Computer-Based Assessments

1. Computer-Based Assessments CBA Pilot for NILA & NINA Autumn 2013 Assessment Coordinator Training September / October 2013

2. Learning Intentions At the end of the session you will be aware of: • the context for computer-based assessment (CBA) in autumn 2013; • developments to NILA and NINA; • next steps for the pilot schools; and • guidance and support available from CCEA and C2k.  Will have an opportunity to : • access the CBA online training course; • explore NILA and NINA; and • contribute to discussion about using the NILA and NINA outcomes.

3. Overview of the Seminar 9.30 Registration 10.00 Welcome Context of computer-based assessment in NI 10.45 Tea/Coffee 11.00 CBA context (contd.) Developments - NILA and NINA 13.00 Lunch 13.30 Reporting Developments Practical Activities Next Steps for CBA Pilot Guidance and support available from CCEA 14.45 Tea/Coffee 16.00 Questions, Evaluation & Close

4. Part 1 Setting the Context for the CBAs in 2013

5. Legislative Context In his letter to schools in May 2013 the Minister for Education outlined that: • CBA assessment will not be specified as mandatory in 2013/14; • Use of CBA assessments (NILA and NINA) in 2013/14 will be optional for schools. “Although CBA will not be specified in 2013/14, the Department expects schools to carry out diagnostic assessment using an assessment tool of its own choice and that the results of this assessment should be shared with the pupil’s parent/guardian at a mutually convenient time.” “I would like to encourage as many schools as possible to participate in this pilot.”

6. Moving Forward with the CBA Pilot

7. Computer-Based Assessments NILA - Northern Ireland Literacy Assessment NINA - Northern Ireland Numeracy Assessment • Assessments are available in English & Irish. • Assessments are adaptive and not time-bound. • Assessments are web-based and pupil responses to questions are saved automatically online. • Assessments may be completed by Year 4 to Year 7 pupils from the pilot schools during autumn 2013. • Assessments are processed immediately following completion and schools canaccess results after 48 hours. The purpose of the computer-based assessments is to help teachers plan the learning and teaching during the school year to meet the needs of pupils in their classrooms.

8. Computer-Based Assessments The question items in the Literacy / Numeracy Assessments have been developed using the following criteria: • Definition of Literacy / Numeracy as set out by CCEA; • The expectations of the NI Language & Literacy / Mathematics & Numeracy Curricula; • CCEA’s revised Lines of Development; • Advice from ELBs regarding expectations at the end of each academic year; and • Levels of Progression.

9. Focus on Raising Standards “The use of data from computer-based assessments remains a key aspect of the Department’s school improvement policy” Paragraph 3 – DE Letter to Principals Nov 2011

10. Computer-Based Assessments

11. NILA Overview

12. The Literacy Assessment • Assesses some crucial aspects of Listening, Reading and Writing. • Draws on topics from across the Northern Ireland Curriculum. • Is varied in form, ranging from everyday texts, such as advertisements and signs, to high quality literary passages. • Uses 8 different answer techniques (cloze, drag and match, drag into order, drag punctuation, drag to hot spot, pick multiple, pick one and select word). • Uses the potential of the on-screen presentation to provide interactive and engaging experiences in different ways.

13. The Literacy Assessment • There are two age related bands in the assessment, one for Years 4 and 5 and one for Years 6 and 7. • The questions cover a range of difficulty within each band, designed to allow pupils show what they can do whatever their ability. • The assessment adapts to easier or more challenging questions based on pupils’ responses. • The assessment should take the majority of pupils around 35 minutes to complete. • Provides teachers with diagnostic information about the skills and understanding of their pupils.

14. Focus on Skills

15. Adaptive Routing in NILA

16. NINA Overview

17. The Numeracy Assessment • Samples the key concepts of Numeracy through two assessments / strands: • Strand 1 Understanding & Using Number • Strand 2: Shape & Space, Measures; Handling Data • Each strand will be assessed using an adaptive approach to assessment. • Assessment for each strand will take approximately 20 minutes. • Only mental arithmetic questions are timed. • English Medium database is multi-instance.

18. Focus on Skills

19. NINA Assessment Process

20. Adaptive Assessment • All pupils start in their target year and are presented with questions which are one year below their current school designated year e.g. Year 3 questions for a Year 4 pupil. • On the basis of their responses, pupils are promoted, demoted or stay in their curricular year. • A promotion may be reversed by a subsequent demotion and vice versa. • The overall result is then computed as a weighted average of the two strand scores using the number of threads as the weighting. • Outcomes from the assessment give both numerical and qualitative diagnostic information about individual pupils.These will become available 48 hours after completion of Strand 2. .

21. Adaptive Assessment

22. Part 2 Developments to NILA and NINA

23. 2012 CCEA Review Evaluation of: • online CBA training (users); • CBA implementation during autumn 2012 (principal, teacher and pupil); • AROs and SSs (principal and teachers); and • parent perspective. Feedback from: • helpdesk calls; • ELB support teachers seminars; • Principals’ focus groups; and • written and verbal feedback from special schools

24. Developments • Revised Pupil Demos and associated resources; • NINA Practice Area; • Item Analysis and Question Banks; • SEN Improvements; • Monitoring Assessment Status; • Improved Reports (simpler, sortable, printable and saveable); • Charts and Tables showing progress over time; • Improved IM Language selection; • Modified Pupil Checklist; and • Streamlined Helpdesk.

25. Pupil Demos Pupil Demos for autumn 2013 • Pace of the voice will be slowed • Optional sub-titles available • Scripts will be available. NILA Practice Assessment Demo / NINA Practice Area Demo: Introduces pupils to NILA / NINA and the techniques they need to be aware of when completing their assessment. NILA / NINA Real Assessment Demo: Reinforces this knowledge and prepares the pupils for logging in to complete their actual assessment.

26. Revised Practice Area

27. Revised Practice Area

28. Question Banks and Item Analysis NILA • Additional questions added to NILA at the lower and upper end. • Drag punctuation questions: • Improved ‘grab’ of the box; and • More accurate placement of the punctuation mark. NINA • Reviewed small number of questions with high proportion of incorrect answers.

29. General SEN improvements • Specific guidance included in the NILA / NINA Guidance Documents; • Setting an SEN entry point for individual pupils; • Setting an HI entry point (removes Listening questions from NILA); • Improved ‘drag punctuation’ questions in NILA; • Voice in NILA and NINA Demos slowed down; • Improved pupil demos (for the practice areas and the real assessment); • Streamlined NINA Practice area; and • Simplified pupil checklists.

30. Introduction of Special Entry Points What qualifies a pupil to use the SEN entry point? • Teacher and SMT must: • reasonably expect that the pupil is performing 2 or more years below their chronological age; and • be in agreement that an SEN entry point is appropriate for the pupil. What qualifies a pupil to use the HI entry point? • Teacher and SMT must: • have evidence that the pupil is receiving special support for HI; and • be in agreement that an HI entry point is appropriate for a pupil. N.B: Only the administrator can select the SEN and HI entry point.

31. NILA SEN and HI Entry Point SEN Entry Point Pupils will: • have access to the same number of questions as their peers; • allows pupils quicker access to easier and shorter questions; and • aims to deliver a more positive and potentially shorter assessment. Hearing Impaired Entry Point Pupils will: • only be assessed in Reading and Writing; and • use an appropriate checklist.

32. Setting an SEN Entry Point for a Pupil (NILA)

33. Setting an SEN Entry Point for a Pupil (NINA)

34. NINA SEN Entry Point

35. NILA: Monitoring Assessment Progress for the School

36. NINA: Monitoring Assessment Progress for the School

37. CBA Roles and Responsibilities • NILA / NINA Administrator - Administrators manage NILA / NINA* at school level. • Teacher -Teachers manage the delivery of NILA / NINA* for their class.   *Note for NINA: there is an Admin Zone and a Teacher Zone

38. Administrator Role The Administrator can: • view the details for all teachers, pupils and classes registered in the school; • print / create teacher usernames and passwords for the school; • print pupil usernames and passwords for each class; • set an SEN / HIEntry Point for a pupil; • monitor assessment progress for all classes in the school; and • view and print tables and reports for individual pupils and classes across the school.

39. Logging in as the NILA Administrator

40. Logging in as the NINA Administrator

41. Demonstrating NILA • Demonstration of NILA administration

42. Part 3 Developments in Reporting

43. What NILA / NINA Tables and Reports are available? • NILA / NINA Results Tables provide schools with Age-Related Outcome (ARO) Ranges and Standardised Scores (SS). These are available for individual pupils, classes, year groups and at whole school level. These build over time to show additional data as it becomes available for new academic years. • NILA / NINA Parent Reports contain the results table for an individual pupil, showing only the Age-Related Outcome (ARO) Range. • NILA / NINA Objectives Reports provide specific information about the questions asked and whether the pupil answered correctly or incorrectly.  

44. Printing Teachers can view and print tables and reports for: • their own class; or • any of their own pupils. Administrators can view and print tables and reports for: • the school; • any year group; • any class; or • any pupil.

45. Results Table (Individual Pupil)

46. Results Table (School, Year Group and Class)

47. Parent Report

48. NILA Objectives Report • NILA Objectives Report focuses on the assessment performance of an individual pupil. • It is designed to answer three key questions: • what skills have been assessed? • what was the difficulty of the questions? • how did the pupil perform during the assessment?

49. NILA Objectives Report What skills have been assessed? • What was the difficulty of the questions? • CYis now Age • > above what is expected in • the pupil’s curriculum year • = within what is expected in • the pupil’s curriculum year • < below what is expected in • the pupil’s curriculum year How did the pupil perform? Columns re-ordered so that the Outcomes are on the right.

50. NINA Objectives Report • NINA Objectives Report focuses on the assessment performance of an individual pupil. • Three different views of the Objectives Report designed to answer three key questions: • what skills have been assessed? • what was the difficulty of the questions? • how did the pupil perform during the assessment?