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Teaching's Greatest Weakness Addressed as World's First MA in Assessment Begins
"Assessment remains, overall, the weakest aspect of teaching in schools, according to consistent findings in Ofsted's annual reports," says David Wright, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors (CIEA).
"But with a senior assessment specialist member of staff in every school - as outlined in the DCSF's Assessment for Learning Strategy - that problem will be addressed and the initiative has taken a step nearer today with the publication of the CIEA's report on a pilot exercise conducted between February 2007 and June 2008 - and the introduction of the world's first MA in assessment starting this month, as influenced directly by the CIEA.
"The DCSF is working in partnership with the CIEA and others, to implement the department's Assessment for Learning Strategy, Wright continues, "and the CIEA's Chartered Educational Assessors (CEAs) will provide a high quality resource to support these initiatives in assessing pupils' progress generally to positively influence their learning potential, and the internal assessment requirements of the new Diploma and other qualifications.
"The chartered institute is the leading body in professionalising assessment practitioners and has strategically brought together leading UK universities to offer the world's first master's degree in assessment.
"Bath Spa will be the first university to offer the new MA from September this year and Swansea, Leeds, Warwick, Durham and the Institute of Education have expressed an active interest in the concept," he said.
In the pilot exercise positive impact was noted by both the schools and the chartered assessors, on:
- changing/improving teachers' attitudes to assessment
- increasing the use of day-to-day assessment
- improving the assessment expertise and confidence of staff, specifically in their ability to prepare and conduct assessments and provide feedback.
All of the CEAs believed that assessment practices had improved and that staff perceptions of assessment had changed - with one exception. Typical of the assessor comments were:
"...involvement in the pilot has led to a more active targeted and confident approach to assessment", said one, whilst another said that the school ". . had expressed great satisfaction with the work and what was achieved,"
Whereas schools:
"...shared the perception that assessment had improved and all but one believed that teaching and learning had improved as well and had contributed to meeting the professional needs of the staff involved. They valued the opportunity of being supported in tackling their assessment concerns," the report says.
Two further pilots have been arranged: one in further education and one with secondary schools, which is being sponsored by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL).
John Dunford, the ASCL General Secretary said: "We welcome working with the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors on this innovative move towards the day that every school will have access to Chartered Educational Assessors - a concept first proposed by the Association of School and College Leaders six years ago. The research published today illustrates the need and the benefits that accrue from such action - and I look forward to the day when every teacher and learner can reap the benefits. Assessment has been an underused diagnostic tool which, when properly applied, raises the learning potential and performance of each individual to progress in leaps and bounds. This initiative will help bring that day forward."