Reposted with permission of the American Federation of Teachers
http://www.aft.org
                A Profile of Scotland's Education System
                        Non-College-Bound Students
Education in Scotland is compulsory from 1st grade (age 6) through 10th
(age 16). At the end of 10th grade, almost all Scottish students take and
pass a battery of external exams - usually in English, math, science, and a
foreign language - known as the Standard Grade exams. The exams are offered
at three levels of difficulty: Credit (the most advanced), General, and
Foundation (the least advanced), with students, in cooperation with their
teachers, determining which of these exams they will take.
While these exams are theoretically voluntary, there are strong incentives
to take them and do well on them, and to attempt the highest level exam one
has a chance to pass. Students' subsequent eligibility to take college
entrance exams or to pursue well-regarded national vocational certificates
depends on their performance on the exams. Even those students who wish to
immediately enter the workforce need to pass the exams if they hope to get
more than a low-skill, low-pay job. As a result, 98 percent of Scottish^
students take and pass Standard Grade exams. Although the percentages vary,
the large majority of students taking exams in each subject pass the Credit
or General level exam. In English, the breakdown is 33 percent Credit
level, 57 percent General level, and 6 percent Foundation level. In math,
the distribution is 27, 37, and 31 percent respectively.
The Scottish Syllabus
Compulsory education in Scotland is governed by curriculum guidelines
developed by the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum (SCCC) in
cooperation with the Scottish Office Education Department (SOED) and
regional school administrators. The National Syllabus defines the subjects
to be taught at each grade level and provides general advice for organizing
each course. It also describes the topics that teachers should cover in
each subject and lists (at the secondary level) "grade-related criteria"
-descriptions of the performance levels required to achieve each grade on
the Standard Grade exam. Within these guidelines, teachers decide how to
organize their courses and which textbooks and pedagogical approaches to
use.
To maximize quality and consistency among schools, inspectors from the SOED
visit primary and secondary schools to monitor the implementation of the
curriculum guidelines. In addition, the SOED has launched a "national
audit" of school performance across the country.
Primary School
Compulsory primary education begins in kindergarten (called "Primary 1") at
age 5 and ends with grade 6 (called "Primary, 7",) at approximately age 12.
During those years, students study the following subjects: English,
mathematics, environmental studies (including science and technology),
history, geography, religious and moral education, and expressive arts^
(including physical education).
To measure the progress of its primary students, national tests in English
(including reading. speaking, listening, and writing) and mathematics are
administered twice, usually in 3rd grade (about age 9), and 6th grade about
age 12). Classroom teachers evaluate their own students' performance
according to SOED guidelines. However, satisfactory performance on these
tests is not required to move on to the next grade. Teachers administer the
tests throughout the school year to students (often two or three students
at a time) when they feel the students are ready. The point of the tests is
not to hold students back, but to identify those students who need extra
instruction to master the curriculum.
Secondary Education
During the four years of compulsory secondary education, students continue
to follow the sequence of subjects laid out by the SCCC curriculum
guidelines. Students take courses in each of eight subject areas or
"modes": language and communication (including a required foreign
language), mathematical studies and applications, scientific studies and
applications, social and environmental studies, technological activities
and applications, creative and aesthetic activities, physical education,
and religious and moral education.
The content of the eight modes is determined by the SCCC in order to
provide all students with a common academic foundation. In the first two
years (7th and 8th grades in the U.S.) all students take the same course in
each mode, though they can choose which foreign language to take. There is
also room in the curriculum for students to take perhaps one elective. In
the third and fourth years (9th and 10th grades in the U.S.), students have
greater flexibility to choose what courses to take within some modes and
thereby fashion their educational program based on their future plans. For
example, they may choose among several course options in the science,
social and environmental studies, and technological activities and
applications modes. Nevertheless, all students continue to take the same
math and language arts courses through 10th grade. Often, students
progressing toward different Standard Grade Exam levels will attend the
same classes, though some will progress further in the material than
others. If the numbers warrant, teachers will divide students taking a
particular course into separate Credit, General, and Foundation level
classes where they study the common curriculum but at different speeds. The
required course sequence is designed to comprise 80 percent of
instructional time in the first two years of secondary school and 70
percent in the third and fourth years.
The Standard Grade Exams
As mentioned above, Standard Grade exams are offered at three different
levels of difficulty: Credit, General, and Foundation, with the Credit exam
being the most advanced and the Foundation exam the most basic. Depending
on what level of exam they take, students can receive a numerical grade
ranging from 1 (highest) to 7 (failure). Students sitting for level exam
receive a 1, 2 or, if they fail, 7; for the General level exam, they
receive a 3, 4 or 7, and for the Foundation level, 5,6, or 7. Students who
score 70 percent or better on an exam receive the higher grade; between 50
and 70 percent, they receive the lower grade; and under 50 percent, they
get a 7.
A student's post-compulsory education options are limited or enhanced
depending on the grade achieved on the Standard Grades. A student who
achieves at the Foundation level may enter the workforce directly (for
example as an entry-level auto mechanic, sales clerk, or secretary) or
pursue one or more national vocational certificates at public expense. A
student who achieves at the General level has these two options plus the
option to continue academic studies and eventually (after two additional
years of academic study) take university entrance exams. The student who
chooses to enter the workforce would probably have an edge over students
with Foundation level scores and might be exempted from basic level courses
when studying for vocational certificates. A student who passes at the
Credit level has all of the above options plus the option to take Higher
exams after just one additional year of academic study. Some Credit level
students may also choose to stay on for a second year of-post-compulsory
education to pursue independent study, prepare for an additional Higher, or
retake a Higher to get a better score.
Students may take exams at more than one level in each subject, and almost
all take exams at two levels because there are strong incentives to do so.
First, students want to pass the highest level exam possible because
success on the more difficult exams gives them greater educational and
vocational options. Second, only the highest score a student receives in a
subject will be recorded. For example, a student who is proficient at the
General level in a subject will probably take the Credit level exam as
well. If the student fails the Credit level exam and gets a 7, but receives
a 3 on the General level exam, only the 3 will be recorded. Thus the system
encourages students to reach as high as possible without risk of penalty.
Conversely, students who expect to pass a Credit level exam will
nevertheless take the General level as well, just to be safe.
Students' performance on the Standard Grade exams is communicated to
employers and schools through the Scottish Certificate of Education.
Students are awarded the certificate by the Scottish Examination Board
(SEB) when they pass at least one Standard Grade exam. The certificate
lists each exam a student has passed as well as the grade earned and
includes all modules completed by the student while in secondary school.
When applying for jobs, students will be asked to produce the certificates
because employers know the certificates provide clear proof of academic
performance and skills. Further education colleges also routinely examine
applicants' certificates.
Chuck Beams
Fidonet - 1:2608/70
cbeams@future.dreamscape.com
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* UniQWK #5290* A tisket, a Bobbitt, she hacked it off and lobbed it.
--- Maximus 2.01wb
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