learning
On-going Development
•
•
•
•
•
Know the subject
Experience of teaching
Evidence of materials development
Interested in learning
Available between April 2013 – Sept 2014
Have A Go
SOLAR Questions
Graeme Clark
SOLAR Manager
solar@sqa.org.uk
www.sqasolar.org.uk
Mathematics and
Lifeskills Mathematics
Added Value Assessments:
- National 5 Course Assessment
- National 4 Added Value Unit
Adding Value – National 4,
National 5
• Each Course at National 4 and National 5
includes assessment of Added Value
• For National 4, the added value is in an
Added Value Unit - not graded
• For National 5, the added value is in the
Course Assessment - graded A - D (as at
present)
Added Value
• Makes the Course more than the sum of its parts
• Builds on current Course assessment and Group Award
approaches
• Defined as breadth, challenge and/or application as
outlined in Building the Curriculum 5
• May involve accumulation, assimilation, integration
and/or application of skills, knowledge and
understanding
National 5 – Lifeskills Mathematics
– Specimen Question Paper
National 5 : Mathematics –
Specimen Question Paper
National 4 Added Value Unit
– Lifeskills Mathematics and
Mathematics
National 4 Added Value Unit
– Lifeskills Mathematics and
Mathematics