Assessment is for Learning
Glossary
This glossary explains terms used in AifL - Assessment is for Learning. It is not intended to be exhaustive in educational terms, nor does it include an explanation of every word used in the case study extracts. Instead, it seeks to clarify meanings in order to remove potential barriers to understanding and help the reader to appreciate the messages intended more fully.
Keyword search
| ICS (Integrated Community Schools) | An integrated community school encourages closer and better joint working among education, health and social work agencies and professionals, greater pupil and parental involvement in schools, and improved support and service provision for vulnerable children and young people. |
|---|---|
| IEBP (Individualised Educational and Behavioural Programme) | Usually compiled for pupils who require additional support because of issues related to their behaviour. |
| IEP (Individualised Educational Programme) | A plan, usually written, which outlines the steps to be taken to help a pupil achieve specified curricular targets. It normally applies to pupils who are receiving some form of additional support for learning beyond the ordinary classroom experience. It contains succinct statements of educational aims, and a list of goals to be attained with indications of expected timescales, approaches to learning and teaching, arrangements for assessment and recording of attainment, staff involved, resources, learning contexts, and involvement of parents. (SEED, ASN Division) |
| Imagery question | In close reading in English language lessons, a question designed to discover pupils' understanding and appreciation of non-literal use of language. Imagery is most commonly understood as ‘mental pictures’. In its widest sense, it not only refers to visual sense qualities but also, such as in Tennyson, to qualities that can be heard, touched, smelled and tasted, for example. It is also frequently used to signify figurative language such as metaphors and similes. |
| Impact (of assessment) | Desirable consequences, based on planned outcomes. Assessment impacts on the curriculum and on pedagogy, on learning and pupils' motivation for learning, so it is vital that staff recognise this in order to minimise any adverse effects. |
| INSET | An acronym for In-service Education and Training. This term has now been superseded by continuing professional development (CPD). |
| International studies in attainment | Scottish Ministers need to know how Scottish pupils perform, compared to pupils in other countries. Currently, Scotland participates in three international studies in attainment: Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and Trends in International Maths and Science Survey (TIMSS). Information from the national picture is used to inform decisions relating to national education policy. |
| Ipsative assessment | From Latin 'ipse', meaning himself, a form of assessment where the pupil’s prior performance is used as criterion for measurement of progress. In sport, for example, an individual’s personal best is the benchmark against which improvement is assessed. |
PDF File: Assessment is for Learning - Glossary (4.3 MB)