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educational assessments for international schools www.gl-education-international.com Assessment Pupil wellbeing Personalised learning School improvement
educational assessmentsfor international schools
www.gl-education-international.com
Assessment
Pupil wellbeing
Personalised learning
School improvement
Introduction
2
Welcome to the GL Education GroupFor over 30 years, the GL Education Group has provided rigorous and high-qualityassessments for children’s education, mental health and wellbeing. Today, we are aleading provider of integrated assessments, stakeholder surveys, self-evaluation systemsand professional development services. We lead literacy, numeracy and ability testing inUK schools and our resources are used in British, bilingual and international schools inover 100 countries worldwide.
To ensure our assessments incorporate the very latest thinking and research, we haveworked together with numerous distinguished organisations in the UK and abroad,including King’s College London, the University of Cambridge and the University ofMichigan.
To keep our portfolio relevant and valid for our international customers, we work closelywith international associations such as: BSME, COBIS, ECIS, FOBISIA.
Pioneers in the area of online testing, the GL Education Group has led a steady moveover the last decade from paper to online assessment. Particularly popular withinternational schools, online testing allows you to test exactly when it suits you, at anypoint throughout the year. New admissions can be assessed straight away, reporting isinstantaneous, and results are easily shared with students, parents and across staff.
In fact, we have already delivered over 6 million online tests to date and our many ‘high-stakes’ assessments are all available in digital format, including the Cognitive AbilitiesTest (CAT), Progress in Maths and New Group Reading Test.
Getting in touch...+44 20 8996 3369
www.gl-education-international.com
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Contents
Ability & PotentialCognitive Abilities Test: Fourth Edition
(CAT4) 4–5
AttainmentProgress in English 6Progress in Maths 7 New Group Reading Test Digital 8–9 York Assessment of Reading forComprehension 10
DiagnosisDyslexia Screener Digital 11Dyslexia Portfolio 11Dyscalculia Screener Digital 11
Pupil AttitudesPupil Attitudes to Self and School 12–13
Self-evaluation and SchoolImprovementKirkland Rowell Surveys 14Schoolcentre 15Professional Development and FurtherGuidance 16
Scoring and Data Interpretation 17
Admissions 18
Customised Testing 18
Contact us 19
• Self-Evaluation
• Stakeholders
• CPD• Data InterpretationIncreased
Value
Introduction
3
Providing you with 360 degreeassessmentAt the GL Education Group, we help teachers and senior leaders todeliver whole school improvement, realise the full potential of theirstudents and engage effectively with all their stakeholders.
We do this through a range of assessments that deliver a 360 degreeview of a student’s education; one that goes beyond purely measuringachievement to one that evaluates potential, monitors progress andunderstands pupil attitudes in order to identify barriers to learning anddrive excellence.
In practical terms, we provide you with a complete assessment toolkit to:
• benchmark students’ ability alongside current levels of attainment
• set realistic yet challenging targets
• measure value added.
We reinforce this process by providing schools with integrated tools tounderstand fully their stakeholders’ perceptions, manage their schoolimprovement planning and to support robust self and externalassessment.
Ability and Potential
In a dynamic international environment, it is important that a student’spotential is identified quickly to ensure that they are streamed correctlyfrom the start. Similarly, their learning and thinking preferences need tobe understood from the outset so that teaching and learning can beadapted accordingly. This can be achieved by assessing with theCognitive Abilities Test: Fourth Edition (CAT4) (pages 4–5), a pureability assessment that spans both the primary and secondaryphases.
Attainment
To benchmark current attainment in literacy and numeracy, and tomeasure subsequent progress, we offer a number of assessmentsincluding Progress in Maths, Progress in English and New GroupReading Test Digital – shown on pages 6–10. Results from thesetests can be compared with your CAT4 data to reveal if your studentsare reaching their full potential.
Attitudes
To help understand why students are not performing to their fullpotential, our Pupil Attitudes to Self and School (PASS) survey(pages 12–13) can help identify barriers to learning. Targetedmeasures can then be put in place to remove those hidden obstaclesthat are hindering attainment.
Diagnosis
Our SEN range (page 11) enables you to screen, diagnose andsupport students with additional educational needs. To aidcommunication with parents, our Dyslexia Screener Digital andDyscalculia Screener Digital also include a comprehensiveparent/carer report.
Whole school improvement
To increase the value a school gives to each and every student, itneeds an integrated support system that helps you maximiseimprovement. To monitor the changing perceptions of yourstakeholders, we offer Kirkland Rowell Surveys (page 14), theresults from which provide a solid baseline for your self-evaluation.
To boost impact, the GL Education Group has developedSchoolcentre (page 15), a customisable online solution that linkstogether your self-evaluation, school improvement and performancemanagement processes, whilst also improving communication withparents, your governing body and other stakeholders.
Performance can be enhanced further by taking advantage of oursupport services for international schools in the areas of data analysis,interpretation and training (page 16).
In following this joined up approach, we believe your school will benefitas a whole from:
• informed teaching and learning
• improved results
• better communication with parents
• an enhanced reputation
• motivated students and engaged parents
• comprehensive admissions data
• a robust self-evaluation framework to improve school planning andsupport inspections.
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ability & potential
4
Focusing on ... Ability & PotentialUnderstanding a student’s ability to learn, together with their preferred learning approach,
enables teachers to set realistic but challenging targets and ensure that the most
appropriate teaching methods are used to achieve those goals. Used in conjunction with
attainment data, teachers can assess whether a student is making the progress they are
capable of.
Cognitive Abilities Test: Fourth Edition (CAT4) CAT4 is the fourth edition of our well established Cognitive AbilitiesTest, the UK’s most widely used test of reasoning abilities. Available asa paper and online test, the seamless assessment has beendeveloped to support schools in understanding the developed abilitiesand likely academic potential of students from 7 to 17+ years.
CAT4 is not about knowledge recall and requires no preparation,offering all students the same opportunity to show their underlyingability.
Available on demand throughout the year, CAT4 provides schoolsacross the world with essential data for:
• identifying potential
• personalising learning
• engaging with parents
• monitoring progress
• measuring value added
• and supporting admissions processes (see page 18).
In line with fresh research, CAT4 offers a new spatial ability battery, askill important for success in science, technology, engineering andmaths. As a result, CAT4 allows schools to report separately on thedistinct abilities of verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatialreasoning, providing a unique and comprehensive profile of the coreabilities related to learning.
Sample spatial andquantitative question fromCAT4 Digital
Use our New Group Reading Test (NGRT) alongside CAT tobenchmark a new student’s literacy as well as their ability. Thiscan be especially useful for students with English as an AdditionalLanguage (EAL).
When there are discrepancies between actual attainment andCAT4 indicators, our Pupil Attitudes to Self and School(PASS) survey (pages 12–13) can be used to find out why astudent is not achieving their potential by identifying anyattitudinal barriers to learning that often remain hidden.
� Visit our CAT4 web pages to see sample reports, casestudies and videos highlighting how CAT4 supportsteaching and learning:
www.gl-education-international.com/cat4intl
a complete approach
Ability andPotential
Why CAT4 for international schools?
• It is available throughout the year – no registration is needed.
• Instant results from the digital version allow quick assessment ofa new student’s ability, enabling them to be placed in the correctstream on entry to the school. Students can even sit the testonline before they start.
• With three ability batteries that do not depend on language,CAT4 is highly suitable for English as an Additional Language(EAL) students.
• Using the GCSE, A level and IB indicators and pointers provided,CAT4 helps you set targets for future attainment and acts as abaseline measure for value added.
• As well as identifying gifted and talented students, it helpspinpoint underachieving students, including those that may becoasting in class.
• The data also helps to make your intervention strategies moretargeted.
• CAT4’s ability to assess, to inform intervention and to monitorprogress over time make it an ideal assessment tool whenevidencing value-added to parents, carers and otherstakeholders.
• It also provides evidence for inspections and self-evaluations.
ability & potential
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Bringing results to lifeBased on customer feedback, we have made CAT4 reports mucheasier to read and understand, helping you to interpret the data fullythrough the inclusion of a detailed narrative that describes clearly theimplications for teaching and learning.
The main report is the Group report for teachers, a rich and user-friendly report that is designed to incorporate all of the core informationrequired to carry out an analysis at group level.
Seven additional reports are also available, each of which has beendesigned for a specific audience and can be purchased separately.For example, the Individual report for parents provides, in a clear andconcise way, further information about the assessment and theirchild’s results, helping parents to understand what the data is showingand how they can support their child at home.
The additional reports:
• CAT4 Summary report for senior leaders
• CAT4 Summary presentation for senior leaders (PowerPoint format)
• CAT4 Individual student report for teachers
• CAT4 Individual report for parents
• CAT4 Individual report for students
• CAT4 Cluster report
• CAT4 Excel report (supplied to users of CAT4 Digital at no additionalcharge)
The Summary report for senior leaders enables an at-a-glance group analysis.Analysis by gender, ethnicity, English as an Additional Language, and other criteriais also possible.
AB
C
D
The student profile report from the Group report for teachers enables all pupils tobe assigned one of seven profiles that reveal their preferences for learning. In thisexample, the accompanying narrative explains that the student in region A has anextreme verbal bias and can be expected to learn through written texts, writingand discussion but may struggle with STEM subjects (science, technology,engineering and maths).
In contrast, the students in region C have a high spatial bias and will learn betterthrough flow charts and diagrams but may struggle with verbally based subjects.
Students with a balanced profile, B, will respond to all types of teaching styles.
In the Individual report forteachers, the narrative describesclearly the implications of astudent’s profile for teaching andlearning, helping to supportpersonalised learning, improveparental engagement and informintervention strategies.
“”
“It’s impossible to compare curriculum-basedtests when students enter the school from somany different countries and representing 46different nationalities. Looking at cognitiveability levels the playing field.”
Glenn Hardy, Head of the Primary School, The British School of Manila
www.gl-education-international.com
“”
attainment
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Progress in Maths and Progress in EnglishTracking pupil progress is deemed a priority in many international schoolsand Progress in English (PiE) and Progress in Maths (PiM) fit the billperfectly.
Progress in EnglishProgress in English tests a student’s reading and writing ability. The Short Form contains twothemed reading comprehension passages (fiction and non-fiction) as well as spelling andgrammar exercises. The optional Long Form includes open response comprehension questionsand writing tasks. Progress in English is available in both paper (ages 5 – 14) and digital (ages 7 – 11) formats.
Focusing on…AttainmentGood assessments of
attainment are not just about
measuring where a student is at;
they need to also monitor
progress and provide data that
enables teachers to plan the
next steps for each learner.
To support schools in this, the
GL Education Group offers a
number of assessments for
screening, diagnostic purposes,
setting targets and monitoring
progress. Common to all
assessments, including CAT4, is
the Standard Age Score,
important for benchmarking and
tracking progress and a reliable
way of comparing results from
different assessments.
“Using Progress in Englishand Progress in Mathshelps us maintainconsistency, meetindividual needs and createthe best learningenvironment for our pupils,no matter how long theyare with us.”
Markus Sherwood, Assistant Principalof Curriculum (Primary), The AliceSmith School, Malaysia
Incorporated in this comprehensiveProgress in English 11 report is an easy-
to-understand visual interpretation ofeach student’s Standard Age Score thatimmediately shows the below average,average and above average results for
each student and across the whole group.
Also included is an analysis that showsstudent performance in the four content
categories of Spelling, Grammar, NarrativeReading Comprehension, and Non-Narrative Reading Comprehension,
revealing at a glance where a student’sstrengths and weaknesses lie.
Attainment
attainment
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Progress in MathsProgress in Maths tests a student’s mathematical skills and concepts,providing invaluable diagnostic information about their strengths andweaknesses in this core subject. It is also available in both paper (ages4 – 14) and digital (ages 6 – 14) formats, providing continualassessment across the primary and secondary phases.
Each test in the series has been developed to be age-appropriate inboth presentation and content. For example, PiM 4–8 is administeredorally so that reading is not a factor that may hamper a student’sscores.
Comparing attainment results from PiM and PiE with ability datafrom CAT4 (pages 4–5) will reveal if your students are reachingtheir full potential. Where there are discrepancies betweenresults, our Pupil Attitudes to Self and School (PASS) survey(pages 12–13) can help you understand why students are notperforming to their full potential by identifying barriers to learning.
Our accompanying Scoring & Reporting Service takes thework out of using PiM and PiE for users of the paper tests.
� Go online to view case studies, sample reports and adigital demo:
www.gl-education-international.com/pimintlwww.gl-education-international.com/pieintl
a complete approach
Practice question from Progress in Maths 9 Digital
This sample PiM Progress Chart displays as a dot in a scatter plot the Standard AgeScores from each student’s PiM 10 and PiM 11 results. The range of expectedscores for PiM 11 is indicated by the upper and lower red lines, enabling a teacherto see immediately where progress is significantly more than expected (dots abovethe upper line) and where it is significantly less (dots below the lower line). As aresult, students that are making below average progress can be easily identified forfurther support and intervention.
Why PiM and PiE for international schools?
• Progress in Maths and Progress in English are ideal formonitoring students’ progress year-on-year, informing targetsetting, identifying the effectiveness of intervention strategies andproviding feedback to parents against baseline data.
• By highlighting students’ strengths and weaknesses, they helpteachers and SENCOs address areas of concern and build uponwhat students already know in order to increase theirunderstanding.
• For schools with a continual influx of new students throughoutthe year, PiM and PiE are especially useful for benchmarkingstudents on entry.
• They can also be used to support your admissions processes(see page 17).
“ ”
attainment
8
New Group ReadingTest DigitalAimed at students from 7 to 16 years, theNew Group Reading Test Digital (NGRTDigital) is a single adaptive online test thatautomatically adjusts to match a student’sreading ability, ensuring pupils are notexposed to test material at an inappropriatelevel.
It is used in groups to assess reading andcomprehension – or, if necessary, readingand phonemic awareness. Students enterthe test according to their chronological ageand begin with the sentence completionsection. Depending on their score, they moveto appropriate phonics based tasks or apassage comprehension section. Thedifficulty increases beyond the student’sability, challenging their understanding, untilscores show that the difficulty level is toohigh. As a result, the test material reflectsreading ability rather than chronological age.
Developed by the GL Education Group andthe National Foundation for EducationalResearch (NFER), NGRT Digital is an idealscreening/monitoring test for groups ofstudents. Time-efficient and accurate, it canbe administered at key points – for example,on entry or transition to secondary – or usedyear-on-year to check progress.
Example sentence completion questionExample passage comprehension question
“The New Group Reading Test challenges your expectationsabout how children are learning to read and what theyunderstand. It reminds you that even the most capable don’tnecessarily work to their full capacity on a day-to-day basis.”
Christine Smith, Deputy Head, Castlechurch Primary School, Stafford
Attainment
Why NGRT Digital for international schools?
• NGRT Digital provides a detailed overview of a student’s reading and comprehension abilityand identifies areas of difficulty, to better inform target setting and intervention.
• It offers an age-appropriate way of checking the phonics understanding of students –including secondary students – who struggle with reading.
• The Standard Age Score and Reading Age provided for each student is important forbenchmarking and tracking progress.
• The assessment identifies students who need to be tested individually. In this instance, ourYork Assessment of Reading for Comprehension (page 10) is an ideal follow-up diagnosticassessment.
• NGRT Digital can be used to evaluate intervention strategies and teaching methods.
• It also enables you to assess quickly and easily the reading levels of new students. As such,NGRT Digital can help support your admissions processes (see page 18).
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attainment
9
In the Group report, scores for sentence completion(SC) and passage comprehension (PC) are shown. If no value appears in the PC column, the PassageComprehension section was omitted and thePhonics section administered in its place. From thisparticular report, a teacher or SENCO can see at aglance which students would benefit from follow-upassessment and also where a student’s sentencecompletion scores are not in line with their passagecomprehension scores. For example, Sally Jenkins’results show a much higher score for sentencecompletion, indicating that she is a competentreader with weak comprehension skills.
The new Group progress report is ideal to evaluateintervention strategies and teaching methods. It alsoenables teachers and SENCOs to identify easilythose students with a gap between their sentencecompletion and passage comprehension skills, evenwhere progress has been average or above average,adding an important diagnostic aspect to theprogress checking exercise.
a complete approachNGRT Digital can be used to screen students for additionalsupport and will help determine what level of intervention orfurther assessment may be required. A natural ‘next-step’assessment is our York Assessment of Reading forComprehension (page 10).
� Go online to view videos, case studies, sample reportsand a digital demo:
www.gl-education-international.com/ngrtintl
York Assessment of Readingfor ComprehensionBridging the stage from phonics all the way through tocontinuous prose reading at primary and secondary level,the GL Education Group offers the York Assessment ofReading for Comprehension: Passage Reading Primary(YARC Primary) and Passage Reading Secondary (YARCSecondary).
Ideal to assess a student who may be experiencing difficulty in reading and to discover thenature of the problem, YARC Primary and YARC Secondary cover the age ranges of 4 to 11and 11 to 16 respectively, offering a continuous assessment of reading across both phases.YARC Primary and Secondary enables teachers and SENCOs in international schools tocarry out an in-depth, individual assessment of a student’s reading (decoding) andcomprehension skills.
YARC Primary is split into two tests: early reading and passage reading, each of which canbe bought individually. YARC Secondary comprises a series of prose passages that assessthe essential components of reading. Both include a version of our Single Word ReadingTest which can be administered in a couple of minutes to ascertain which passages to giveto an individual student.
Also available: The Australian edition of YARC.
attainment
10
The Early Reading tests in YARC Primary comprise four short tests specificallydesigned for 4 to 7 year-olds or older children with reading difficulties. In theseexamples, the sound deletion component of phoneme awareness is beingmeasured. The student hears the word, for example ‘starfish’, and is then askedto say it again without saying ‘fish’. In the second example, the student has tosay ‘boat’ without sounding the letter ‘t’. The Early Reading suite also includedtests for: letter sound knowledge, early word recognition and sound isolation.
York Assessment of Reading for Comprehension - SecondarySchool: Chiswick School Year/Class: Y1Name: Medley Thompson Date of birth: 07/09/1996Assessed by: Sue Thompson Date of assessment: 16/06/2010Passage codes: Supp. 1, Supp. 2 Age at assessment: 13:09
Summary of scoresAbility score Confidence
intervalsStandardscore
Percentilerank
Ageequivalent
Single Word Reading (SWRT) 30* 26 to 34 <70 2 08:00
Reading Rate 74 73 to 75 89 23 10:05
Comprehension 73 70 to 75 116 86 Above 16:00
Accuracy (Supplementarypassages only) 43 42 to 44 74 4 08:01
* Please note that this is a raw score value
Graph showing Standard Scores with Confidence Intervals
Analysis of reading errors (Supplementary passages only)Mispro-
nunciationsSub-
stitutions Refusals Additions Omissions Reversals
Total error type(summed across passages) 0 10 0 1 0 13
% of total errors 0.0% 41.7% 0.0% 4.2% 0.0% 54.2%
Summarisation scoresAbility score Confidence intervals Performance band
Summarisation 76 73 to 79 Above average
Observations during assessment
Medley read slowly and inaccurately but was quick to give full answers to the comprehension questions
Comments
Medley was refered for assessment for access arrangements
Sample YARC Secondary report for Passage Readingshowing a potentially dyslexic profile. In this
instance, we recommend follow-up testing with ourDyslexia Portfolio (opposite page).
A word on spellingTesting a student’s spelling ability often completes a comprehensive literacy assessment and our Single Word Spelling TestDigital is a popular choice as it also provides suggestions for follow-up activities to improve spelling.
For teachers who want to go beyond the straightforward single word format, our British Spelling Test Series: Second Edition(BSTS2) assesses spelling at word, sentence and continuous writing level. Ideal for year-on-year screening and monitoring,BSTS2 can also be used at key transition points, including entry into school or the move from primary to secondary.
Attainment
Why York Assessment of Reading for Comprehensionfor international schools?
a complete approachYARC is an ideal individual assessment for students whoachieve below-average scores with NGRT Digital (pages 8–9).
When combined with our Dyslexia Portfolio (opposite page),YARC can help schools to identify early those students who aredisplaying signs of dyslexia, enabling appropriate measures tobe put in place quickly to support their achievement in literacy.
� Go online to view case studies and frequently askedquestions and find out more about our online YARCScore Conversion Tool: www.gl-education-international.com/yarcscoring
• Taking only approximately 20 minutes to administer, YARCPrimary and Secondary provide a remarkable amount ofinvaluable diagnostic information that can be used to informtimely and appropriate intervention strategies.
• YARC is an ideal tool for assessing reading and comprehensionskills in students with English as an Additional Language (EAL).
• Providing Standard Age Scores, age equivalent scores andpercentile ranks, YARC helps you benchmark your students’reading and measure progress.
• It can be used to test pre- and post-intervention, offering anindependent, objective assessment of effectiveness.
• YARC has been developed by the Centre for Reading andLanguage at the University of York, internationally recognised asone of the leading centres for research into the nature andcauses of reading and language difficulties.
• The Early Reading tests in YARC Primary are especially usefulfor identifying underlying difficulties in phonological awarenessand the acquisition of letter sounds that could hamper progressin reading.
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Why Dyslexia Screener Digital and DyscalculiaScreener Digital for international schools?
Focusing on… DiagnosisWhen barriers to learning come in the form of
additional educational needs, early diagnosis
and intervention can be crucial, particularly with
students showing dyslexic or dyscalculic
tendencies. To help teachers and SENCOs
screen, diagnose and support students with dyslexia and dyscalculia, the
GL Education Group offers a number of user-friendly assessments.
diagnosis
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Dyslexia Screener Digital and Dyscalculia Screener DigitalFully standardised, these 30 minute tests can play an important role in helping both specialistand non-specialist teachers distinguish between those individuals who are having generaldifficulties in literacy or numeracy and those whose difficulties are associated with dyslexia ordyscalculia.
Suitable for students aged 5–16+ years, the Dyslexia Screener Digital comprises six testscovering the three areas of ability, attainment and diagnostic. Similarly, the Dyscalculia ScreenerDigital is designed for 6–14+ year-olds and provides a true measure of a student’s facility withnumbers through evaluating their ability to understand number size, simple addition and simplemultiplication. Both assessments offer a range of instant reports, including a useful individualreport that is specifically designed for communication with parents/carers.
Also available: The NEW downloadable version of Dyslexia Screener and DyscalculiaScreener. Simply download the test to your computer and access it offline: www.gl-education-international.com/dyslexiadownloadable andwww.gl-education-international.com/dyscalculiadownloadable
To help parents and carers understand the test, theparent/carer report includes a useful summary in‘parent-speak’ of the six sub-tests.
Example question from Dyslexia Screener Digital
In the Dyscalculia Screener Digital, the Number Comparison sub-test asksthe student to select which number is more. The Arithmetic Achievementsub-test asks the student whether the answer shown is correct.
Attitudes/Diagnosis
a complete approachOur well established Dyslexia Portfolio is an ideal follow-upassessment to the Dyslexia Screener Digital, providingspecialist teachers with valuable diagnostic information todevise and implement relevant intervention strategies. Onlinereporting automatically produces an array of reports on eachindividual after scores have been entered, enabling internationalschools to respond quickly to an individual student’s needs.
Suitable for children aged 6–16 years, the mix of tasks helpsidentify difficulties in word level literacy, phonics and processing.Taking just 40 minutes to administer, the one-to-one test formatallows observation of each student during the test session.
� For more information, visit:www.gl-education-international.com/dyslexiaportfolio
� For our full SEN range, go to: www.gl-education-international.com/senintl
• They are an important first stage asset to any teacher orSENCO who has concerns about a student.
• A comprehensive parent/carer report enhancescommunication with this important stakeholder group bothbefore and after screening.
• Enhanced individual reporting shows the results of eachsubtest and provides recommendations for the next steps,enabling teaching to be tailored to a student’s individuallearning needs.
• All practice, instructions and timings are computer-administered, enabling easy test administration.
• With the new downloadable versions, you can get startedstraight away, whatever the location of your school.
pupil attitudes
12
Focusing on…AttitudesIn a school setting, a student’s
attitude to learning can influence
their whole experience of
education and have significant
effects on their overall levels of
attainment, engagement and
wellbeing. Therefore, when a
student is not performing to his or
her potential, we need to know
why. We need to identify and
understand any barriers to
learning, many of which are
hidden, in order to target
intervention accordingly. Our Pupil
Attitudes to Self and School
(PASS) survey provides the
perfect tool for this purpose.
Pupil Attitudes to Self and SchoolSuitable for students between 4 and 18+ years of age, our unique Pupil Attitudes to Self andSchool (PASS) survey provides a reliable, standardised measure of a student’s attitudestowards themselves as learners and towards their school. It works by measuring nine factorsthat reflect how students perceive their learning environment, including feelings about school,perceived learning capability, and response to curriculum demands.
With two separate tests for the 4–7 and 8–18+ age-range respectively, this 20 minute surveycan be used with an individual or group. Authored by a team of educational psychologists, it isavailable as a paper or online survey.
A PASS Online Intervention System is also available with over 2000 possible combinations ofintervention strategies.
“ ”“When it comes to attitudes to learning, as educators, we oftenhave no idea what each student’s motivation is to achieve…The information we get from the (PASS) survey is just so valuable; it ensures we are doing everything possible to make the most of ourstudents’ capabilities.”
Graeme Sawyer, Director of Inclusion, Royal Manor Arts College, Dorset, England
PASS provides standardised measuresfor:
1. Feelings about school
2. Perceived learning capability
3. Self regard
4. Preparedness for learning
5. Attitudes to teachers
6. General work ethic
7. Confidence in learning
8. Attitudes to attendance
9. Response to curriculum demands
Why PASS for international schools?
Attitudes/Diagnosis
• PASS helps you identify any hidden barriers to learning and can help support broaderintervention strategies.
• In doing so, learning becomes more personalised, attainment is raised and parentalcommunication improved.
• PASS also keeps track of your students’ wellbeing, providing important information forpastoral support and for working together with parents.
• Its clear traffic light system enables teachers and senior leaders to see immediately whereintervention is most needed.
• The survey can be used on demand throughout the year, enabling you to identify quicklyany barriers to learning with newly enrolled students or the present cohort.
• The online version provides instant results allowing immediate feedback to teachers,principals and parents.
• PASS can be used to support early intervention across all ages. For example, it screens foremotionally vulnerable children and identifies fragile learners at risk of underachievement.
pupil attitudes
13
Example report showing a whole cohort profile. Using a clear traffic light system,teachers and senior leaders can see for each factor how many students need ahigh, medium or low level of support. Easy-to-use filters mean you can also analysedifferent groups within the cohort by gender, year group and/or ethnic group.
Analysis can also be carried out on anindividual level. Re-testing will show clearlyhow well intervention strategies have worked.
a complete approachWhen PASS data is combined with attainment data or data fromCAT4 (pages 4–5), teachers can gain deeper insight into thepotential of students. Fragile learners can also be identified, i.e. those students with a history of good attainment who arewell-behaved and cooperative but, as such, can remain‘invisible’ – meaning that, if for some reason they haveattitudinal, self-worth or motivational difficulties, for example, itmay not be identified until their attitudes have already affectedtheir attainment.
To help schools realise the full potential of their PASS data, theGL Education Group offers flexible Analysis & InterpretationServices. Please contact us for details.
� Go to our website to watch informational videos onPASS, view sample reports and more:
www.gl-education-international.com/passintl
• Kirkland Rowell Surveys are unique in weighting results againstthose of British independent schools together with a number ofBritish international schools, providing important benchmarkeddata that has true meaning and relevance.
• They provide a solid baseline for self-evaluation, engaging thewhole school community in the process, enabling schools tomonitor progress year-on-year.
• The parent survey creates a channel for true parentalinvolvement, enabling schools to monitor and respond to thechanging wants and needs of this important stakeholdergroup.
• As well as verifying that school improvement measures are onthe right track, findings also provide important data for schools’marketing and communication strategies and for schoolinspections.
Why Kirkland Rowell Surveys for internationalschools?
self-evaluation and school improvement
14
Kirkland Rowell SurveysStakeholder surveys are an integral part of any self-evaluation system, establishing andmonitoring the changing perceptions of parents, students and staff over time. This is particularlyimportant for international schools where parental expectations are typically very high.
Kirkland Rowell Surveys enable schools to understand what is important to their stakeholdersand discover how satisfied they are according to selected criteria, providing an instant overviewof the school’s strengths and areas to improve. The surveys can be paper-based or online, andwith all of the hard work of preparing, collecting and analysing the data and reporting included,our surveys save time and valuable school resources.
As well as subject by subject analysis, the survey comprises a set group of questions on non-academic subjects we have identified as being of greatest importance to all parents; togetherwith a selection from a range of other issues commonly asked by schools; as well as theopportunity to add additional unique questions.
With a panel of questions that include topics particularly pertinent to international schools, suchas parents’ views on whether a school provides value for money, or their opinions on variousaspects of boarding facilities, Kirkland Rowell Surveys allow senior leaders to view their resultsin context with similar schools.
Findings are represented in a series of easy-to-understand graphs and tables, and contain a fullevidence summary for every school’s self-evaluation. Also new is an interesting ‘Standing outfrom the crowd’ summary. Particularly useful for marketing purposes, this looks at thosereasons why parents might choose a school and reveals how your school measures up incomparison.
Report showing levels of parental satisfaction foracademic criteria
• Self-Evaluation
• Stakeholders
• CPD• Data Interpretation
a complete approachTo help schools realise the full potential of their survey data, theGL Education Group offers flexible Analysis & InterpretationServices for Kirkland Rowell Surveys. Please contact us fordetails.
� For report guides, survey criteria and case studies,visit:
www.gl-education-international.com/kr
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“We were delighted withthe service offered inproviding our students,staff and parents theopportunity to participate inthe Kirkland RowellSurveys and look forwardto using the detailedanalysis in helping us withour school improvementthis year.”
Chris Vizzard, Deputy Headteacher,Dubai English Speaking College(DESC), United Arab Emirates
self-evaluation and school improvement
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Focusing on…Wholeschool improvementTo increase the value a school gives to
each and every student, it needs an
integrated support system that helps to
maximise school improvement. Offering a portfolio that is shaped by the
changing needs of schools, the GL Education Group delivers a joined-up
approach that helps improve teaching and learning further by enabling
schools to monitor easily the changing perceptions of stakeholders,
manage self-evaluation effectively and ensure findings are embedded fully
into ongoing teaching and learning processes.
SchoolcentreSchoolcentre is a customisable online solution that links together your self-evaluation, schoolimprovement planning and performance management processes, whilst also improvingcommunication with parents, your governing body and other stakeholders.
Accessible from any computer with internet access, Schoolcentre facilitates whole schoolimprovement by ensuring vital documents are continually up to date, meaning you are alwaysready for staff reviews, inspections and meetings with senior leaders and governors.
Schoolcentre comprises three modules:
The Self-Evaluation Module
The Self-Evaluation Module allows you to select a standard inspection format (or create your ownbespoke template) and then customise it to your needs by adding sections/questions that arerelevant to your school. You can then record your self-evaluations, upload and store supportingevidence and link the outcomes of your self-evaluation to the school development plan.
The Improvement Planning Module
As well as enabling you to record your school development plan in a dynamic online format, theImprovement Planning Module allows you to identify, record and assign improvement actions toindividuals, and monitor progress over the academic year.
The Performance Management Module
This module provides a secure and structured environment for encouraging the professionaldevelopment of staff at your school. It allows you to document classroom observations and linkthem to staff professional development and training as well as conduct a well-structured end ofyear appraisal.
Using all three modules together helps to increase school efficiency and to involve the wholeschool in contributing towards its success. Alternatively you may wish to use and focus on aspecific module first to suit your school’s immediate needs, before introducing other modules ata later stage.
The School Development Plan allows you to producefor each priority a snapshot of completed actions. Itthen allows you to share progress and achievementswith inspectors, governors and other stakeholders.
• Self-Evaluation
• Stakeholders
• CPD• Data Interpretation
Why Schoolcentre forinternational schools?
a completeapproachTo provide a solid baseline for your self-evaluation process withinSchoolcentre, we recommend usingthe findings from our Kirkland RowellSurveys (opposite page).
� Go online for Schoolcentrevideos, case studies and more:
www.gl-education-international.com/scintl“
”“Schoolcentre has given BISC (The British International School, Cairo)a unique framework for self-evaluation and school improvementplanning. Developed using the British Schools Overseas standards, it offers a powerful tool for strategic planning and performancemanagement. It is a bespoke software for British internationalschools, providing school leaders with a complete database thatmonitors the achievement of goals in a user-friendly way.”
Simon O'Grady, Principal, The British International School, Cairo
• It provides centralised access for allyour self-evaluation, schoolimprovement and performancemanagement activities.
• As an all-in-one solution, it savesadministration time and budget.
• Schoolcentre improves the quality ofteaching by recording and monitoringstaff activities.
• It enables you to collaborate andshare best practice with fellow schoolslocally and across the world, by givingthem guest access to your account.
• It ensures evidence-based planning isrecorded centrally and available to allusers for immediate action.
• Professional reports can be producedquickly and easily, saving seniorleaders valuable time and freeing themup to focus on activities that will addvalue.
self-evaluation and school improvement
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ProfessionalDevelopment andFurther Guidance Professional Development Services
Offering over 60 training modules, ourProfessional Development Services cover awealth of skills and techniques that areimportant in schools today. This flexible mixand match system enables you to puttogether a professional developmentprogramme that is bespoke to your needs.Designed to be delivered as an on-site groupsession, each module is led by an accreditedfacilitator with extensive experience workingin the education sector and in adultfacilitation. The modules are divided into 6categories:
• Coaching
• Data interpretation
• Leadership and management
• Teaching and learning
• ICT and new technologies
• School governance
On successful completion of three modulesand a written assignment, participants canearn accreditation towards a Masters degree.
Minimum group sizes apply. To help you puttogether a programme that suits yourschool’s requirements and for a quote, pleasecontact us:
T: +44 (0)20 8996 3369E: [email protected]
Getting the best from your assessment data
To help you maximise the impact of your assessment data, we also hold training workshops inmany countries. Held by experienced facilitators, these typically provide an overview of aparticular assessment and guidance on how to best interpret and analyse results. To make thecontent more relevant, participants are often invited to bring along their own data to usealongside the sample data. For more information on any upcoming events in your area, or toenquire about hosting a workshop, please send an email to: [email protected].
The Black Box Series: a ‘must-read’ on formative assessment
Based on extensive research by the King’s College, London, the Black Box Seriesoffers practical advice for teachers on how to implement the key techniques withinformative assessments, such as questioning, feedback, and peer/selfassessment. Comprising both generic and subject-specific booklets, the BlackBox Series includes important research findings and recommendations forsupporting and embedding assessment for learning in classrooms. For moreinformation, please visit: www.gl-education-international.com/blackbox
scoring and data interpretation
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Go digital... for instantscoring and reportingAs recognised pioneers of online testing, all of our‘high-stakes’ assessments are available in digitalformat, the preferred option for many internationalschools due to a host of additional benefits. First of all,setup is easy and does not require a technical expert.
You can then experience straight away the reduced test administration as all practice,instructions and timings are computer-administered.
As soon as a test has been completed, instant scores and detailed diagnostic reports aremade available online, eliminating external marking costs and enabling you to evaluatestudents’ needs without the delay of hand marking and scoring. ‘Live’ data also meansthat group reports are updated instantly with a new student’s test results. Importantly,reports are available in both PDF and Excel format, enabling results to be imported easilyinto your school’s Management Information System (MIS).
With online testing, teachers have access to a real-time dashboard that monitors each student’s progress duringthe actual test. This clearly displays which sections have been completed, which are in progress and evenidentifies if a student has abandoned the test for any reason.
Scoring Service available for paper assessmentsFor those schools that are still using paper assessments, we offer a Scoring & ReportingService. While it cannot provide the immediate results made possible by online testing,accurate scores and reports are delivered to you within just 15 working days of receipt of yourcompleted answer sheets. In fact, the reports are delivered online by Testwise, the samesystem used by our online tests, enabling easy ordering of additional reports and data files foryour school’s MIS. (Please note that users of the paper CAT4must subscribe to the Scoring &Reporting Service as this assessment is not available for hand scoring within schools.)
To save time during administration and the scoring process, schools also have the option ofpurchasing our Overprinting Service which delivers Answer Sheets pre-printed with pupils’information.
The Online MarkingTool: A breakthrough inscoringIf your school still prefers to mark paper testsitself, we even have a further option to makelife easier! Using a pupil data file and a simpleclick system for correct or incorrect answers,our Online Marking Tool (OMT) significantlyreduces marking time, delivers scores andbasic reports instantly online as soon asmarking is complete, and enables easyordering of additional reports or data files foryour MIS. It also greatly reduces the likelihoodof errors in the marking, interpretation andcalculation of scores. The OMT is available for:
• Progress in English (see page 6)
• Progress in Maths (see page 7)
• New Group Reading Test (For details of thepaper version, please go to www.gl-education-international.com/ngrtpaper
Analysis & InterpretationServicesIn addition to our Scoring & Reporting Service,the GL Education Group also offers a series ofAnalysis & Interpretation Services for:
• Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) –see pages 4–5
• Pupil Attitudes to Self and School (PASS) –see pages 12–13
• Kirkland Rowell Surveys – see page 14
Available at various levels, these have beencreated to help schools maximise the impactof their assessment data. Please contact usfor details.
• Self-Evaluation
• Stakeholders
• CPD• Data Interpretation
www.gl-education-international.com
admissions
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Supporting your admissionsprocessesSchools are often looking for ways to enhance their admissionsprocesses by gathering more personalised information about studentsin order to benchmark their current development, enhance theirlearning and set appropriate targets.
This is particularly the case with international schools that can havehigh levels of student turnover, often with frequent mid-year changes,and a high number of students with English as an AdditionalLanguage (EAL). To add to the mix, many students may have followeddifferent curriculums previously, underlining further a need for acommon benchmark on entry to the school.
A number of our key assessments can be used to support admissionsprocesses, providing valuable in-depth data about each candidatethat may not be evident from an interview or previous academicqualifications.
By building a whole student view, this information helps schools makeinformed decisions by enabling them to get to know each candidatemore as an individual. It can also be used to:
• provide a benchmark of students’ ability alongside current levels ofattainment
• set realistic yet challenging targets
• inform teaching and learning, helping each student to achieve theirpotential
• measure value added.
The following assessments from the GL Education Group areparticularly suitable to support your admissions processes.
• Cognitive Abilities Test: Fourth Edition (CAT4). Measuring astudent’s verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial ability, CAT4 provides a detailed profile of a student’s ability and potential.See page 4–5
• For schools wanting a slimmer and shorter test of ability, we offerVerbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Go to:www.gl-education-international.com/vrintlwww.gl-education-international.com/nvrintl
Customised AssessmentsIn some cases, a school will prefer to commission a customised testfor admissions purposes or, indeed, for a variety of other reasons, e.g.to evaluate the effectiveness of a particular initiative. For suchrequirements, the GL Education Group offers over 30 years’experience in creating customised assessments - original tests thatare developed for a school or group of schools in order to meetspecific assessment criteria.
Tests are compiled from secure banks of questions which have beenthoroughly trialled and validated in advance. Available in the areas ofverbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, mathematics, English andspatial reasoning, the questions are rigorously controlled to ensure thateach customised test is unique to the customer who hascommissioned the test for the duration of their testing programme.
To find out more about which of our assessments would bestsupport your admissions processes or about our customisedassessment services, please contact us:
T: +44 20 8996 3369 E: [email protected]
• For children aged 4–8 years, our Reasoning 5–7 Test Series offersan effective way of assessing both verbal and non-verbal reasoning.Available only as a paper test.
• Particularly suitable for EAL students, our adaptive New GroupReading Test Digital (NGRT Digital) assesses both reading andcomprehension in a single test and provides useful diagnosticinformation. See page 8–9
• To measure a student’s knowledge and understanding ofmathematical skills and concepts, we recommend testing withProgress in Maths. Turn to page 7
• Progress in English tests a student’s reading and writing ability andprovides important diagnostic information. Find out more on page 6
contact us
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Contact usThe GL Education Group offers a high degreeof flexibility so that the appropriate packagecan be put together to match the specificrequirements of your school, organisation ordepartment.
To discuss in more detail how our resourcesand services can help your school, pleasecontact us. If you can’t find the kind of serviceyou are looking for in this brochure, don’tassume that we can’t do it. Just ask. If wecan, we’ll find a way to help you.
T: +44 (0)20 8996 3369
Useful links
Our dedicated international website:www.gl-education-international.com
International webinars:www.gl-education-international.com/webinars
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“…I would hope that the use of data is alively process. It’s not about numbers, it’sabout interpreting children, understandingwhat kids can do, what capacities theyhave that maybe they don’t know, maybetheir parents don’t know, maybe theirteachers haven’t always known, andpicking up on that and believing in themmore than they believe in themselves.”
Headteacher, Woodlands Community School, UK
GL Education Group 9th Floor East, 389 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4AL, UK
T +44 (0)20 8996 3333 E [email protected]
www.gl-education-international.com GLA745
