Curriculum and assessment

Measurement scales allow raw test scores to be converted to locations on an equal-interval scale.   This article outlines how these work, how they are numbered and how they relate to national norms.

This article offers a new look at students' comprehension of poetry.  Its findings will be of particular interest to English teachers and teachers working with students to extend their understanding of texts that have complex language features and use figurative language.

Being aware of validity and how it can be threatened can help teachers make decisions about what assessments are worth making and what they can be used for.

Validity and reliability are two key ideas in assessment. In the last issue of set I looked at the concept of validity and how it might inform the assessment decisions we make as classroom practitioners and school leaders. In this article I address the issue of reliability, and how it too can help inform our assessment strategies and practices.

This article explains how to use percentiles in interpreting test results, and decision making about teaching and learning.

Charles answers the following questions:

• If we pre- and post-test every unit, are we overtesting?
• How can we determine whether our students have progressed if we do not test every unit?
• Is it valid to test students soon after they have received instruction in something?
• Should parents know where their children stand in terms of test data, or should we only use it for our teaching purposes?
• When is Stanine 4 and above average?

Outline of changes to the ARB website, designed to improve finding relevant and useful resources and their supporting information. 

Outlines components of formative assessment that are supported by the website.