1. National Qualifications Update
Ronnie Summers
Head of Qualifications Development (CfE)

2. National Qualifications Update
NQ Research
Timeline of last 12 months
Planning for changes to documents
Subject Review Reports/Subject Updates
Planned changes to documentation
Recent communications

3. Timeline of last 12 months
SQA Qualifications Committee June 2015 — evaluation of new NQ implementation — two pieces of research work
Reflections Group reconvened July–October 2015
NQSTs convened, focusing on internal unit assessment November–December 2015
Fieldwork visits November 2015–January 2016
Slides 3/4 here to put events of the last 12 months into an order and some perspective. SQA had planned the pieces of research – Internal Unit Assessment and Fieldwork visits before the Reflections group was reconvened. A lot of discussion at the Reflections meetings in the interim. The NQSTs – the National Qualifications Subject Teams – had the chance to give us feedback on the new qualifications and we also received over 3000 responses to an online survey. The Fieldwork visits to over 40 schools allowed us to talk to S5/6 pupils about their experiences, to a range of staff and to senior management teams.

4. SQA Qualifications Committee — research reports February 2016
Working Party on Assessment and new National Qualifications (ANQ) January–March 2016
SQA Qualifications Committee — research reports February 2016
SQA internal dialogue on responses to issues
— three approaches, differing by subject
Subject Review Reports published May 2016
ANQ report and both research pieces published
That work all came together in reports to Qualifications Committee and we began to consider what actions could be put in place to lessen assessment and recording and some instances of duplication in some subjects. Determined on a three- approach model dependent on subject and this was the basis for the subject reports. In the meantime, the Working Group were debating various issues with Janet Brown able to put a lot of evidence in front of them - not all workload issues are caused by qualifications. ANQ report delayed by parliamentary election protocol until May when we published our subject review reports and the research reports.
While subject staff in schools will understandably focus on the subject review reports, it is important for senior leaders to have a very good understanding of the national issues identified in the ANQ report and issues identified in the two SQA research reports. There are actions for schools as well as local authorities. Link to these documents in my last slide.

5. Planning for changes to documents
Internal process — requests for change — occurs through the year; if agreed, held to right moment for release
April 2016 — Gill Stewart letter to centres (details anon) ‘Planned changes to documents’
Subject Updates published May 2016
Notification of changes spreadsheet (by curriculum area)
May 2016
The next 3 slides (5-7) deal with changes to documents. Normally, we have an internal process of requests for change which can arise out of verification, examinations and general feedback to SQA staff and we plan to refresh particular documents at specific times of year.
Some subjects have more change than others each year. RMPS courses have been internally reviewed following consultation as part of the request for change process – and thus able to insert changes into this round of planned changes to documents.
Slides 6 and 7 illustrate the usual process.
The Notification of Changes spreadsheets have also been updated to reflect the latest changes to documents. You can view these spreadsheets at - link provided in subject update document.

6. Planned changes to documents
Publication date
Documents
End of May 2016
Course and Unit Support Notes
End of August 2016
Unit Assessment Support Packs
End of September 2016
Coursework assessment tasks, specimen question papers and exemplar question papers
This schedule takes into account any necessary changes that are identified as a result of verification activities, the exam diet and feedback received from centres throughout the current session. It is anticipated that additional, critical changes may be identified for some subjects following the grade boundary meetings which take place during the summer months. Where such changes are identified, we will make further updates and publish these documents by the following dates (seen next slide)

7. Planned changes to documents contd.
Publication date
Documents
End of August 2016
*Course Specifications, Course Assessment Specifications, Unit Specifications
End of September 2016
*Course and Unit Support
Notes
* Further critical changes only

8. Subject Review Reports
Broader areas for consideration
Key issues
Action plan 2016–17
Action plan 2017–18
SQA has been engaging with teachers and lecturers on an ongoing basis, as well as gathering intelligence from the awarding and verification process. As a result of this work, SQA has created subject reports to give teachers and lecturers an insight into our planned incremental changes and further areas of investigation for each subject.
Subject review are all structured in the same way – a common Background section; key issues which emerged from NQST; Action Plan, usually for session 2016/17 generally covering unit assessment across the levels; course assessment and then a further section for session 2017/18. Some review reports are longer than others depending on the volume and complexity of what is planned.
Three approaches adopted in the subject review reports and these apply from session 2016/17 or later as indicated.
Mention the 3 assessment approaches:
Cut-off score (Maths and Sciences)
Threshold (5/6 A.S)
Assessment threshold
As SQA Co-ordinator, cannot be expected to hold all the subject changes in your head – your staff will go to the relevant documents for their subject/s. Very important staff are aware of these documents and apply them to reduce workload demands on staff and candidates. If in doubt – contact Liaison Team
Each report identifies the key issues for that subject and an associated action plan. Some of these are around the design and operation of Unit assessment, without compromising the credibility and integrity of the qualification.
But important that candidate weaknesses in certain assessment standards are rectified by the time they are tackling the coursework task and question paper. Good teaching and learning practice.
Review Reports can be found on subject web pages under the heading Updates and Announcements:

9. Impact of Subject Review Reports?
Changes in practice for session 2016–17
Unavoidable temporary misalignment of documents with practice UNLESS we held changes for a year
Subject Guidance Note on how Subject Review Report changes will impact on documents — early in session 2016–17
Changes to documents then occur to usual pattern
However, since the subject review reports reflect our decision to accelerate changes into session 2016/17, a consequence of this is that there will be a temporary misalignment of documents with the advice given by the subject update reports. The current teacher concern about workload meant it was preferable to make the changes now rather than delay for a year. While on fieldwork visits, teachers said they could by and large live with inconsistent documents. We chose to have misalignment rather than delay the changes and we think staff will welcome our decision. We plan to release a guidance note for nearly all subjects (does not apply to some) to cover this in more detail early on in session 2016/17. Bear in mind that the unit changes adjust the requirement for a pass in a unit.

10. Recent communications
The following documents have been published on
Executive summary of SQA initial evaluation of new National Courses
Research and Evidence Report: Internal Unit Assessment in National Courses
Research: Fieldwork Visits
Research: What does this mean for teachers and lecturers?
In addition, Subject Review Reports have been published on the individual subject pages

11. In conclusion......
Senior Leadership Teams - should be aware of the significance of the Assessment and National Qualifications Report and the two pieces of SQA Research
Classroom teachers - should be aware of the subject review reports and subject update letters and apply the changes to assessment for session 2016/17