Standards Based Reform and the Improvement of Teaching in England Presentation for AEPF Conference Q

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Standards Based Reform and the Improvement of
Teaching in England  Presentation for AEPF
Conference Quality by Standards?Salzburg
September 19-21 2005 

• Pam Sammons
• School of Education
• University of Nottingham

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Content of Presentation

• Summary of the standards policy context in
  England
• Guidance on good practice research inspection
• National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies
• National trends in attainment international
  comparisons
• Evidence of improvement through inspection from
  evaluation of Ofsted
•  Performance data, benchmarking and target
  setting

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Education Policy Changes in England (1)

• Common public examination at age 16 years GCSE
  1986 onwards
• National curriculum 1988 subjects formulated in
  terms of attainment targets, programmes of study
  assessment tasks detailed guidance provided
• National assessments in common core subjects
  English mathematics and science, guidance
  in-service education for teachers 1990
• Delegation of budgets 1990 onwards under Local
  Management for schools, reduced role for Local
  Education Authorities
• Publication of national performance tables of
  school and LEA results 1992 onwards, emphasis on
  market forces, open enrolment and parental
  choice of schools

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Education Policy Changes in England (2)

• Creation of Office for Standards in Education
  (Ofsted) 1992 national Framework for Inspection ,
  4 yearly inspection of all schools
  publication of reports, failing schools
  requiring special measures identified.
• More school based training, partnership between
  HE institutions and schools in Initial Teacher
  Education
• Teacher Training Agency set up 1994 to ensure
  ensure quality in teacher education, Ofsted to
  inspect teacher training institutions
• Qualifications Curriculum Authority created
  bringing together separate curriculum and
  examination and assessment bodies
• National Literacy 1997 Numeracy strategy 1998
  Daily literacy numeracy lessons in primary
  schools. National targets for pupil attainments
  in English and mathematics, National year of
  Reading and mathematics .
• Government Standards Effectiveness Unit
  created. Reductions in class sizes for pupils
  aged 5 to 7 years
• National Curriculum for initial teacher education
  1998 General Teaching Council created

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Education Policy Changes in England (3)

• Autumn Package of national performance data
  issued to all schools annually encouraged
  institutional review target setting 1998,
• Local Education Authorities role enhanced
  required to promote school improvement prepare
  an Education Development Plan with proposals to
  raise performance of pupils and schools linked
  with target setting
• Government policies to raise standards combat
  social exclusion Sure Start , Education Action
  Zones Excellence in Cities, Fresh Start,
  Beacon,Specialist Faith Schools promoted
• Additional education funding more teachers in
  schools 1998 onwards
• National College for School Leaders created 2000
• Key Stage 3 strategy for middle years (age 11-14)
  instituted to promote English, mathematics and
  science 2001
• Emphasis on pre-school education and care,
  expansion of places
• Primary strategy, personalised learning
• Increased emphasis on evidence based policy and
  social inclusion

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Some Key Features of England Experience

• Consistent emphasis on raising standards
  monitoring educational performance over last 15
  years, concern to improve attainments of
  disadvantaged ethnic minorities more recent
• National assessment framework most pupils work
  towards common set of public examinations at age
  16
• Increased centralisation and role of national
  bodies DfES, Ofsted, QCA, TTA but also devolved
  management to schools
• Role of national curriculum, national assessment,
  national inspection, teacher education emphasis
  on in-service training and professional
  development
• Knowledge base of school effectiveness
  improvement influenced policy and practice,
  leadership role of head teacher emphasised
• Increased guidance on effective teaching
  strategies materials from inspection, research
  and through National Strategies
• Increased education funding Early Years
  provision 1998 onwards
• New Labour Government in 1997 gave more emphasis
  on support as well as accountability for schools
  in challenging circumstances

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Defining Standards (1)

• National Curriculum National Assessment
  Framework
• Purposes to
• - establish an entitlement to a number of areas
  of learning and to develop knowledge,
  understanding, skills attitudes necessary for
  their self-fulfilment and development as active
  responsible citizens
• - establish national standards makes explicit
  expectations for learning attainment in all
  subjects
• - promote continuity coherence facilitate
  transition between schools and phases
• - promote public understanding confidence and
  a common basis for discussion of educational
  issues

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Defining Standards (2)

• The National Curriculum National Assessment
  Framework is Divided into 4 Key Stages
• KS1 ages 5-7, KS2 ages 7-11, KS3 ages 11-14, KS4
  ages 14-16
• For each subject KS
• programmes of study set out what pupils should be
  taught provide basis for planning schemes of
  work
• Attainment targets level descriptors set out
  knowledge skills understanding which pupils of
  different abilities maturities are expected to
  have by the end of each KS
• Exemplar schemes of work published by
  DfES/QCA to show how programmes of study
  attainment targets can be translated into
  practical manageable teaching plans
• The NC NA involved considerable change
  to Initial Teacher Education and Professional
  Development. Much Government funded provision of
  guidance, resources increasingly web based.

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Evaluation Accountability Inspection (1)

• The Office for Standards in Education Ofsted
• created in 1992 to inspect schools,
  from1996 inspected Local Education
  Authorities,Teacher training and 16-19
  providers, from 2000 responsible for early years
  child care providers
• Stated purpose to improve the standards
  and quality of of education , its self-selected
  aim improvement through inspection
• - Regular independent inspection,
• - public reporting
• - providing professional informed
  advice relating to teaching and management and
  topical issues
• - identification of successful schools
  and good practice
• Inspection cycle originally 4 but later
  on 6 year cycle, from 2005 change to shorter,
  focused, no notice inspections on 3 year cycle
  with more emphasis on self-evaluation

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Evaluation Accountability Inspection (2)

• Inspectors evaluate and publicly report
  on 4 areas of schools work, Framework for
  inspection is published
• Quality of education teaching evaluation from
  observations of many lessons on a 7 point scale,
  teachers and head teachers get feed back on
  teachers performance
• Educational standards using wide range of
  evidence including samples of pupils work,
  observation of lessons, data about performance in
  national assessments / public examinations (
  including information about performance compared
  with similar schools value added measures)
• Spiritual, moral, social cultural development
  of pupils from observations in lessons and
  around the school, discussions with pupils,
  attendance, behaviour exclusion records,
  parent meetings and surveys
• The management efficiency of the school
  including work of governors , senior middle
  managers, schools own monitoring and
  self-evaluation, adequacy of resources,
  buildings, staffing (recruitment, retention,
  shortages) and value for money.
• Inspection reports published parents
  receive a summary, the Governing body must
  produce a post-inspection action plan to show how
  it will address any issues/areas of weakness

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Pressure to Improve Standards

• The identification of schools requiring special
  measures (originally termed failing schools) or
  with serious weaknesses by inspection threat of
  closure if schools fail to improve in 2 years
• Government publication of individual schools
  national assessment results at KS2, KS3 and
  public examination results at GSCE (age 16), and
  A level (age 18) complied into high profile
  league tables by national press from 1992
• Emphasis on Benchmarking, target setting and use
  of performance data for improvement
• 1997 Government set challenging national
  targets for schools, LEAs to be reached by
  2002
• - 80 11 year old pupils to achieve
  expected level (level 4) in KS2 national
  assessments literacy and 75 in numeracy at age
  11
• - 50 16 year old pupils to achieve 5
  good grades (A-C) at GCSE public examination,
  95 at least 1 CSE Grade G

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Support to Improve Standards

• Stated policy - intervention in inverse
  proportion to success
• Guidance on good practice (inspection and
  research evidence, case studies of successful and
  improving schools )
• Teaching materials and resources especially
  web-based
• National Literacy National Numeracy strategies
  with daily lesson (now National Primary Strategy)
• Key Stage 3 strategy 2001 (English Mathematics
  Science ICT and Teaching Learning)
• Encouragement of school self-evaluation review
• Provision of performance data
• More resources/emphasis on professional
  development
• Advanced skills teachers
• National College of School Leadership
• Network Learning Communities
• Education Action Zones, Excellence in Cities,
  Specialist schools, City Academies
• Increased teacher numbers, classroom assistants
• Reduction class sizes at KS1 (5-7 year olds)

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Inspection Guidance on Literacy
Mathematics Teaching

• For example for primary mathematics Ofsted
  (1997) highlighted
• In classrooms with low standards
• too much emphasis on repetitive number work
• too much individualisation of work
• too little fluency in mental calculation
• In successful classes
• Clear structure to lessons, good use of time,
  maintaining challenge, pace motivation
• Sessions of direct teaching, teacher involved
  proactively not just when children stuck
• Regular teacher pupil interaction, perceptive
  questioning attending to misconceptions providing
  constructive response

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NNS advice on curriculum and assessment Better
numeracy standards occur when

• staff share a common understanding of numeracy
  how best to promote it
• there is a daily, dedicated mathematics lesson in
  every class, with lesson time extended through
  out-of-class activities and regular homework
• the teaching programme is based on identified
  learning objectives, and is planned thoroughly,
  to ensure high expectations, consistent
  approaches and good progression throughout the
  school
• the foundations of mental calculation and recall
  of number facts are established thoroughly before
  standard written methods are introduced
• assessments are used to identify pupils'
  strengths and difficulties, to set group and
  individual targets for them to achieve and to
  plan the next stage of work
• assessments include informal observations and
  oral questioning, regular mental tests, and half-
  termly planned activities designed to judge
  progress and
• recording systems give teachers the information
  that they need to plan and report successfully,
  but are not too time-consuming to maintain.

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NNS advice on teaching Better numeracy standards
occur when teachers

• structure their mathematics lessons and maintain
  a good pace
• provide daily oral and mental work to develop and
  secure pupils' calculation strategies and rapid
  recall skills
• devote a high proportion of lesson time to direct
  teaching of whole classes and groups, making
  judicious use of textbooks, worksheets and ICT
  resources to support teaching, not to replace it
  
• demonstrate, explain and illustrate mathematical
  ideas, making links between different topics in
  mathematics and between mathematics and other
  subjects
• use and give pupils access to number lines and
  other resources, including ICT, to model
  mathematical ideas and methods
• use and expect pupils to use correct mathematical
  vocabulary and notation
• question pupils effectively, including as many of
  them as possible, giving them time to think
  before answering, targeting individuals to take
  account of their attainment and needs, asking
  them to demonstrate and explain their methods and
  reasoning, and exploring reasons for any wrong
  answers
• involve pupils and maintain their interest
  through appropriately demanding work, including
  some non-routine problems that require them to
  think for themselves
• ensure that differentiation is manageable and
  centred around work common to all the pupils in a
  class, with targeted, positive support to help
  those who have difficulties with mathematics to
  keep up with their peers.

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NNS advice on format of a typical Daily Lesson

• A typical 45 to 60 minute lesson in Years 1 to 6
  will be structured
• oral work and mental calculation (about 5 to 10
  minutes)
• whole-class work to rehearse, sharpen and develop
  mental and oral skills
• the main teaching activity (about 30 to 40
  minutes)
• teaching input and pupil activities
• work as a whole class, in groups, in pairs or as
  individuals
• a plenary to round off the lesson (about 10 to 15
  minutes)work with the whole class to sort out
  misconceptions and identify progress, to
  summarise key facts and ideas and what to
  remember, to make links to other work and discuss
  the next steps, and to set work to do at home
• This advice fits with the descriptions of
  Interactive whole class teaching

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Attainment at Key Stage 2 1996- 2004

percentages for level 5 or above are not
available prior to 1998.
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International Comparisons of Reading Attainment
2001IEA PIRLS survey
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TIMSS 2003 Maths Science at Grade 4

• Science
• England average 540
• International average 489
• Comparison group average 530
• Primary science attainment amongst highest in
  survey

• Maths
• England average 531
• International average 495
• Comparison group average 532
• From 1995 Englands performance increase was
  much larger than the average change in comparison
  countries

No longer evidence of a long trailing edge
according to NFER analysis
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Long term trend in improvement in public
examination results at age 16 years
pupils gaining 5GCSE A-C rose to 53.4 in 2004
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PISA 2000

• Survey covered 32 countries, 28 OECD members
• PISA assessments based on a dynamic model of
  lifelong learning , focussing on things 15 year
  olds will need to do in their future lives
• Assessments informed but not constrained by the
  common denominator of national curricula
• Assess students knowledge, ability to reflect on
  knowledge experience, to apply knowledge
  experience to real world issues
• UK results ( England) significantly above OECD
  average
• Relatively more students at highest levels of
  performance and relatively fewer at lowest levels
• Gender gap relatively modest
• SES gap relatively large but, in contrast to
  Germany, low SES students still doing relatively
  well by international comparisons and on a par
  with those in Sweden
• PISA results reveal significant improvement in UK
  England results compared with earlier
  international surveys of reading and maths
• BUT PISA 2003 England sample not adequate for
  comparison purposes

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TIMSS 2003 Maths Science at Grade 8

• Science
• England average 544
• International average 474
• Comparison group average 533
• Secondary science attainment among highest in
  survey but advantage not as marked as at Grade 4

• Maths
• England average 498
• International average 467
• Comparison group average 529
• From 1995 Englands performance showed little
  change

No longer evidence of a long trailing edge
according to NFER analysis
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School Effectiveness Research

• For us the touchstone criteria to be applied
  to all educational matters concern whether
  children learn more or less because of the policy
  or practice Reynolds 1997
• An effective school is one in which students
  progress further than might be expected from
  consideration of its intake Mortimore 1991
• SER seeks to identify the Value Added by
• schools to student outcomes

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• Effectiveness is a relative concept which is
  time and outcome specific
• Effective in promoting which outcomes?
• the what of effectiveness
• Effective for which student groups?
• the who of effectiveness
• Effective over what time period?
• the when of effectiveness

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Empirical Confirmation of SE Meta-Analyses

• cooperation
• school climate
• monitoring at school and class level
• opportunity to learn (content coverage - homework
  - time)
• parental involvement
• pressure to achieve
• school leadership
• 
  Scheerens Bosker 1997
• The most powerful factors are located at the
  classroom level. Schools should address proximal
  variables like curriculum, instruction and
  assessment which emphasis student outcomes
  Wang et al
  1993

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Significance of School Effects Equity
Implications

• Schools matter most for underprivileged
  and/or initially low achieving students.
  Effective or ineffective schools are especially
  effective or ineffective for these students
• Scheerens Bosker 1997
• Although the differences in scholastic
  attainment achieved by the same student in
  contrasting schools is unlikely to be great, in
  many instances it represents the difference
  between success and failure and operates as a
  facilitating or inhibiting factor in higher
  education
• When coupled with the promotion of other
  pro-social attitudes and behaviours, and the
  inculcation of a positive self-image,the
  potential of the school to improve the life
  chances of students is considerable
• Mortimore 1998

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Impact of Inspection Outcomes of special
measures over 10 years

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Perceptions of benefits of inspections 2002/03
comparison of head teachers and teachers views

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Percentage of 11 year-old pupils reaching level 4
and above in English, mathematics and science
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The proportion of good or better teaching in
primaryschools
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Judgements of extent of Improvement of primary
and secondary schools since their last inspection
(2002/03 Annual Report)
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Primary schools change of inspection judgements
from first to second inspection (percentage of
3041 schools inspected 2002/03)
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Percentage of unsatisfactory /poor lessons in
primary schools going into special measures and
two years after coming out (2002/03)
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Percentage of pupils achieving five or more A-C
grades in GCSE when the school went into special
measures and when they were inspected in 2000/03,
two years after coming out.
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Is improvement greater in schools facing
challenging circumstances?

 
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• The publication of performance data acts as
  a spur to improve performance. We will publish
  more such data than ever before
  DfEE. (1997), Excellence in schools
• There has definitely been a revolution. The
  amount of data has exploded
  
  Rudd, P. and Davies, D. (2002), A revolution in
  the use of data Slough National Foundation for
  Educational Research.
• LEAs are universally developing the capacity
  to turn available data into information with
  which to monitor schools and challenge them to
  improve further
  Bird and Fowler (2004)

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Performance Data From National Assessments
Public Examinations

• National data sets allow tracking of individual
  pupil progress using Unique Pupil Reference
  Number (UPN) across Key Stages
• Attainment data are linked to pupil level data
  about background e.g Free School Meals, English
  as an Additional Language, Ethnicity, Gender and
  Age.
• Analyses of data used to create value added
  indicators of school performance
• LEAs analyse these data to support schools in
  self-evaluation and review, target setting and
  equality monitoring
• Schools and teachers are encouraged to use
  performance data to support their improvement
  planning
• The Pupil Achievement Tracker PAT is a web based
  software package http//www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/
  performance/ for
• - school level analysis compared with
  national data
• - pupil-level value added
• - target setting
• - question level analysis of test results

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Targeted Support Initiative Wandsworh
LEAImproving Conversion Rates between KS1 KS2

• Use of PAT value added graphs / reports to
  identify individual pupils making less than
  expected progress between KS1-Year 4

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Targeted Support Initiative (cont)
Discussion with schools via link officers about
individual underachieving pupils
Multi-disciplinary approach co-ordinated within
Education department to address specific barriers
to learning and/or gaps in knowledge / skills

• Central monitoring of action taken with
  individual pupils recording of impact

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Issues Arising from England Experience

• Concerns that teachers professional autonomy
  challenged, initiative overload and heavy
  workload and issues of retention. Urban schools
  have greater difficulties in attracting staff
  especially in shortage subjects, high cost of
  housing in London especially an issue
• Pay conditions have been enhanced higher
  numbers of teachers are in post. More young
  people entering profession
• Concerns about tension between emphasis on common
  core subjects English, mathematics and science
  and ability to deliver broad balanced
  curriculum. Worries that time for arts,
  creativity, physical education squeezed
• Debate about pressures of national assessment
  especially at Key Stage 1 (7 year olds), some
  claims that teachers encouraged to teach to the
  test primary education is less fun
• Inspection evidence suggests pupils who
  experienced national primary strategies are
  better prepared for secondary school

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Summary

• Research has shown school effects are generally
  largest for students from disadvantaged groups,
  they are more likely to attend weak/poorly
  performing schools
• System wide change can have long term effects if
  sustained and associated with commitment to
  developing professional practice) and with clear
  monitoring and evaluation strategies
• A mainly comprehensive system combined with a
  national curriculum and common examination
  framework at age 16 years, without a separate
  vocational track is likely to have provided
  helpful context to facilitate improvement,
  however comprehensive system predates rise in
  standards
• A clear focus on improving teaching learning
  promoting student progress, motivation and
  behaviour vital for school improvement
  strategies, national strategies focus on teaching
  and learning

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Impact of Standards-based Policies

• A cocktail effect of national curriculum,
  national assessment, financial devolution,
  inspection, increased professional development
  changes to teacher education, later supported by
  national strategies and development of curriculum
  and assessment resources and materials
• Inspection provides an important source of
  independent evidence to monitor standards,
  investigate specific issues and evaluate
  progress of policy initiatives
• Inspection has been a catalyst for improvement,
  especially of weaker schools and this has
  benefited disadvantaged pupils because they are
  over represented in such schools
• DIPF research on Features of Successful School
  Systems (Dobert Sroka 2004) draws attention to
  the benefits of pre-set educational standards
  (partly linked to a national curriculum)
  increased responsibility for schools combined
  with regular evaluations or centrally determined
  tests. These features characterise standards
  based reforms
•  

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