Monitoring Curriculum and Assessment Project
Background and Purpose of the Project
CFAS conducted the Monitoring Curriculum and Assessment project (previously known as the School Sampling Project) for QCA and its predecessors from 1996 to 2007. This was QCA's sole national study for monitoring the national curriculum and its implementation across all key stages. Its aim was to collect information from schools and early years settings on curriculum provision (including qualifications) for 3-19 year-olds and national curriculum assessment data. QCA then used this information to ensure that its curriculum and assessment policy reflected the needs and concerns of schools and settings around the country. The information gathered contributed to QCA's annual monitoring reports, which were distributed to schools and are available on the QCA website. The data collected for the assessment exercise contributed towards the Standards reports previously distributed to schools and latterly towards the item level data found in RAISEonline.
Each year, a nationally representative sample of over 1,000 schools and early years settings were sent questionnaires covering a diverse range of issues from teaching provision and curriculum models through to the impact of national initiatives such as the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies. Questionnaires varied each year depending on the needs of QCA but usually covered all the key phases - foundation, key stages one to four and Post-16 provision. Head of department questionnaires were also distributed to secondary schools to gather information about discreet subject provision. In later years, following the national interest in pupil voice, CFAS distributed questionnaires for pupils in years 5,8 and 10. Individual themes such as homework, school meals and foreign languages were addressed by focus groups, probes and interviews with parents, teachers and pupils. For the assessment data collection, item level and summary level data was collected for each of the tested subjects at key stages one to three and also data from the Year 7 progress tests.
CFAS designed, piloted, analysed and reported to QCA it's findings. The data also formed the basis for a number of journal papers and presentations by the research team at the Centre. The findings/data have been used to provide data for a wide variety of outlets including Select Committees and questions in the House of Commons, national media stories and wider academic interest.
To view examples of the instruments and reports distributed click here
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