1. Understanding Standards: Nominee Training Event
Gaelic (Learners)
Higher and Advanced Higher

2. Introduction and welcome
Principal Verifier, Deputy Principal Verifier, Team Leaders, Qualifications Team member(s)
Thank you!
House-keeping
Tea and coffee refreshed mid-morning/mid-afternoon
Lunch around 12.30
Close around 15.30
Expenses claim forms on exit

3. Aims of the day
To support Nominees in their understanding of national standards by:
Sharing updates
Reviewing learning points from session 2015/16
Review of Higher and Advanced Higher Course Reports information
Reviewing candidate evidence for Advanced Higher Specialist Study and Higher IACCA
Discussing this evidence and associated Assessment Standards with colleagues
Seeking clarification about national standards

4. Nominees should be able to:
Your role
Understand national standards
Participate in Verification rounds
Share national standards, updates and good practice within own centres and other centres in their local authorities
Nominees should be able to:

5. 2016/17 Updates Update on QA arrangements for session 2016/2017
Key Messages for 2015/16 published
Course reports for 2016 diet published (Autumn)
Course Assessment
Removal of Overall Purpose in some question papers
Revised N5/Higher Marking Instructions for Talking performance published (Autumn 2016), including new pegged mark in sustaining conversation

6. Approach to Assessment in Units : Understanding and Using Language
Learning points from 2015/16
Approach to Assessment in Units : Understanding and Using Language
Vast majority of centres used SQA UASPs
Some centres amended UASP questions/tasks to suit the needs of candidates
Few prior verified assessments
Some centre-devised assessments
Most centres submitted very clear and well-organised packages: facilitates the verification process and assists in providing useful feedback to centres.

7. Approach to Assessment in Units: Added Value Unit
Learning points from 2015/16
Approach to Assessment in Units: Added Value Unit
Majority followed the SQA AVU template although no requirement to use SQA template from session 15/16
Remind colleagues of reduction of number of Assessment Standards (revised version of AVU 3 Assessment Standards)
Centres used contexts that suited the needs of candidates/related to prior learning
Some centres provided audio-recordings for Presentation and Questions in AVU

8. Learning points from 2015/16
Approach to Assessment in Units: Talking tasks in Using Language / Added Value Units
Suitable level of language as per specifications
Open-ended questions, unless prompting candidates
Prolonged conversations can be detrimental to overall candidate performance
Some conversations sounded excessively rehearsed
Issues with pronunciation

9. Assessment Judgements: Understanding and Using Language
Learning points from 2015/16
Assessment Judgements: Understanding and Using Language
Vast majority of centres applied judging evidence reliably and in line with national standards
For Understanding Language, the Overall Purpose Question must be answered correctly to meet the Standard
Useful commentaries relating to candidates’ performances
Useful indication of where each Assessment Standard had been met on the candidates’ scripts
Amended Judging Evidence / ‘centre-devised’ marking schemes

10. Assessment Judgements: Understanding and Using Language
Learning points from 2015/16
Assessment Judgements: Understanding and Using Language
Professional judgement and a holistic approach in deciding whether candidates have achieved the Assessment Standards.
Could demonstrate achievement of the Assessment Standards across questions.
Credit evidence which meets an Assessment Standard wherever it is found.
Not always necessary to answer every question accurately or in great detail to achieve the Assessment Standards across the task.

11. Approach to Assessment: National 5/Higher IACCA - Performance
Learning points from 2015/16
Approach to Assessment: National 5/Higher IACCA - Performance
Detailed language for N5, detailed and complex language for Higher
Natural flow for many candidates achieved between Presentation and Conversation sections
At Higher, must go into at least one different context
Open-ended questions, unless prompting
Good to hear variety of topics and some conversations with shorter and longer answers

12. Approach to Assessment: National 5 / Higher Performance
Learning points from 2015/16
Approach to Assessment: National 5 / Higher Performance
Ensure questions in Conversation do not lead to repetition of language/structures covered in the Presentation
Some candidates struggled with the complexity of the language of the topic they had chosen.
Supportive interlocutors, without “taking over”
Unnecessarily prolonged performances can be detrimental to candidate performance
Focus on pronunciation when preparing candidates

13. Assessment Judgements: National 5/Higher Performance
Learning points from 2015/16
Assessment Judgements: National 5/Higher Performance
Majority of centres applied Marking Instructions in line with national standards
Most centres provided detailed commentaries in relation to candidates’ performances
Issues with poor pronunciation / audio-recordings
Breakdown of marks must be provided for verification to proceed
Application of marks for ‘sustaining conversation’ section

14. Internal Verification
Learning points from 2015/16
Internal Verification
Vast majority of centres provided evidence of internal verification for Unit and IACCA
Effectiveness of Internal Verification
Cross-marking and reasoning behind decisions
Use of the SQA Internal Verification toolkit

15. Number candidates (cumul.)
Higher – 2016 Course report information
H Gaelic (Learners)
Number candidates (cumul.) %
% cumul. A 34
40.5
A-B 56
26.2
66.7
A-C 71
17.8
84.5
A-D 75
4.8
89.3
No award 9
10.7
100
Entries 84

16. Where candidates performed well
Higher – 2016 Course report information
Where candidates performed well
QP 1:
Reading: Most candidates performed well
Translation: Some candidates performed very well
Directed Writing: best answers were able to extend the range of accurate responses over all the bullet points
QP 2:
Listening: monologue questions completed very well Literature: some excellent responses
Points for development/
advice to future candidates

17. Number candidates (cumul.)
Advanced Higher – 2016 Course report information AH
Gaelic (Learners)
Number candidates (cumul.) %
% cumul. A 11
45.8
A-B 18
29.2
75.0
A-C 21
12.5
87.5
A-D 23
8.3
95.8
No award 1
4.2
100
Entries 24

18. Where candidates performed well
Advanced Higher – 2016 Course report information
Where candidates performed well
QP 1:
Reading: Most candidates coped very well
Translation: Some very good translations
QP 2:
Listening: might have expected stronger performances
Discursive Writing: responses were of a high standard
Points for development/
advice to future candidates

19. Advanced Higher - Unit Assessments
Refer to the SSU UASP and Unit Specifications for details
Process of planning and researching a specialist study, and selecting and analysing evidence gathered.
Designed to help prepare for Coursework elements: 
a written portfolio of 1,200–1,500 words
a talking performance (part of the discussion with a Visiting Assessor)
Can use the log book in the UASP to record evidence of progress and for External Verification purposes
Specialist Study Unit – reminder

20. Specialist Study – sources of research/evidence
Option
At least two sources in the modern language, one of which must be written.
Source 1
Source 2
Literature
Written literary text in the modern language (eg novel, poetry, play, short story, etc)
Source in modern language (eg film, documentary, newspaper or academic article, biography, another literary text, etc)
Media
Media text in the modern language (eg film or from television, radio, newspapers, magazines, online, etc)
Written source in modern language (eg newspaper article, novel, academic article, etc)
Language in work
Written text in the modern language related to language in work (eg company/organisation/ government report, company/organisation/ government press release, newspaper or academic article, etc)
Source in the modern language (eg documentary, newspaper or academic article, company report, journal, business article, interviews, surveys, questionnaires, information gathered during work experience, etc)

21. Workshop 1 – 1hr approx Specialist Study Unit (SSU)
Review the published Powerpoint on SSU and discuss (15 min)
For each exemplar:
Review the task evidence/logbook with Assessment Standards and Judging Evidence Table
Judge the candidate evidence (Pass/Fail, for each AS + overall)
With your colleagues at your table, discuss:
Has the candidate met the Assessment Standards and why? Does everyone agree?
What further advice would you give to the centre (if any)?
Can you identify examples of good practice?
Judgement and feedback commentary from Principal Verifier/Deputy Principal Verifier after each candidate evidence
Specialist Study Unit (SSU)

22. Workshop 2 – 2hrs approx Higher and N5 IACCA
Review the revised Marking Instructions for N5 and Higher IACCA (15mins). Discuss.
We will listen to several performances. Take notes as you listen (focus on content, accuracy, pronunciation, level of language, variety of language: verbs, tenses, etc)
For each exemplar, we will focus on the Presentation and the Conversation separately:
Referring to the Marking Instructions, note your mark for presentation / Conversation + Sustaining the Conversation
How is ‘Sustaining the Conversation’ exemplified?
What further advice would you give to the centre (if any)?
Can you identify good practice?
Does everyone agree at your table?
Awarded marks and feedback commentary from PV/DPV after each section/performance.
Higher and N5 IACCA

23. Workshop 2 – 2hrs approx National 4 - Added Value Unit
Review the candidate evidence (15mins). Discuss reading answers.
Referring to the JET, note whether you think evidence is pass/fail for Assessment Standard 1.1
Listen to audio- recording
Discuss with colleagues at your table
Refer to JET, note whether you think evidence is pass/fail for Assessment Standard 1.2 and 1.3
What further advice would you give to the centre (if any)?
Can you identify good practice?
Does everyone agree at your table?
Feedback commentary from PV/DPV after each section

24. Any Questions? Thank you!
Remember to collect your expenses claim form and return your lanyard
Thank you!