THE “intense and highly political” environment in which new school tests are being rolled out in Scotland is a risk to their success, the firm which runs the assessments has said.
The warning comes as the Scottish Government presses ahead with plans for all pupils in P1, P4, P7 and S3 to sit new standardised tests to help teachers form judgements on their progress.
The development has been hugely controversial with opposition politicians arguing the new tests will damage education.
And at its AGM earlier this year, members of the Educational Institute of Scotland teaching union agreed to a boycott if standardised testing was deemed to be “detrimental”.
The risk assessment document from ACER International, which won the contract to deliver the tests, said the political environment could generate an “adverse impact on staff behaviours” such as the “concealment of problems” from team members and the Scottish Government.
The concern is part of a routine document highlighting 35 potential risks associated with the roll-out of tests obtained by the Ferret investigative website using freedom of information legislation.
Other risks include problems delivering the tests because school computer systems lacked sufficient technical capabilities and perceptions teachers could start “teaching to the test”.
Green MSP Ross Greer attacked the tests and said the government should focus on increasing investment to schools as the best way of ensuring improvements in standards. The Scottish Labour Party also attacked the SNP’s delivery of the tests.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Scottish National Standardised Assessments are on track to be delivered on time and within budget – demonstrating the success of the robust governance and project management procedures we have in place.
“This includes, as routine, the identification and management of any potential risks to delivery.”
ACER International UK is wholly-owned subsidiary of the Australian Council for Educational Research.
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