Suffolk Reading Scale Digital Guidance and Information for Teachers

Digital Tests from GL Assessment For fully comprehensive information about using digital tests from GL Assessment, please download the testwise user manuals from the help section of the website www.testingforschools.com NB Testwise is an online assessment system that delivers tests to over 500,000 pupils a year.

Suffolk Reading Scale Digital (SRS Digital) is part of a selection of standardised tests available in both paper and digital editions from GL Assessment. The development of digital editions of major series such as the Cognitive Abilities Test and Progress in English, as well as SRS, is a response to the need for schools to test large numbers of pupils at regular intervals and to make that process as efficient as possible by automating the scoring, analysis and reporting. At the same time, by developing digital editions of established tests, teachers and pupils can be assured of the robustness of these tests. SRS is often used as an end of year test and if it is used year on year can offer important evidence of pupil progress and value-added. As such it is an important test and one on which decisions about, for example, setting or intervention, may be made in conjunction with teacher assessment based on an evaluation of pupil performance throughout the year. SRS Digital must be administered in a formal test environment with pupils made aware that they are taking a test and that the usual expectations of behaviour and constraints of a test session will be in place. Pupils’ experience of working at a computer may lead to the impression that taking a test using a PC is not as important as the more familiar test session in the school hall or classroom. They may expect to spend time in the computer suite on less formal activities, engaging in learning that is presented in a highly visual or even game-like way. While GL Assessment digital tests do engage pupils, they are tests and must be approached in the same way as the more familiar paper test process.

Published by GL Assessment The Chiswick Centre, 414 Chiswick High Road, London W4 5TF, UK GL Assessment is a division of Granada Learning Limited First published 2008 © GL Assessment 2008. All rights reserved.

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Introduction to Suffolk Reading Scale Digital The digital edition of the Suffolk Reading Scale comprises all six tests of the paper edition (Levels 1–3) plus an additional level, Level 4, developed for use with students aged 14–16 who are being assessed for access arrangements. The digital edition was created in 2002 to provide teachers and students with an alternative format to the paper tests with the added benefits of automatic scoring, analysis and reporting. Level 4 was added in 2007 as a response to demands for a test specifically for access arrangements. SRS is a standardised test of reading ability. It uses multiple choice sentence completion items, and compares students’ scores with those of a nationally representative sample of students. The main standardisation was carried out in 2001; Level 4 standardisation was carried out in autumn 2006. Levels 1–3 are timed at 30 minutes each and there is a short practice section that should take no longer than 10 minutes. An onscreen digital clock counts backwards from 30 minutes so that students are aware of how much longer they have to complete the test. It is not possible to exit the test until 20 minutes have elapsed. If a student has reached the end of the test within the allotted time, the End Test button will be available after 20 minutes. Students should be encouraged to go back and check their work. If they do not finish the test within the allotted time, the test will end automatically. The tests that comprise Level 4 are timed at 24 minutes each (plus a short practice section). As with the other levels, there is an onscreen clock but students cannot exit the test until 24 minutes has elapsed. When using Level 4 with different groups of students, the following tests should be selected: SRS Level 4 Form A – Age 14 SRS Level 4 Form B – Age 14 to assess students in Y9 for access arrangements at KS3 in England. SRS Level 4 Form A – Age 15/16 SRS Level 4 Form B – Age 15/16 to assess students for access arrangements in public examinations across the UK and for those wanting to use a standardised reading test with top secondary school students. All tests are included as part of the licence for Level 4. The other three levels of the test are intended for different age groups, shown in the table below: SRS Level

Age group

England

Scotland

Northern Ireland

1 1 2 2 2 or 3 3 3 3

6:00-7:11 7:00-8:11 8:00-9:11 9:00-10:11 10:00-11:11 11:00-12:11 12:00-13:11 13:00-14:11

Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9

Primary 3 Primary 4 Primary 5 Primary 6 Primary 7 Secondary 1 Secondary 2 Secondary 3

Year 3 (P3) Year 4 (P4) Year 5 (P5) Year 6 (P6) Year 7 (P7) Year 8 (F1) Year 9 (F2) Year 10 (F3)

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Parallel tests of equivalent difficulty (A and B) enable you to administer the SRS with little opportunity for students to copy another student’s answers. It also enables you to check group or individual reading progress over time.

Administration Each student will need their own personal computer with a high quality mouse and set of headphones. You are advised to check that headphones are working and that sound levels are appropriate before logging on to Testwise. The Testwise url is: http://www.testingforschools.com Pupils should click on Enter Testwise after selecting their region from the global map on the screen, and then select their school from the displayed list. Once the school has been selected successfully and pupils have been added to the register by the administrator, they then click the Student icon. They will then enter the register ID.

Then they should select their name from the list of those scheduled to take the test (similar to that shown below).

All administration instructions are incorporated into the test program but you should introduce the test session and check that students understand the instructions and the method of answering.

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When students are settled, explain that they are going to take a test that will show how well they understand what they read. Further explain that the test starts with some practice questions to get them used to the real questions and that all instructions are on the computer and that they should work through this section at their own pace. When you are ready to start, students should click on Take Test next to the level of the SRS they are scheduled to take.

The practice section begins with the following screen (or a similar one, depending on the level of the test):

This introduces the practice questions and answers one for them correctly. Check that students understand what they have to do. Tell them to complete the subsequent four practice questions and when they are sure they understand what they are meant to do they can start the main test. Make sure they understand that once they click on the Start Test button on the final page of instructions, the timer starts and they have 30 minutes (or 24 minutes for Level 4) to complete the test.

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The first practice question asks students to choose the given correct answer. For example:

The next three invite students to choose their own answers, then gives and explains the correct answer. For example:

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During this practice section, walk around the class to check that students understand what they are doing. Students should enter an answer for each practice question before they move on to the next one. The final screen in the practice section explains how the status of each question is indicated on screen:

• Green indicates a question has been answered • Red indicates it needs to be answered • Yellow indicates the student has yet to visit this question There is a Help button on every page showing how to complete the test by using the keyboard. A Practice button gives access to the introductory screens so students can refresh their memory on answering questions and navigating through SRS. The time will keep running if and when they visit these screens.

The Test Environment Each pupil will need a PC, headphones and mouse and all equipment needs to be in good working order. Pupils should be told that they are going to take a reading test and explained the purpose of the test: ‘to find out what you can do or where you may need help’ or ‘to let your teacher next year know what you can do’. Pupils should be told that they must work in silence but that if they have a query they should raise their hand and wait for the teacher to approach them. Answer any questions at this stage and explain that you cannot help with any of the test questions but that they should try to do their best and at the end go back and check their work. While pupils are taking the test the teacher should walk round the computer suite to check that they are progressing appropriately, that they are not having difficulty with the methods of answering questions and, importantly with digital tests, that they have not rushed through any part of the test without attempting to answer some questions.

Unexpected incidents during a test session As with the paper test, should anything unexpected occur during the test session, the incident should be recorded and appended to the group report for this specific group of pupils. This will allow the incident to be taken into account when scores are being considered.

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If there is a failure in your computer system while pupils are taking an exercise it will not be possible to re-enter the test at the point at which the failure occurred. In this instance, pupils will need to re-take the complete exercise. If pupils complete an exercise and results are stored (i.e. they have clicked the “end test” button) and then the system fails, it will be possible to retrieve results, and therefore reports, from the GL Assessment back-up server. Should this happen, please contact GL Assessment Customer Support Team on 0845 602 1937 and you will be connected to a Testwise adviser.

Testwise SRS Report A sample report may be viewed at: http://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/online under the section titled Suffolk Reading Scale, click on sample report and then select Levels 1–3 or Level 4 as appropriate. The report for Levels 1 – 3 is in two parts. Section A The table shows a comparison of group and national Standard Age Scores (SAS) and the chart shows the average SAS scores for the test with 90% confidence bands indicated by the vertical lines. Section B The table shows pupils’ scores with Key Stage 3 indicators listed by first name. Scores for each pupil are shown as a Standard Age Score, a Stanine, a National Percentile Rank, a Group Rank, a Raw Score and a Reading Age. Indicators of the pupils’ current and end of Key Stage levels in English are also shown. Some of the levels are split into three categories (A, B and C) with A denoting the highest and C the lowest category within a level. SRS Level 4 for students aged 14 has an additional section (C) which highlights those whose SAS is below 85 and/or whose scores indicate an improvement in reading age by nine months when raw scores are captured at the end of the test and at a point when 80% of the test time has occurred. This information will contribute to evidence required under Section A1 (standardised score for reading below the average range) and Section A2a (increase of nine months in reading age when 25% additional time is given) of the JCQ criteria for up to 25% additional time for KS3 students in England without a statement of special needs. SRS Level 4 report for students aged 15/16 lists SAS as standard, and therefore students whose SAS is below 85 can be identified immediately. This can contribute to evidence needed under Literacy Attainment criteria as set out in JCQ “Access Arrangements and Special Consideration: Regulations & Guidelines Relating to Candidates who are Eligible for Adjustments in Examinations”. The Chiswick Centre

Individual Scores

414 Chiswick High Road London W4 5TF Tel: 0845 602 1937 Email: [email protected] www.gl-assessment.co.uk

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An individual’s scores can be viewed by selecting ‘CSV report’ in Testwise. This will produce an Excel spreadsheet with one or more students’ reading age, raw score, standardised score, national percentile rank, current KS level, end of KS indicator (if appropriate) and individual item scores.