Wednesday, July 23, 2008
OFSTED says too many schools ignore inspectorate advice about testing.
Schools continue to 'teach to the test', despite warnings and advice from OFSTED.
Reports from OFSTED that schools need to avoid the temptation to focus their teaching and learning on how to do well in national tests have been regular over the last few years but a letter writtenlast month by Christine Gilbert, Chief Inspector of Schools, suggested that despite the advice, OFSTED are finding evidence of too many schools continuing to 'teach to the test'.
The letter to the Commons Schools Select Committee has been published this month, revealing the frustration of the Chief Inspector of Schools. In the letter Christine Gilbert says Ofsted has evidence that, "in some schools an emphasis on tests in English, Mathematics and Science limits the range of work in these subjects in particular year groups, as well as more broadly across the curriculum in some primary schools." She highlights poetry, speaking and listening and practical maths work as areas which have suffered.
The Commons Schools Select Committee on Testing and Assessment concluded in it's report that there was "substantial evidence that teaching to the test to an extent which narrows the curriculum and puts sustained learning at risk, is widespread", but also suggested that Ofsted had some responsibility for why this was happening in schools.
The Committee Report concludes the role of the tests is more of a problem than the tests themselves. The tests become very "high-stakes" when the results are used to measure teacher, school and individual perofrmance. The Committee argues too much emphaisis can be placed on the tests by teachers and schools partly because government bodies such as Ofsted and QCA rely on them too much for data when they do not give a complete or sometimes accurate picture. The report describes "the way that many teachers have responded to the government's approach to accountability has meant that test results are pursued at the expense of a rounded education for children."
To stop the bad practice of 'teaching to the test', the tests need to become less 'high stakes' for those involved.
The government have made a formal response to the Select Committee findings, accepting the problem of the tests disrupting the balance of education for some year groups when they are given too much emphasis in a school but argues that further guidance for schools on how to approach the tests is the best method to prevent this.
The government points to the piloting of Single-Level Tests taking place in 450 schools over the next two years through the Making Good Progress scheme as addressing some of the concerns over national testing. These tests are taken by individual children when teacher assessment suggests they have reached that level or stage, rather than a blanket test for all at a specified age. Along with the value placed on teacher assessment through the commitment to the Assessment for Learning strategy, the government is working towards having a trained assessment specialist in every school" ensuring the focus of future assessment will be firmly with the professional judgements of those in schools with national tests remaining as a tool to support this process.
The Select Committee report concluded using national tests as an accountability measure does not fit with the emphasis on student voice and choice in current educational research, thinking and practice, "we believe that true personalised learning is incompatible with a high-stakes, single-level test which focuses on academic learning and does not assess a range of other skills which children might possess."
Meanwhile Ofsted are making steps to change their own assessment process of schools but without suggestion of re-considering the role of data from national tests in Inspector's grading and reports.
Ofsted are planning further changes to the inspection process of maintained schools to come into effect from September 2009. The proposed changes include more regular inspections of schools which have been judged as needing to make significant improvements whilst inspecting schools judged as good or outstanding only every six years. It is proposed to increase the amount of drop-in inspections. The plans are the result of surveying over 1,000 Headteachers. The new process will also include a letter written for parents by the inspector/s as well as the current ones of the Headteacher/Chair of Governors and students
There is a consultation running on the proposed changes until August 11th, accessed by the Ofsted website. Click here
Read the Schools Select Committee Report in full here
Read the government and Ofsted responses to the report in full here