Footnotes
1. 2005 has seen the launch of the Scottish Survey of Achievement, whose remit extends beyond that of the Assessment of Achievement Programme, to embrace attainment reporting at the level of education authorities in addition to the country as a whole.
2. National Guidelines: Mathematics 5-14, Edinburgh: Scottish Office Education Department, 1991, and National Guidelines: Mathematics 5-14 Level F, Edinburgh: Scottish Office Education and Industry Department, 1999.
3. National Guidelines: Mathematics 5-14, Edinburgh: Scottish Office Education Department, 1991.
4. In practice, the 'percentage correct' was rarely exactly 65%, given that this percentage rarely corresponded with whole integers on the variable mark scales for the different sets of items.
5. The mean percentage task score for a particular multi-item task is simply the number of items within the task that a pupil correctly answered, expressed as a percentage of the total number of items, averaged over all the pupils who attempted that task.
6. Assessment of Achievement Programme. Sixth Survey of Science 2003, Chapter 4. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Education Department, 2005.
7. Assessment of Achievement Programme. Report of the Sixth Survey of English language (2001). Chapter 2. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Education Department, 2003.
8. Assessment of Achievement Programme. Sixth Survey of Science 2003, page 39. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Education Department, 2005.
9. Information and Communications Technology. National Guidelines 5-14. Glasgow: Learning & Teaching Scotland, 2000.
10. Assessment of Achievement Programme. First Survey of Social Subjects Enquiry Skills 2002, Chapter 5. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Education Department, 2004.
11. Assessment of Achievement Programme. Sixth Survey of Science 2003, Chapter 5. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Education Department, 2005.
12. National Guidelines: Mathematics 5-14, Edinburgh: Scottish Office Education Department, 1991, and National Guidelines: Mathematics 5-14 Level F, Edinburgh: Scottish Office Education and Industry Department, 1999.
13. The Standard for Initial Teacher Education ( SITE), Scottish Executive Education Department, October 2000; The Standard for Full Registration ( SFR), GTC Scotland, February 2002; and The Standard for Chartered Teacher ( SCT), GTC Scotland, June 2003.
14. Assessment of Achievement Programme: Sixth Survey of Mathematics 2000, Findings and Issues. Scottish Executive Education Department, 2000.
15. Assessment of Achievement Programme. Sixth Survey of Science 2003, Chapter 4. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Education Department, 2005.
16. Report on the First Survey of Social Subjects (2002). Chapter 4. Scottish Executive Education Department, 2004
17. Insight 20 - The impact of Information Communication Technology in Scottish Schools: Phase 3, Scottish Executive Education Department, September 2005.
18. In the 2001 survey of English Language, cut-off scores of 50%, 65% and 80% were agreed by subject specialists as appropriate indicators of 'basic skills', 'secure attainment' and 'considerable strengths' at a level. These general criteria were applied here, with minimal adjustment to allow for integer mark correspondences.