Jacqueline Joy Cumming

Curriculum Literacies: Expanding domains of assessment

In this paper we explore the literacy-curriculum interface reconceptualising this relationship in terms of curriculum literacies . The reconceptualisation is an outcome of a major Australian research study that examined the literacy demands of curriculum in senior schooling. The study was multidisciplinary, multi-theoretical in nature, involving a team of international researchers with expertise in literacy and in curriculum. The paper argues the need for exploring the coherence of literacy demands that students encounter in managing their learning in different contexts and disciplines and the need to incorporate these demands explicitly in instruction and assessment. Our conclusion is that the reconceptualisation of curriculum literacies challenges current constructs of assessment and calls for the domains of assessment to be expanded to include curriculum knowledge, and epistemological domains that take account of diverse ways of working with and in semiotic systems. Student success across the years of schooling hinges on their increasing control of this combination of knowledges and ability to use these productively.

Lack of Automaticity in the Basic Addition Facts as a Characteristic of Arithmetic Learning Problems and Instructional Needs.

Computational facility and the relationship between automaticity or efficient processing of addition facts and success in more complex tasks were examined in a cross-sectional study of 109 children from Grades 3 through 6. Latency data and interview protocols enabled identification of speed and strategy use on the addition facts, grouped into eight fact bundles (e.g. zeroes, small doubles), as a parsimonious procedure for exploring processing efficiency. Profiles of children based on latency performance on the fact bundles were clustered. The slowest cluster reported use of counting strategies on many bundles; the fastest cluster reported use of retrieval or efficient-thinking strategies. Cluster group was the best predictor of performance on multidigit tasks. Addition fact accuracy contributed only for tasks without carrying, and grade level was not significant. Analysis by error type showed most errors on the multidigit sums were due to fact inaccuracy, not algorithmic errors. The implication is that th...

Profiles of educational assessment systems worldwide

This paper explores ten common themes concerning assessment practice in Australian education across the six states and two territories. The themes are: (1) a strong curriculum base influencing assessment, (2) the incorporation of school‐based assessment in all certification, (3) preference for standards‐referenced assessment, (4) respect for teacher judgement, (5) increasing vocational education delivery within schooling, (6) multiple pathways to future study and careers, (7) school‐based assessment in the compulsory years of schooling, (8) moves towards outcomes‐based frameworks, (9) issues relating to national benchmark data, and (10) equity issues.

Educational Accountability Tests, Social and Legal Inclusion Approaches to Discrimination for Students with Disability: A National Case Study from Australia.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability promotes equal and full participation by children in education. Equity of educational access for all students, including students with disability, free from discrimination, is the first-stated national goal of Australian education. Australian federal disability discrimination law, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, follows the Convention, with the federal Disability Standards for Education 2005 enacting specific requirements for education. This article discusses equity of processes for inclusion of students with disability in Australian educational accountability testing, including international tests in which many countries participate. The conclusion drawn is that equitable inclusion of students with disability in current Australian educational accountability testing is not occurring from a social perspective and is not in principle compliant with law. However, given the reluctance of courts to intervene in education matters and the uncertainty of an outcome in any court consideration, the discussion shows that equitable inclusion in accountability systems is available through policy change rather than expensive, and possibly unsuccessful, legal challenges.

Legal and educational perspectives of equity in assessment

Equity in assessment concerns all educational authorities and practitioners. While educators commonly consider issues of equity in terms of accommodations for students with special needs, or addressing cultural difference, equity issues in educational assessment have emerged outside these bases. This paper examines equity assessment issues, drawing predominantly on case history from the United States of America (US) with examples from Australia and England, to demonstrate areas that may draw legal consideration. The discussion shows that the legal standard to establish inequity is high and sometimes illogical from an educational perspective. The paper is intended to assist understanding of legal implications of educational assessment in order to reduce the likelihood of legal claims and the resultant redirection of valuable resources from educational provision. The discussion is also intended to broaden thinking on matters that impact on the provision of equitable educational and assessment opportunities for all students.

Equity in assessment: discrimination and disability issues from an Australian legal perspective

Assessment equity concerns all educational authorities and practitioners. When educators consider issues of equity, their predominant concern is accommodation of students with special needs, cultural issues, and creating alternative assessment activities that have equivalence to standard activities, so as not to advantage or disadvantage any student in their demonstration of knowledge. This paper examines equity issues in assessment from a legal perspective, drawing on case history from Australia, and based in discrimination and disability law. The paper is intended to assist authorities and practitioners to understand legal implications of educational assessment in order to promote practices that reduce the likelihood of legal claims and the resultant use of financial and human resources away from educational activities. However, the discussion of cases and judgements is also intended to raise issues of whether educational providers and authorities should be more conscionable in their consideration of ed...

Reasonable Adjustments in Assessment: Putting Law and Policy into Practice in Australia

The Australian Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Cth) require education providers to make reasonable adjustments in educational assessment so that students with disability can participate on the same basis as other students and be able to demonstrate what they know and can do. Reasonableness is governed by a determination of the balance of interests, benefits and detriment to the parties involved. The Standards require providers to consult with students and associates on adjustments, although guidance on how consultation should occur and how the views of students and associates are to be taken into account is vague. In this article, we identify three principles to be considered in order to put appropriate and effective reasonable adjustments in assessment into practice. While Australian law and assessment contexts are used to examine intentions, expectations and practices in educational assessment for students with disability, we argue that these three principles must be considered in any national education system to ensure equitable assessment practices and achieve equitable educational inclusion for students with disability.

Framing Assessment Today for the Future: Issues and Challenges

Assessment—and its interface with curriculum, teaching and learning—has alwaysbeen a significant component of classroom practice. Research has indicated thattypical teachers spend between one-third and one-half of their class time engaged inone or another type of assessment or learning evaluation activity (Stiggins & Con-klin, 1992). However, research has also expressed concern that the knowledge thatteachershold about assessment matters has beenlimited, with scant attention paid tothis area in teacher-preparationprograms (Christie et al., 1991; Louden et al., 2005;Matters, 2006).Over the past decade, the significance of the roles of assessment and account-ability in education has only increased. On the one hand, educators are developingways to improve practical knowledge and application of assessment and develop-ment of assessment cultures among teachers through projects and policies such asAssessment for Learning (Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall, & Wiliam, 2003; Black& Wiliam, 2004; Harlen, 2005; Kellis & Silvernail, 2002; National Research Coun-cil, 2001). On the other hand, governments and policy makers around the worldhave strengthened the role of externally mandated and reported assessment foraccountability purposes.This book examines educational assessment research, policy and practice in therapidly changing world of the 21st century. Assessment not only continues to be

The IEA Studies of Reading and Writing Literacy: a 1996 perspective

ABSTRACT The paper reviews IEA literacy studies. It analyses them in the light of theories of literacy, cross‐cultural perspectives, and their practical and theoretical value. It points out that, despite some well‐grounded theoretical perspectives, in reality, the IEA instruments test only certain aspects of ‘formal’ literacy. The paper explores the cultural colonisation of IEA instruments by ‘Western’ literacy forms, expressed partly through the training and administrative structures of the IEA and partly through the existing international dominance of such forms. It looks at the implicit assumptions made about literacy through the use of particular statistical item response models and suggests that there are important lessons to be learnt from the IEA experience. It concludes with some suggestions for future work.

Assessment Challenges, the Law and the Future

This chapter takes a legal perspective on educational assessment issues, examining court responses to challenges to educational assessment in the jurisdictions of Australia, the United States of America (United States) and England. To date, the predominant focus of legal challenges in education has been regarding either education for children with special needs, or allegations of negligence resulting in physical or emotional injury. However, throughout the jurisdictions considered, challenges on assessment-focused grounds have included discrimination in assessment and testing, allegations of inappropriate assessment and/or failure to provide appropriate educational instruction as a result of errors in assessment. The chapter explains briefly the nature of law in the jurisdictions considered, including legislation and case law.