Mind the GapMind the GapMind the GapMind the Gap

Ken SmithKen Smith

Director-GeneralDirector-GeneralDepartment of Education & the Arts, QueenslandDepartment of Education & the Arts, Queensland

We’re not talking about Monkey Trials…We’re not talking about Monkey Trials…

Types of assessmentTypes of assessment

• FormativeFormative

• SummativeSummative

• PunitivePunitive

• SedativeSedative

1.1. Tests and assessments are relatively Tests and assessments are relatively inexpensive… inexpensive…

2.2. Testing and assessment can be externally Testing and assessment can be externally mandated…mandated…

3.3. Testing and assessment changes can be rapidly Testing and assessment changes can be rapidly implemented… implemented…

4.4. Results are visible. Test results can be reported Results are visible. Test results can be reported to the press… policymakers can reasonably to the press… policymakers can reasonably expect increases in scores in the first few years expect increases in scores in the first few years of a program … with or without real improvementof a program … with or without real improvement

(Linn 1994)(Linn 1994)

Assessment’s appeal to policymakers Assessment’s appeal to policymakers as an agent of reform…as an agent of reform…

• Help policymakers to Help policymakers to judge the effectiveness judge the effectiveness of educational policiesof educational policies

• Improve policymakers’ Improve policymakers’ ability to monitor school ability to monitor school system performancesystem performance

• Foster better allocation Foster better allocation of state educational of state educational resourcesresources

• Provide misleading Provide misleading information that leads information that leads policymakers to policymakers to suboptimum decisionssuboptimum decisions

• Foster a “blame the Foster a “blame the victims” spirit among victims” spirit among policymakerspolicymakers

• Encourage a simplistic Encourage a simplistic view of education and its view of education and its goalsgoals

Testing’s effects on PolicymakersTesting’s effects on Policymakers

(Stecher 2002)

PositivePositive NegativeNegative

• Responsiveness to local Responsiveness to local needs and diversity needs and diversity

• Pedagogical innovation Pedagogical innovation

• Professional discretion Professional discretion and educational and educational

leadership leadership

• Ideological neutrality Ideological neutrality

• Primacy of curriculumPrimacy of curriculum

• Portability and buying powerPortability and buying power

• Communicating expectations Communicating expectations and achievementand achievement

• Motivating excellenceMotivating excellence

• Intellectual rigour and stretch Intellectual rigour and stretch

• Alignment of curriculum, Alignment of curriculum, assessment and reporting assessment and reporting

Getting the balance rightGetting the balance right

More testing?Less or less

centralised testingMore or more

centralised testing

……when I went to school in Brisbane it was as if I had when I went to school in Brisbane it was as if I had missed out on my primary education… missed out on my primary education…

I got straight As at Kowanyama but when I got to I got straight As at Kowanyama but when I got to Brisbane I was getting Cs and Ds. …Brisbane I was getting Cs and Ds. …

Education should be uplifting, not serve to reinforce Education should be uplifting, not serve to reinforce lack of self-esteem and the heart wrenching low lack of self-esteem and the heart wrenching low expectations that my mob suffer from. If we cannot expectations that my mob suffer from. If we cannot get education right then we are doomed.get education right then we are doomed.

– – Tania Major,Tania Major, young Aboriginal leader, young Aboriginal leader, speaking to the Prime Minister 2003speaking to the Prime Minister 2003

Evaluation and aspirationEvaluation and aspiration

Evaluation and aspirationEvaluation and aspiration

(OECD average)

PISA: Aspirations and attainment correlate. PISA: Aspirations and attainment correlate. (De Bortoli & Cresswell 2004)

The Pygmalion EffectThe Pygmalion Effect

• We form certain expectations of people or events.We form certain expectations of people or events.• We communicate those expectations We communicate those expectations with various cues.with various cues.• People tend to respond to these cues People tend to respond to these cues by adjusting their behaviour to match them.by adjusting their behaviour to match them.• The result is that the original expectation The result is that the original expectation becomes true. becomes true. • This creates a circle of self-fulfilling prophecies.This creates a circle of self-fulfilling prophecies.

88thth place out of 11 place out of 11

77thth place out of 10 place out of 10

French: not very goodFrench: not very good

Weak in geographyWeak in geography

Composition: very variableComposition: very variable

Grammar: fairGrammar: fair

Diligence: …Diligence: …veryvery naughty naughty

Drawing: very elementaryDrawing: very elementary

Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill

1883 – Guess who?1883 – Guess who?

Oh bring back higher standardsOh bring back higher standards – – the pencil and the cane – the pencil and the cane – if we want education if we want education then we must have some pain. then we must have some pain. Oh, bring us back all the gone days. Oh, bring us back all the gone days. Yes, bring back all the past…Yes, bring back all the past…let’s put them all in rows again – let’s put them all in rows again – so we can see who’s last. so we can see who’s last.

……let’s label all the good ones, let’s label all the good ones, we’ll call them ‘A’s and ‘B’s – we’ll call them ‘A’s and ‘B’s – and we’ll parcel up the useless ones and we’ll parcel up the useless ones and call them ‘C’s and ‘D’s.and call them ‘C’s and ‘D’s.……We’ll even have an ‘E’ lot! We’ll even have an ‘E’ lot! ……an ‘F’ or ‘G’ maybe!! an ‘F’ or ‘G’ maybe!! ……so they can know they’re useless so they can know they’re useless ……and not as good as me. and not as good as me. (Peter Dixon)

Assessment systems that are useful Assessment systems that are useful monitors lose much of their monitors lose much of their dependability and credibility for that dependability and credibility for that purpose when high stakes are attached purpose when high stakes are attached to them. to them.

The unintended negative effects of the The unintended negative effects of the high-stakes accountability uses often high-stakes accountability uses often outweigh the intended positive effects.outweigh the intended positive effects.  

(Linn 2001a)(Linn 2001a)

Unintended effectsUnintended effects

Spoon feeding in the long run Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon. shape of the spoon.

– – E M Forster E M Forster

(Regurgitation in the long run (Regurgitation in the long run teaches us nothing but the teaches us nothing but the shape of the bucket.) shape of the bucket.)

The BloomThe BloomTaxonomyTaxonomy

of Educational Objectives(Cognitive Domain)

SynthesisSynthesis

AnalysisAnalysis

ApplicationApplication

KnowledgeKnowledge

EvaluationEvaluation

The The reduction reduction

to to knowledgeknowledge

ComprehensionComprehension

It’s Tuesday. It’s Tuesday. This must be This must be

Algebra.Algebra.

Hackney's schools worst again Hackney's schools worst again

Schools in Hackney have been making progress

Hackney in London, whose education service is now being run by a trust, is at the bottom of the primary school results tables - again.

Hackney is the worst-performing local education authority - although results in its schools did improve, from an average aggregate score of 197 to 210.

Not everyone loves the King of the Sea… Not everyone loves the King of the Sea…

(Allan Luke 1999, 2001)

a 45 minute primary lesson on a 45 minute primary lesson on FlipperFlipper, , shared reading of stories of shared reading of stories of FlipperFlipper, , pictures and videos of pictures and videos of FlipperFlipper, , worksheets and art work on worksheets and art work on FlipperFlipper. .

wonderfully orchestrated… wonderfully orchestrated… wonderfully socially wonderfully socially supportive environment…supportive environment…

At the end of lesson, what had the kids gained? At the end of lesson, what had the kids gained? FlipperFlipper.. Now that’s what I mean by ‘dumbing down’ Now that’s what I mean by ‘dumbing down’ of the curriculum. of the curriculum.

The Queensland Curriculum, The Queensland Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework Assessment and Reporting Framework

(Years P–10 )(Years P–10 )

• a defined essential curriculuma defined essential curriculum• curriculum appropriate to local needs curriculum appropriate to local needs • standards of achievement in essential curriculum standards of achievement in essential curriculum • bank of assessment tools linked to essential bank of assessment tools linked to essential

curriculum and standards curriculum and standards • comparable assessment against standards at comparable assessment against standards at

three key points three key points • common reporting framework common reporting framework • ongoing review and refinement of syllabusesongoing review and refinement of syllabuses

Rene Magritte:

Clairvoyance, 1936

Mind the GapMind the GapMind the GapMind the Gap

Ken SmithKen Smith

Director-GeneralDirector-GeneralDepartment of Education & the Arts, QueenslandDepartment of Education & the Arts, Queensland