Experiences with standards and criteria in Norway Sissel Skillinghaug/Kirsti Aandstad Hettasch Assessment Department

Experiences with standards and criteria in Norway Sissel Skillinghaug/Kirsti Aandstad Hettasch Assessment Department

The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training curricula planning Examinations and tests Knowledge development (inspections, statistics, feedback, research ) International comparisons Clear national goals, but strong local autonomy Assessment/feedbacksystems Capacity building

Norway has competence-based Curricula Competence is understood as the ability to use knowledge and skills to solve problems and cope with complex challenges The competence goals for subjects describe what the student should master after completing training at specific levels It is a local responsibility to concretize the competence goals and allocate them into individual steps of learning. National authorities provide guidance material and support but there are no national standards

Experiences with standards and criteria in Norway content of the presentation 1. How we work with principles for standards and criteria i Norway Support for assessment of learning outcome Support for good education and practice 2. Material and support provided by national authorities Guidance in analyzing and working with the curricula Voluntary and mandatory tests Descriptions of goal achievement (criteria) at the end of secondary school and for national exams Assessed and marked student s exam texts Competence improvement programs

Guidance for local authorities in analyzing and working with the curricula Through the evaluation of the reform the Knowledge Promotion it became clear that the local authorities and schools needed support in their work with the curricula. The guidance material explains how to work with the curricula by providing examples of: How to ensure progression Developing competence Work with different content and methods Guidance in assessment

Voluntary and mandatory tests Assessement system Screening tests National tests Learning supporting tests Which level Optional/Voluntary Assessment Why/What 1. - 4. grade and 11. grade (upper secondary) 5., 8. and 9. grade 5. - 11. grade Mandatory/Volunatary Formative Mandatory Voluntary Grading supporting tests 8. - 10- grade Voluntary Formative/summati ve Formative Formative/summati ve Screening test to identify puplis lacking skills and in need of extra support identify pupils in need of follow-up/special education Teacher/school pupil. Information for school authorities on each level. Information about all levels of proficiency. Improving quality on each level (teacher, school, school owner, regional and national levels) To support pupils at all levels of proficieny as continous assessment. Information to support teaching promotive feedback. Teacher/school pupil. To give information on all levels of proficiency to support continous assessment. Information to support formative feedback Support learning outcome Teacher/shcool pupil. Validity on behalf of he teacher Disipline/skill Grade when carried through Reading 1.-3. grade Numeracy 1.-3. grade English 3. grade Digital skills 4. grade (Reading og english 11. grade will be discontinued) Reading 5.,8.,9. grade Reading sami 5.,8.,9. grade Numeracy 5.,8.,9. grade English 5.og 8. grade Reading 6. grade Numeracy 6. grade Writing 5. og 8. grade Digital skills 8. grade Numeracy 11.grade (Reading/English, 11. grade) Natural science 10. grade Social studies 10. grade

Screening tests Aim to identify pupils who lack basic skills Identify the 20% lowest achieving students Trigger concern and indicate need of extra support Guidelines and support material

National tests Reading, Sami Reading, Numeracy, English Individual ongoing assessment Inform all levels of government from teacher, school leader, municipality and the national level

National tests Mestringsnivå 1 Mestringsnivå 2 Mestringsnivå 3 Den typiske eleven på dette nivået gjenkjenner enkle Den typiske eleven på dette nivået gjenkjenner og beskriver Den typiske eleven på dette nivået gjenkjenner og beskriver sammensatte problemer i kjente kontekster som kan løses ved å bruke enkle framgangsmåter. problemer og løser oppgaver ved å bruke enkle strategier. problemer og løser oppgaver ved å velge hensiktsmessige regnearter og metoder. Eleven vurderer om svar er rimelige. Den typiske eleven kan løse oppgaver som krever kjennskap til plassverdisystemet for hele tall utføre regneoperasjoner med enkle tall der blant annet telling og dobling kan brukes som framgangsmåte foreta enkle beregninger med tid gjenkjenne enkle geometriske figurer og mønster lese av og plassere punkter i rutenett og koordinatsystem i kjente kontekster lese av og lage enkle tabeller og søylediagrammer Den typiske eleven kan forstå plassverdisystemet for hele tall utføre regneoperasjoner ved å bruke enkle strategier og uttrykke enkle brøker og desimaltall på ulike måter løse enkle sammensatte problemer i kjente kontekster gjøre enkle overslag og sammenligne størrelser lese analog og digital tid og beregne enkle tidsintervaller regne med noen måleenheter i kjente kontekster beskrive trekk ved enkle to- og tredimensjonale figurer og mønster lese av og plassere punkter i kart og koordinatsystem bearbeide informasjon i tabeller og diagrammer Den typiske eleven kan utnytte kunnskaper om plassverdisystemet til å velge hensiktsmessige strategier utføre regneoperasjoner som er mer kognitivt krevende og med tall som er utfordrende å regne med velge hensiktsmessige regnearter og metoder i sammensatte problemer gjøre overslag og vurdere rimeligheten av egne svar regne med tid regne med ulike måleenheter som krever omgjøring utforske og beskrive geometriske figurer og mønster beskrive punkter og gjøre beregninger i kart og koordinatsystem tolke og presentere tallmateriale i tabeller og diagrammer

Voluntary learning and grading supporting tests Basic skills Science and social studies at grade 10

Descriptions of goal achievement (criteria) At the end of secondary school, aiming at overall achievement marks and for national exams Final grades are given by the teachers for students overall classwork (Only one written and one oral exam) In 2014 the Directorate published support materials for teachers final assessment in 10th grade Descriptions of goal achievement for three different levels, both for the end of secondary school and for national exams Highly valuated

Assessed and marked student s exam texts Examples which describe how the national exams are assessed and marked Provide transparency of national exams Support teachers in their assessment work in different subjects

Support for good education and practice Capacity-building programs: The assessment for learning program Program for development of secondary schools

Assessment for learning - National program aiming at increasing teachers assessment - Focus on students learning - «Soft» implementation of regulations in the Education act

Four principles in the Education act Students should: 1 Be able to understand what they are going to learn and what is expected of them. 2 Get feedback that informs them about the quality of their work and their level of attainment 3 Get advice on how to improve their learning outcome 4 Be engaged in their own learning by assessing their own work and their own learning progress

Challenges and needs for further development Local authorities need help to define progression between stages with competence goals Criteria for goal achievement much used and popular, could be extended, support for overall marking and for ongoing assessment Validity in overall achievement assessment And balance between national governing and local autonomy is a continuous debate