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Only available as a free download
ISBN: 1 902466 43 8 Code: PR23 Pages: 34 Published: August 2005
Standards are too important and too value-laden to be left to the whim of government ministers, says ATL. An independent body is needed to keep standards under review and devise a national system for assessing performance.
Standards in English Primary Schools: are they rising? by renowned academic Professor Colin Richards concludes that between 1995 and 2001 there was a rise in performance in core subjects as measured by tests results, but that this was not as great as the government has suggested.
He asks just how valid is the 'rising standards' mantra and calls for an independent body to monitor national standards and performance. More fundamentally, Professor Richards shows that the current debate on standards is misleading, and urges the government to review what it means by standards and how tests reflects those standards.
This publication is now out of print but you can download a PDF version using the link in the orange box above.
