Abstract
Assessment for learning in low-stakes contexts raises a series of problematic issues related to standards development. This chapter discusses several such issues on the basis of two interrelated data sets on writing as a key competency across the curriculum in Norway: How may standards communicate with teachers across the curriculum? How may standards fare in local learning environments over time? And most importantly: How can a shared rhetorical community among teachers develop over time and produce reliable assessment across local contexts? This chapter uses data sets that are based on a less than usual approach. In both data sets standards were developed in close collaboration with experienced primary-grade teachers, across the country. ICC analyses (time series as well as comparative analysis across contexts) demonstrate that a considerable increase in reliability develops over time, but simultaneously imply a number of remaining challenges and that further refinements will be needed in order to reach satisfactory levels.
The approach taken in this chapter has been developed within a project group that also includes Kjell Lars Berge, Synnøve Matre, Hildegunn Otnes, Randi Solheim, as well as PhD candidates Sindre Dagsland, Trine Gedde-Dahl and Jannicke O. Bakke.
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Notes
- 1.
The domain Use of the written language is not presented or analysed further in this chapter.
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Appendix
Appendix
Level | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Meaning | Very low level of mastery within the domain | Low level of mastery | As to be expected from most students after 4 or 7 years of schooling | High level of mastery | Very high level of mastery within the domain |
DESCRIPTOR for scale used at school year 4 | The writer is expected to: | ||||
 Use some relevant principles of composition (temporal or thematic sequence, etc.) | |||||
 Use an introduction, a main part and an ending | |||||
 Create thematic cohesion within the various parts of the text | |||||
 Create textual cohesion by connectors (or, but, because, etc.) | |||||
DESCRIPTOR for scale used at school year7 | The writer is expected to: | ||||
 Use a variety of ways of structuring the text | |||||
 Structure the text in a purposeful way (e.g., genre) | |||||
 Use paragraphs as an organising principle | |||||
 Create cohesion by a variety of connectors |
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Skar, G.B., Thygesen, R., Evensen, L.S. (2017). Assessment for Learning and Standards: A Norwegian Strategy and Its Challenges. In: Blömeke, S., Gustafsson, JE. (eds) Standard Setting in Education. Methodology of Educational Measurement and Assessment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50856-6_13
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