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Legal letters from education officials 'add to test chaos'
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
The Department of Education has been accused of creating more problems for children sitting new unregulated entrance tests after a series of letters were sent to schools warning them of potential legal pitfalls associated with the tests.
A total of 68 schools — mainly grammars — have signed up for the new tests and more than 13,700 pupil registrations were received for the Association of Quality Education (AQE) and GL Assessment tests.
More than 7,000 P7 pupils will sit their first AQE test on Saturday.
On the day of the last test — December 5 — we will be presenting the thousands of signed petitions obtained so far for the Belfast Telegraph's Sit Down, Sort It Out campaign to representatives of Stormont’s education committee.
Thousands of people are backing our call for Executive talks to find a resolution to the impasse.
The letters to schools warn principals and governors not to use results from tests carried out in primary schools to support applications as part of their special circumstances procedure.
Some schools had planned to use literacy and numeracy scores from pupils’ Interactive Computerised Assessment (InCAS) if, for example, pupils underperform because they are ill on the day of a test.
The deputy secretary of the Department of Education, Robson Davison, wrote to the chairs of the board of governors and principals of schools setting the new entrance exams.
He writes: “It is important that I remind schools that such practice would be an inappropriate use of outcomes from an assessment tool that was neither designed nor intended for such a purpose.”
He also told them there were problems with the scoring awarded to pupils in InCAS because of a computer error.
He concludes: “The department’s advice is that on no account should grammar schools consider using InCAS assessment outcomes reported to parents to inform decisions on selection.”
Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, AQE chairman, said: “In special circumstances situations we will need evidence of what has affected a child's performance and evidence that they would normally perform better.
“Some primary principals may not be willing to provide this information but it will be interesting to see the effect of parent power on this.
“There may be concern about using InCAS but that is not the only basis on which the information can be provided.
“I think these letters from the department are an attempt to derail us but we have received sound legal advice and my colleagues and I are not going to be put off by the letters at all.”
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The data on the religion of pupils in secondary schools in Northern Ireland is available on the DENI website. Perhaps you should have consulted the figures before publishing your rant.
If you wish to ask relevant questions perhaps it should be of every school taking the GL Assessment test; Who paid for it? Where did the funds come from? Why didn't our school use the AQE test? Which test is more valid or reliable? Are either more reliable than the 11-plus?
Posted by Parental Alliance for Choice in Education | 11.11.09, 17:50 GMT
Dave,
It already happens! - but seldom "the other way."
And it will happen more when and if the Catholic Maintained Sector (how discriminatroy is that title by the way?) stop academic selection because of Ruane's failed policies.
Ruane wants everyone to attend their local school, unless of course you are of a different religion from the ethos of your local school, in which case she will pay for bus fares to drive you past any number of schools to find a 'suitable' school!
Ruane is the Minister for Double Standards and Hypocrisy!
Posted by Jeff | 11.11.09, 15:04 GMT
Another missive from the Parental Alliance For Choice! This is a surprise. I await to see the eruption of angst when some 'protestant' grammar admit catholic pupils because they have performed better - quite rightly- and protestant families are denied places.
Where will sit parent choice? What will the UUP and DUP think of that?
(This could happen the other way as well)
Posted by Dave | 11.11.09, 09:40 GMT
I wonder what the purpose of Incas is. Why did the Dept of Education authorise primary schools to provide personal data about every primary school pupil completing Incas assessments to Durham University and for that personal data to be retained on the Incas database at Durham University indefinitely? Since 2007 Durham University has stored my daughter's full name, gender, DOB and post code along with all her Incas scores. I have never been informed by any official from the Dept of Education nor the primary school she attends that such personal data relating to my daughter would be retained on any central database, let alone Durham University's Incas database. I think there are plenty of legal issues for the Dept. of Education to resolve surrounding Incas. I think it would be very unwise for anyone to use Incas assessment outcomes to support a special circumstance claim for any entrance test.
Posted by L Saunders | 11.11.09, 09:39 GMT
PACE and 'Sir' Ken;
Would that be rank order raw scores (discriminating against younger pupils) rank order age related scores (discriminating against older pupils) or rank order standardised scores (which require results from a robust trialled test that does not exist)?
How do you propose to differentiate pupils with the same rank orders?
I really think grammar schools are making a legal rod for their own backs and (with an earnest sense of compassion for Grammar Principals and BOGS) urge them to reconsider their actions before taking up residence in court!
Posted by Exasperated | 11.11.09, 09:35 GMT
Well done DENI!! Why not add more fuel to the fire. On the run up to the tests, could the 10 and 11 year olds not be allowed some release from media hype and political dictat? This only further undermines the hard work that these kids have put in over 7 years at school. Many are disadvantaged by the DENI because their parents work and thus parents are only trying to ensure that they get some opportunity to get in to the over-subscribed schools. As in the good secondary schools she would also be at the end of the queue. The system shouldn't have been changed until all the schools provide the same quality of education and the reality at the moment is they don't. Good luck to all sitting the tests in the forthcoming weeks.
Posted by P7 parent let down by the DENI | 11.11.09, 09:07 GMT
Perhaps Robson Davison of the DENI should have checked out adequate compliance with the Data Protection Act with CCEA and the University of Durham before launching the Incas project.
Sir Kenneth Bloomfield has suddenly become an unlikely champion for parents. His mission may be more about certain schools. If the AQE tests are valid and reliable stand-alone measures of attainment the grammar schools should not be concerned about the warning letters. Some would rightly doubt his motivation. Since Incas has admitted and possibly undiscover flaws the DENI are admitting it is not a valid and reliable instrument. Rank order scores on AQE tests must govern admission to grammar schools on merit not some backdoor Pupil Profile.
Posted by Parental Alliance for Choice in Education | 11.11.09, 08:54 GMT