The Minister for Schools (Mr David Laws)
I would like to set out for the House some actions we have taken to address weaknesses which have recently been identified in the marking of skills tests for prospective teachers.
The numeracy and literacy tests for prospective teachers were developed, in the current format, from 2009 onwards, under a contract let by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). When the TDA was abolished, responsibility for administering the skills tests was transferred to the Teaching Agency from April 2012 and the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) from November 2013.
A review of the skills tests undertaken by the STA has identified some errors in the marking of some questions in the tests, which have led to some candidates being awarded or denied a small number of marks incorrectly. These problems were present during the TDA’s administration of the skills tests and date back at least as far as April 2010.
The errors causing the incorrect marking have been rectified by the STA, so the skills tests being taken now are not affected. However, the errors have meant that some candidates who sat the skills tests in the past received the incorrect results.
In the 2012-13 academic year, 721 candidates (less than 1% of the total) were incorrectly awarded a maximum of three marks and given a pass in error. Of these 721 candidates, 505 were awarded one extra mark, 189 were awarded two extra marks, and 27 were awarded three extra marks.
In addition, between October 2012 and now, 27 candidates (0.02% of the total) were incorrectly awarded a fail and have not subsequently gone on to pass at further attempts.
With respect to those candidates who were incorrectly awarded a pass, many will have subsequently gone on to undertake the other steps necessary to gain qualified teacher status, or be in the process of doing so, and will, through this, have had to demonstrate their competence to teach. Indeed, even had these candidates been properly failed at the point of taking the test, it is likely that many would have retaken the tests and been passed at subsequent attempts. Given these points we are satisfied that no further action in respect of these people is required, indeed it would be unjust to them to do so.
With respect to those candidates who were incorrectly awarded a fail and have not gone on to pass at further attempts, they will be awarded a pass retrospectively. The STA wrote to these candidates yesterday and has followed-up by email.
It would require extensive data analysis to determine how many candidates who took the tests prior to October 2012 were affected by the same errors. My officials estimate this work would cost £140,000 and take six months to complete. Given that any candidates incorrectly awarded a fail could, at that time, have re-sat the tests an unlimited number of times, and given that we do not propose to take action in respect of those candidates incorrectly awarded a pass, there would be little practical benefit arising from this analysis, beyond certainty over the number of candidates affected. I therefore do not believe it would be an effective use of taxpayers’ money to undertake this work.
As part of its review of the current tests, the STA has also taken the decision to re-design the punctuation section of the literacy test to allow for improved data analysis and quality assurance going forward. The punctuation section has been temporarily removed from the tests while refinements are made. The remaining sections of the literacy tests will be unaffected and we expect to reintroduce the punctuation element to the tests in the autumn of 2014.
The chief executive of the Standards and Testing Agency has looked closely at this matter and assured me that the tests which remain in operation are now reliable, accurate, and fit for purpose.
This Government’s decision to bring the TDA’s functions within the Department has brought greater scrutiny, increased accountability and helped unearth these errors. However, it is deeply regrettable that the tests inherited from the TDA contained flaws which have so directly affected outcomes for some prospective teachers. Action was taken as soon as errors were identified and we are determined to restore absolute confidence in the tests, under the management of the STA.