Might progress assessments hinder equitable progress? Evidence from England

Abstract

Prior research has highlighted the importance of educational achievement throughout school in predicting subsequent progression to higher education in England. However, progress assessments may not only demonstrate students' prior academic achievement but also influence their future achievement. I compare students who have received different grades on one such assessment, despite performing almost identically, to see whether grade labels influence their progress to post-compulsory education. Further, I investigate whether any impact differs according to socio-economic status. Results indicate that grade labels received in eighth grade influence students' performance in school-leaving exams and enrollment in post-compulsory schooling. For lower socio-economic students, this impact is higher than for other students and extends to university enrollment.

Teachers responding to cultural diversity: case studies on assessment practices, challenges and experiences in secondary schools in Austria, Ireland, Norway and Turkey

“…The modern 'meritocratic' type of schooling is built on the idea that learning opportunities, results and certificates must not be distributed according to social class, economic power, religious denomination, and gender, but solely through a fair appreciation of actual performance (Fend 2009). Nevertheless, research shows that this idea of equity is not fulfilled in many cases and that in reality, the grades of students are correlated to categories of social background (Alcott 2017). This is also true for language and culture aspects: assessment performance and grades are impaired when the assessment language is not the first language of the student (Nusche et al 2009;Padilla 2001).…”