Unit 6
Introduction
Monitoring and Evaluation are necessary tools in ensuring and determining school effectiveness. Pupils would not benefit much from a system of education unless there was some form of evaluation aimed at assessing pupil performance levels at different stages in their school career. If such assessment did not take place one of the main purposes for which schools exist would be defeated. In this context, the school system would be unable to monitor the growth and levels of attainment of the pupil population. In this unit, we review various aspects of evaluation of pupil performance levels through assessment procedures including examinations, testing and record keeping.
Although examinations, testing and record keeping are three distinct activities they are mutually interdependent. It is important to understand that without the presence of each the whole process of measurement of pupil performance and our skills as teachers would be very difficult indeed. Examinations and testing provide one objective measurement of pupil attainment. However, the teacher is a professional and should also be able to draw conclusions about the performance of his / pupils based on experience. Although these may be subjective, they will be based on evidence and can be a support to objective testing. Indeed, headteachers ought to be aware, that qualities other than academic performance must also be developed and assessed in each pupil. This is often done better through teacher observation and assessment rather than formal testing.
Without a well maintained system of record keeping for pupil examination and test performance there will be nothing to build on. Records provide a long term profile of achievement for each pupil. It is noteworthy that every effort must be made to use the results of examinations and tests as feedback mechanisms for further development of pupil learning, teaching strategies and other curriculum processes.
In this unit we will also consider “baseline testing” or “pre-tests” as a means of determining the initial level of performance of the child, setting targets and measuring performance against those targets. This is particularly important for children with learning difficulties or with some form of Special Educational Needs. Reference will also be made to Formative, Summative and Continuous Assessment procedures.
In this unit we will discuss:
¨ principles and constraints of assessment
¨ examinations and tests
¨ baseline testing and target setting
¨ Formative, Summative and Continuous Assessment procedures.
¨ reasons for internal school examination
¨ influence of external examinations on teaching, and
¨ pupil assessment records.
Individual study time: 3 hours.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
¨ differentiate between the purposes of examinations and tests
¨ identify other ways of assessing the all‑round capabilities of pupils
¨ understand the conditions necessary to maintain validity and reliability in examination and test scores at the school level
¨ understand the importance of baseline testing and target setting
¨ devise ways of keeping records of the levels of attainment of each pupil
¨ present and interpret pupil records for the benefit of pupils, parents and employers.
Principles and constraints of assessment procedures
Consider for a moment the main principles upon which the assessment procedures are based in your school. Consider also the restrictions you may face when carrying out assessment.
In giving thought to this, you will perhaps have identified some of the following:-
¨ Any form of assessment must be pupil‑centered and discriminative.
¨ Assessment is used to determine the current performance of a pupil
¨ It can be used to set targets for future performance for individual pupils or classes
¨ Assessment procedures can help to determine the effectiveness of a teacher’s learning strategies
¨ Examinations should be guided by the syllabus or scheme of work.
¨ Pupil assessment records should be up‑to‑date and as comprehensive as possible.
¨ Such records should be shared with the pupil and his / her parents
¨ All efforts must be made to create satisfactory conditions for examinations. An invigilators' manual with guidelines for standard procedures should be available.
¨ All internal tests and examinations should contain a diagnostic component to reveal the learning needs of the pupils.
¨ Tests, where possible, should be standardized and given under similar conditions of invigilation, time and venue, to all the pupils concerned. However, children with learning difficulties or Special Educational Needs should be given assistance to ensure that what is being tested is not hindered by their disability or learning difficulty. E.g. a reader to be provided when testing concepts rather than reading ability.
The above may be considered to be ideal but reality often produces constraints. Some of these listed below may have been part of your deliberations.
¨ It is very difficult, if not impossible, to reproduce similar conditions for school examinations and tests across a year group in terms, for example, of time, nature of invigilation, distractions and noise level, unless the whole group sits the examination at the same time in the same room.
¨ Pupil environmental differences, for example, deprivation in early childhood, home conditions, family size, income level, and variables in previous experience and practice, affect school performance.
¨ Children with learning difficulties or Special Educational Needs will often find assessment procedures challenging.
¨ The atmosphere of an examination room affects pupils differently, for example, into conditions of over stimulation or fear. For many pupils examinations are written under duress.
¨ There may be a lack of adequate and secure storage space for pupil assessment records.
¨ Teacher skills and knowledge in examination and test setting and marking, and in record‑keeping may be inadequate.
¨ Teachers may lack the ability to make appropriate assessments of pupils’ work based on experience.
The difference between examinations and tests
Tests provide a means for pupils and teachers to take a regular measure of the extent to which understanding and skills are being achieved and a means of diagnosing problems both in the learning and teaching which may then be given additional attention.
Exams provide a much more formal and public means of measuring the level of achievement of each pupil in respect of the objectives of a course of study available to everyone within a system. By providing a common 'currency' the abilities and qualities of each pupil may be described. We need to distinguish between internal school examinations and external public examinations.
In this sense, tests are formative in character and provide continuous assessment of the child’s progress and examinations are summative. See section below on Formative and Summative Assessment.
Activity 6.1
Consider the statements below and decide, based on the information above, which of the factors listed would apply to examinations, to tests or to both?
¨ Set by an individual teacher for his/her own pupils
¨ Set by an individual teacher for other pupils
¨ Taken by the whole year group at the same time
¨ Set as a departmental exercise
¨ Subject to formal supervision
¨ Moderated by external personnel
¨ Assesses performance over the whole syllabus
¨ Pupil results are often on a synthesis of practical work projects and written work
¨ Correct answers are provided immediately by the teacher on completion
¨ Used to reinforce acquired skills
¨ Provides immediate feedback to pupils
¨ Facilitates progression from one stage of learning to the next
Comments
There is a thin dividing line between tests and examinations. It is essential, though, that what is being tested is the work of the individual pupil and therefore, good test conditions must be observed. In essence, tests provide an ongoing or continuous assessment at pupil or class level, indicate areas for improvement and usually provide immediate feedback; whereas examinations are more summative in nature, test a whole unit, syllabus or programme and are used to supply the learner and teacher with a formal result of their interaction.
Reasons for internal school examinations
Internal examinations are held in every school. It would help to consider why this happens so that we can gain the greatest benefit from them. Below are some of the reasons.
¨ to check the learning progress of each pupil in order to report to parents, teachers and the school managers
¨ to identify current performance and set targets for future development
¨ to describe the performance of pupils preparing for certification, through public examinations
¨ to diagnose any learning difficulties so that appropriate remedial actions can be taken by the teachers. This is particularly important when identifying any special needs that children may have.
¨ to provide feedback for pupils about their performance and thereby motivate them to improve
¨ to identify pupils with the abilities and interests for specialized. subjects or courses
¨ to have informed instructional decision‑making and planning by the teachers, for example, on where to begin teaching a topic for a teacher new to a class
¨ to assess the levels of performance relating to a topic, unit or course by a class of pupils
¨ to provide data for the pupil record of attainment.
Think for a moment about any other uses that the results of internal examinations can be put to.
Baseline testing and target setting
Introduction
Monitoring and Evaluation are necessary tools in ensuring and determining school effectiveness. Pupils would not benefit much from a system of education unless there was some form of evaluation aimed at assessing pupil performance levels at different stages in their school career. If such assessment did not take place one of the main purposes for which schools exist would be defeated. In this context, the school system would be unable to monitor the growth and levels of attainment of the pupil population. In this unit, we review various aspects of evaluation of pupil performance levels through assessment procedures including examinations, testing and record keeping.
Although examinations, testing and record keeping are three distinct activities they are mutually interdependent. It is important to understand that without the presence of each the whole process of measurement of pupil performance and our skills as teachers would be very difficult indeed. Examinations and testing provide one objective measurement of pupil attainment. However, the teacher is a professional and should also be able to draw conclusions about the performance of his / pupils based on experience. Although these may be subjective, they will be based on evidence and can be a support to objective testing. Indeed, headteachers ought to be aware, that qualities other than academic performance must also be developed and assessed in each pupil. This is often done better through teacher observation and assessment rather than formal testing.
Without a well maintained system of record keeping for pupil examination and test performance there will be nothing to build on. Records provide a long term profile of achievement for each pupil. It is noteworthy that every effort must be made to use the results of examinations and tests as feedback mechanisms for further development of pupil learning, teaching strategies and other curriculum processes.
In this unit we will also consider “baseline testing” or “pre-tests” as a means of determining the initial level of performance of the child, setting targets and measuring performance against those targets. This is particularly important for children with learning difficulties or with some form of Special Educational Needs. Reference will also be made to Formative, Summative and Continuous Assessment procedures.
In this unit we will discuss:
¨ principles and constraints of assessment
¨ examinations and tests
¨ baseline testing and target setting
¨ Formative, Summative and Continuous Assessment procedures.
¨ reasons for internal school examination
¨ influence of external examinations on teaching, and
¨ pupil assessment records.
Individual study time: 3 hours.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
¨ differentiate between the purposes of examinations and tests
¨ identify other ways of assessing the all‑round capabilities of pupils
¨ understand the conditions necessary to maintain validity and reliability in examination and test scores at the school level
¨ understand the importance of baseline testing and target setting
¨ devise ways of keeping records of the levels of attainment of each pupil
¨ present and interpret pupil records for the benefit of pupils, parents and employers.
Principles and constraints of assessment procedures
Consider for a moment the main principles upon which the assessment procedures are based in your school. Consider also the restrictions you may face when carrying out assessment.
In giving thought to this, you will perhaps have identified some of the following:-
¨ Any form of assessment must be pupil‑centered and discriminative.
¨ Assessment is used to determine the current performance of a pupil
¨ It can be used to set targets for future performance for individual pupils or classes
¨ Assessment procedures can help to determine the effectiveness of a teacher’s learning strategies
¨ Examinations should be guided by the syllabus or scheme of work.
¨ Pupil assessment records should be up‑to‑date and as comprehensive as possible.
¨ Such records should be shared with the pupil and his / her parents
¨ All efforts must be made to create satisfactory conditions for examinations. An invigilators' manual with guidelines for standard procedures should be available.
¨ All internal tests and examinations should contain a diagnostic component to reveal the learning needs of the pupils.
¨ Tests, where possible, should be standardized and given under similar conditions of invigilation, time and venue, to all the pupils concerned. However, children with learning difficulties or Special Educational Needs should be given assistance to ensure that what is being tested is not hindered by their disability or learning difficulty. E.g. a reader to be provided when testing concepts rather than reading ability.
The above may be considered to be ideal but reality often produces constraints. Some of these listed below may have been part of your deliberations.
¨ It is very difficult, if not impossible, to reproduce similar conditions for school examinations and tests across a year group in terms, for example, of time, nature of invigilation, distractions and noise level, unless the whole group sits the examination at the same time in the same room.
¨ Pupil environmental differences, for example, deprivation in early childhood, home conditions, family size, income level, and variables in previous experience and practice, affect school performance.
¨ Children with learning difficulties or Special Educational Needs will often find assessment procedures challenging.
¨ The atmosphere of an examination room affects pupils differently, for example, into conditions of over stimulation or fear. For many pupils examinations are written under duress.
¨ There may be a lack of adequate and secure storage space for pupil assessment records.
¨ Teacher skills and knowledge in examination and test setting and marking, and in record‑keeping may be inadequate.
¨ Teachers may lack the ability to make appropriate assessments of pupils’ work based on experience.
The difference between examinations and tests
Tests provide a means for pupils and teachers to take a regular measure of the extent to which understanding and skills are being achieved and a means of diagnosing problems both in the learning and teaching which may then be given additional attention.
Exams provide a much more formal and public means of measuring the level of achievement of each pupil in respect of the objectives of a course of study available to everyone within a system. By providing a common 'currency' the abilities and qualities of each pupil may be described. We need to distinguish between internal school examinations and external public examinations.
In this sense, tests are formative in character and provide continuous assessment of the child’s progress and examinations are summative. See section below on Formative and Summative Assessment.
Activity 6.1
Consider the statements below and decide, based on the information above, which of the factors listed would apply to examinations, to tests or to both?
¨ Set by an individual teacher for his/her own pupils
¨ Set by an individual teacher for other pupils
¨ Taken by the whole year group at the same time
¨ Set as a departmental exercise
¨ Subject to formal supervision
¨ Moderated by external personnel
¨ Assesses performance over the whole syllabus
¨ Pupil results are often on a synthesis of practical work projects and written work
¨ Correct answers are provided immediately by the teacher on completion
¨ Used to reinforce acquired skills
¨ Provides immediate feedback to pupils
¨ Facilitates progression from one stage of learning to the next
Comments
There is a thin dividing line between tests and examinations. It is essential, though, that what is being tested is the work of the individual pupil and therefore, good test conditions must be observed. In essence, tests provide an ongoing or continuous assessment at pupil or class level, indicate areas for improvement and usually provide immediate feedback; whereas examinations are more summative in nature, test a whole unit, syllabus or programme and are used to supply the learner and teacher with a formal result of their interaction.
Reasons for internal school examinations
Internal examinations are held in every school. It would help to consider why this happens so that we can gain the greatest benefit from them. Below are some of the reasons.
¨ to check the learning progress of each pupil in order to report to parents, teachers and the school managers
¨ to identify current performance and set targets for future development
¨ to describe the performance of pupils preparing for certification, through public examinations
¨ to diagnose any learning difficulties so that appropriate remedial actions can be taken by the teachers. This is particularly important when identifying any special needs that children may have.
¨ to provide feedback for pupils about their performance and thereby motivate them to improve
¨ to identify pupils with the abilities and interests for specialized. subjects or courses
¨ to have informed instructional decision‑making and planning by the teachers, for example, on where to begin teaching a topic for a teacher new to a class
¨ to assess the levels of performance relating to a topic, unit or course by a class of pupils
¨ to provide data for the pupil record of attainment.
Think for a moment about any other uses that the results of internal examinations can be put to.
Baseline testing and target setting
“Weighing a pig will not make it any fatter”
Indeed this is very true and could equally apply to the indiscriminate use of tests with school children. There is often a tendency to over-test in schools. Indeed so many tests are often a substitute for quality teaching and learning in the classroom. The pig farmer who weighs his pig every day to ascertain his potential profits would be better spending his time providing a nutritious diet for the animal. Likewise testing children in itself, does not necessarily develop their knowledge and skills. For this reason, we must be very clear about why we test.
One good reason for a diagnostic test is to ascertain the current performance of a child, rate his / her potential and set an appropriate target for improvement based on the age and ability level of the child. To some teachers this will appear to be an onerous task with so many children to deal with. Indeed it is, but good teachers will understand that a curriculum based on the needs and potential of individual children i.e. a child-centred approach, will produce the best results.
In Guyana, the curriculum which has been developed, for example in English and Maths, bases its lessons on the average expected performance for a child of that age group. By carrying out a baseline or pre-test, underperformance will be identified and corrective measures taken. Likewise, those children performing above and beyond expectations can be stretched to achieve the highest limits. Target setting has benefits for average children, those with learning difficulties and also gifted children. Such a method encourages the teacher to see children as individuals rather than groups and focus his / her lessons on their individual needs rather than “teaching to the class”.
When setting targets, it is essential that thorough record keeping is carried out. It is better that this process is on the level of the school and is common to all and part of school policy. Baseline testing and regular (but not too frequent) repeat tests will become part of the normal procedures of the school by which it will measure its success and that of individual students and teachers. Results will be recorded and examined by the Headteacher or those with responsibility for an area of the school. Appropriate action, rewards or sanctions, will be the result of this analysis.
Targets can be set at the level of the pupil, the teacher or the school. Remember, however, that targets must be S.M.A.R.T
Setting targets for improved pupil performance is crucial in the school self improvement cycle. Targets drive school improvement and provide impetus to challenge complacency. To be effective, targets for school improvement need to be S.M.A.R.T. targets. This means they should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable and Realistic, and set against an appropriate Timescale.
Specific targets
Analysing pupil performance enables teachers to identify specific areas of work in the school which could be improved. For example, analysis may reveal that pupils, or groups of pupils, in the school make better gains in communicating than early number skills, in which case the teaching of early number skills needs to be targeted for improvement. Through professional discussions and the sharing of judgements about the effectiveness of current teaching practices in the school, the target can be refined to identify more specifically the particular elements of mathematics teaching for improvement.
Measurable targets
SMART targets will be measurable, and reflect the criteria used for measuring pupil performance. Having identified and agreed the aspects of teaching and learning to target for improvement, teachers will need to make judgements about translating teaching practice into improvement in pupil performance in the future. This involves deciding what more pupils will achieve when more successful teaching practices are implemented, over and above what they would be expected to achieve given current teaching practice. Those outcomes are the school’s measurable targets.
Achievable and realistic targetsTargets should be set that closely reflect their pupils’ performance priorities, as well as reflecting the national priorities of literacy and numeracy. For some schools this will mean setting targets for particular year groups. For other schools, it will mean setting targets for particular groups of pupils. It is important that school targets should focus on pupil learning. outcomes.
Timed targetsHaving identified targets and how they will be measured, it is important to set realistic timescales for when the pupil, the teacher or the school will reach these targets. The timescales chosen will depend on the nature of the target, the needs of the pupils and what action is necessary for the school to take. The key to this element of target setting is to set a timescale that will provide the optimum effect in terms of pupils’ achievements. Targets should be set against timescales that both maintain impetus and are sufficient for new teaching strategies to take effect. Many schools find it helpful to use the same timescale for all targets.
Activity 6.2
Consider the above description of baseline testing and target setting and give some examples of three or more appropriate targets you might consider for your own school for the following:-
¨ Individual pupils
¨ A year group
¨ A teacher
¨ A Department or Level
¨ The whole school
Comments
Targets for individuals pupils will focus on development to at least the level of the average child and hopefully beyond. Year group targets may be more general and could be about work ethos, attitudes and behaviour as well as overall performance. Teachers and departments or levels will be challenged by targets which are linked to the performance of their pupils and will benefit most from understanding how they can improve their teaching to achieve this. Support for such targets will be essential. Targets for the whole school may focus on improved overall performance, in summatiuve terms (see below) for example results in grades 2, 4, 6, 9 tests, CSEC, A levels and CAPE.
Formative and Summative Assessment procedures.
Consider some of the reasons why we assess children
¨ Identifying the next steps for learning
¨ Checking progress
¨ Motivating children
¨ Diagnostic testing
¨ Identifying possible future achievement
¨ Record of overall achievement
¨ Placing chilldren in rank order
¨ Evaluating a teaching method
¨ Evaluating a pupil, teacher or school
¨ Setting targets
¨ Discussing progress with parents/guardians
There are different categories of assessment. We perform each for different reasons.
Formative Assessment is day to day ongoing assessment which is used as part of the repertoire of teaching strategies, based on how well students fulfil learning intentions, providing feedback and involving students in improving their own learning.
Some uses of formative assessment can be found below:-
¨ Pupils achieve academic success more readily
¨ Target setting: for individuals over time for ongoing aspects – e.g. reading and writing
¨ Ensures student motivation and involvement in progress
¨ Keeps teachers informed of individual needs
¨ Provides a full record of achievement over time. Feedback to the student: must reflect the learning intentions of the tasks to be useful and provide an ongoing record. It can can be oral or written.
¨ It tracks progress diagnostically and informs student of successes and weaknesses and provides clear strategies for improvement.
¨ Develops student self-evaluation: they are trained to evaluate their own achievements against the learning intention (and possibly beyond), in oral and written form.
¨ Empowers the student to realise his or her own learning needs and to have control over future targets.
¨ Provides the teacher with more assessment information – the student’s perspective.
¨ Sharing the learning intentions wiith students for every task ensures they are focused on the purpose of the task, encourages their involvement and ability to comment on their own learning as well as helping the teacher to be clear about learning objectives for the class.
Summative Assessment is a snapshot testing which establishes what a student can do at a particular point in time.
Some examples of the uses of summative assessment can be found below:-
¨ Grades 2 – 9 National Tests in Guyana and CSEC, CAPE and A level
¨ Class tests: created by individual teachers and used in day to day lessons (e.g. mental number tests). Such tests can also be used formatively if the results are used to assist children in their learning.
¨ To improve students’ mental recall and establish what they have remembered or learnt so far.
¨ School Tests: in-house tests written by teachers, usually ‘end of module’ tests, used at the end of a taught unit to establish general attainment .
¨ Commercially produced tests purchased independently by schools. These tests are controlled by publishers to enable schools to monitor progress through summative means at different points in time
¨ Baseline tests - produced tests applied to students at entry to school, ranging from observation of students’ behaviour to specific oral or activity items to establish the students’ abilities at the beginning of their education, so that subsequent achievement can be compared and measured against actual improvement. They can also be used formatively, to identify weaknesses and strengths and provide appropriate learning experiences for individual students.
In terms of the Education Management Certificate Programme, the reflections, activities and assignments are formative assessments and will be used by the Master Trainers to develop the teachers’ understanding of the concepts learnt. The examinations, however, are summative and provide no specific feedback to the trainee other than an overall grade.
The validity of a test or examination
There are ways in which the effectiveness or reliability of examinations across classes in the school may be compromised.
¨ having different lengths of time for the same paper given to different classes
¨ giving different test taking instructions
¨ having different tests on the same topic in the same subject (although this may be appropriate for children with learning difficulties or S.E.N.)
¨ different levels of preparations for the test by teachers
¨ different test conditions e.g. time of day, noise levels, disturbances
Administration of external examinations
The administration of external examinations always has to be under-taken efficiently.
Consider in what chronological order you would implement each of the following activities.
¨ Ensure invigilators thoroughly instruct pupils on the correct way of recording answers on the answer sheets.
¨ Return corrected school entry lists in accordance with the time scale laid down by the examination authorities.
¨ Send off all answer scripts to the Examination Board.
¨ Return pupils' entry forms to the Examination Board promptly.
¨ Check that the school adheres to the prescribed examination administration procedures.
¨ Appoint a Chief Invigilator from your staff.
¨ Make sure that school invigilators are fully aware of external regulations and comply with them.
¨ Follow exactly the security arrangements as laid down by the examination authority.
Comments
In this case we have not included an answer. You may check your answer against the guidelines for examiners you should already have in your school. If you don't have any guidelines, then your answer could provide a basis for a discussion with your senior staff as to what actions need to be included and in what order.
Comments
In this case we have not included an answer. You may check your answer against the guidelines for examiners you should already have in your school. If you don't have any guidelines, then your answer could provide a basis for a discussion with your senior staff as to what actions need to be included and in what order.
Influence of external examinations on teaching
Consider some of the ways in which examinations can affect both adversely and positively the nature and quality of teaching in your school.
Comments
There is no doubt that external examinations have a direct and considerable influence on curricula and teaching methods because of the importance of such examinations to the careers and lives of the pupils and the competition for places at higher levels.
In Guyana, there are a number of such examinations which are administered, namely:
Grades 2, 4, 6 and 9 National Tests
Caribbean Secondary Examination for Schools (CSEC / CXC)
Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination.
Advanced level General Certificate of Education (GCE A Level)
Schools cannot risk failure, therefore teaching tends to rehearse pupils for these examinations with strict concentration on syllabi and set books, with teaching methods based on formal expositions, dictated notes, memorisation, rote learning and reproduction. Unfortunately, examination pressure intensifies the tendency to concentrate on the interests of the abler pupils and forget the rest. This is, of course, extremely bad practice on the part of the teacher as all pupils deserve an equal opportunity for success at their own level.
On the other hand, examinations do help to concentrate the minds of both pupils and teachers towards meeting the curricular objectives.
Pupil assessment records
Keeping up‑to‑date records of all pupil test and examination scores is important but other related records are equally valuable. The overall objective of the school is to have as complete a record of the growth and progress of each pupil as an individual as possible. For this purpose, continuous assessment records, non‑academic appointments, term class reports, special incident accounts and the normal data found in the pupil's file all contribute significantly.
The most compact way to present such information, facilitating access and updating, is usually as a form or chart. Increasingly, in schools throughout the world, computers are used for this purpose.
Consider the form shown in below. It is used to present pre‑reading, writing and number activities for nursery pupils in their first 4‑5 weeks in school.
Criteria of assessment
A Can see similarities and differences in size
B Can pick one name from others
C Can see and remember
D Can pick a different item given five
E Can sort for kind
F Can sort number dots and remember symbols
G Can sort pictures
H Can sort pictures and words
Give each pupil a grade A - H
Savatri Balbahadur
John Mackenzie
Marshall Lewis
Reginald Singh
David White
This chart is capable of producing diagnostic information. A tick means success, a blank means no success.
Reflect for a moment on how you might improve this chart if it were to be used for your subject in your school.
Activity 6.3
Design a form or charts for one of the following:
¨ assessment marks for each pupil for the duration of a course;
¨ a termly report for parents showing test marks, non‑academic achievements, general behaviour, and other areas you think appropriate;
¨ marks, averages or medians for each pupil in a class
¨ character and behaviour assessment for each pupil to be updated at regular intervals during his/her school career;
¨ record special incidents of good/bad behaviour or non‑academic achievement;
¨ to present a testimonial/ reference/ school leaving certificate which will be derived from the above records.
Completing, storing and retrieving pupil records
Records are likely to achieve the purposes described in the sections above if they:
¨ make explicit what students know, understand and are able to do in relation to others and what has been taught in the curriculum
¨ are flexible enough to record the achievement of all students
¨ are manageable and can be easily understood by all who use them
¨ provide teachers with information about achievement, in particular about those parts of the curriculum which were taught earlier
¨ provide an accurate and reliable record of student achievement
¨ are consistent throughout the school and are passed on from one teacher to the next
¨ provide information in a form which allows schools to monitor student achievement and progress.
It is also very important to have a clear, well managed system of storing and retrieving pupil records. Firstly, you need to check that you have the right type of record books and documents on which to record information about each pupil. You may need to design and produce suitable material yourself. In Guyana, record cards are provided and should be passed on from school to school. However, you may need to design your own, especially for formative testing as those provided are mainly summative in nature. Secondly, you need to assign duties to each member of staff so that they know very clearly what information is required, by whom and when. Thirdly, you need to have secure places for keeping the records which should be confidential. Lastly, as school head you will need to manage the system, ensuring everyone is doing the work well and reviewing procedures to find ways for improvement.
Summary
Although assessment procedures including examinations and tests serve different purposes, both are important professionally within the school and should therefore be organised and managed responsibly. The school head must appreciate the need for good arrangements and tight security in internal and external examinations. She or he must, however, be aware that such examinations form only part of the assessment of the innate abilities of her/his pupils, and must recognise the need for a comprehensive system of record‑keeping which will benefit pupil, teacher and parents in giving a full profile of each child.
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