Description
Summary
Purpose:
Assessment Support Managers provide GQ assessment expertise. The role they perform may vary depending on the subject group in which they sit. With support from their Senior Manager of Assessment, they manage and are accountable for the quality of the assessment materials for a small portfolio of specifications that are lower in risk and complexity. They are responsible for the quality of the assessment materials for specifications they work on. They support and manage a variety of activities in relation to:
•assessment creation and final approval of assessment materials
•supporting regulatory compliance and awarding
•review of quality of marking and moderation
•awarding / grade boundary setting.
They are involved with the recruitment, deployment, commissioning and management of external associates who create and contribute to our assessment materials.Landscape:
Each year over 2000 question papers, assessment artefacts, mark schemes and modified large print papers are created, quality assured and sent to press for domestic and international qualifications by teams across Assessment. These materials are sat by 100,000s of students across three examination series and are pivotal part of their next step in education.
The Assessment Management team sits within Assessment and is accountable for the end-to-end quality of all assessment materials from initial planning and creation to marking and awarding of results. Working with senior associates, they ensure they are error-free, valid, reliable and comply to strict regulatory conditions and implement improvements from robust analytical reviews. The team provide subject-assessment expertise on GQ qualifications to AQA to support work on redevelopment and reform as well as any external regulatory work. They work closely with internal teams across Assessment and COO as well as the wider business to champion assessment quality and best practice.
Assessment Management is split into 7 subject groups; English, Maths, Science, Social Sciences, Humanities, Arts and Technology and Languages. The Assessment Support Manager role sits within one of these subject areas and reports to the Senior Manager of Assessment, working closely with Assessment Coordinator and Subject Assessment Lead roles.
Activities:
May perform some or all the following activities, depending on the portfolio of specifications.
Manage the Specification Handbooks, ensuring detailed guidance on assessment design for a subject is clear, including subject specific conventions and regulatory requirements.
Create and/or update specification blueprint documentation to capture series specific assessment requirements that enable senior associates to create high-quality assessment materials.
Quality assure assessment materials to ensure they are valid and in accordance with blueprint documentation and AQA’s universal design and design principles.
Manage the creation of assessment materials by following the question paper production process, working alongside Assessment Coordinators and Assessment Delivery to ensure the approval and sending to press of assessment materials to time and quality.
Approve assessment materials for all standard and where applicable, modified large print and/or braille material that require content changes. Ensure the materials are fit for purpose, align with the assessment strategy and are error free.
Calculate and review associate authoring fees.
Monitor and intervene as necessary in standardisation, marking, moderation and marking review activities to ensure quality of assessment is maintained.
Perform Grade Boundary Officer responsibilities in the awarding process by recommending grade boundaries that ensure comparable outcomes are delivered in line with agreed approach set by the regulator and the Standards and Awarding team.
Recruit, deploy and contract manage (including contract review) selected senior associates, supported by Associate Services as required.
As necessary, contribute to assessment review and product development activity.
As necessary, support input into replies to customer complaints relating to assessment materials.
Support the Senior Manager of Assessment in the Assessment response into any Ofqual correspondence on assessment materials.
Input into series incident management process for any issues arising in assessment materials for their portfolio of specifications.
Understand and champion good assessment practice across the organisation, with a particular focus on promoting validity in assessments.
To be successful in this role, you will need to:
Have a keen interest and knowledge of assessment expertise and delivery best practice.
Be a good communicator, both in person and in writing, with ability to communicate assessment issues to different audiences.
Manage internal and external stakeholders to manage the delivery of valid and reliable assessments that meet customer needs and regulatory requirements.
Be self-motivated and able to work well on their own and in a team, with a willingness to share ideas and best practice and learn from others.
Have experience of coordinating activities across colleagues, managing performance effectively and proactively driving improvements in performance.
Have an understanding of statistical data.
Understanding of continuous improvement and quality management principles, with the ability to put these into practice in relation to the creation of assessments.
Understand the regulatory environment in which AQA works and the importance of compliance.
‘Step up’ by thinking for themselves, using sound judgement and holding themselves to account.
‘Shape tomorrow’ by looking up, out and ahead, question what we do and take considered risks to improve and innovate.