BALANCING TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY? The Assessment for Learning Programme in Norway A Governing Complex Education Systems Case Study Page | 2 BALANCING TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY? The Assessment for Learning Programme in Norway A Governing Complex Education Systems Case Study By: Dr. Therese Hopfenbeck* Dr. Astrid Tolo° Teresa Florez* Yasmine El Masri* * Oxford University ° University of Bergen September 2013 Page | 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................................. 7 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................ 8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 9 Key findings .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Key recommendations ............................................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER 1: GOVERNING COMPLEX EDUCATION SYSTEMS ...................................................................... 11 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 11 Research questions for this report ............................................................................................................ 11 Methodology .............................................................................................................................................. 12 Some key terms ......................................................................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER 2: EDUCATION IN NORWAY ........................................................................................................ 18 Demographic and social context ................................................................................................................ 18 Economic context....................................................................................................................................... 18 Governance actors and different stakeholders ......................................................................................... 19 Cultural, political and historical factors in Norway .................................................................................... 21 Assessment practices before and after PISA ............................................................................................. 24 The Norwegian quality system .................................................................................................................. 25 CHAPTER 3: THE CASE STUDY: ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING (AFL) ............................................................. 28 Description of the policy programme and implementation strategies ..................................................... 28 Assessment for learning as policy: International evidence ....................................................................... 32 Impact of the Assessment for Learning programme in Norway ................................................................ 37 CHAPTER 4: THE AFL PROGRAMME IN NORWAY – A SUCCESS STORY WITH MAJOR CHALLENGES? .... 39 Drivers of change: Governing from the central to the local level .............................................................. 39 Implementing AfL in schools – How successful has the programme been? .............................................. 45 Perceptions of key stakeholders on the AfL programme .......................................................................... 57 Impact of the AfL programme– students’ learning outcomes ................................................................... 64 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................ 67 Expectations of the programme – what next? .......................................................................................... 67 Balancing accountability and trust............................................................................................................. 68 Dealing with “reform fatigue” ................................................................................................................... 69 The gap from theory to practice ................................................................................................................ 69 Change takes time ..................................................................................................................................... 71 NOTES ............................................................................................................................................................ 72 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................................. 74 Page | 4 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................................. 84 ANNEX A: METHODOLOGICAL NOTES ........................................................................................................... 84 Coding of interviews ................................................................................................................................ 85 National test scores.................................................................................................................................. 86 ANNEX B: LIST OF INTERVIEWEES .................................................................................................................. 88 ANNEX C: INTERVIEW GUIDE ......................................................................................................................... 90 Interview schedule ................................................................................................................................... 90 Interview guide policy makers and researchers .................................................................................... 90 Interview guide school leaders ............................................................................................................... 91 Interview guide teachers ......................................................................................................................... 92 Interview guide students (approximately age 14) ................................................................................... 94 ANNEX D: WEBSITES FOR THE MEDIA ANALYSIS – EXAMPLES FROM DIFFERENT CATEGORIES ................... 95 Tables Table 1.1. Participating schools and their status in this programme ........................................................ 13 Table 1.2. Participants, different stakeholders .......................................................................................... 13 Table 3.1. Participating groups and timeline ............................................................................................. 30 Table 4.1. Ministers of education from 2000 in Norway ........................................................................... 40 Table 4.3. Results from national tests: Reading Grade 5 ........................................................................... 65 Table 4.4. Results from national tests: Reading Grade 9 ........................................................................... 65 Table 4.5. Results from national tests: Mathematics Grade 5 .................................................................. 65 Table 4.6. Results from national tests: Mathematics Grade 9 .................................................................. 66 Table 4.7. Results from national tests: English Grade 5 ............................................................................ 66 Table 4.8. Results from national tests: English Grade 8 ............................................................................ 66 Figures Figure 2.1. Levels of governance and different stakeholders in Norway .................................................. 19 Boxes Box 1.1. Questions regarding knowledge and capacity building in this case study .................................. 17 Box 2.1. Student organisation in Norway .................................................................................................. 21 Box 3.1. Smoothing the implementation of the AfL programme .............................................................. 29 Box 3.2. Norwegian research programme on assessment ........................................................................ 37 Box 4.1. Evaluation of Norwegian municipalities ...................................................................................... 43 Box 4.2. The changing role of teachers ...................................................................................................... 45 Box 4.3. The website