PProfessionalism is a core value of SEAB and through this issue, we seek to share some information which will help to build a practical understanding of assessment among teachers. We hope that through the reflection and sharing of fellow teachers who have attended the Specialist Diploma in Educational Assessment (SDEA) programme, teachers will be able to reflect on their own assessment practices and gather some sound assessment principles which principles which can be applied directly in your work.

SEAB has been certifying achievement in our national examinations for a long time, but it was a historical moment when we presented specialist diplomas to our first batch of graduates on 24 Feb 11. In this issue of SEAB-ling, we invite you to take a peek into the thoughts of our first batch of SDEA graduates and witness how far some have taken off in their professional learning journey. Our Specialist Diploma holders shashare how they engineer learning in their classrooms and inspire their teaching fraternity.

SEABlings ourselves have also embarked on our own learning journeys across the island and in-house, in classroom settings.

SEAB looks forward to working in sync with schools on this journey towards greater professionalism.

Issue 13 May 2011

Integrity. Value People. Commitment. Professionalism. Team Work

Ms Tan Lay Choo with Mr Manogaran s/o Suppiah atthe Inaugural SDEA Graduation Ceremony

Edgar Wong Stephanie Yong Voo Mun Pan

Chin Soo KhoonLily Lim Ang Siew Hoon

Eileen Goh

Our first SDEA cohort successfully completed the programme in Dec 10. A graduation ceremony was held on 24 Feb 11 to celebrate their success. The seven graduates with invited guests, including Principals, Vice-Principals and family members celebrated this joyous occasion.

TheThe Guest-of-Honour, Executive Director for Academy of Singapore Teachers, Mr. Manogaran s/o Suppiah spurred the graduates on in their learning journey of assessment.

The SDEA gave me the opportunity to build my competency in educational assessment. The modules were intense, providing me with a new understanding and appreciation for the various modes and uses of assessment. The different modules spanned the breadth of educational assessment, leveraging on theoretical underpinnings, yet using practical exexamples that struck a chord with practitioners in schools.

The SDEA made it possible for me to get a better understanding of the connection among curriculum, teaching and assessment. It pointed to the purpose and position of SEAB, in partnership with MOE, with regard to education in Singapore.

I completed the SDEA knowing that assessment in school isn’t just about the test, or about how many marks are achieved. It is about supporting and improving learning. It is not to measure what has not been achiachieved, but rather what is expected to be achieved, and how we as teachers help our young ones get there. What started as interest in assessment has now grown into passion.

Stephanie YongSDEA Graduate 2010

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My first attempt at sharing what I learnt from the SDEA course was at an in-service workshop for Science teachers in Nov 10, aimed to promote an awareness of the importance of constructing quality Science assessments and equipping teachers with the skills to construct quality Science items for formative and summative purposes. The ability to construct qualityquality items is critical if the school wishes to use the data from assessments to make good decisions.

The most satisfying part of the workshop was to know that the sessions were well received. They agreed that the skills and knowledge gained were relevant to their learning needs and directly applicable to their work. Feedback showed that it was a good refresher course which reminded teachers of some fundamentals when crafting science items for assessmeassessments.

Early this year, my colleague from the College Section invited me to conduct a similar workshop for the Chemistry teachers. I shared with them the criteria for good assessments and the guidelines for writing various assessment items. After that, the teachers were engaged in critiquing the items they had constructed in the Preliminary Exam Papers. It was hearheartening to know that they became more aware of the criteria and expectations of good assessment items after the sharing session.

Besides conducting workshops, I also started doing item analysis for the 2010 end-of-year exam questions for my department.

I shared the skills of interpreting item analysis data with my teachers in Feb this year. The Science department will now take the lead for item banking. I will also be working with the EdTech department to come up with an item banking portal to house the Science items.

AnAnother workshop I hope to conduct is the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy to construct Science items to assess higher order thinking. This will enable teachers to improve the test and exam questions according to the table of specifispecifications.

As I gather experience in conducting workshops on assessment matters in my own department, I should be ready to work with teachers from the other departments. I am cercertainly looking forward to the day when the assessment literacy in my school will be raised.

Ang Siew HoonSDEA Graduate 2010

Assessment of Learning The first few items in a test should be easy items to ease pupils into the test and to assess basic learning outcomes.

TheThere should be sufficient number of easy, moderate and difficult items in the test to assess the entire range of achievement levels.

Use a variety of assessment modes to assess various aspects of achievement. The assembly of the test should be guided by a table of specifications.

IdeIdentify the items that borderline pass/fail pupils should be able to do and ensure that the sum of marks of these items is equal to the pass/fail cut-off mark.

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In school, there are broadly two purposes of assessment: assessment for learning or assessment of learning.

Assessment for LearningInInvolve pupils in the planning of the assessment – tell them the outcomes that will be assessed, when and how (i.e., no surprise assessment, no trick questions)

Set tests of short duration so that feedback can be given quickly to pupils

UseUse marking to identify strengths and weaknesses or errors (a tick for each strength/correct idea; a cross for each error)

When giving feedback, focus on the achievement of learning outcomes that are being assessed and ignore irrelevant features of a pupil’s responses

ImplemeImplement actions to help pupils close the gaps, if any, in learning

(some pointers from An Assessment Guide for Teachers in Singapore Schools)

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we Value your ViewsGive us your feedback at SEAB_Seabling@seab.gov.sg

SEAB was privileged to have Dr. Randy Bennett in our midst on 7 Feb 11. Dr Bennett, a Distinguished Presidential Appointee in the Research and Development Division at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey, is the editor/author of seven books and many other publications including, "Reinventing Assessment: Speculations on the Future ofof Large-Scale Educational Testing". He shared with SEAB a Critical Review on what Formative Assessment is (and what it is not). The half-day workshop was thought-provoking and here’s what some delegates had to say:

I learned that formative assessment is not just about collecting evidence of students' learning; inferences are also being made about students. This awareness is important because if the teacher makes wrong inferences, the subsequent instruction becomes inappropriate.

II am particularly interested in Dr Bennett’s statement that new development should focus on conceptualizing well-specified approaches built around process and methodology rooted within specific content domains.

In the true spirit of PS21 advocating innovation and improvement, SEAB organised journeys of discovery for all SEABlings from 28 to 31 Mar 11.

SEABlingsSEABlings weaved through the darkness using their other senses in Dialogue in the Dark. We experienced state-of-the-art inventions by local scientists who have teamed up with multi-national companies in Fusion World. We also learnt about the sophisticated technology used in building Marina Barrage, practised cooking simple nutritional meals in Cook It Right! and picked up tipicked up tips on Battling Influenza.

Here’s what SEABlings had to say:

Dialogue in the Dark Taken into total darkness made me realize how precious eyesight is; our other five senses are heightened once one of them is not functioning. I learned to trust people around me including strangers!

Edwin Zhang, Finance Dept

It was an unforgettable experience to be “blind”. The insecure and vulnerable feeling made me appreciate how difficult life in total darkness is.

Raymond Lim, Corporate Services Div

Marina BarrageTheThe trip to Marina Barrage was an insightful and intriguing experience to me. Other than knowing what its building structure symbolises, I learnt the benefits the Barrage offers in terms of water supply, flood control and as a lifestyle attraction.

Shanice Toh, Centre for Assessment Services & Training

Fusion Fusion WorldOut of this world

Tony Chin, PSLE Exam Admin Dept

May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

EL (Syll A), EL (Syll T) 5 - 15

MTL, BMTL

EL (Syll T) 5

MTL, BMTL 6

Practical

Examination

Computer

Applications13

5 - 7, 14 3 - 11

May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

30

EL 15 - 26

MTL 30 1 - 14

CL / ML

Bahasa Indonesia / Arabic

(Special Programme)

11 - 12

MTLB 26

Foreign Languages 4 - 11

MTL 19

MTLB

CL / ML (Special Programme)16

Bahasa Indonesia / Arabic

(Special Programme)14

Foreign Languages 14, 28

Music Performing 28 - 30 4

Science 11 - 20

10 - 31 1 - 16

* Examination calendar is accurate as of 15 May 2011

For details (i.e. date, time and duration of papers), please visit our website at www.seab.gov.sg

Listening

Comprehension

Written (Year End)

Examination Calendar 2011*

Practical

Examination

Mid-year MTL (Written)

Oral

Listening

Comprehension

Written

Exam Event

GCE N(T)-Level and GCE N(A)-Level Examination Dates

Exam Event

GCE O-Level Examination Dates

25 Jul - 4 AugOral

May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

EL / FEL / MT / FMT 18, 19

NTIL / FNTIL 19

16

29 - 30 3 - 5

May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

30

MTL 5 - 18

MTLB 26

Foreign Languages 11 - 13

MTL 20

MTLB 14

French (H1 & H2) 24

German (H1 & H2) 21

Japanese (H1 & H2) 24

Music Performing 4 - 6

Science 28 1 - 2

21 - 31 3 - 30 1 - 2

* Examination calendar is accurate as of 15 May 2011

For details (i.e. date, time and duration of papers), please visit our website at www.seab.gov.sg

Examination Calendar 2011*

PSLE Examination Dates

Exam Event

Oral

Listening Comprehension

Written

Exam Event

Mid-year MTL (Written)

GCE A-Level Examination Dates

Written (Year End)

Oral

Listening

Comprehension

Practical

Examination