The 1970s saw a growing worldwide pre-occupation with school assessment; Britain witnessed lengthy debate in response to the proposals for examination reform initiated by the Schools Council, and the setting up of an Assessment of Performance Unit to monitor standards of achievement. This book analyzes the origins of school assessment and of international trends in practice, and explores the ideology of assessment which is now so widely accepted yet rarely questioned.

It is difficult to remember that educational assessment used to be largely confined to the technical domain of psychometrics. In recent years, and particularly since the plans for the delivery of the National Curriculum have been established, it has become the key area of interest and debate in education and is making an impact on all areas, from teaching skills to policy-making. This book focuses on the comparative perspective to spotlight the common basis of many of the current issues, including the development of a market economy in provision, minimum competency testing for teachers (as in the USA), institutional quality, assessment information, measurement-driven instruction (MDI), accreditation of absolute rather than relative competencies and issues of equity of opportunity and national development. It is broadly divided into three sections on the general role of assessment and public examinations, alternative approaches to certification and new policy techniques.

Product Description: An Introduction to Assessment is for all who work in education, including those on Education Studies programmes, those in initial teacher training, and practising teachers keen to update their knowledge. This book covers: definitions of educational assessment and the part it plays in relation to individuals, institutions and society historical and sociological perspectives the impact of educational assessment internationally and how this needs to change in the light of globalisation and changing employment needs the advent of assessment as a policy tool with league tables and targets underpinning the overwhelming impact of accountability requirements teacher appraisal and institutional self-evaluation, as well as international indicators assessment for learning new ideas concerning how assessment could be developed in the light of the advent of novel information technologies...read more

Product Description: Desmond Nuttal died on October 24th, 1993. For over 25 years he had been an outstanding figure on the world stage of educational research and in many ways his contribution to the UK educational system was unrivalled. Contained within this book is a selection of Desmond Nuttall's classic articles about educational assessment, examination, educational indicators, school effectiveness and the improvement of education...read more

Product Description: Desmond Nuttall died on October 24th, 1993. For over 25 years he had been an outstanding figure on the world stage of educational research and in many ways his contribution to the UK educational system was unrivalled. Contained within this book is a selection of Desmond Nuttall's classic articles about educational assessment, examination, educational indicators, school effectiveness and the improvement of education...read more

Product Description: This study is based on comparisions between primary schools in France and England. Using detailed interviews with teachers in both countries, it demonstrates different approaches on curriculum content, teaching and school organization, and highlights the fundamental differences in the education...read more

Together, the four papers of this collection provide much food for thought concerning the policy issues surrounding National Assessment in the UK. Two of the contributions are by the Assessment Policy Task Group of the British Educational Research Association who have produced the book. All four papers clearly demonstrate the potential of research to be a powerful instrument in policy-making, offering a detailed and sustained critique of current national assessment developments in the various UK education systems and their likely implications. This is a book that sets out clearly the arguments for and against national assessment in the UK and leaves its readers in no doubt concerning the issues at stake.