Convincing the public
It is public conf_i dence that will largely determine the success of the Diplomas, says David Wright of the
Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors
O SAY that assessment has gone Since then, it has not lain idle – taking and Development Agency for Schools, Life-
T
professional, might be construed an active part in promoting and supporting long Learning UK, and the Qualifi cations and
as patronising in the extreme – if the assessment agenda, through conferences, Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA),
that were to suggest that there was workshops and training. And through its to provide best-practice guidance to consortia.
little or no professionalism in the system as we infl uence, post-graduate degrees in assessment As a result, two new roles are being
know it now – especially to those teachers and are now developed or delivered at Bath Spa recommended in the form of lead and domain
awarding bodies who have spent many years University, Durham University, University assessors.
assessing exam work, standardising markers, of Leeds, Warwick University, Swansea Domain assessors will work closely with
and awarding grades. Metropolitan University, and the Institute of the awarding bodies to identify and apply
And in any case, there is hardly a teacher Education in London. consistently appropriate national standards
now that will have escaped assessment in Assessment is an issue which will not go across the country within a single Diploma
some form or another over the years, with away and will have an even bigger infl uence line of learning.
the prominence of coursework and key stage on teaching careers and students’ futures, than Lead assessors will work with consortia
testing, or the roll-out of Assessing Pupils’ ever it has in the past. We need to be ready across diff erent groups of students and lines
Progress materials in particular. and prepared to meet that challenge. of learning, again to ensure consistency
But even if you have largely managed to T_h e government plans to have a senior and maintenance of standards from year to
avoid it in the past, you are unlikely to escape assessment specialist member of staff in year, nationally. In essence, quality-assuring
it in the future – especially not those involved every school as outlined in the Assessment assessment practice across all taught lines of
with the Diplomas, where almost 90 per for Learning Strategy – and is working in learning.
cent of the Principal Learning elements can partnership with the CIEA and others to T_h e CIEA has been off ering training to
be devised, developed and assessed locally by bring that about. consortia in these roles since the beginning of
teachers, rather than the awarding bodies. And this is where the CIEA is already 2009, backed by the QCDA, to complement
But with “assessment” as a topic in teacher- off ering support to assessors at all stages of the training provided by awarding bodies, and
training courses being relegated to only six personal development – through membership ensure consortia are ready and fully capable
short hours in some cases, where is the new of the institute and all that this entails, to of meeting the exacting requirements of these
generation of teachers to get that help and include training and resources, qualifi cations, new programmes of study.
expertise required to perform adequately and support, and practical help for schools and T_h is training has been mapped against the
profi ciently as assessors? colleges through a network of advisors. CIEA Framework of Assessment, which lays
And what help is available to existing Membership can either be on an individual out the process of assessment from planning or
teachers who need support to ensure that basis or through corporate affi liation of a preparing to assess, through to conducting and
their assessments are credible and that public school or college – or an organisation for feeding back after the assessment has been done.
confi dence is both achieved and maintained? that matter too, as more of them sign up to T_h e framework allows individuals to map
T_h is is vital, as public confi dence will largely become awarding bodies. their skills and capabilities in assessment
determine the success, or otherwise, of the T_h ere is much at stake and these against a national standard or benchmark of
Diplomas. opportunities need to be grasped, if the good practice. DD
T_h at is where the Chartered Institute of Diplomas are to work eff ectively and public
Educational Assessors (CIEA) comes in. confi dence earned. • David Wright is chief executive of the
T_h e Institute was formed in 2005 as an Future working plans are moving on a pace Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors.
independent membership organisation, and too, with further collaboration between the Email him at davidwright@ciea.org.uk or visit
gained its Royal Charter in 2008. Institute, the awarding bodies, the Training www.ciea.org.uk
Delivering Diplomas • Volume 1 No 1 Autumn 2009 37
36-37 qca.indd 13 18/9/09 10:04:07
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68