In 2005
IEEAC is introducing a NEW
International English Spelling Assessment for
Schools.
Why assess spelling?
The
International English Spelling Assessment will be the
first international spelling
assessment. It will provide high-level diagnostic
information on student performance in spelling through a
wide range of tasks and contexts.
Over the past thirty years the
questions of how or why to teach spelling have been debated
in education. The methodologies of the past, for example
spelling lists and memorisation, have been called into
question and more or less replaced by the naturalistic
approaches such as ’spelling in context’ and ’spelling on
demand’. In recent years the pendulum has come to rest
somewhere in the middle.
Community expectation and the
development of suggested international
benchmarks have seen spelling once again rise to prominence
in the school curriculum. Spelling is more than a basic
literacy skill, it is also an important skill educationally
and socially.
Features of
IESA
The
International English Spelling Assessment (IESA)
is designed to engage students in a range of spelling
activities across different assessment tasks in various
contexts.
The
International English Spelling Assessment:
-
reflects current spelling
research and practice
-
has been trialled extensively
throughout the world
-
provides an objective,
external assessment of students’ skills in spelling
-
tests students’ abilities
according to suggested international
benchmark levels, standards and outcomes
-
provides an opportunity for
schools to monitor the progress of students in mastering
spelling concepts
-
provides independent
diagnostic information.
Who will benefit from
IESA?
Students will benefit by:
-
identifying personal
strengths and weaknesses
-
receiving a detailed
explanation of their individual performance
-
gaining valuable experience
in external assessments.
Parents will receive:
-
valuable diagnostic
information about their child’s progress
-
a clear indication of their
child’s competence in an external assessment.
Teachers will receive:
-
information about individual
student progress
-
additional information to add
to the range of in-school assessments
-
information to assist in the
preparation of annual reports.
Schools will be able to:
-
identify trends across year
levels
-
compare student performance
with relevant state or country averages
-
monitor school performance.
Equating
The
International English Spelling Assessment will be
equated, so that schools entering 80% or more of a year
level can compare student performance from one calendar year
to the next.
Questions?
If you have any queries
regarding the International English
Spelling Assessment, or other
IEEAC services, please contact:
IEEAC
