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CBA Autumn 2015 Principal Information Seminar 19 th , 22 nd and 23 rd June 2015 Anne Cromie and Dorothee Wagner. Learning Intentions. At the end of the session you will be aware of the: context for CBA in Northern Ireland for autumn 2015;
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CBA Autumn 2015 Principal Information Seminar 19th, 22nd and 23rd June 2015 Anne Cromie and Dorothee Wagner
Learning Intentions At the end of the session you will be aware of the: • context for CBA in Northern Ireland for autumn 2015; • findings of independent reviews of computer-based assessments (CBA) including the OECD Review; • developments made to CBA in response to feedback from schools; • reports and outcomes produced and how they can be used to inform planning; and • guidance and support available from CCEA and C2k.
Overview 9.00 or 13.00 Registration 9.30 or 13.30 Welcome Context for CBA Autumn 2015 10.30 or 2.30 Tea/Coffee 10.45 or 14.45 Developments to CBA CBA Reports and Outcomes Next Steps 11.45or 15.45Questions, Evaluation & Close
Focus on Raising Standards “The introduction of the CBAs is consistent with the national strategy to improve pupil performance within literacy and numeracy.” p61 “…fit well with an official assessment strategy that focuses on assessment for learning and a wider national strategy to reduce inequity in student outcomes.” p61 OECD Review of Evaluation and Assessment in Northern Ireland Education 2013
Step Change “Literacy and numeracy are bedrocks of a successful education system. Getting this right significantly enhances a young person’s employability and lays the foundations for further success in all areas of learning and life.” Step Change, October 2014, www.cbi.org.uk
Step Change • At primary school, literacy, numeracy, communication and ICT skills have been made a central focus – and computer-based assessment is increasingly used as a tool for embedding ICT skills into broader curriculum study. • Helping young people to be confident and familiar with ICT is important. • However, greater improvement is still needed. On leaving primary school, 18% of students still do not have the expected level of communication and mathematics skills for their age. • The policy focus on literacy, numeracy, communication and ICT is strongly supported by industry
Northern Ireland employers’ top priority areas for action (%)
Top priority areas for action (%) in primary schools • Clearly defined goals on literacy and numeracy 86.54% • Development of communication skills 53.85% • Development of character / behaviours 46.15% • Clearly defined goals on science 30.77% • A broader definition of achievement at school covering exam results and other factors essential 17.31% to success in life and work
Evaluation and Review of CBA since 2012 • Covered all aspects from procurement to operation • Phased approach in autumn 2013 • 2014 mini trial • Phased approach in autumn 2014 and 2015 • Overall findings • Consistent • Reinforce key messages • Since 2012: • 184 schools chose to use CBA in 2013 • 194 in 2014 • 276 in 2015
Moving Forward Procurement Cycle • Five year procurement cycle Technical Support/ Transformed Primary Network • Continued partnership – CCEA/C2k/Capita/suppliers • Enhance CCEA/C2k helpdesk • Monitoring network stability • Ensure ICT equipment set up for CBA • Revised Pre-flight check for IE11 • Support CBA on transformed network
OECD:Particular Strengths of CBA OECD has identified the following as particular strengths: • Standardised to NI school population • Aligned to revised curriculum • Adaptive (difficulty of the questions adapts to the level of the pupil) • reduces the risk of demotivation • provides nuanced, fine-grained profile of the pupil’s performance. • Consistent with the national strategy to: • improve pupil performance in literacy and numeracy • focus on assessment for learning
OECD:Main Benefits of CBA OECD has highlighted CBA as a reliable basis for… • assessing progress and learning needs • planning teaching to meet learner needs • supporting self-assessment and individualised target setting • reducing the workload of teachers as no marking is involved • providing teachers with clear and reliable information for parents on their children’s strengths and weaknesses
OECD:Learning for CBA OECD identified the following regarding CBA: • Technical challenges • procurement process • screen freezes/sound • physical dexterity (keyboard and mouse) • Feedback of results • adaptivity • delay in standardised scores • parent reports • Lack of continuity • procurement process • InCAS • longitudinal data • two providers • Timeframe
Ministerial Statement • OECD Review positive ‘The practice of having this sort of universal, formative assessment in primary school, mapped to our own curriculum and delivered at the start of the academic year, is noted with approval by the OECD’ John O’Dowd, Oral Statement (11 March, 2014)
Legislative Context In an email to schools on March 26, 2015, the Assessment and Qualifications Team (DENI) noted that: • Since the introduction of NILA and NINA assessments in 2012, CCEA has worked with both assessment providers to improve both CBAs to best meet school needs. • Participant schools reported increasing confidence in the educational value of the assessments, with over 90% stating that they plan to use them again, if available. • All primary schools are now invited to register their interest in participating in a further voluntary CBA programme in autumn 2015 and the Minister would like to encourage as many schools as possible to consider taking part.
NILA and NINA What do they have in common? • May be completed only by Year 4 to Year 7 pupils • Web-based and pupil responses to questions are saved automatically online • Adaptive and not time-bound • Longer a pupil takes to answer the longer the assessment will take • Can be paused and re-started from that point • Available in English & Irish • Special Entry Points available • Pupils cannot repeat assessments • Similar tables and reports • Reports and outcomes available within 48 hours of completion
The Literacy Assessment • Single assessment • No time limit • Most pupils complete 46 questions • Average time of 40 minutes • Four difficulties of questions • age appropriate for the pupil (=), for a younger pupil (<), an older pupil (>) or an even older pupils (>+) • SEN Entry Point starts with (<) • Question number is displayed at the bottom of the screen • 8 different answer techniques • cloze, drag and match, drag into order, drag punctuation, drag to hot spot, pick multiple, pick one and select word • Practice assessment
Adaptive Routing in NILA Let’s take a few minutes to look through the CBA Objectives Report
The Numeracy Assessment • 2 strands: • Strand 1 Understanding & Using Number • Strand 2: Shape & Space, Measures and Handling Data • Neither has a fixed time for completion • Each strand assessed using an adaptive approach • Pupils take an average of 20 minutes per strand • Only mental arithmetic questions are timed • Irish Medium version only available to IM schools or those with IM units • Pencil and paper should be available to pupils • Practice area • Voiceover available for every question
Adaptive Assessment • Start in their target year - one year below their current school designated year e.g. Year 3 questions for a Year 4 pupil • SEN Entry Point is 2 years below target year • 3 difficulties of questions • Easy, medium and difficult • First question is a ‘medium’ one • First set of 6-8 questions assesses general numeracy • Move up, down or stay in the year • Move up or down can be reversed • Process repeated until assessment determines they are answering questions appropriate to their ability
Adaptive Assessment Let’s take a few minutes to look through the CBA Objectives Report
Promotions and Demotions by Year
Coffee Time 10.30 / 14.30
Special Entry Points SEN (Special Educational Needs) Entry Point: • for pupils experiencing difficulties with literacy/numeracy • quicker access to easier questions • more positive and potentially shorter assessment experience • offers same access to the full range of questions as other pupils HI (Hearing Impaired) Entry Point: • for pupils who are receiving support for a hearing impairment • removes the Listening aspect of the assessment • allows pupils to be assessed in Reading and Writing Use of the Special Entry Points will not be obvious to pupils.
Qualifying for Special Entry Points The teacher and the Senior Management Team must: For the SEN Entry Point • reasonably expect that the pupil is performing two or more years below their chronological age; and • be in agreement that an SEN Entry Point is appropriate for the pupil. For the HI Entry Point • have evidence that the pupil is receiving support for a Hearing Impairment; and • be in agreement that an HI Entry Point is appropriate for the pupil. Only the Administrator can set a Special Entry Point
General SEN improvements • Specific guidance included in the NILA / NINA Guidance Documents; • Improved font size, style and colour; • Language modification; • Setting an SEN entry point for individual pupils; • Setting an HI entry point (removes Listening questions from NILA); • Improved ‘drag punctuation’ questions in NILA; • Voice in NILA and NINA Demos slowed down; • Improved pupil demos (for the practice areas and the real assessment); • Streamlined NINA Practice area; and • Simplified pupil checklists.
Monitor Assessments NILA EM completed NINA completed NILA EM started NINA started NILA IM completed NINA not started NILA IM started NILA – to help monitor progress during an assessment the question number is displayed at the bottom of the screen (most pupils answer 46 questions). NINA – each strand takes approximately 20 minutes.
Item Analysis NILA • Additional questions added to NILA at the lower and upper end. • Drag punctuation questions: • Improved ‘grab’ of the box; and • More accurate placement of the punctuation mark. • Improved graphics and screen display. • Improvements for Hearing Impaired (HI) pupils. NINA • Reviewed small number of questions with high proportion of incorrect answers.
Reduction of Question Techniques Pupils are allowed to use pencil and paper
