Monday 5th October 2015
The final report of the Commission on Assessment without Levels has been published.
The following is a commentary from Sam Hunter, who developed the Learning Ladders assessment system, writing in the TES last week:
I suspect we were all looking for the same thing in one way or another - clarification.
For some heads, it may have been clarity on what does or does not need to be tracked, for others it would be on what is the ‘ideal' assessment system.
So, was clarity forthcoming? Well, in a few areas yes, but not in the way some of the profession may have expected.
The answer was unequivocal for those heads expecting to see recommendations for a replacement to take the place of levels. That is where the report was very clear. There will be no replacement to levels, or any kind of recommended system.
This has undoubtedly removed any lingering uncertainty and means those schools that have adopted a ‘wait and see' approach need to now get down to the business of implementing an effective way of measuring pupil progress that suits them...
Pam Langmead