‘Education has for its purpose not the imparting of particular knowledge but the strengthening of mental faculties’ (Kant c1770)

 ‘An assessment’ cannot be valid or invalid, only ‘the interpretation’ of results (Newton 2011)

The role of the Teacher is to arrange victories for the students Quintilian AD

Role of assessment in new qualifications ♦Supports learning, personalisation and choice ♦Supports formative, evaluative and summative purposes ♦Develops subject/discipline skills, knowledge, understanding ♦Develops skills for learning life and work ♦Supports teacher professionalism ♦Enables the sharing of standards ♦Supports equality and inclusion (2010 Act) ♦Supports progression to further study and employment ♦High standards, integrity and relevance

What is assessment In SQA qualifications, assessment is defined as the process of evaluating how effectively learning is occurring. It is the process of generating and collecting evidence of a learner’s attainment of knowledge and skills, and judging that evidence against defined standards for formal certification Guide to Assessment (2009)

Assessment in New National Courses Assessment of the new National Courses and Units builds on the strengths of previous National Courses and Units and has been shaped and developed by a coherent policy framework.

Course Assessment  Almost all Courses at from National 5 to Advanced Higher have coursework and a Question Paper  Internal assessment of Courses up to SCQF level 4  Publication of Course Assessment Specifications  Assessment based on annual sample drawn from Unit skills, knowledge and understanding  Added Value assessment - breadth, challenge and application – more than the sum of its parts  Must use 7 agreed assessment methods  Controlled Assessment  External marked or internally marked and externally verified

Assessment methods Added value will be assessed using seven broad methods:  Assignment  Case study  Practical activity  Performance  Portfolio  Project  Question paper/test

Controlled Assessment of Courses  SQA Controlled Assessment: –SQA-led, shared responsibility, centre-led –secures validity and reliability in setting, conducting and marking –provides appropriate manageability for all involved –ensures that assessment is fair and consistent and that assessment methods are reliably applied for all learners in all centres

Unit assessment  Very flexible and open Outcomes and Assessment Standards, and Evidence Requirements.  Generic assessment criteria based on broad outcomes  Fit for purpose assessment, assessment and  Use of naturally occuring evidence  Teachers/lecturers decide method and context  Designed to provide evidence from combined assessment across more than one outcome or Unit  Supportive, intensive external verification

Skills for learning, life and work  New SQA skills framework: –Literacy –Numeracy –Health and Wellbeing –Employability and Enterprise Skills + Citizenship –Thinking Skills  Skills to be developed in new National Courses and Units as appropriate  Advice and guidance given in Course/Unit Support Notes

Assessment support SQA provides quality assured assessment materials and exemplars to support the new qualifications. Including  Specimen question papers  Specimen Coursework information  Coursework assessment tasks  Unit assessments  Underpinning of robust QA partnership Schools, colleges and local authorities can use SQA developed specimen assessments. They are encouraged to develop their own assessments and to develop and share additional materials to assist in understanding and implementing standards.