The development process for the optional teacher assessment materials for English for use in Wales at the end of Key Stage 2

Abstract

This paper outlines the development process that took place for the production of assessment materials to be used by teachers in Wales now that statutory testing at the end of KS2 has been abolished. The aim was to provide teachers with a free, but rich, optional resource that would allow for assessment of pupils' abilities in a wide range of skills and competencies embedded in the English curriculum and demonstrate how teacher assessments could be used both summatively and formatively.

Keywords:

• teacher assessment
• formative assessment
• summative assessment
• classroom assessment
• English assessment
• national assessment systems
• assessment in Wales
• Key Stage 2 assessment

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank the pupils and teachers who took part in the trialling of these materials and colleagues for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper. This article is based on the development and trials of Gulliver, the new English Optional Assessment Materials for Wales, which were made available for use in schools from the academic year 2006–2007. The development project was funded by ACCAC (now DCELLS).

Notes

1.‘Assessment for Learning’ is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there. (Assessment Reform Group 2002)