The Implementation of National Educational Standards in Austria

1. The Implementation of National Educational Standards in Austria Michael Bruneforth BIFIE - Austrian Federal Institute for Education Research, Innovation and Development of the Austrian School System EURASIAN EDUCATIONAL DIALOGUE 17.-19. April, Yaroslavl

2. BIFIE - Austrian Federal Institute for Education Research, Innovation and Development of the Austrian School System • Areas of work • International Studies (PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS, TALIS) • Implementation of national education standards • Formative and summative Evaluation of standards • Central examination for upper secondary education preparing for tertiary education • National Education Reports

3. Spotlight on Austrian education • Very rich country (4th highest GDP per Capita in EU) • High expenditure per student (140% of EU Average) in primary and secondary education • Low student teacher ratio and class size • But PISA shock in 2003 and 2009: • Very low PISA results in reading (470, similar to Russia 459), no EU country scores less • Strong relation between education outcomes and family background

4. Changing in paradigm in educationalgovernance • Since more than a decade there is a change in governance of schools and education in German speaking countries from input oriented control to evidence based output oriented governance and extension of school autonomy • In Austria at the centre is shift towards competence oriented teaching based on the definition of nationwide compulsory education standards and a mechanism of formative and summative evaluation

5. Legal Basis and Conditions • From 2004: pilotphasewithselectedpilotschools • 2008: alterationofthelawofteaching in schoolstoallowforintroductionofeducationalstandards • 2009: educationalstandardsbecomecompulsoryfor German, Mathand English • 2009 (grade 8) and 2010 (grade 4): baseline-tests in samples of about 10.000 students each • From 2012 onwards yearly assessment of national standards (one subject per year)

6. Annex of the legal regulation • Competency Models anddescriptorsareformulatedasCan-Do-Statements • Competency Models anddescriptorsarelegallyestablished • Educational Standards canbeinterpretedasmandatoryandagreed upon socialobjectivesofinstruction • Educational Standards arederivedfrom national curriculaandclearlydefinelearningoutcome.

7. Areas covered • German (language of instruction) – grades 4 & 8 • Listening & Speaking • Reading • Writing texts • Spelling/Grammar Math – grades 4 & 8 4 content dimensions 4 process dimensions • English, grade 8 • Listening • Reading • Speaking • Writing English Assessment: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF)

8. Competencies are … • „fashionable termwith a vaguemeaning“ (Weinert 2001) • „cognitiveprerequisitestocopingwith a specificrangeofsituations“ (Klieme, Hartig & Rauch, 2008) • „cognitiveabilitiesandskillsavailableto/acquiredbyindividualsthatenablethemtosolvespecificproblems, aswellastherelated motivational, volitional andsocialreadinessandskillstoutilizethesolutionssuccessfullyandresponsibly in variable situations“ (Weinert, 2002) •  BIFIE use: subject (domain) specificcompetencymodels, focusing on cognitiveskillsandproficiencies

9. CompetencyModels • Models ofcompetencestructures • Dimensionsofcompetence: E.g. TIMSS, grade 8: 4 contentdomains (number, algebra, geometry, dataandchance); 3 cognitivedomains (knowing, applying, reasoning) • Models ofcompetencelevels • Describespecificskillsandproficienciesusuallyshownbyindividualslocatedatspecificpointsoftheabilitycontinuum • Usedtoprovide a criterion-referencedinterpretationofmeasurementresults

10. CompetencyModels • Models ofcompetencestructures • Models ofcompetencelevels • Development models • Models describingtheacquisitionofskillsandproficiencies • May belinkedtoneurological/psychologicaltheoriesofdevelopment • Only a fewexist • Wouldbegreattohave a theoreticalfoundationfortests in different grades! (IKM – BIST)

11. Examplemathematics, grade 8

12. M8 – Competency Model

13. M8 – CompetencyModel Complexity Competency (H3, I2, K2) Content Process The 4x4 gridleadsto 16 nodes, usingcomplexityas a 3rd dimension = 48 nodes Not veryhandyandthetheoreticalconceptofcomplexitydoes not lenditselftoassessment

14. Example:Competency Model M8 • P: „demonstrating, modelling “ C: „numbersandmeasures“ • Formulatedascan-do-statements: The studentsareableto • transformgivenarithmeticaldatainto (another) mathematicalrepresentation. In doing so, directuseofbasicskillsisnecessary • transformgivenarithmeticaldatainto (another) mathematicalrepresentation. In doing so, connectionstoothermathematicalcontents (terms, definitions, representations) oractivitieshavetobeestablished • makeandevaluatestatementsabouttheappropriatenessas well asweaknessesandstrengthsof different mathematicalrepresentations (models) ofarithmeticaldata P1/C1/K1 P1/C1/K2 P1/C1/K3

15. Educational Standards –The Austrian Version • Three areas of activities • Implementation of standards at school and capacity building for teacher: Support of teachers and school heads in implementation • Formative evaluation to support teachers diagnostic: On-line evaluation system to be used by teachers • Census to monitor and summative evaluation at system, sub-system, school and classroom level

16. Educational Standards –The Austrian Version • School-specificdevelopmentofinstruction • Mandatoryeducationalstandards • Census-survey ofall studentsandschools • Feedback to all students, teachers, schools • Feedback moderation („Rückmeldemoderation“) • Stimulation ofqualitydevelopmentandsupportbyMoE • Strong linkageofmonitoringandpracticalschoolandinstructionaldevelopment • Strengtheningofschools, schoolmanagementand regional qualitydevelopment

17. Main functions of standards according to the legal regulation • Output orientation: Sustainable output orientation in planning and implementation of instruction • Promotion („Förderfunktion“): Diagnosis and specific individual remediation and challenge • Evaluation: reliable information about the output of instruction, schools and education system

18. Implementation of Standards • Supporting materials for instruction • Praxishandbücher • Themenhefte • Aufgabenbeispiele, Interaktive Beispiele • Best-Practice-Beispiele • Integration with teacher training institutions • In-service teacher training (partially mandatory) • Pre-Service teacher trainin • Research and development work by members of teacher training institutions

19. Diagnosis tool for Informal Monitoring of Competencies • Teacher administered on-line system • Grade 3 and 7, one year before Assessment • All Areas of standards • Only teachers themselves have access to results

20. Assessment of Educational Standards • Legal assessment cycle: three (school) years • In each cycle, the whole target population has to be assessed in all prescribed competency subdomains • Grade 4: German, Mathematics • Grade 8: German, Mathematics, English • Students, teachers, schools and regional education authorities must get feedback about the results (to be used for quality improvement)

21. Domain-orientated Test Design

22. Pilot testing: about 10% of population, up to 9000 Students • Main test: Census up to 83000 students • Speaking domain only with sample for system monitoring • 10% of census with external administration and items for next census to ensure linking over time • Example: Test session Mathematics Grade 4

23. This pictureshows about 1/10 of the test materials

24. Item Development • Items are developed to measure sub-competencies or domains, eg. Content = numbers and units and process = demonstrating • Dimension „complexity“ is not used as such, since it can‘t be measured empirically • We have 16 nodes, upon which an item should fall. We strive for unidimensional items, i.e. items that can be classified as belonging to one specific node only

25. Item Development • Items aredevelopedtomeasure sub-competenciesordomains, eg. Content = numbersandunitsandprocess = demonstrating • Dimension „complexity“ is not usedas such, sinceitcan‘tbemeasuredempirically • Wehave 16 nodes, upon which an item should fall. Westrivefor unidimensional items, i.e. itemsthatcanbeclassifiedasbelongingtoonespecificnodeonly

26. Item Development

27. Item Development • Test blueprintspecifiedtheitemstobedeveloped: • Mathematicalnode • Item format: Multiple Choice, Constructedresponse, … • Estimateddifficultyof item • Further requirements: • adequatforagegroup, • nobiasedtowardsgender, race, religion, also takingintoaccount rural/urban differences. • does not requireotherknowledgethanmathscontents. • Items shouldbe uni-dimensional

28. Validation • In ordertosecurevalidityofthetestitems, theywere … • writtenbyschoolanduniversityteachers • reviewedbyteachers (peerreviewandoutsiderreview) • trialled on a sample of grade 8 students – each item was answeredbyat least 200 students • item propertieswerereviewedby a teamofpsychometriciansandschoolteachers • itemswithlessthandesirableorsurprisingpropertieswereretiredand not used in themaintest

29. Test Design • Multiple matrixsampling • Two-stepapproachforthetest design • Allocationof „empty“ blockstoformsthatsatifyseveral global prerequisitesforthe design: • positionalandcontextualbalance, item security (S90 vs. S10), longitudinal link (BL and BIST-UE 2015) • Allocationofitemstoblocksthatsatisfyseverallocalprerequisites: • Balanceddifficulty, format, representativeforthecompetenceconstruct, dependency (enemyitems), testmotivation • Test information, especiallyalongcutoff-scores

30. Scaling • UsingRasch model • Allowsto express difficultiesofitemsandstudentsability on onecommonscale • Allowstomatchtestcyclesover time • Allowsforcomplextest design

31. Standard Setting • Standard settinggoal: meaningfullydescribedlevels • criterion-referenced • Phases: 4 levels in Austria in mostdomains 0: standards not reached 1: partiallyreachedstandards 2: reachedstandards 3: exceededstandards Easy tounderstandfor „laymen“

32. ProficiencyLevel Descriptions M8 3 – standardsexceeded Studentspossess fundamental knowledgeandskills in all partsofthemathematicscurriculumandadvancedknowledgestructures, whichexceedtherequirementsoflevel 2, specificallymorepronouncedabilitiesofabstractionandhigherproficiency in combiningpartsofknowledge, methodsorrules. Theyareabletoapplytheseindependently in novelsituations in a flexible way. 2 – standards reached Students posessfundamental knowledge and skills in all parts of the mathematics curriculum and can use these in a flexible way. They are able to find and apply problem solving strategies, to describe and reason an approach. They are able to handle verbal, graphical and formal representations of mathematical facts in a flexible way and can apply these appropriately. Theay are able to extract relevant information from a differently represented facts (e.g. texts, data material, graphics) and can interpret them in the respective context. They are able to relate their mathematical knowledge and can check, evaluate and/or reason mathematical statements. 1 – standardspartiallyreached Studentspossess fundamental knowledgeandskills in all partsofthemathematicscurriculumandcanmasterreproductivetasksandcarry out routineprocedures.

33. Standard Setting • „ A standard setting method is a mechanism for helping panelists translate their intentions to the score scale.“ (Reckase, 2006) • Goal: Match predetermined descriptors of competency levels to an empiric scale defined by test items • Determinecutscoresbetweenlevelsofcompetence • Bifie invited a groupofstakeholderstosetthecutscores: teachers(loweranduppersecondary), teachersofdidacticsofmath; representativesofparentsassociations; representativesoftheMoE; representativesofchamberofcommerce; bifie staff • Methodused: Item descriptormatchingmethod

34. (Modified) Item descriptormatchingmethod Item-descriptormatches Difficult Item Level 3 Level 3 Level 2 Level 2 Level 1 Level 1 Difficulty-ordereditems Easy Item Ordered Item Booklet Cut Score 2 Cut Score 1 Freunberger & Yanagida, in press.

35. Standard Setting • Standard settingismoreaboutfinding a societalconsensusthanfinding a constant • The goalshouldbeclearbeforetestdevelopmentetcstarts

36. Feedbackand ReportsInformation aboutresultsof Educational Standards SCHOOL LEVEL School report(forschoolmanagement) per school, online 4600 schools about 3200 primaryand1400 secondary I School andinstructiondevelopment 10.000 classesabout 6000 primaryand4000 secondary I Feedback toteachersper teacher, per class/group; online Feedback tostudents per participant, online 170.000 students about 85.000 in grade 4 and 8 each

37. Feedbackand ReportsInformation aboutresultsof Educational Standards SYSTEM LEVEL National report (Minister for Education) aggregated MoE System development 9 provinces Provincereports (pres& vice-) foreachprocinceand grade Supervisoryreports (federalsuperv. authoritiesfor PS & LS/AS) aggregated on fed. stateandsupervised-school type 9 provincesPrimary/4 Lower sec/8, academic sec/8 School development 99 schooldistricts 15 Cities – 84 districts Supervisoryreports (districtsuperv. authoritiesfor PS and LS) per districtand grade

38. School report: overviewofcontent • Information aboutschoolresults: • compared toAUT • compared tothedefinedgoals(in theregulation) • compared tootherschoolswithsimilarbasicconditions („fair comparison“) • Areas ofconflict: • Educational Standards applyto all students – andthereforeto all schools • Conditionsofschoolsvarywidely

39. The schooltakescentrestage Feedback

40. Feedback – example (schoolreport)„Competencylevels“

41. Feedback – example (teacherfeedback)

42. Feedback – example (schoolreport)

43. Support systemforschools

44. Outlook • Bringing IKM (grade(s) before BIST) and BIST assessments closer together. Using items in both assessments could lead towards a better understanding of learning • Backwash from doing the assessments towards research in the areas of item development, standard setting, feedback … through evaluation of results • Outcomes of the assessments should not only allow us to give feedback to schools, teachers and students but also to improve the competence models we use for the assessment • Prepare for computer based testing • Open databases for external researchers and improve system level monitoring

45. Thankyouforyourattention! MichaeIBruneforth m.bruneforth@bifie.at Bundesinstitut BIFIE Salzburg | Zentrum für Bildungsmonitoring & Bildungsstandards www.bifie.at