Regulatory Framework for National Assessments

Respond

admin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:54:03 +0000

Consultation events are scheduled to take place on the following dates:

16 June – Birmingham
23 June – Leeds
29 June – London
1 July – Bristol

To attend an event or for more details email nc.consultations@ofqual.gov.uk

Thank you for taking the time to consider responding to Ofqual’s consultation on the Regulatory Framework for National Assessments. You can respond online using the form below, by completing this form by hand or downloading a version that can be completed using a word processing program.

Please feel free to respond to as few or as many questions as you wish.

The deadline for receipt of responses is 5pm on 1 September 2010. Responses not submitted through the online platform can be returned by email to nc.consultations@ofqual.gov.uk or by post to National assessments consultation, Ofqual, Spring Place, Herald Avenue, Coventry CV5 6UB.

The responses will be analysed by an independent external organisation. The report on the responses and the final version of the regulatory framework will be published in late autumn 2010 after they have been considered and agreed by Ofqual’s Board.

Your details

Title

First name

Surname

Organisation

Email address

If you do not wish your response to be included in the published report indicate clearly that you are submitting your response on a confidential basis by ticking the box below. All responses will, however, be made available to the external organisation appointed to analyse the responses.

Keep my response confidential

Part A, The principles of regulation

1. How clearly do you think that Part A, Section 1 (paragraphs 24-31) sets out the overall approach to regulation of national assessments?

		Very clear	Mostly clear	Somewhat clear	Not at all clear

Please add any comments on Section 1:

2a. To what extent do the criteria for regulations set out in Section 2 (common criteria and assessment criteria, paragraphs 32-41) provide an appropriate basis for the regulation of national assessments?

		Wholly appropriate	Mostly appropriate	Not at all appropriate	Not at all clear

2b. Are the definitions and examples provided for the common criteria helpful?

		Very helpful	Mostly helpful	Somewhat helpful	Not at all helpful

Please add any comments on Section 2:

3. To what extent is the regulatory process explained clearly in Section 3 (paragraphs 42-67)?

		Very clear	Mostly clear	Somewhat clear	Not at all clear

Please add any comments on Section 3:

4. To what extent do you think that the process for managing change set out in Section 4 (paragraphs 68-84) will be effective in delivering change?

		Very effective	Mostly effective	Somewhat effective	Not at all effective

Please add any comments on Section 4:

Part B, Assessment arrangements: roles of responsible bodies in implementing the framework

5. How clearly are the roles and responsibilities of each of the responsible bodies set out in Part B?

		Very clear	Mostly clear	Somewhat clear	Not at all clear

Please add any comments on Section 7- 16 here:

6a. Part B includes details of the evidence and outcomes required from responsible bodies. To what extent will the evidence and outcomes be effective in confirming to Ofqual that each responsible body is fulfilling its remit in relation to externally developed and implemented national assessments?

		Very effective	Mostly effective	Somewhat effective	Not at all effective

Please add any comments:

6b. Part B includes details of the evidence and outcomes required from responsible bodies. To what extent will the evidence and outcomes be effective in confirming to Ofqual that each responsible body is fulfilling its remit in relation to teacher and practitioner assessments?

		Very effective	Mostly effective	Somewhat effective	Not at all effective

Please add any comments:

Glossary

7. How useful is the glossary in explaining the national assessment terms used in the regulatory framework?

		Very clear	Mostly clear	Somewhat clear	Not at all clear

Please add any comments (identifying any terms that are not clear or have been missed):

The regulatory framework as a whole

8. How clearly does the regulatory framework address inclusion and equalities requirements for national assessments?

		Very effective	Mostly effective	Somewhat effective	Not at all effective

Please add any comments:

9. Paragraph 28 sets out the expected outcomes of Ofqual’s approach to regulation. How confident are you that this regulatory framework will support Ofqual in achieving these outcomes?

		Very confident	Mostly confident	Somewhat confident	Not confident at all

Please add any comments:

10. To what extent do you consider that the regulatory framework will remain effective if changes are made to the requirements for national assessments?

		Very effective	Mostly effective	Somewhat effective	Not at all effective

Please add any comments:

Please provide any additional comments on the regulatory framework:

Consultation on the Regulatory Framework for National Assessments

admin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:51:30 +0000

Consultation events are scheduled to take place on the following dates:

16 June - Birmingham
23 June - Leeds
29 June - London
1 July - Bristol

To attend an event or for more details email nc.consultations@ofqual.gov.uk

Thank you for taking the time to consider reading and responding to Ofqual’s consultation on the Regulatory Framework for National Assessments. You can respond using the online form, by completing the form by hand or downloading a version that can be completed using a word processing program.

Please feel free to respond to as few or as many questions as you wish.

The consultation document can be viewed online or downloaded in PDF format. Both the online and downloadable versions of the document are specifically for consultation purposes.

Annex 1: The regulatory process in action

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:16:49 +0000

Glossary

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:58:47 +0000

Access arrangements: Arrangements that are approved in advance of an assessment, to allow attainment to be demonstrated by pupils with specific assessment requirements.
Areas of learning: Underpin learning activity and may cut across traditional subject areas. Areas of learning allow for the development of skills, knowledge and experiences.
Assessment archive: Assessment documents, including pupils’ work from previous years, that have been stored and catalogued. The documents are used to check that standards from one year to the next have been carried forward.
Assessment materials: Any materials relating to the delivery of an assessment, such as test papers, source materials, answer sheets and mark schemes.
Assessor: Any person who makes a judgement on an assessment.
Early Years Foundation Stage profile: A child’s record of attainment at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Equality impact assessment: An assessment that considers the impact of a measure on race, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation and religion or belief.
Impact analysis: An assessment of the expected benefits and risks associated with a change in assessment arrangements or processes.
Likely to be a significant failing: A likely significant failing may be identified either by the responsible body itself or by Ofqual.
Maladministration: Maladministration, in this document, refers to any act that threatens the integrity of the assessments or the validity of the results of individuals or groups of pupils. It may or may not have arisen from a deliberate intent to intervene in the statutory assessment process.
Marker: Any person who applies a predetermined marking framework to part or the whole of an assessment.
Moderation: The process through which teacher assessment is monitored to ensure that it is reliable, fair and consistent with required standards.
Modified materials: Test papers and other assessment materials that have been amended for pupils with specific assessment requirements.
Monitoring: Ensuring that processes and procedures are being carried out according to the specification provided.
Pre-testing: The trialling of assessment materials with a sample of pupils as part of the test development process.
Regulated assessment arrangements: The arrangements made for assessing pupils in England in respect of each key stage of the National Curriculum; and the arrangements for assessing children in England. (This equates currently to National Curriculum tests at key stages 1 and 2, teacher assessment as part of key stages 1 to 3 and the Early Years Foundation Stage profile.)
Regulator: The body, accountable to Parliament, that is responsible for securing public confidence in the validity, reliability and rigour of statutory assessments and in the maintenance of standards over time, i.e. Ofqual.
Responsible bodies: Organisations and individuals who under or by virtue of an order made under section 39(1)(a) of the Childcare Act 2006 or section 87(3)(c) of the Education Act 2002 have functions in relation to the development, implementation or monitoring of assessment arrangements.
Significant failing: There is a significant failing if, as a result of the way in which the arrangements are being developed or implemented, they fail in a significant way to achieve one or more of the specified purposes of the arrangements (as noted in paragraph 3).
Special consideration: Arrangements that may result in an adjustment to the marks of a pupil whose performance in the assessments has been affected.
Specific assessment arrangements: Additional arrangements, agreed with the responsible body, that allow access to the assessment for pupils with assessment needs that are not covered by the published arrangements.
Specified purpose of assessment are as follows:: Single level tests The specified purpose is to confirm that the pupil is working within the National Curriculum level specified in reading, writing or mathematics.

National sampling The specified purpose is to monitor national performance standards against public service agreement targets with respect to the National Curriculum in English, mathematics and science at key stage 3 and science at key stage 2.
Stakeholder: Any person with an interest or involvement in National Assessments.
Statutory purpose of assessment are as follows: End of key stage tests The statutory purpose is ascertaining what pupils have achieved in relation to the attainment targets for that stage.

Early Years Foundation Stage assessments The statutory purpose of assessment is ascertaining what children have achieved in relation to the early learning goals.
Statutory national assessment arrangements: see regulated assessment arrangements
Supplier: An individual or organisation that provides assessment materials or systems to the responsible body for developing and/or delivering National Assessments.

Section 16: The Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:51:57 +0000

Roles and responsibilities

147.The Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors provides support and professional development in assessment. It provides accreditation for teachers, moderators and assessors (see Glossary) that recognises their knowledge, understanding and capabilities in assessment.

148.The Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors may accredit schools for their arrangements in ensuring that teacher assessment judgements are consistent and meet national standards.

Section 15: CWDC – the Children’s Workforce Development Council

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:43:49 +0000

Roles and responsibilities

146.The Children’s Workforce Development Council is responsible for defining qualifications and training requirements acceptable for registration as an early years practitioner and for regulatory purposes.

Section 14: Teachers

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:42:41 +0000

Roles and responsibilities

142.Teachers, with advice from education and assessment experts, are responsible for identifying any children or pupils who need additional arrangements to be able to access or show their ability in the statutory National Assessments.

143.Teachers and early years practitioners are responsible for ensuring the consistency and accuracy of their assessment judgements.

Evidence and outcomes

Teacher and practitioner assessments

Outcome evidence for regulation

144.Teachers and practitioners must show that:

they have used evidence of performance in a range of activities to inform their assessment judgement
this judgement is a true reflection of that pupil’s or child’s attainment

145.Teachers and practitioners must demonstrate the consistency and accuracy of their assessment judgements through participation in:

internal moderation with teachers or practitioners in their own school or setting
external moderation between schools and settings and across key stages.

Section 13: Headteachers, managers and leaders of Early Years Foundation Stage settings and governors

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:42:22 +0000

Roles and responsibilities

135.It is the responsibility of headteachers, managers and leaders of Early Years Foundation Stage settings and governors of maintained schools to ensure that the statutory National Assessments are carried out according to the published statutory assessment arrangements and that achievement in these assessments is reported to parents, guardians or carers.

136.Headteachers that provide for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and managers and leaders of foundation stage settings, where this is appropriate, must make sure that their schools comply with all aspects of the foundation stage curriculum and assessment.

137.Headteachers and managers and leaders of foundation stage settings must ensure that arrangements are in place to ensure that reliable and consistent teacher and practitioner assessment judgements are made. These arrangements must include internal moderation and moderation across adjacent key stages.

138.Headteachers and managers and leaders of foundation stage settings, where this is appropriate, must provide their local authorities with key stage 1 and Early Years Foundation Stage profile achievement data.

139.Headteachers and managers and leaders of foundation stage settings, where this is appropriate, must engage parents, guardians or carers in the recording of attainment for the Early Years Foundation Stage profile.

Evidence and outcomes

Externally developed and implemented assessments

Outcome evidence for regulation

140.Headteachers are required to confirm that the statutory assessments have been administered to all eligible pupils according to the published statutory assessment arrangements.

Regulating key activities

Access arrangements

141.Headteachers must be able to confirm:

the security and confidentiality of assessment materials that have been opened early to make approved modifications for individual pupils
that all pupils who meet the eligibility criteria for access arrangements have been identified
that these pupils have been given the opportunity of the access arrangements to show their ability.

Section 12: Schools and settings

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:41:19 +0000

Roles and responsibilities

131.Maintained schools must participate in the statutory National Curriculum assessments and report the outcomes to parents, guardians or carers.

132.If non-maintained schools choose to participate in the national assessment system, they should follow the published assessment arrangements.

133.All schools and settings that provide for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage must make arrangements for an Early Years Foundation Stage profile to be completed for each child in the final year of their Early Years Foundation Stage.

134.All schools and settings that provide for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage must provide parents, guardians or carers with a written summary of a child’s progress against the early learning goals and assessment scales at the end of the foundation stage of learning. This written summary must also be used to inform key stage 1 teachers about children’s attainment.

Section 11: Ofsted

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:40:14 +0000

Roles and responsibilities

128.Ofsted uses the aggregated attainment and progress data generated from National Assessments as part of its evidence base for the evaluation of achievement and assessment outcomes in schools and settings.

129.When inspecting foundation schools and settings, Ofsted would expect to see completed Early Years Foundation Stage profiles.

130.Ofsted should inform Ofqual of any issues arising as part of its inspection process that may affect the validity and reliability of National Assessments.