Assessment and achievement
Assessment is a key strand of work in implementing Curriculum for Excellence. At the Scottish Learning Festival on 23 September 2009, the Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced the publication of the strategic vision and key principles for assessment in Curriculum for Excellence.
Assessment for Curriculum for Excellence
This document sets out the Scottish Government’s strategy on how to build on our existing strong foundations of effective approaches to assessment.
Strategic vision and key principles for assessment (89 KB)The main differences from the existing assessment arrangements are that:
Assessment practices will follow and support the new curriculum. This will promote higher quality learning and teaching and give more autonomy and professional responsibility to teachers.
Standards and expectations will be defined in a way that reflects the principles of Curriculum for Excellence. This will support greater breadth and depth of learning and a greater focus on skills development including higher order skills.
A national system of quality assurance and moderation for 3 – 18 will be developed to support teachers in achieving greater consistency and confidence in their professional judgements.
A National Assessment Resource will help teachers to achieve greater consistency and understanding in their professional judgements. There will also be a major focus on CPD to help teachers develop the skills required.
Later this year, the Scottish Government will publish a Framework for Assessment as part of the Building the Curriculum series which will provide guidance and support to ensure that arrangements for assessment, at all levels of the educational community, support the values, purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence and build on the Assessment is for Learning programme. The Scottish Survey of Achievement will also be redesigned to provide more information about young people’s literacy and numeracy skills.
Related information
Assessment as part of learning and teaching
Teachers' professional judgement about the progress children and young people are making are important features of learning and teaching approaches.
Qualifications
Qualifications have a significant role to play in enabling young people to develop the four capacities and the range of skills for life and skills for work they require.
Assessment within curriculum areas and subjects
Guidance on the broad features of assessing children and young people's progress within specific curriculum areas and subjects.