General | Conforming Assessment

Using Formative Assessment

One of the most useful strategies in the teaching of middle grades in the United States is the principle of formative assessment. Formative assessment is the ongoing monitoring of each student’s performance and accomplishments during the process of learning new concepts. Formative assessment is different from summative assessment in that it does not provide the test scores and other forms of evaluation that go into a student’s grade. It does, however, provide an incredibly useful tool for teachers to determine just where the students are having the most trouble in incorporating new ideas.

In order for formative assessment to be fully implemented in classes, it must be considered a participatory activity by teachers and students alike. The feedback from students is essential for teachers to accurately gauge the progress of learning in their classes. This means that children need to be taught the tools and language necessary for providing feedback to their teachers. You can try searching for other helpful tools in canada 411 to make learning easier. Having a student admit that he or she simply does not ”get” a concept is an important first step; teaching him or her to explain explain where the failing occurs is the ultimate goal and should be accomplished before the process of formative assessment can be completely productive. Children should also be taught strategies for peer and self review, as well as student record keeping. Showing students how to evaluate the process of their learning can also help to empower them as partially responsible for their education. There is little doubt that formative assessment, when used in conjunction with summative assessment, provides the best tools for teachers who are working with students in the middle to upper grades. Training for and then incorporating these techniques will help ensure the success of students in U.S. public schools.

Filed Under: General, Standards Tagged With: Education, Formative assessment, Student

State Testing and No Child Left Behind

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Educating students to be successful in college or in the workplace continues to be a source of concern for parents and educators at the state level. In spite of the testing requirements laid out in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB), test scores still vary significantly from state to state and fail to provide a consistently accurate national picture of academic achievement and students ability to compete.

A 2006 hearing conducted by the Commission on No Child Left Behind at Cambridge, Massachussetts listed concerns that are still timely. A major concern expressed during the hearing was the inconsistency of quality and rigor found in different state testing programs. There is also a widely held belief that in some cases these varying standards are an attempt to avoid NCLB sanctions. Tied into the variance in state tests was the concern that it would be extremely difficult to accurately measure and compare the progress made between states. Other participants stated that learning expectations set by some states do not match college and workplace realities. The hearing’s major conclusion was that schools need to encourage students to develop tests that encourage higher expectations and more consistent testing standards among the states. One of the suggestions offered was that national standards should be developed to place all states on a level playing field for scoring and analysis.

America is percieved by many eduators as falling behind in mathematics and the sciences – the fundamental skills needed for this country’s continuing leadership in the development of scientists and engineers in the 21st century. This is the challenge educators face and it begins in grammar and high school.

Filed Under: Education, General Tagged With: No Child Left Behind Act, Standardized test, United States

Development of An European Standard

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The process of establishing new European standards is vigorous and involves specific steps including proposals, pubic comments, weighted votes, and implementation by CEN member countries.

Proposal

1. Any type of interested individuals, groups, or organizations can present a proposal for a European standard. The National Standards Bodies, European Free Trade Association, and European Commission present most standards proposals.
2. The most suitable European Committee for Standardization (CEN) committee takes into account the required time frame and available resources and decides whether or not to accept a proposal.
3. Once accepted, a proposal is converted to a standardisation project and assigned to a particular Working Group to compose a draft of the standard documents.

Public Comment and Weighted Vote Adoption

1. After a Working Group finishes the draft of a new standard, the documents are made public to enable outside parties to present their opinions. Throughout the stage of public commenting, all individuals that have a viable interest in the standard such as consumers, pubic officials, and manufacturers can present their opinion on the draft. The National Standards Bodies collects the comments and the CEN Technical Committee evaluates the responses.

2. The comments and opinions of the public are integrated into the revision of the draft and a final copy of the draft is created and presented to CEN Members to conduct a formal weighted voting procedure.

Adoption as a National Standard
Once CEN approves a standard draft, all of the National Standards Bodies implements the new European Standard as a duplicate national standard and removes any current national standard that clashes with the new standard. Therefore, once a new European standard is approved, it becomes a national standard in 31 CEN member nations.

European standards are sophisticated requirements that ensure products and services comply with certain specifications and they must undergo advanced procedures to ensure the safety and satisfaction of consumers and suppliers.

Filed Under: General, Uncategorized Tagged With: European Commission, European Committee for Standardization

SAT and ACT Prep Classes Create Imbalance of Opportunity

Every year, dozens of scholarships are offered to recent high school graduates based on either their Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) score. While these tests were originally formed to help lower-income students become eligible for scholarships and programs previously only accessible to students at private and expensive academies, these tests have now once again alienated the students they aimed to serve.

Recent studies have suggested that students who participate in a SAT or ACT prep class have a significant increase in their score on either test. This is because the tests are designed in a way that does not only test knowledge, but requires an understanding on how the test works. Most students will not gain this understanding unless they participate in some sort of prep class, which have recently become popular in wealthier school districts. By understanding how the test includes trick questions and other information, students are able to score much higher simply by knowing how to take the test.

The problem with this system is that most schools only offer these prep classes for an expensive fee, if they offer them at all. This excludes lower-income children from the higher advantage given to students whose families can afford such a class. It creates an uneven playing field, putting the wealthier children ahead of the less fortunate students. This is so important because many scholarships are significantly if not solely based on these test scores, meaning that lower-income students are now even more limited in their scholarship options.

While these tests were created to allow students not attending a private high school the opportunity for scholarships towards a college degree, these same tests are now limiting these opportunities. Some teachers have advocated for the construction of these classes in every school free of charge, but this is extremely difficult as most school districts are already lacking funds. Whether the tests need to be completely reconstructed, or whether all schools should now offer these prep classes free of charge is not clear, but something in the system must change.

Filed Under: General, SAT Tagged With: ACT (test), SAT, Standardized test

Conformity Assessment for Better International Trade

We all probably have similar ideas about how we would expect international trade to be better. It should be simple, efficient, it should adhere to certain standards of quality and safety, and it should be accessible to businesses that seek to trade across borders. This is more or less exactly what the International Organization for Standardization is trying to achieve. The ISO essentially seeks to establish international standards that simplify the process of international trade.

Firstly, conformity assessment intents to eliminate much of the guess work involved in dealing with other organizations across borders. When dealing with other businesses, owners will have the advantage of not having to worry about regional standards and practices as they differ in quality and overall format. Therefore, business communities can feel quite confident under the ISO certification. Business to business transactions will generally be much smoother and efficient. Conformity assessment compliance will thus guarantee a reasonable standard that all parties can expect.

The ISO also seeks to bring the international business community together. This can be achieved by close-knit forms of international collaboration between assessment and accreditation organizations across borders. Such collaborations are referred to as Mutual Recognition Agreements. These agreement are essentially formalized acknowledgments of the results of testing, inspection, and certification of goods between multiple parties across borders. Mutual Recognition Agreements are often a way of reducing redundant conformity assessments. This expedites the international trade process by eliminating redundant tests and inspections.

In the end, conformity assessment to ISO standards and regulations is an active force for the betterment of international trade practices and procedures. Some conformity assessment procedures often run the risk of redundancy, and particularly with regard to internationally traded goods and services. However, the ISO enthusiastically advocates sensible solutions such as the establishment of MRA’s. Overall, ISO certification is highly advantageous to businesses that seek to trade internationally.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Business

Conformity Assessment for International Safety

Conformity assessment is a great way to standardize the quality of our goods and services. It ensures consumer confidence and the consistency of value. This type of regulation can also simplify many existing business practices. Conformity assessment standards foster a vibrant international business community that is rich in innovation and healthy competition. Such standards may also have positive effects in the area of safety for consumers, employees, and employers.

There are numerous important safety regulations with regard to business practices across every industry and business sector. Regardless of the type of business, employees can often be at risk in hazardous environments or while dealing with dangerous materials. The International Organization for Standardization is not only interested in those environments and materials but the ISO is also very interested in setting safety regulations that may protect those people. Thus, the ISO considers safety to be a high priority that is integral to maintaining a serious business that functions at a high level of quality and integrity.

From this point of view, ISO certified businesses may appear to be among the highest order in social responsibility. This is the kind of regulation that prioritizes people first and integrates this priority as paramount within the business plan of the organization. Without safety standards and regulations many organizations would run the risk of creating unnecessary problems. These problems would reflect poorly on the business, thus the ISO certification in this instance offers a voluntary regulation that looks after the well being of employees and businesses alike.

In the end, conformity assessment standards represent opportunities for business growth and development in numerous areas. One of those areas is the safety of businesses, employees and consumers. Without safety, we can’t guarantee the quality of life that we seek to achieve through our business models. Among the many advantages of ISO certification, safety is an area that is perhaps more than just an advantage, it’s a responsibility.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Social responsibility

EU Bans Drug Avandia While FDA Doesn’t

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The EU has chosen to ban the diabetic drug, Avandia, while the FDA in the U.S. has simply decided to restrict its use. The problem with Avandia is that it causes people to have heart attacks.

The FDA rarely bans a drug that it has previously approved. In this case, the regulatory agency claims that there is not enough solid evidence on its dangerous effects to outright ban it. Instead, the FDA has issued strong warnings, and instructed doctors not to prescribe it without overwhelming evidence that it is the only drug that will help a patient.

The EU, on the other hand, says that the risks the drug imposes are enough to ban it. Many lawsuits have been lodged against Avandia’s manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, claiming that it has caused tens of thousands of heart attacks and deaths. This is probably the main reason the drug had to be pulled from the shelf in the European Union. The lawsuits are too much of a liability.

The history of lax overview of dangerous drugs by the FDA is well documented. For example, when it’s European counter parts pulled the hyperactivity drug, Cylert, the FDA kept it around another ten years. This was in spite of overwhelming evidence that the drug caused liver failure. The FDA kept the diet drug Fen-Phen around for 30 years before independent reports from physicians convinced the regulators it was deadly.

In an ironic Catch-22, American patients looking to by generic versions of Avandia in foreign countries won’t be able to because the FDA cracked down on foreign manufacturers due to safety concerns. It all seems to point to the FDA’s own ego or fear of looking uniformed for allowing dangerous drugs on the U.S. market in the first place. The agency could probably learn a thing or two from the EU when it comes to changing its position of potentially deadly drugs.

Filed Under: General

The Problem When Products with Untested Products

People complain about government interventions and oversight by organizations not directly involved with the company. However, the product safety standards must be maintained to the highest degree if we are to remain a healthy region. The Conformity Assessments for Europe has some of the most rigid standards possible that protect consumers against faulty products. At the same time they realize business have to be able to maintain a profitable bottom line so the testing and certification process appears to utilize a business friendly model.
If there were no testing, no certifications and no standards at all, the consumer would be at the mercy of some pop up business who sets up in a night, sells snake oil and is untraceable by morning. This is a historical reference that many people believe cannot happen in this modern age due to the availability of the internet and wealth of information. However, consider the lead levels in many infant toys in the last few years. These occur in countries where human rights are a second thought and the country’s campaign to be the world exporting empire reigns. Conformity Assessments are a necessary requirement to maintain the health of our infants, aged and in between. Even a conscious consumer cannot investigate every product on the market and test it for safety, quality and usability. These certifications must be handed down from a body with the power to withhold or grant a certification trusted by the people.
The European Organisation for Conformity Assessment is trusted by consumers and businesses alike. The assessment and testing capabilities include a broad range of industries who seek their compliance. Consumers can readily recognize the CE mark that indicates safety and quality. Furthermore, the same non-profit company, the European Organisation for Conformity Assessment, also has the ability to certify service providers.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Business, Conformity Assessment, Untested Products

Why Do We Need Conformity Assessment in Europe?

The rationalisation and development of conformity assessment related activities in Europe will benefit consumers across the spectrum to have more confidence in the products they purchase. The European Organisation for Conformity Assessment seeks to develop these guides into quality standards that met by each producer in Europe. In addition to the end consumer, other manufacturers are assured components purchased for use in their own products will be of acceptable quality standards and can provide more attractive warranty products to their end users. Improving the quality of products and verifying the quality among all manufacturers will improve the regions reputation throughout the world.
Service delivery is also assessed under the conformity assessment measures of the European Organisation for Conformity Assessment. Ensuring people are satisfied with the services they employ is a standard that must be upheld as a value if the entire region is to benefit from a global economy. Confidence in the processing of goods and services along with the final outcome will be achieved when all providers are held to optimum quality standards.
The development of testing and assessments to determine the feasibility of services along with the quality of the manufactured good will level the playing field for price determination because all components will be of similar quality and manufacturing costs will be very similar for all manufacturers. Once a product or service has been tested in accordance to standards set forth by European Organisation for Conformity Assessment, and found worthy of certification, there is no need to retest on a continual basis.
The expected results will bring all European countries in line with one another under an umbrella of quality assurances. For a successful continuation of the free circulation of goods all parties involved must be assured that the products from one country equal those of another.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Business, Conformity, Manufacturing

The Blue Guide and Conformity Assessment Efforts

The Blue Guide to marketing is enhanced through the distinguished mark of conformity assessment standards. The CE is the only mark that is accepted among peers and consumers as a mark of excellence. When a business is certified to provide this marking on their product or service literature, the consumer can find solace in knowing the product or service has been scrutinized to the highest standards available. The CE marking must be followed by the identifying number for the particular organization to which it belongs. The proportions of the marking must also be kept in the case of an enlarged or reduce mark.
The Blue Guide stipulates that the company will display the marking in a visible location so the consumer can easily distinguish the conforming product from the non conforming product. It is the goal of the conformity assessments to be adopted by all European countries and further ongoing development of the assessments will continue. The Blue Guide is a clear pathway for manufacturers and service delivery people to be certain they remain in conformity and standards.
The consumer will benefit by developing an increasing trust in products labeled with the CE for meeting conformity assessments measures. Though initial testing and certification may appear cumbersome, it is not required after the certification has been established and the benefits of increased revenue will out weight the initial procedures. In addition, the European Organisation for Conformity Assessment has sought to minimize the impact of marking the products with the prestigious symbol by allowing bulk products sold as a unit to have a single mark that indicates all products under the banner meet CE specifications and conform to the certification assessments. All of the individual products will be tested, but marked as a single unit.The Blue Guide to marketing is enhanced through the distinguished mark of conformity assessment standards. The CE is the only mark that is accepted among peers and consumers as a mark of excellence. When a business is certified to provide this marking on their product or service literature, the consumer can find solace in knowing the product or service has been scrutinized to the highest standards available. The CE marking must be followed by the identifying number for the particular organization to which it belongs. The proportions of the marking must also be kept in the case of an enlarged or reduce mark.
The Blue Guide stipulates that the company will display the marking in a visible location so the consumer can easily distinguish the conforming product from the non conforming product. It is the goal of the conformity assessments to be adopted by all European countries and further ongoing development of the assessments will continue. The Blue Guide is a clear pathway for manufacturers and service delivery people to be certain they remain in conformity and standards.
The consumer will benefit by developing an increasing trust in products labeled with the CE for meeting conformity assessments measures. Though initial testing and certification may appear cumbersome, it is not required after the certification has been established and the benefits of increased revenue will out weight the initial procedures. In addition, the European Organisation for Conformity Assessment has sought to minimize the impact of marking the products with the prestigious symbol by allowing bulk products sold as a unit to have a single mark that indicates all products under the banner meet CE specifications and conform to the certification assessments. All of the individual products will be tested, but marked as a single unit.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Business, CE mark, Standard