maintaining standards
DESCRIPTION
At the SSAT event Isabel Nisbet spoke of Ofqual's commitment to maintaining standards.TRANSCRIPT
Ofqual: maintaining standards
Isabel NisbetActing CEO, Ofqual
SSAT, Leeds 6 February 2009
Outline
What’s distinctive about Ofqual
The new Bill
Events – “SATs” and Lord Sutherland
Two themes– Technology and assessment – Reliability
About Ofqual
Independent of Government and QCA
To ensure standards and confidence in qualifications, exams and tests
Launched (in shadow form) in April 08
Legislation in 08-09 session
Meantime distinct part of QCA
How we want to work
Visibly – Summer exams and tests– Areas of legitimate debate – however
uncomfortable– Not just when things go wrong
In collaboration– With users of qualifications and those whom we
regulate– But no regulatory capture
How we want to work
Expertly – Working with the assessment experts– Judgements based on evidence, not headlines
Engaging the public – Learners’ panels, open letters, discussion
papers, blogs, listening…….
Rooting for the learner – Learners’ panels
The Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill
Published yesterday
Clear statutory objectives for Ofqual – Standards– Confidence– Awareness – Efficiency
Independence – Reporting to Parliament
Sharper powers – And we’ll use them if necessary
Statutory role to regulate National Curriculum Tests
Events, dear boy, events
Events, dear boy, events
“SATs” and Lord Sutherland
Tests are delivered by the Secretary of State, through the QCA
Ofqual regulates the delivery and quality of tests and results
A non-statutory role now, but provisions in the new Bill to make it statutory
QCA contracts with several organisations for:– Question-paper setting – Printing, transport etc – Delivery to schools – Marking and production of results
Ofqual’s role: to regulate in a way that assures that all aspects of tests are of an acceptable quality and delivered effectively
What happened in 2008
Design delivery of tests papers and arrangements for sitting tests – all OK
Administration of marking and logistics of aggregation and collection of marks and return of results to schools – WENT WRONG – deadline for delivering results to schools was missed
Ofqual was tracking events and feeding back concerns to QCA
When it was clear that the deadline would be missed, Ofqual commissioned an independent inquiry (Lord Sutherland) – Government co-sponsored
Lord Sutherland asked to look at regulation too
Close tracking of closure of series and marking reviews
Overall judgement about quality of marking
Lessons learned
Roles need to be clearer: – QCA– Contractors– Regulator – DCSF
Regulation needs to be more formalised
Need to have an end-to-end view of fragmented processes
Risks need to be managed better – but there will always be risks
MARKER PROFESSIONALISM ESSENTIAL
For 2009
No mandatory KS3 tests (but many schools using tests voluntarily)
New contractor to deliver KS2 test results (Edexcel)
Work with existing markers
Regular overviews by Ofqual
Meanwhile:– Pilots of Single Level Tests – Expert Group looking at KS3 (Ofqual submitted research evidence) – Commitment to modernisation of processes in future
Ofqual’s in-tray
A few pieces from the in-tray
Judging new entries to the system – New GCSEs for accreditation (English, Maths and ICT)– 2nd phase of Diplomas– New organisations (including employers and colleges) wanting to
award qualifications
This summer’s exams and tests
Qualifications market studies – fees and efficiency
Maintaining standards in new/changed qualifications
Preparing for independence
Completing the move to Coventry
Regulatory principles for e-assessment
Validity and reliability
Security
Data integrity
Access to e-assessment
Business continuity and disaster recovery
Use of e-portfolios
E-assessment: What the regulator can do
Clear regulatory principles engender the confidence for investment in technology to enhance qualifications
Regulator can help take a leadership role in:
the appropriate application of technology
encouraging collaborative working
Stimulating innovation
shaping public perception
Reliability – what the papers say
Saturday, 31 January 2009
Reliability - re-positioning the debate
Academic discussions of reliability – Need for empirical work
»Examining consistency of outcomes across a range of tests/assessments
Questions about quality/accuracy of marking – Critiques of national curriculum assessments– Letters from teachers – Worries about internal assessment
The challenge of assessing learning in an applied context
OFQUAL NEEDS TO RE-POSITION THE DEBATE – WITH THE EXPERTS– WITH THE PUBLIC
Our aims
To ensure:
that the qualifications market is fit for purpose
that qualifications, exams and tests are fair
that standards are secure
that public confidence is sustained
that the interests of learners are paramount.
Outline
What’s distinctive about Ofqual
The new Bill
Events – “SATs” and Lord Sutherland
Two themes– Technology and assessment – Reliability
Conclusions
Ofqual: independent, about standards and confidence
The new Bill will give us the tools to do our job
Shining light on the difficult issues – Technology in assessment – Reliability
CHALLENGE US – we’re up for it
