Schools need to be able to trust that the assessment data they have is reliable and robust. But how can you tell? In this blog post we will look at standardisation, how to spot good quality data and how to make the most of your school’s assessment data.
Standardisation plays a crucial role in assessment and education. Standardised tests establish a level ground for assessment - they are fair, valid, reliable and objective meaning schools can have confidence in the results. They serve as valuable tools for evaluating student performance and potential. Standardisation is important because it provides:
- A baseline for comparison - if schools can measure students against a universal standard, it is easier to evaluate and score their performance
- An objective measurement - standardised tests are fair and consistent across all schools and do not rely on teachers’ subjective marking
- Data to support learning - teachers can identify knowledge gaps and tailor their teaching strategies based on students’ test scores.
- The ability to demonstrate student progress - over time, standardised tests show student improvement by comparing scores year-on-year. This is known as longitudinal data.
