Overview This symposium will discuss the ways in which practitioners and researchers from different countries have used data collected from an on-entry baseline assessment - the Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) On-entry baseline assessment. The PIPS on-entry baseline assessment was originally created in 1994 for use in schools in England. However, its content, adaptive nature of administration and high correlation with later achievement (Tymms, 1999) has attracted the attention of researchers in other countries. It has been adapted, and translated when necessary, for use internationally in countries such as Australia, Germany, Lesotho, New Zealand, Scotland and The Netherlands (CEM Centre, 2003). These adaptations and translations have been made with the intention of retaining the original nature and difficulty of the questions as far as possible. The issues of adapting and translating the PIPS on-entry baseline assessment for use in other countries were presented and discussed at the 2002 ECER conference in Lisbon, Portugal (Cowie, Harries, Merrell, Van der Hoeven-van Doornum, Wildy, Wylde). Analyses of the data have confirmed that the difficulties of many of the items are similar in different countries. Therefore in addition to the PIPS baseline being a useful tool for schools within a single country, it could be used in a broader way to investigate the development and skills of children from different countries and cultures on entry to school. This symposium will build upon last year's discussions. Each participant will describe how they have used PIPS baseline assessment data and the symposium as a whole will demonstrate the interpretation of the data at a number of different levels: " Individual Pupils Monika Wylde has translated the PIPS baseline into German and has used it to assess the pupils at the school in which she teaches. She has repeated an extension of the baseline assessment at the end of the pupils' first year in school and then used another PIPS assessment with the same pupils at the end of their second year in school. The ways in which the data from these assessments have been used to plan an appropriate curriculum for each child and to raise their achievement will be discussed. " Classes and Schools Mike Cowie will report on the outcomes of a survey that questions how teachers and head teachers in Scotland have used the PIPS baseline and subsequent value-added data. The survey aims to explore how that use has changed over time in response to increasing familiarity with the assessment and the data derived from it within the Scottish context. " Schools Sarah Howie is in the process of introducing the PIPS baseline and assessments for older children into schools in South Africa. She will discuss the use of the data. " Groups of schools Anneke Van der Hoeven-van Doornum has investigated the development and skills of children from different backgrounds on entry to school in The Netherlands for her research using a Dutch version of the PIPS baseline (OBIS - Onderbouw Informatiesysteem). This paper will discuss the use of baseline assessment data beyond the school level. " Groups of schools Anne Horgan will discuss how the PIPS baseline has been used to evaluate the impact of early interventions within Scotland on the attainment of young children and report the results of that research. " Systems Helen Wildy report the reasons PIPS baseline assessment has been adopted in a variety of jurisdictions and the uses to which the data are being put. " Countries Peter Tymms and Christine Merrell will report on the analysis of data collected from different countries and discuss how it could be used to address issues such as: What age should children start school? Can the results of TIMSS and PISA be differently interpreted in the light of on-entry data? To what extent can children's developmental levels on-entry to school be attributed to varying pre-school provision and government policies? References CEM Centre (2003) www.cem.dur.ac.uk Cowie, M. (2000) The introduction of baseline assessment in Aberdeen: the proof of the pudding is in the eating http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/ Paper presented at ECER Lisbon 2002. Harries, A.V. (2002) Baseline In Lesotho, Some Preliminary Observations. Paper presented at ECER Lisbon 2002. Merrell, C. (2002) Adapting to changing arrangements: Value-Added In The Early Years. Paper presented at ECER Lisbon 2002. Tymms, P. (1999). Baseline Assessment and Monitoring in Primary Schools: Achievements, Attitudes and Value-added Indicators. London, David Fulton Publishers. Van der Hoeven-van Doornum, A. (2002) What Baseline Assessment is doing for Children's Progress and Teachers' Actions, Paper presented at ECER Lisbon 2002. Wildy, H., Louden, W. and Bailey, C. (2002) One country - many systems: PIPS Baseline Assessment bridging state differences. Paper presented at ECER Lisbon 2002. Wylde, M. (2002) Fulfilling needs and taking opportunities Paper presented at ECER Lisbon 2002. Abstracts PAPER 1 Monika Wylde, Germany The Value of Baseline Assessment and Monitoring in German Primary Schools Assessment of children in Primary Schools and Kindergartens throughout Germany is increasing. A prime objective is to identify weak children and to provide them with additional support to enhance the preconditions for a successful education in mathematics, language skills and literacy. In three German schools an initial assessment and monitoring of children in primary education was first undertaken 3 years ago using the PIPS - (Performance Indicators in Primary Schools). The On-entry Baseline Assessment provides teachers with a picture of achievements of children when they start school. It helps to plan the curriculum and the target setting throughout the spectrum of children's educational needs, including the very able child. The progress of children has been monitored and the results of individuals and classes has shown that significant improvements in weak and able children can be achieved without any detriment to those of average ability. This monitoring compliments and can build on the current individual assessments in German Kindergartens. The monitoring results provide teachers with evidence for further educational provision. PIPS is international and analysis of the German data as well as Dutch, Australian and English information show very similar patterns across countries and cultures. PAPER 2 Mike Cowie, Scotland The Value and Use of Baseline Assessment and Value-Added Data For Schools in Scotland One in three education authorities in Scotland now use PIPS (Performance Indicators in Primary Schools) - on entry assessment with a measure of progress towards the end of the first year of schooling. This paper will report on the outcomes of a survey on the value and use of the assessment data across a random sample of schools from the four education authorities that have most experience of using PIPS. The questions to be researched are: " What perceptions do teachers and head teachers have of the value of on entry data with a value added measure of progress at the end of the first year of schooling? " How have schools managed the use of the data? " How and why has the use of data across schools varied? " What do those most directly involved in each school (class teachers and head teachers) consider to be the benefit(s) of on entry data? " What kinds of effective practice seem to be evolving in relation how the data is used in schools? " How does the data influence teaching strategies in the first year of schooling? " To what extent do those involved believe that the data contributes towards a supportive working context that promotes teacher learning? Answers to the research questions will be of interest and direct use to: " Teachers and head teachers " Education authorities (School Districts) They will also have implications for future policy development. PAPER 3 Sarah Howie (Presenter), Tina Lopes and Vanessa Scherman, South Africa Implementing Value-added assessment in post-apartheid South Africa This paper describes the implementation of a pilot study in primary and secondary schools in South Africa. The Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) on-entry baseline assessment and the MidYis (focusing on secondary school-level) instruments were implemented in a number of primary and secondary schools in Gauteng, South Africa. After almost 10 years of democracy in South Africa, the conditions of schooling still vary greatly, largely based along racial lines as the majority of African schools in particular still suffer from a lack of resources, under- qualified teachers and low performances across the curriculum by pupils. Given that the assessment instruments were originally created in England as professional tools to help schools monitor the progress of their children from both an individual and a whole school perspective, the challenge was to evaluate whether and how these could be used for this purpose in the post- apartheid South Africa. The experiences of the pupils and teachers will be described in addition to the process of implementation of the instruments as well as the validity and reliability of the instruments within the South African context. PAPER 4 Anneke van der Hoeven-van Doornum (Presenter) and Peter Tymms, The Netherlands The Use of a Baseline Assessment in The Netherlands This contribution is on the use of the OBIS (Onderbouw- informatiesysteem) baseline assessment that could be made for purposes beyond the school level. The OBIS is the Dutch version of the English PIPS (Performance Indicators in Primary Schools) Baseline Assessment. Although the baseline assessment was constructed in the first place in order to act as a basis for value added measures, it has stimulated other uses which may be still very valuable. Recently there is a considerable debate about the use of baseline assessment to determine the amount of extra support a school needs when children show low test scores due to developmental problems or language deficits; or secondly using it as a baseline to assess the value added by the school over a longer period of years. The aim of the Dutch longitudinal study was to record pupils' learning progress and teachers' activities. The data presented at the conference describe the performances of pupils on the OBIS related to their social and ethnic status. The discussion will concentrate on the question why baseline assessment should be used or not as a means for provision of extra resources for schools and policy decisions. PAPER 5 Anne Horgan, Scotland Measuring Progress in Numeracy and Literacy in the first year of schooling in Aberdeen In 1997 the government in Scotland launched a programme of Early Intervention in the first year of schooling for education authorities (school districts) to develop schemes to improve basic literacy and numeracy skills and to promote social inclusion. Aberdeen City Council has used Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) assessments since the introduction of the Early Intervention programme with pupils on entry to primary school, at the end of the first year of schooling and at the beginning of the third year of schooling. This paper reports on the analysis of attainment in reading and mathematics over a three-year period using PIPS. PAPER 6 Helen Wildy, Australia PIPS Australia: Intended and unintended outcomes for schools and systems Now in its second year of uptake across seven of Australia's eight states/territories. PIPS on-entry baseline assessment is used by approximately 500 schools, up from 410 schools in 2002 and 89 schools in the trial in 2001. Participating schools are members of state jurisdictions, Catholic education commissions or independent schools associations. In all but the two sites where participation is system-wide, participation is voluntary. In a nation characterised by a low tolerance for external testing, high suspicion of imported products and a cultural resistance to formal assessment in the early years of schooling, this uptake suggests the presence of a powerful motivator on the part of not only some systems but also some individual schools. This paper reports insights into the reasons for the uptake, and the uses to which systems and schools put the data. The insights are generated through surveys conducted by systems, and interviews with system personnel as well as individual school principals and teachers. These insights are presented in the paper in the form of vignettes or short narrative accounts. What is seen by some as a response to national accountability demands, in relation to literacy and numeracy standards particularly for indigenous students, is seen by others as an opportunity to focus school resources into the early school years, and by others as a chance to build school wide linkage in curriculum and pedagogy. This paper is of interest, in terms of both policy and practice, to school and system leaders, as well as for those introducing PIPS Baseline Assessment into a new setting. PAPER 7 Peter Tymms and Christine Merrell, England Using Baseline Assessment Data To Make International Comparisons The PIPS on-entry baseline assessment has now been translated and adapted for use in several countries round the world. But can the data be used to make fair and accurate comparisons of the cognitive development and skills of children starting school in different cultural contexts and using different languages? Rasch analyses will be presented to explore the variation in sensitivity of the various parts of the assessment to culture and language using information from various groups in the UK as well as from seven different countries around the world. Very similar patterns of development have been found for much of the assessment but some aspects have been found to be very dependent on culture. The analyses will be used to argue that the data generated from the PIPS on-entry baseline assessment administered in different countries can enable a range of different questions to be explored. For example: " What is the long-term impact of pre-school provision in different contexts? " What age should children start school? " Can the results of TIMSS and PISA be differently interpreted in the light of on-entry data? " To what extent can children's developmental levels on-entry to school be attributed to varying pre-school provision and government policies?