What Is Assessment?
For the purposes of this guidance, we define assessment as the systematic
collection, interpretation and use of information to give a deeper appreciation
of what pupils know and understand, their skills and personal capabilities,
and what their learning experiences enable them to do.
Principles of Assessment
The following five principles underpin quality assessment. It should:
• be complementary to and supportive of learning;
• be valid and reliable;
• be fit for purpose and manageable;
• support teachers’ professional judgement; and
• support accountability.
The Purposes of Assessment
Assessment can serve different purposes according to how we use the
information it provides (Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP),
2010). For more information, please refer to Appendix 2: The Big Picture of
Assessment and Reporting.
Assessment has four main purposes:
1. Diagnostic Assessment
Diagnostic assessment identifies strengths and areas for improvement and
informs the next steps. It normally takes place at the beginning of a learning
programme. It involves the teacher working closely with the pupil to identify
their strengths and learning needs. Teachers identify the nature of a pupil’s
learning difficulties and use this information to plan interventions to address
the issues discovered. They should then share this information with the pupil
to plan the next steps to improve their learning.
2. Formative Assessment (Assessment for Learning or AfL)
Formative assessment, often referred to as Assessment for Learning (AfL), is
part of the everyday teaching and learning process. Teachers gather evidence
about a pupil’s learning, for example by observing, listening, questioning,
discussing and reviewing pupil work. They can then use this evidence to:
• identify progress and gaps in learning (including individual support needs);
• set learning goals and success criteria; and
• provide feedback to pupils.
‘Assessment for learning is the process of seeking and interpreting
evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the
learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to
get there.’
Assessment Reform Group (ARG), 2002
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Teachers use AfL to enable pupils to build on their learning. AfL focuses on
how pupils can improve their learning. The continuous process of dialogue
and interaction between teachers, pupils and peers is an essential part of
AfL. It involves peer and self-assessment (ARG, 2008; Black and Wiliam,
2009). Ten guiding principles underpin AfL. It should:
• be part of effective planning;
• focus on how pupils learn;
• be central to classroom practice;
• be a key professional skill;
• be sensitive and constructive;
• foster motivation;
• promote understanding of goals and criteria;
• help learners know how to improve;
• develop the capacity for self-assessment; and
• recognise all educational achievement.
ARG, 2002
Five key AfL strategies support these ten principles in classroom practice:
• Focus on learning by sharing learning intentions and success criteria with
pupils.
• Effective questioning encourages pupils to think about their learning.
• Quality formative feedback allows teachers to identify pupils’
achievements, any gaps in their learning, and areas for further work (what
learners have done well and what they should to do to perform better).
• Scaffolding reflection gives pupils time to reflect on their learning,
allowing them to think about what and how they are learning and to adapt
their approaches, if necessary, to achieve their goals.
• Teacher reflection on effectiveness of teaching and learning allows
teachers to verify what their pupils have learned. This helps them decide
what they may need to teach again in a different way, or how to focus
future teaching plans.
Assessment for Learning: A Practical Guide CCEA, 2009
3. Summative Assessment
Summative assessment gives pupils, parents and teachers valuable
information about a pupil’s overall performance at a specific point in
their learning. It provides information about a pupil’s progress in subject
knowledge, understanding and Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities
(TSPC).
Summative assessment in the primary school can occur at different
intervals such as weekly, on completion of a topic of work, at the end of
each term, or at the end of the year. The information it gives indicates pupil
progress and achievement in the knowledge and skills in a particular area of
learning, sometimes in grade-related or numerical terms. Short summative
assessments can be relevant and valid when they are part of a wider range
of assessment methods used to form a holistic picture of each pupil’s
achievements.
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Summative assessment should:
• take account of all the objectives or outcomes of the progra