Each survey in SSA uses a variety of assessments.
- Written assessments are completed in all schools taking part in a survey. These are paper and pencil tests used to assess performance in reading and mathematics for example.
- Practical assessments are completed in a subset of schools. These involve the pupils in practical hands-on activity such as working at a computer or talking about some aspects of work they have done in class.
In addition schools may be asked to submit examples of classwork.
The written assessments
All schools taking part in a survey are involved in written assessments - paper and pencil tests. Typically, pupils are asked to complete two written assessments and a questionnaire. Schools are asked to make the arrangements for administering the written assessments and the questionnaire. However, schools are not required to mark these assessments.
There can be variation in the arrangements from survey to survey. Schools taking part in a survey are told the specific requirements for that survey.
Timing of the assessments
The written assessments are normally delivered to schools in late April or early May and are due to be returned by early June, although the exact dates vary from survey to survey. Schools have, therefore, at least four weeks to administer the written assessments. Each of the assessments at the P3 and P5 stages takes about 40 minutes and at the P7 and S2 stages, about 60 minutes. The assessments are not timed examinations.
Schools have considerable flexibility about when they administer the written assessments. There can be variation from survey to survey. Schools taking part in a survey are told the specific requirements for that survey.
Accommodation
No special accommodation is necessary for pupils to complete the written assessments. All that is required is for the pupils to be able to complete the assessments without being disturbed or distracted.
Supervision
SSA expects schools to manage the written assessments from within their own resources. On occasion, additional support for administering a survey may be made available to schools with very large numbers of pupils taking part in a survey. In these circumstances, details will be provided alongside the specific information about the arrangements for the survey.
Allocating assessments to pupils
The assessment materials received by a school will contain a number of different assessments. So, for example, in a school where there are 20 pupils in the sample, only two pupils may be doing the same assessments, using 10 different sets of assessments. Using different assessments in this way helps SSA gather a wide range of evidence about performance across Scotland. It can then produce more valid findings about performance in Scotland as a whole.
The written assessments are delivered to schools complete with a pupil identifier number on them. As part of the preparation for the survey, SSA allocates assessments randomly to pupils without any knowledge of their level of performance.
Level of demand
Typically, a pupil will take part in written assessments at three levels - although none of the assessments is identified by level. So, for example, pupils in P7 will be tackling mathematics assessments at levels C, D and E, over two assessment booklets. This arrangement provides particularly valuable data for reporting the performance of pupils. SSA can find out, for example, the percentage of pupils across Scotland who are secure at the ‘target’ level, Level D in this example. For those pupils who are not secure at Level D, the survey can confirm whether or not they are secure at Level C, the level below the ‘target’ level. SSA can also find out if some of the pupils are already secure at Level E. The survey can, therefore, provide much more information than if we gave pupils assessments at one level only.
Additional support
Pupils with additional support needs can have the level of support that they normally have. So, for example, a pupil who usually has a scribe can have a scribe, the school can photographically enlarge assessments if that is normally done for a pupil, and so on. There is, however, one important exception. Pupils taking the reading assessments cannot have the text read to them, although they can have the questions read to them and a scribe can record their answers. Further information will be provided with the assessment materials.
Marking the written assessments
All the written assessments are returned to SSA for marking.
Creating the written assessments
The task of creating assessments for SSA is given to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), which works to a specification drawn up by the Scottish Government for SSA. SQA recruits and trains teachers to write the assessments for SSA.
The assessments are pre-tested in schools and the results of the pre-testing analysed before an assessment item is used in a survey.
The written assessments are all matched to the levels set out in the relevant 5-14 national guidelines.
Practical assessments
Some of the schools taking part in a survey will be involved in the practical assessments. The schools are notified about their involvement in the practical assessment. Field officers will visit these schools to conduct the practical assessments.
The assessments
The practical assessments vary from survey to survey. In very general terms these assessments usually involve some sort of one-to-one discussion between the field officer and a sample of pupils, practical work in ICT and a group discussion or task.
Field officers
The practical assessments are carried out by SSA field officers.
All the field officers working for the SSA are classroom teachers, seconded from their normal classroom teaching to work for SSA for around eight days.
All the field officers will have attended training for carrying out the practical assessments.
Timing
The practical assessments take place around the time of the written assessments - in May/June.
Arrangements to be made by the school
It is likely that some special arrangements may be necessary in schools for the practical assessments. For example, the field officer may want to use one of the school’s computers to assist with the assessment of pupils’ skills in using ICT. The arrangements will vary from survey to survey. The specific arrangements for each survey will be raised by the field officers.
Creating the practical assessments
The task of creating assessments for SSA is given to the SQA, which works to a specification drawn up by the Scottish Government for SSA. SQA recruits and trains teachers to write the assessments for SSA.
The assessments are pre-tested in schools and the results of the pre-testing are analysed before an assessment item is used in a survey.
Classwork
For most surveys, schools are asked to provide examples of classwork for some of the pupils. This classwork is usually a piece of extended writing, done as part of the pupils’ course. SSA prefers to use pieces of writing which have been written as part of normal classwork, rather than impose a writing task on the pupils.
Full guidance on this matter is provided to schools taking part in each survey.