Membership benefits
Our members enjoy a wide range of benefits including access to a dedicated Member area on this website, a termly magazine, networking opportunities, financial advice, unlimited access to the CIEA Research Database and much more. Membership is completely free-of-charge until 8th May 2008 and without obligation.
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Key milestones in our history
October 2003 - Secretary of State for Education Charles Clarke approves remit for the new National Assessment Agency to modernise the public examinations system.
April 2004 - National Assessment Agency formed.
May 2004 - Work begins on Institute Programme.
August 2004 - Research undertaken identifies that examiners, markers and moderators are unsupported, professionally unrepresented and unrecognised.
September 2004 - Work begins on developing products and services to be offered by the Institute.
March 2005 - Institute team exhibits at the Education Show, NEC Birmingham.
May 2005 - Institute established as an independent, not-for-profit limited company and begins process of obtaining charitable status.
June 2005 - Institute finalises its communications strategy.
May 2006 - Institute launches to the public and accepts its first membership applications.
Our history
The formation of the Institute of Educational Assessors has not happened overnight.
In fact, the idea of having a professional body to support those involved in educational assessment has been around in various forms for many years before planning the Institute of Educational Assesors.
Background
In recent years, the number and frequency of examinations have been steadily increasing with successive changes in the school and college curriculum and associated assessment procedures and processes.
This has placed increasing demands on the examination system, including pressure on the recruitment, training and preparation of examiners and other assessment practitioners.
Developing a solution
Many suggestions have been put forward to help alleviate this situation and develop a better, more professional approach for the future.
In 2004 the Secondary Heads Association (SHA now ASCL) put forward a proposal for a system of 'chartered examiners' based on accredited experts in assessment in schools and colleges carrying out and supervising learning assessment in those institutions.
The concept of an Institute of Educational Assessors was explored in some depth by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in 2003 and the early part of 2004. Initially, this was as an extension of a proposed accreditation system for markers and examiners of general educational qualifications and National Curriculum tests.
Budgetary approval was granted from the DfES for the full development of the Institute in January 2004 as part of the modernisation programme being carried out by the new National Assessment Agency (NAA).
Forming the Institute
The development work which followed, fed into the Working Group established to advise the government on 14-19 Curriculum and Qualifications Reform, chaired by Mike Tomlinson.
While many of the proposals in the Final Report of the Working Group were not carried forward into the government's educational reform white paper published in February 2005, work on the Institute continued independently.
Getting it right
During 2004 a series of research reports were commissioned from MORI and Taylor-Nelson Sofres to identify the needs of the assessment community, and the ways in which any support could be provided. In total, more than 2,400 individuals, organisations and stakeholders were asked for their views.
A key finding of this research was that examiners, markers and moderators in general felt unrecognised, unrepresented and unsupported in their role in helping to deliver the public examination system.
From research carried out with corporate stakeholders, more than 85% agreed that an Institute of Educational Assessors should aim to improve the quality of assessment by supporting four key areas of activity:
- Supporting excellence in assessment
- Encouraging professional development for individuals involved in assessment
- Disseminating good practice
- Proving professional recognition for the assessment community.