Download PIPS - Kennedy School

INCAS
Interactive Computerised
Assessment System
What is INCAS ?
 Computerised adaptive assessment
programme designed for children from 511years
 Developed by Durham University UK – used
locally and internationally.
 All ESF schools follow the same procedures
and timeframes for INCAS testing.
What does it do?
 INCAS provides feedback on Reading,
Spelling, Mental Arithmetic, General
Mathematics, Developed Ability and
Attitudes
 The results give a profile for the whole
school, individual classes and individual
students
How is it administered?
 Computer based using a unique set of
passwords for each student
 Child friendly multi-media interface guides
the students through the assessment.
 The assessment items are adjusted in
response to the students answers
What is assessed?
 Reading - Reading is assessed using tasks of word
recognition, word decoding and comprehension. Students
are presented with comprehension items only if they
achieve sufficiently high scores for word recognition and
word decoding
 The reading score is a composite of word recognition,
word decoding and comprehension. If children have not
been presented with the comprehension items then the
minimum comprehension score is used in calculating the
reading score.
•Mental Arithmetic assesses number fact recall in the
operation areas of addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division
General Mathematics is a compilation of scores from items
presented in the following areas:
Number 1-This covers counting, informal arithmetic (i.e. a
number problem presented as ‘Here are 6 ice creams, if 3 are
taken away how many would be left?'), partitioning and place
value, fractions and decimals.
 Number 2-This covers sorting, patterns, formal arithmetic,
problem solving and algebra
Measuring, Shape and Space (MSS)
 Handling Data
Developed Ability: A pupil’s Developed Ability is made
up of their performance in Picture Vocabulary and NonVerbal ability, using age equivalent scores. Professor
Tymms, director of CEM, defined developed ability as
the ability of children to learn. It is something that they
have developed over their lifetime and they will
continue to develop. It is measured by using a
combination of their language acquisition and nonverbal ability.
Attitudes: the student’s attitude to Reading,
Mathematics and School is measured on a continua of
1-5
What happens next?
 Having completed the class assessments,
the results are uploaded to Durham and
then we download them. This can be done
within two to three days.
 There is no marking for teachers to do
which means we can focus on interpreting
and using the results.
What do the scores mean?
 The analysis of reading and spelling scores will
enable a teacher to see which pupils have good
word recognition and decoding skills but
perhaps poor understanding of a passage of
text.
 The added dimension of picture vocabulary
and non-verbal ability enables teachers to see
if pupils’ reading is in line with these. This is
particularly useful for children for whom
English is an additional language.
•Factors that influence scores: life
experiences, maturity, readiness to learn,
‘on-the-day’ factors, learning styles etc.
•It’s a snapshot at that time – it’s useful
information but only one piece of the
jigsaw.
How do we use the results?
 Making comparison with other class-based assessments to
build a bigger picture of where the child is at.
 Gauging appropriate work for different groups of children
or individuals eg. Reading
 Highlighting strengths of individuals
 Highlighting any specific areas that need development
 A starting point to gauge progress eg. added value.
Summary
 INCAS testing provides information on student performance
that is one part of the ‘assessment’ jig-saw for individual
students.
 Class teachers also analyse the INCAS data for their class-
noting those students who are performing outside the expected
age level range.
 SM analyses the total data for Kennedy School to identify any
obvious trends.
 ESF central office also analyses the data from all schools to
identify any obvious trends.