Purposes of Assessment in Education

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This person will have knowledge of the individual and will be able to track his/her progress from entry to the school. They will also have extensive knowledge of the different tests that can be used for assessment. Initially, there will be a detailed discussion with the learner and their parent/carer. After this the testing process will begin using various specialist tests. What is being tested often relies on the teacher’s ‘evidence of need,’ plus any background knowledge given to the school by parents, the previous placement and KS2 data. The Specialist Assessor and the learner work together on recommendations to arm him/her on how best to succeed in the classroom. Once strategies are identified, they will be given to all teachers that work with that particular person, including possible further intervention outside the classroom.

As the learner heads into KS4 and formal assessment (GCSE) it may be that they will be offered some form of EAA (Exam Access Arrangements). Whatever EAA a learner is offered (and this depends on test scores), it has to be their ‘normal way of working’ in the classroom. There are many different types of EAA but the two most tested for and offered are, 25% Extra Time or a Reader. The first allows more time to process information, or the extra time needed to write, should slow writing be an issue and the second involves a teaching assistant reading questions to learners in the formal exam, and then reading the learner’s answers back to them. This is often used if reading is the main difficulty. If the issue is more of an overall moderate learning difficulty, then the learner may be offered both Reader and 25% Extra Time. If poor indecipherable writing is the key problem, learners may take their exams using a word processor or be offered as a last resort, a scribe who writes for them. Either of these EAAs is only offered if the learner uses it on a regular basis in the classroom setting. Of course, being assessed for EAA is never to give any candidate an advantage over their peers.

(4) ‘Access arrangements in exams allow students with particular requirements to perform to their best ability.’

In conclusion, the Purpose of Assessment in Education has many uses: Parents/Carers are kept informed of their child’s progress enabling them to play an active role in the on-going learning, assessment information can be used by senior school leaders for planning, and to decide the CPD needs of their staff, including resourcing or retraining, Ofsted will use the data to look at school improvement measures, and on a national level, it can influence policy decisions so that government funding is targeted to best support student outcomes.

(5) ‘Assessment can do more than simply diagnose and identify students’ learning needs; it can be used to assist improvements across the education system in a cycle of continuous improvement.’

Bibliography:

(1) Key Stage 2 - Assessment and Reporting Arrangements 2016 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/section2/keychange

(2) Introduction to Assessment for Learning https://www.assessmentforlearning.edu.au.

(3) Assessment for Learning Defined, 2005, Rick Stiggins, et al, http://ati.pearson.com/downloads/afldefined.pdf

(4) Access Arrangements for GCSE and A Level:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/access-arrangements

(5) Assessment in the Classroom – Underlying principles of Assessment for Learning/Purposes-of-assessment http://assessment.tki.org.nz