September 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
| IEAMail, Issue 14 | September 2007 |
|
|
|
|
Welcome Welcome to IEAMail, the topical monthly members' e-newsletter, carrying news and views from the Institute of Educational Assessors (IEA).
Content:
The purpose behind developing an assessment policy is to make explicit the functions of the processes linked to assessment to all those involved with the process - the teachers, lecturers or trainers, as well as the senior management teams and other stakeholders such as parents, governors, employers and training providers. Done well, it will quality assure the processes taking place and provide consistency across any institution, for the benefit of all learners. The Process - Step 1 This is the first step in the process that will help you to design an effective policy and highlight the processes that must be covered by different sections of the institution in which you work.
New - Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) - New online materials What makes a successful SENCO? Successful SENCOs seem to need a mix of personal qualities and skills, combined with support from inside and outside the school and, of course, an enormous capacity for hard work! We introduce selected case studies showing some very successful SENCOs within a primary and secondary setting. Their circumstances are very different, and they face a range of challenges, but there are some constant themes. Primary Case Study Jenny works in an eleven-class school with 380 pupils on roll. There are 70-80 pupils on the special needs register. A further 90 pupils have English as a second language and come mainly from central European migratory families. Secondary Case Study - Background Ann works in an inner-city comprehensive school in London in one of the most deprived areas in the country. There are roughly 1300 pupils on roll, speaking nearly 50 languages between them.
Institute News - Institute welcomes over 1600 new members in less than 4 weeks! The IEA has been working collaboratively with all major awarding bodies in promoting the benefits of membership to examiners. The IEA, over a usually quiet time of the year, has seen an increase in membership applications and is pleased to report that over 1600 applications have been made within the past month. Member and Fellow grades of membership are now available to senior examiners who work externally for an unitary awarding body. If you would like to upgrade your membership of the IEA, then please follow the link below.
Institute News - Examiner recruitment update This is the time of year when the awarding bodies start thinking about contracting examiners, markers and moderators for next summer. Being involved as an examiner, marker or moderator is an excellent way to gain invaluable insight into what examiners are looking for from students. It also provides the opportunity to network with like-minded professionals which can lead to further opportunities to get involved in training and development, writing book or magazine reviews, or developing knowledge and expertise in assessment matters. The work undertaken as an examiner is, of course, financially rewarding but many do it for the value it brings to enhance their role in education. Opportunities exist to become involved in the examining of either general qualifications or national curriculum tests. AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and CCEA are responsible for the delivery of GCE and GCSE, and provide training and support for those new to the profession as well as to those who are experienced examiners. ETS Europe is the external marking agency and will be responsible for the marking of national curriculum tests from 2008 until 2012. To apply to become an examiner is simple and can be done by following the link below. You will also find out more information about becoming an examiner
Institute News - Gained Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and interested in assessment-related CPD? Start your teaching career with a recognised Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme. The Institute of Educational Assessors (IEA) and the General Teaching Council (GTC) are pleased to announce the launch of a pilot project that will enable IEA members, who have recently gained Qualified Teacher Status, to gain Teacher Learning Academy (TLA) Stage 1 professional recognition. Why should I register an interest? As well as ensuring your skills are maintained at the highest level by undertaking formalised CPD, this structured system of development allows you to continue to benefit from the experience and knowledge of senior professionals in your centre of learning who will coach you to ensure your learning is optimised to enable you continue to develop your teaching and assessment skills. Additionally, the TLA is the first national system that both recognises and celebrates the learning that takes place every day in the professional lives of teachers.
Institute News - Institute represented at Azerbaijan Assessment conference September 16th-21st 2007 Almost 400 delegates from 25 separate countries, coming from every continent on earth, met in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, in September 2007. The theme of the conference was the Interdependence of National assessment Systems and Education Standards. Many of the papers looked at current assessment regimes and posed the questions whether or not the current regimes were fit for purpose in the rapidly developing world of assessment, where electronic communication is used to capture, analyse and present the wealth of assessment data that is available to national systems. There were also a number of papers dedicated to analysing the impact of on-line assessment and the problems associated with the technology, both real and imagined. What soon became clear was that every nation is facing similar problems, although each approaches the problems differently, depending on both the historical and cultural environment in which the assessment takes place. The diversity of papers relating to the accuracy of on-line assessments came up with a remarkable consistent theme: that electronic assessment and marking can be more accurate than the traditional methodology using paper. However, this is tempered by the realisation that accuracy stems from single item tests; where more extensive answers are required by candidates, then there appears to be little difference in the accuracy of marking and accuracy is more related to the quality of the mark scheme than to the nature of the test. This has implications for the training and development of assessors both nationally and internationally. However, what also rose as an issue for all is what impact this information has on the development of assessments. For example, are assessment instruments being developed to accommodate the use of new technologies rather than allow assessors to differentiate between candidates, using methodologies with which senior assessors are at ease? These two issues brought the IEA sharp relief, with its mission of professionalizing the assessment community. There was a great deal of interest in the possibilities offered by the IEA, both at home and abroad. A number of delegates from across the globe were interested in the development of the Chartered Educational Assessor and the opportunities such a role may bring, not only to assessors in this country, but to assessors internationally.
Institute News - IEA Research Database (Powered by EBSCO) - Recent publications Clarifying the purposes of educational assessment (Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice July 2007, Vol. 14 Issue 2, p149-170, 22p) Abstract: This article concerns the importance of clarity in thinking and talking about certain core concepts of educational assessment. It begins by identifying three quite distinct interpretations of the term 'assessment purpose'. It continues by challenging the supposed distinction between 'formative' and 'summative' - arguing that the latter only applies to a kind of assessment result while the former only applies to a kind of use of assessment results. It ends by illustrating the wide range of uses to which assessment results might be put and stresses the importance of not concealing important distinctions by locating multiple discrete purposes within a small number of misleading categories.
Institute News - Autumn edition of Make the Grade - Have you received your copy? Members of the IEA should by now have received their copy of the September 2007, Autumn edition of Make the Grade. We have posted a selection of articles on our website which can be found by following the link below. If you are yet to receive your copy, please email info@ioea.org.uk stating your name and membership number.
CPD - Events and Training Course Calendar Each month the IEA communicates educational assessment focused events and training courses that are taking place around the UK. Communicate-ed Assessment related training courses: Communicate-ed is a company specialising in the training of education professionals who work in the area of special needs. The IEA has negotiated a 15% discount for members. Please download the appropriate form for the Communicate-ed website Read more ... Please return your application clearly marked 'IEA discount' with your membership number. Please note that the discount only applies to the standard rate and cannot be used with any other offer. SQA Assessment related workshops: SQA Workshop - Making verification work for you: Dalkeith, 30th October 2007 Training providers. Please contact info@ioea.org.uk if you would like to promote your courses within this section of IEAMail. Members should be aware that the IEA is only communicating these events to its members and not endorsing them.
Board member and trustee of the IEA is awarded A* grade! A founder joined the ranks of anxious students waiting for their GCSE exam results on Thursday August 23rd. Having put himself through the rigours of a GCSE Spanish course and four testing examinations he was able to add his voice to that of our Chair who told the national press that exams are "making greater demands on students today than was ever the case". Phil Williamson was absolutely delighted with his A* but confessed that he had been incredibly nervous before each of the four exams and had found the fifteen minute oral particularly nerve wracking. "When I sat my O level French," he said, "I just had to master the written language. Holding a fifteen minute conversation with an examiner which was being recorded on tape and then sent off to be marked was a much more demanding test of my abilities. It is also true that the prospect of sitting the exam made me and the other students in my class much more focused and motivated than if we had been doing the course just for fun. To those who claim that exams are getting easier I say why not have a go yourself before you criticise today's students!"
Let us know what you think of the e-newsletter and any features you'd like to see in future issues. If you're feeling creative and would like to contribute an article, please send an email to info@ioea.org.uk. Until next time...
JOIN NOW
Unsubscribe If you wish to unsubscribe to this newsletter then please email unsubscribe@ioea.org.uk |
|
| © Institute of Educational Assessors 2007 / Privacy policy / Terms conditions of use / Copyright |
|