Schools and markers say there are problems with this year’s Sats according to the BBC. Some schools could not access the registration system (including us) they needed to complete so that markers know which pupils’ work they should have.
Markers’ complaints include a lack of organisation and communication by the company running England’s school tests this year for the first time, ETS. The National Assessment Agency (NAA) says it is confident all will go well. ETS (Educational Testing Service) is a US-based non-profit organisation with extensive test administration experience in some 180 countries.
It was awarded a five-year £156m contract by the NAA a year ago. This covers the tests that all of England’s 11 and 14-year-olds are taking and the Year 7 progress tests. Here are some of the problems faced, as posted on the TES website:
* When contracts for the work were sent out by ETS, some markers were told they had been chosen on the basis of their previous year’s performance – even though this was the first time they had done it.
* Others were sent a contract for the wrong subject – or more than one contract.
* Sometimes efforts to contact ETS by phone or e-mail went unanswered.
* In some cases people’s references were taken up after contracts had been sent out.
* One marker received a request for a reference about her – sent to herself at her home address.
* There was confusion over training venues, complaints about the training itself and the late dates at which everything was being done.
Problems seem to have been compounded by a new procedure this year intended to tighten up the selection of suitable markers. They had to pass an online “standardisation” assessment of their marking consistency. They were given two attempts to pass this or face being struck off as a marker. But those who attempted it last weekend were initially all told they had failed – even if they had not.
The NAA said this had affected only some 200 out of some 5,000 markers and they would all be contacted to explain the situation, with those who had indeed failed at the first attempt being given a second chance as planned.
