The 2005 survey of English and Core Skills

The 2005 English and Core Skills survey was carried out in May and June of that year.

The survey:

• assessed a sample of pupils in P3, P5, P7 and S2 in a random sample of schools
• assessed English language (reading, writing, talking and listening) and core skills (numeracy, use of ICT, working with others and problem solving)
• used written assessments - paper and pencil tests - to assess reading and numeracy, and practical assessments to assess other aspects of language and the other core skills
• asked teachers and pupils about their teaching and learning experiences
• gathered 5-14 performance data for each pupil in the survey for reading, writing and mathematics.

Assessments

Reading

Reading was assessed through paper and pencil tests, in the same format as the reading assessments used in National Assessments 5-14.
Pupils completed three different reading assessments. Each assessment was at a different level. For example, pupils in P7 taking part in the survey completed reading assessments at levels C, D and E. 
The assessments used in the survey have been added to the National Assessment Bank and will be available to schools.

Writing

Writing was assessed using pieces of writing submitted by schools. Each school taking part in the survey was asked to submit a piece of writing of a specified genre - personal, imaginative or functional - for a subset of the pupils involved in the survey. 
Pieces of writing for the survey came from class work rather than from a task imposed by the survey. Schools were given guidance on selecting the piece, and were asked to award a level to the piece of writing, preferably as a result of double marking.  
The submissions were then moderated by a team of specially trained teachers. The moderators did not know the level to which the piece of writing had been assigned by the school. 
Further evidence of performance in writing came from pupils completing a writer's craft task as part of the practical assessment. These tasks were in the same format as that used for National Assessments.

Talking

Talking was assessed as part of the practical assessment. Specially trained field officers engaged in conversations with pupils and used this to establish their level of performance. As part of the training to carry out this assessment, field officers worked with examples of pupils talking on DVD. To assign levels they worked with best-fit descriptors.

Listening/watching

Listening/watching was assessed by asking the pupils to listen to/watch a tape and then answer questions about what they had heard/seen.

Knowledge of language

In addition to assessing reading, writing, talking and listening/watching, the survey also found out about pupils' knowledge of language.
Some pupils were asked to complete a short written assessment about knowledge of language as part of the practical assessments.

Core skills

In the 2005 survey, pupils' performance in the English language assessments was taken as the indicator of performance in the core skill of literacy.

Numeracy was assessed through paper and pencil tests. Pupils completed three assessments. Two of these assessments covered aspects of mathematics at three levels. So, for example, pupils in P5 taking part in the survey completed booklets comprising tasks taken from levels B, C and D. Most items were drawn from the National Assessments 5-14 Bank. Any items which were newly created for the survey will be added to the National Assessment Bank for use by schools.

The third booklet comprised tasks set firmly in a context - everyday mathematics. For example, one task was based on a leaflet about posting letters and parcels, and another about recycling. Typically these tasks involved pupils working with text and numbers.

ICT, problem solving and working with others were all assessed through practical activities, with field officers working with small groups of children.