2. Quality Assurance of Assessment Arrangements
Patricia McDonald

3. The aim of this session is
to clarify the key principles underpinning the SQA policy in relation to assessment arrangements
to outline SQA and school quality assurance responsibilities arising from key principles
to consider SQA’s quality assurance evidence requirements

4. Policy on Equality of Access to SQA Qualifications
‘Provide assessment arrangements to allow disabled candidates and/or those with additional support needs to access the assessment without compromising its integrity. For disabled candidates, we will make reasonable adjustments in accordance with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010’

5. Key principles underpinning assessment arrangements
Candidates for whom assessment arrangements are requested or provided should be able to achieve the national standards but be unable to do so through the published assessment procedures (AAs are about enabling access, candidate still expected to demonstrate the same standard - disability not lack of ability)
The integrity of the qualification must be maintained
(important that user of the certificate is not misled/public confidence in the qualification must be maintained)

6. Key principles cont…
Arrangements tailored to meet particular needs of candidates and subjects assessment demands (individual needs)
Arrangements reflect, as far as possible, the candidate’s usual way of learning and producing work
(appropriate arrangements, not just based on nature of difficulty but also on how difficulty impacts on usual way of working,
what support has been put in place to overcome difficulties and
what effect these ongoing arrangements have on ability to demonstrate attainment)

7. Main SQA responsibilities
to maintain the credibility of all awards
(integrity of assessments)
to operate effective quality assurance procedures for assessment arrangements
(assessment arrangements audit to ensure fair and consistent implementation based on evidence which justifies the provision of the particular assessment arrangement)
provide guidance and support to centres to facilitate the fair operation of the system
(web guidance, exemplification and dedicated AA team)
to promote an inclusive approach to provision and ensure compliance under existing policy and legislation
(inclusive and accessible assessments)

8. Main school responsibilities
(devolved model of decision making means that school has critical role in ensuring that system operates fairly and with integrity)
identifying those candidates who need Assessment Arrangements
(eligibility)
ensuring that the Assessment Arrangements requested are the most appropriate to meet the candidate’s assessment
(impact of difficulty in subject and assessment concerned)
ensuring that there are effective internal quality assurance system for identifying and verifying candidates’ need for assessment arrangements
(in line with the key principles)

9. School’s quality assurance system should include processes to:
identify a candidate’s assessment need
determine the most appropriate assessment arrangement
verify the candidate’s need for the assessment arrangement in an internal or external assessment
where relevant, authorise the submission of a request for an assessment arrangement in an external assessment
(all of which must be documented, implemented and monitored to meet SQA requirements)

10. Documentary evidence of how you
identified a candidate’s assessment need and determined the most appropriate assessment arrangements
obtained confirmation from your candidates that they have agreed to (i) the provision of assessment arrangements and (ii) the school submitting the request and sharing their personal data required for the request with SQA
verified the assessment arrangements you requested or provided

11. Some key messages
Gathering all the necessary information and evidence on which to make a decision
(and documenting this)
Examples of evidence sources provided in SQA’s guidance are only examples
(different evidence acceptable but it must clearly support the assessment arrangement)
Appropriate evidence that an arrangement is necessary is important
(slight advantage conferred by some arrangements only acceptable when it is balanced against candidate’s substantial disadvantage)
(varying conditions of assessment (key principle of fair assessment) only acceptable when we can show that it is clearly necessary)