Effective Assessment and the Improvement of Education

Originally published in 1995, this volume brings together twenty classic contributions from the work of Desmond Nuttall as an educational researcher, thinker and policy adviser. A full commentary by two of his former colleagues who knew him well accompanies the text. They have set out to explain and explore the essence of his contribution to others. Much in the book is as relevant today as when the articles were written; put together they form a formidable collection. The book was published in the year after Desmond's death. It is hoped it will remain a fitting tribute to him. It will remind his friends of his classic ideas and brings together in one volume contributions that students of education may have missed.

Patricia Broadfoot, Roger Murphy

Acknowledgments. Preface. Section 1: A Great Record of Achievement. Section 2: The Papers 1. 'Convergent and Divergent Thinking' (1973) 2. 'Examinations in Education' (1975) 3. 'The Case Against Examinations' (1978) 4. 'A Rash Attempt to Measure Standards' (1979) 5. 'The Myth of Comparability' (1979) 6. 'Will the APU Rule the Curriculum?' (1980) 7. 'Did the Secondary Schools Get a Fair Trial?' (1980) 8. 'Unnatural Selection?' (1983) 9. 'Doomsday or a New Dawn? The Prospects for a Common System of Examining at 16+' (1984) 10. (with H. Goldstein) 'Profiles and Graded Tests: The Technical Issues' (1984) 11. 'What Can We Learn from Research on Testing and Appraisal?' (1986) 12. 'Problems in the Measurement of Change' (1986) 13. (with H. Goldstein) 'Can Graded Assessments, Records of Achievement, Modular Assessment and the GCSE co-exist?' (1986) 14. 'The Validity of Assessments' (1987) 15. (with H. Goldstein, R. Presser and H. Rasbash) 'Differential School Effectiveness' (1988) 16. 'National Assessment: Complacency or Misinterpretation?' (1989) 17. 'National Assessment - Will Reality Match Aspirations?'(1989) 18. Assessment in England (1991) 19. 'Choosing Indicators' (1994) 20. Presentation at Centre for Policy Studies Conference, 21 September 1993. Section 3: An Unfinished Pilgrimage A Bibliography of Desmond Nuttall's Major Publications. References. Index.