Realising the Potential of System Reform Frameworks for Evaluation and Action Keynote Presentation at a Seminar on Ed

1. Realising the Potential of System Reform �Frameworks for Evaluation and ActionKeynote Presentation at a Seminar onEducational Evaluationat the Bank of Italy, Rome, ItalyWednesday 24th January 2007

2. High Excellence High Equity �Raising the Bar and Narrowing the Gap

4. This map shows in red those LEAs where three quarters of their children were achieving the expected level in English in 1998. This provided the clearest possible justification for the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy, and the position in numeracy was very similar.This map shows in red those LEAs where three quarters of their children were achieving the expected level in English in 1998. This provided the clearest possible justification for the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy, and the position in numeracy was very similar.

5. This map showed the transformation that we had achieved by 2002. And this year we have gone even further�..This map showed the transformation that we had achieved by 2002. And this year we have gone even further�..

6. This map showed the transformation that has now been achievedThis map showed the transformation that has now been achieved

7. The recent international PIRLS report on reading standards confirmed that we are right to describe our performance as world class. The study showed: Ten year olds in England are the third most able readers in the world, behind Sweden and the Netherlands England is the most successful English-speaking country. There has been a marked increase in our international performance since the mid-1990s. An NFER report in 1996 said that our performance would have put us close to the international average in 1991 The study also exploded a number of common myths Teachers say that the literacy strategy has introduced pupils to a wider range of texts Schools in England use more real books and more longer books than those in other countries. The high performance of our children is related to the broad reading curriculum that they follow The recent international PIRLS report on reading standards confirmed that we are right to describe our performance as world class. The study showed: Ten year olds in England are the third most able readers in the world, behind Sweden and the Netherlands England is the most successful English-speaking country. There has been a marked increase in our international performance since the mid-1990s. An NFER report in 1996 said that our performance would have put us close to the international average in 1991 The study also exploded a number of common myths Teachers say that the literacy strategy has introduced pupils to a wider range of texts Schools in England use more real books and more longer books than those in other countries. The high performance of our children is related to the broad reading curriculum that they follow

10. Percentage of pupils achieving level 4 or above in Key Stage 2 tests 1998-2003

11. The Key Question - how do we get there? Most agree that in England: standards were too low and too varied in the 1970�s & 80�s some form of direct state intervention was necessary the impact of this top-down approach was to raise standards (particularly in primary schools). But now: progress has plateaued - while a bit more might be squeezed out nationally, and perhaps a lot in underperforming schools, must question whether this is still the recipe for sustained reform there is a growing recognition that to ensure that every student reaches their potential, schools need to lead the next phase of reform. The 64k dollar question is how do we get there?

12. The real challenge we all face is to move the system from National Prescription ? Schools Leading Reform. As the Minister says, to move from a situation where Government delivers policy ? to one that builds capacity. This is not a chronological shift, it takes time and it is always a blend, but we want to shift the balance. The aim is to go from a) ? through b) ? c). When at c) = High Excellence High Equity The real challenge we all face is to move the system from National Prescription ? Schools Leading Reform. As the Minister says, to move from a situation where Government delivers policy ? to one that builds capacity. This is not a chronological shift, it takes time and it is always a blend, but we want to shift the balance. The aim is to go from a) ? through b) ? c). When at c) = High Excellence High Equity

14. System Leadership: A Proposition �System leaders� care about and work for the success of other schools as well as their own. They measure their success in terms of improving student learning and increasing achievement, and strive to both raise the bar and narrow the gap(s). Crucially they are willing to shoulder system leadership roles in the belief that in order to change the larger system you have to engage with it in a meaningful way.�

16. Complementary Policy Framework for System Reform

17. This leads inevitably to a consideration of �Intelligent Accountability� �Accountability is in some ways the foundation of public services today. Without accountability there is no legitimacy; without legitimacy there is no support; without support there are no resources; and without resources there are no services�� �intelligent accountability serves two functions: it helps the system learn from itself, and it shows the public that they are getting value for money� David Miliband at the North of England Education Conference Belfast, 8 January 2004.

18. Which I define(d) as a moreResponsive Accountability Framework Forms of accountability (national testing and inspection) and assessment (teacher and school initiated as well as examinations) need to evolve so that the system becomes increasingly responsive to the knowledge available to it. The process should then become increasingly formative, assessment literate, embrace self evaluation, be data rich and context specific and promote lateral responsibility.

19. The real challenge we all face is to move the system from National Prescription ? Schools Leading Reform. As the Minister says, to move from a situation where Government delivers policy ? to one that builds capacity. This is not a chronological shift, it takes time and it is always a blend, but we want to shift the balance. The aim is to go from a) ? through b) ? c). When at c) = High Excellence High Equity The real challenge we all face is to move the system from National Prescription ? Schools Leading Reform. As the Minister says, to move from a situation where Government delivers policy ? to one that builds capacity. This is not a chronological shift, it takes time and it is always a blend, but we want to shift the balance. The aim is to go from a) ? through b) ? c). When at c) = High Excellence High Equity

20. Between Internal & External Accountability

21. What does this mean for theArchitecture of the Accountability Framework? Inspection Targets Testing Performance Tables Performance Management

22. Inspection Centrality of framework as the standard of excellence and basis for self evaluation Principle of differentiation in proportion to effectiveness Increasing emphasis on moderated self evaluation Increasing involvement of peers and use of parental/student attitudes Raise status of Chief Inspectors report as national indicator of performance Lateral accountability through inspection of networks and federations

23. Targets Moral case for national targets �De-couple� national and local/school targets Stretch targets based on value added and benchmark data for Schools/Municipalities Trajectory to meet national target before 2??? Peer support and pressure through local networks

24. Tests Limited number of high stake tests � 7 (?), 11, 14 (?), 16 and 18 Increased emphasis on moderated teacher assessment and authentic testing Assessment for Learning more fully embraced

25. Performance Tables Increase use of (contextual) value added and benchmark data Rationalise reporting anomalies and broaden measures Inclusion of collective/network measures Introduction of school profile or charter

26. Performance Management Clear focus on teaching and learning Use of student performance data Emphasis on peer support and coaching Link to within school variation

27. �Balancing internal and external accountability�

29. Appendix � Further Information on the English Education System

30. The English Curriculum and Assessment of Learning

31. The English Curriculum

32. Assessment - the English case

33. A Summary of student assessment in the system Foundation Stage: 5 year olds are internally assessed by reception class teachers against the early learning goals in the Foundation Stage Profile Key Stage 1: 7 year olds, are internally assessed by teachers who will use a nationally-set Key Stage 1 test as one piece of evidence. The results of the teacher assessment, not the tests, go into national statistics but are not published school by school Key Stages 2 & 3: 11 and 14 year olds, are assessed by both teachers and tests. The results are collected and published in national statistics. Only test results, however, feature in comparative tables of achievement and attainment by school and local education authority. Most (academic) GCSEs and A levels commonly involve exam papers marked by awarding bodies with some minor internal elements, such as coursework or language orals assessed by class teachers. Vocational GCSEs and A Levels are on average one third external and two-thirds internal assessment. The latter is undertaken through a range of practical assignments which are moderated or sampled. Work-based qualifications are mainly internally assessed, with most comprising about 25% external.

34. National Assessment

35. Reporting and rationale The results of KS 2 and 3 are �reported to parents and nationally, and are used by schools for self-evaluation and improvement. Only test results are used for school level�performance comparisons�(in the School Achievement and Attainment Tables) The rationale for this arrangement is a clear priority on the Core subjects of the curriculum. This is created by objective external standards combined with accountability for schools based on student attainment. This focuses teaching time and resources on the Core.

37. Forms of Assessment for Learning Sophisticated software used in order to CATs: assess an individual�s ability to reason with and manipulate different types of symbols. These symbols represent Words / verbal Quantitative spatial, geometric or figural patterns / non verbal