Introduction

What is the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors (CIEA)?

The CIEA is an independent professional body dedicated to supporting the needs of everyone involved in educational assessment. We provide resources that will develop the knowledge, skills and capability of our NQT members so that they can develop their professionalism in good assessment practice. Our members include a wide range of individuals involved in the assessment process from thosewith an interest in or responsibility for assessment within schools, colleges and universities to senior examiners, training centre employees and other educational organisation stakeholders.

How do I become a member?

Applying couldn't be easier.
You can join online by visiting http://www.ciea.org.uk/join where you will find an NQT (Student Member) Application Form and supporting documentation requirements.
Alternatively call 0845 672123 NQT Membership costs only £15* per year.

*(Correct on 01/08/08).

Membership benefits

There are a wide range of assessment-specific member benefits available to members of the CIEA including unlimited access to a dedicated area of
our website, a termly magazine, networking opportunities, financial advice and access to the CIEA Research Database. The website contains a specific area dedicated to student members offering further benefits including discounts on the Times Educational Supplement and a wide range of publishers, so reducing the costs of purchasing course and support materials. Members also have access to a
wide range of assessment-related publications and resources, including:

• CIEA research database (powered by EBSCO):
  Membership provides access to numerous powerful databases (Academic Search Premier, Professional Development Collection and Education Research Complete) containing more than 15,000 informative assessment-related articles and abstracts and full text versions from more than 8,000 journals. Access is also provided to more than 4,650 serials, 3,600 peer-reviewed publications
  and 200 educational reports. These provide an ideal tool when researching educational assessment-based project work and classroom planning.
• Access to knowledge and contacts through our assessment-focused website:
  Membership provides you with unlimited access to our website (and dedicated Member Area). You will not only have access to our Knowledge Centre but you will also be able to join our
  online discussion forums where you can air your concerns and make valuable contacts.

"I joined the Institute to stay on top of things and when I have got a bit more assessment experience I hope to earn extra income through examining." Victoria Price, NQT, Dyfed, Wales

• First-steps in assessment: This valuable tool provides detailed information about the different types of assessment, tools and techniques, as well as help on where to obtain support. This tool is located in the Student Member Area of the website and will help your transition from learning about assessment to putting it into practice.
• CIEA Professional Framework and related Compendia:
  The CIEA Professional Framework highlights the skills and competencies required to develop or maintain assessment skills of the highest order. The framework will enable you to evaluate your own (and others) assessment-related learning and personal development requirements, and enables you to tailor your own continuing professional development (CPD) pathway.

Once you have established a learning pathway you can access the CIEA Assessors Compendia to find relevant resources, information and advice. The framework and compendia are available in the following areas of assessment:

- Formative assessment
- Internal summative assessment
- External summative assessment
- Vocational assessment

• Insights: A collection of Insights (assessment-related audio and visual learning presentations) can be accessed within the Knowledge Centre on the CIEA website. The presentations will enable you to increase your assessment-related knowledge and awareness of important topics such as question setting, conducting assessment and feeding back after assessment. Our latest Insight looks specifically at emerging technologies and their impact upon assessment.
• Make the Grade: One of the leading magazines for educational assessment professionals in England. It is designed specifically for members of the Institute and includes the latest research and practical tools on assessment. Provided termly, the magazine aims to keep you at the leading edge of new thinking in assessment.
• CIEAMAIL: Our online e-newsletter is distributed to all members at the end of each month. It will keep you up to date on the most recent CIEA developments, news and views from the assessment community, and information on new member resources, products and services.
• CIEA Vacancy Service (powered by TES Jobs): This website tool provides access to the latest assessment and non-assessment related vacancies in the UK and overseas and has new positions
  posted every Friday. It is the best way to look for your next move.

"I took advantage of the TES offer and saved more than the original price I paid for membership. It now feels like I am gaining all the benefits of membership for free!" Jenny Robertson, NQT, Manchester

Quick guide to assessment

As an NQT, educational assessment will form a large part of your teaching role. We have provided you with a brief guide to assessment to help you develop your own skills as a professional assessor.
The first question one asks is 'why is assessment so important?' It is essentially a way in which learners, and their teachers, can monitor progress and therefore set themselves new targets. It is also
an effective way for teachers to learn more about how to improve their teaching skills, thereby enabling them to be more effective in the classroom, passing their knowledge on to learners.

There are four basic types of assessment:

• Diagnostic: This is essentially a 'pre-learning' assessment as it takes place before a teaching course starts to evaluate a learner's current skills, strengths and weaknesses. It judges a learner's erformance against a predetermined set of criteria and helps to identify what needs to be learnt.
• Formative: This is assessment for learning. It is a continuous form of assessment that helps learners learn as they set themselves new goals with their teachers and their peers in a way that supports an
  individual's learning journey.
• Summative: This is the assessment of learning. It is a form of assessment that makes judgements about a learner's progress. It involves making a record of a learner's achievement at a particular
  point. In essence it sums up what has been learnt.
• Evaluative: This form of assessment is used to measure the effectiveness of teaching and learning in schools and the overall outcomes of a group of students as opposed to an individual learner. It is used for quality assurance purposes and to improve teaching methods over time.

Assessment Tools

Effective assessment feeds into good teaching and learning and is an integral part of both. Each assessment may differ depending on the needs of your learner. You will have to assess your learners' skills, progress and knowledge in a variety of situations so it is important to understand what needs to be assessed, when and how. For example, the assessment of Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 vary in relation to that of
Key Stages 4 and 5.

1. Using Data
Information about your class is used to set work at the correct level. Assessment data about your learners will enable you to increase the effectiveness of your teaching and ensure your learners reach their full potential. Assessment data along with nationally collected data is also used by schools and teachers to set individual targets for their learners and to track their progress. This creates a meaningful focus for improvement.

2. Tutor Skills
Effective tutor skills are needed to allow you to involve the learner in setting their own targets. These skills include:

. Active listening
. Appropriate questioning
. Paraphrasing
. Summarising and recording
. Understanding the assessment process

3. Assessment Techniques - Classroom
It is important to use different assessment techniques in the classroom in order to assess whether learning has been effective. These can include:

. Assessing prior knowledge
. Benchmarking
. Informal observations
. Questioning techniques
. Group/individual tasks
. Role play

A particular form of classroom assessment is Assessment for Learning (AfL). It is a form of assessment that supports learning in the classroom by communicating learning and
outcomes to students and allowing them to identify where they are in relation to their intended learning outcomes.

AfL is comprised of four core techniques:
a. Communicating learning processes and outcomes to students, for example at the start of a lesson or period of learning.
b. Peer review of work undertaken by students to identify where they are in relation to stated learning outcomes.
c. The traffic light system to indicate whether understanding has taken place and progression can be made to the next stage of learning.
d. Frequent Q&As which allow the learner time to reflect on the information provided and make connections between different types and processes of learning.

Take a look at our First Steps resource within the Student Member Area of the website.

Visit www.ciea.org.uk/firststeps

This material covers the basics of assessment for NQTs in primary and secondary schools. Written in a chatty, readable style, it draws on the experience of NQTs and long-serving teachers to explain what you need to know to get started.

4. Assessment Techniques - WrittenWork
Different assessment techniques of written work are also important for learning other aspects of learning. There is a wide range of techniques that can be used to assess a learner's progress, dependent on the situation:

. Written work and homework
. Written tests
. Practical tasks
. Authenticating learners' work
. Assessing performance

5. The Principles of Assessment
Whether formal or informal, written or one to one, you must ensure that any assessment you conduct is fit for purpose, fair and equitable. Qualities of assessment should include:

. Reliability and consistency
. Validity
. Fairness and equity
. Transparency
. Efficiency
. Fitness for purpose

6. Sources of Materials
There is a wide range of materials available to enhance your own assessment skills, some of which can also be helpful as resources for your classroom and to prepare your learners for assessment.
These include:
. Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors' website
. Textbooks and other websites
. Past papers
. Coursework assignments
. Exemplar assessment materials

7. Sources of Support
There are a number of organisations and individuals who can help you with assessment:

. Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors
. Colleagues
. Awarding bodies
. Training companies
. Numeracy and Literacy Advisors
. Training and Development Agency (TDA)
. Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
. The National Assessment Agency (NAA)
. The Association for Achievement and Improvement through Assessment (AAIA)

8. Assessing the Assessor
You should be aware of the need to take responsibility for your own learning, which will help you prepare for your
performance reviews. The CIEA's professional framework sets out the following competencies for effective self-management and
self-assessment:

. Plan and undertake assessment activities to meet requirements and deadlines
. Seek, obtain and use feedback to identify areas for improvement in your own performance
. Use appropriate resources to develop and maintain knowledge and skills required as an assessor.

Visit the Useful links section located within the Student Member Area of the CIEA website for more useful websites and related resources.

Full details of the CIEA Professional Framework can be found at: www.ciea.org.uk/framework
Full details of First Steps in Assessment can be found at: www.ciea.org.uk/firststeps
Membership subscription information can be found at: www.ciea.org.uk/join
Alternatively, please request a hard copy of our subscription form.

Either call 0845 672 2123 or email info@ciea.org.uk

Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors
Tel 0845 672 2123
info@ciea.org.uk
www.ciea.org.uk