School-based assessment is inherently more valid and reliable than external assessment (see Section 1.1) because it aims to assess authentic oral language use in low-stress conditions with multiple assessment tasks. The SBA component is not and cannot be treated as an external exam in which texts and tasks are totally standardised and all contextual variables controlled; to attempt to do so would be to negate the very rationale for SBA.

To view Prof Chris Davison talking about different views of fairness in SBA, compared with traditional testing.

To be effective, schools and teachers must be granted a certain degree of trust and autonomy in the design, implementation and specific timing of the assessment tasks.

To view Mrs Christina Lee talking about how the assessment process develops trustworthiness.

However there are several key things the teachers (and schools) can do to enhance their trustworthiness of their assessments, including:

• Ensure Students Understand How and When they will be Assessed
• Ensure the Assessment Criteria and Process are Made Explicit and Transparent to Students (and Parents)
• Ensure Students have the Opportunity to Demonstrate their Best
• Ensure the Scoring is Balanced and Fair
• Ensure the Standardisation Process is Collaborative and Interactive
• Ensure that Sufficient Records are Kept for Accountability Purposes

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