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Supporting AIFL - Management Framework
AifL - Assessment is for Learning was established in 2002 to develop a new system of assessment 3-14 that would provide all key stakeholders with the information they need to make informed decisions and choices about learning. The programme has adopted three main aims in order to develop the new system:
- Develop and support '… good assessment to support children's learning as part of classroom practice, so that parents, other staff and the children themselves can confidently rely on informed professional judgements about children's progress and achievements'.
- Promote '… sound quality assurance of teachers' assessments in schools and local authorities, so that all can share a common understanding of the outcomes and standards expected of children at different stages in their education'.
- Adopt '… a robust national monitoring system that provides accurate information about overall standards and trends in achievement, without over-burdening schools or distorting classroom practice'.[source: Scottish Executive Education Department Circular No. 2, June 2005]
For schools and teachers, three main strands of assessment activity now underpin the programme as it is introduced across Scotland: assessment FOR learning, assessment AS learning and assessment OF learning. Each strand has a number of 'key features' attached to it and these are detailed in support materials for the ' AifL school - a place where everyone is learning together'.
Transformational learning
AifL has put considerable emphasis on achieving transformational change in practice in Scotland's schools. Beginning with the principle that everyone is learning together, AifL promotes the idea that sustainable change in practice can only be achieved if everyone involved, including practitioners throughout the system, researchers and policy makers, 'buy in' to the programme's aims and principles and take ownership of the work.
Feedback from internal and external research and evaluations conducted concurrently with the programme's projects suggest a number of key features of design and management that underpin sustainable transformational change in practice. These key features have been summarised as follows:
- The integrity of the change: people involved have to believe that what they are doing matters and helps them to make a difference.
- Building informed communities: developing individual teachers' and groups' understanding of the nature and value of the proposed change, and interaction between and across groups to develop and sustain changes.
- Real involvement: participants developing a sense of shared purpose in undertaking collaborative ventures that focus on key principles and create purposeful projects to develop understanding and practical applications of those principles.
[source: 'Assessment is for Learning: Exploring Programme Success' Hayward, Spencer & Simpson 2005]
Partnership networks
Over the period 2004-2006, AifL has evolved a programme management framework that takes account of feedback and of evaluation findings. The framework for 2005-2007 involves key partners in forming and supporting a number of interacting networks with the overall aim of achieving sustainable change by building informed communities of practice in assessment for learning. Each network has a distinctive role but understands that it depends for its effectiveness on communication and interaction with the others. During this period AifL is being overseen by the AifL Programme Management Group ( APMG), the main forum for liaison and co-operation amongst partners and networks to building informed communities of practice. APMG members derive from each key partner network, and in addition HMIE and ADES (the Association of Directors of Education for Scotland).
Key partners
Qualifications, Assessment and Curriculum Division in the Scottish Executive Education Department ( SEED)
Develops assessment policy; advises Minister on assessment policy; advises authorities and schools about assessment policy framework; Chairs AifL Programme Management Group ( APMG); manages AifL programme budget; manages professional advisers to AifL, SSA consultants; manages associated research/evaluation contracts and projects.
HM Inspectorate of Education
Inspects and reports on standards, quality and attainment in schools. Contributes evidence from the inspection programme to inform thinking on AifL developments. Reports on learning and teaching in schools, including the impact of AifL developments.
Learning and Teaching Scotland
Under programme contract to SEED, recruits and manages a team of AifL development officers, consultant contracts, programme publications and website, subject reference groups for Scottish Survey of Achievement ( SSA), the 5-14 National Assessment Bank database (hosted on GLOW - formerly known as Scottish Schools Digital Network).
Scottish Qualifications Authority
Under programme contract to SEED, manages production and distribution of assessment materials and data capture and entry for the Scottish Survey of Achievement ( SSA), and uploading of assessments into the 5-14 National Assessment Bank.
Faculties of Education from Higher Education Institutes
Each provide 2 or 3 staff to meet together regularly with staff from SEED, embed AifL practice in Initial Teacher Education ( ITE) and CPD (continuous professional development), support groups of schools to use research and adopt 'action research' methods, and conduct small-scale research based on schools' activities.
Local Authorities
Support delivery of national assessment policy in schools; appoint an assessment co-ordinator, appoint authority development officers where relevant; nominate and support ASGs to undertake funded AifL projects; provide relevant CPD; nominate field officers and moderators for the SSA.
Scottish School Board Association
Provides a representative to suggest ways in which parents and the wider school communities can become involved and better informed about assessment to support learning as it affects their children.
Associated schools groups
Associated Schools Groups ( ASGs) have been the main focus for driving AifL developments. They have allowed practitioners to be involved from the outset of a project in planning, developing and reflecting on real classroom practice in their own local context and school setting, based on established research findings and principles and in collaboration with peers and other schools. Working in this 'action research' way has allowed professionals to take ownership of developments in assessment, to build 'informed communities of practice' locally, and to make significant and sustained changes in their own practice. During 2006-2007, members of the HEI network will attach themselves to nearby ASGs, providing advice on background reading and research, and on action research approaches.
linking with other policies
The aims of AifL - Assessment is for Learning, ACfE - A Curriculum for Excellence and DtS - Determined to Succeed are mutually supportive. Working with local authorities and schools, together the programmes ensure that schools have the resources, processes and encouragement to be enterprising, with a view to making a positive change to learning and teaching to improve the life chances of all our young people.
The Programmes are complementary, working jointly to encourage active engagement with young people as a central element of learning and teaching.
- AifL- Assessment is for Learning promotes teacher/learner dialogue based on thoughtful questions, careful listening and reflective responses, emphasising the role of assessment in supporting individuals' learning and the mutual identification and understanding of learners' needs - empowering both learner and teacher - to support the development of the four capacities of ACfE - A Curriculum for Excellence and the creative and enterprising approaches of DtS - Determined to Succeed.
- ACfE- A Curriculum for Excellence provides a curriculum framework within which enterprising learning and teaching can flourish - giving schools the encouragement to embrace fully the DtS - Determined to Succeed and AifL- Assessment is for Learning agenda - encouraging and empowering teachers to adopt more creative approaches to learning, teaching and assessment to help enable all learners to develop the four capacities.
- DtS - Determined to Succeed provides leadership and resources to support the development of creative approaches and enterprising attitudes - fostering a 'can do, will do' culture - enabling life-long, enterprising learning, teaching and assessment to deliver benefits for individuals in terms of the four capacities of ACfE - A Curriculum for Excellence and the aims of AifL- Assessment is for Learning.
Further information about AifL can be found at www.ltscotland.org.uk/assess
www.scottish-schools.gov.uk
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