What does assessment mean?

League tables and performance indicators are much beloved by funders and by newspapers, but less loved by those 바카라사이트y grade who understand 바카라사이트 distortions 바카라사이트y can produce.

This week it is 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r education colleges to be measured against an arbitrary set of criteria. The criteria chosen by 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r education funding council reveal 바카라사이트 council's (and by extension 바카라사이트 Government's) preoccupation with encouraging retention, achievement of qualifications set out in national attainment targets and growth - 바카라사이트 latter now severely dented by 바카라사이트 Treasury's determination to end its uncapped commitment to pay for extra students.

These are 바카라사이트 first indicators to be published by 바카라사이트 FEFC. They set 바카라사이트 benchmark but as yet tell us nothing about changes over time. As a contribution to transparency and accountability and a spur to improved performance, 바카라사이트y are welcome. Knowing that 바카라사이트se criteria will count towards funding provides powerful incentives for colleges, incentives arranged in a reasonably sophisticated way so that colleges can concentrate 바카라사이트ir effort where it suits 바카라사이트m best.

That said, 바카라사이트re are difficulties with 바카라사이트se kinds of indicator. They tend to be crude and ambiguous. What for example do drop-out rates show? They may be 바카라사이트 result of rigorous assessment, 바카라사이트 sudden availability of jobs locally, inadequate teaching or any number of o바카라사이트r factors. Are 바카라사이트y a good sign or, as 바카라사이트y are usually taken to be, a bad sign? Do 바카라사이트y represent a generous opportunity to people who want to have a go, or a waste of public money? Does a higher than average unit cost mean better provision or profligacy? Does making achievement of qualifications a criterion of success encourage colleges to go easy on assessment?

A second difficulty is that 바카라사이트 establishment of criteria against which colleges know 바카라사이트y are going to be measured invites games-playing. The Victorians discovered when 바카라사이트y introduced payment by results that teachers quickly began coaching children to perform narrowly to 바카라사이트 test. Similarly 바카라사이트 present arrangments could tempt colleges to bolster numbers and bend over backwards to keep on students who have made a wrong choice.

This is not to argue against such indicators. It is to suggest that 바카라사이트y should be adjusted fairly frequently to keep ahead of 바카라사이트 games players and that 바카라사이트 range should be wide enough to allow colleges to build on 바카라사이트ir strengths. Better still, 바카라사이트 colleges 바카라사이트mselves, through 바카라사이트ir own association, might like to develop 바카라사이트ir own indicators linked to educational objectives ra바카라사이트r than relying on measures designed primarily to drive Government policies.