Wiliam, D; (2001) What is wrong with our educational assessments and what can be done about it. Education Review , 15 (1)

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Abstract

Students in England and Wales are subjected to more government mandated tests than in any other country, and yet our performance, in comparison with other developed countries, appears to be modest. Furthermore, it appears from the repeat administration of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS-R) that although scores on national curriculum tests are improving at both key stage 2 and key stage 3, overall standards of achievement are getting no better. The proportion of the age-cohort gaining A-level passes is now greater than at any time in our past, and yet employers repeatedly claim that students are less prepared for the world of work than students from previous years. The obvious answer to this apparent paradox is that the tests and examinations have been made easier, but a whole raft of technical studies have shown that standards are being broadly maintained. In this article, I will offer an alternative explanation, which that government initiatives have pressurised schools into improving test and examination scores at any cost, which leads to a narrowing of the curriculum, and which robs tests and assessments of their power to say anything useful about students’ achievements. In place of this system, I offer an alternative, based on moderated teacher assessment, with external tasks for public accountability, which ensures that all students receive a broad and balanced curriculum

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