‘A review of approaches to assessing writing at the end of primary education’  looks at how English schools have assessed writing at the end of KS2 since from 1991 and explores what other countries do.

The author ( Benjamin M. P. Cuff, from Ofqual’s Strategy Risk and Research directorate) is keen to point out that:

‘This report does not attempt to arrive at any conclusions as to which assessment method is ‘best’, because such conclusions would largely depend upon the purpose and uses of particular assessments within individual contexts.’

We think that the coverage of international practice is interesting. In this section, the author posed these questions:

1. What is the main method of assessing writing?

2. What are the main intended uses of the outcomes of the assessment?

3. What are the stakes of the assessment?

4. What specific skills within writing does the assessment aim to cover?

5. How is the assessment marked/graded?

The assessments reviewed are part of a wider assessment approach that includes other subjects – reading, maths, science, and/or social studies. There are low-stake and high-stake tests noted.

A range of assessment methods is noted, including multiple-choice and computer based variations., some of which are adaptive (responding to how well the students answers questions).

 

There is certainly variety in the approaches (p23).

• Most other jurisdictions  assess writing via an external test – some paper-based, some computer-based.  England is the only one that uses teacher assessment.
• Although most use ‘extended response’ – requiring a response of at least one paragraph in length, some are based upon  short-responses : single words/sentences or multiple-choice.
• Some assessments focus  on writing for specific purposes (eg narrative or informative writing), some have an expectation that pupils should be able to write for a range of purposes (in a less specific manner), and others have very little or no focus on writing for a particular purpose.
• In some, pupils produce a relatively small amount of material for assessment (eg multiple-choice tests); in others, they produce a relatively large amount (eg portfolios).
• For extended responses, a best-fit level descriptors approach (ie where assessment decisions are made according to fairly holistic descriptions of attainment), whereas only  England uses a secure-fit model (specific ‘pupil-can’ statements).
• Finally, variation also exists in the intended uses of assessment outcomes, in terms of providing information on pupils, schools, and/or jurisdictions. Some assessments are used for high-stakes purposes, whereas others are not.

The international perspective is interesting. Have a look at the report for the finer details and percentages.

In several places it looks like England is the only place that uses particular approach. It is for you to decide whether this is good or not.

In the British Journal of Educational Studies research  ‘What makes people teach, and why do they leave? Accountability, Performativity and Teacher Retention’  it notes that although teaching is still generally seen as a long-term career by the majority, between 40% and 50% consider leaving within 10 years of starting.

Accountability and performance are key factors. The sustainability of these pressures contributes significantly.

The authors say that ‘teacher attrition constitutes a problem for governments internationally’ and cite a 2002 report that 46% of teachers in USA leave within 5 years of starting. This appears to be the highest.

They suggest that performativity (performing in order to demonstrate competence) can lead to a sense of deprofessionalisation as teachers  and that schools are ‘increasingly preoccupied with policies of achievement, particularly examination results.’

Notably, lack of support from management by 38% of respondents sends a message to leadership.

The authors also offer some useful caveats, such as:

‘… there is the problem that response might be limited to only those who feel they have something to say, either positive or negative’.