The assessment community

Every year, around 70,000 individuals are involved annually in external examining, moderating and marking Key Stage tests, GCSEs and A Levels.
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Changing Assessment Practices -Professor John Gardner

John Gardner

A summary of Professor John Gardner's Keynote speech
  • Changes in assessment must be to improve pupil learning.
  • Teachers should assume more control in the assessment of their pupils.
  • Teachers need to be involved in the whole assessment process.
  • There seems to be a lack of training in assessment for teachers, they need more professional learning.
  • Change in assessment is under-designed.
  • The planning process must have a 'sustainable development'.
  • Common principles and standards of quality assessment practise are needed.
  • Any improvement in assessment requires research evidence that it works.
  • Initially pilot schemes seem to be enthusiastically received, however the transition to full implementation does not seem to run smoothly.
  • Heads need to facilitate the change for assessment.
  • Teachers need to take more control.
  • They need to give teachers time and direction to create a substainable direction.
  • Changes in assessment need to be planned for and implemented thoroughly.
  • Assessment of anykind should improve learning

Download a copy of the keynote presentation