Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.This group of six surveys assesses children's attainments in a sample of English and Welsh primary and secondary schools. The children in each age group were given a battery of tests and the results related to detailed information on the schools attended and to background, biographical and personal information on each child. In the case of Welsh children, linguistic information was also included.
Main Topics:
This survey covers children aged 14 years or over in English secondary schools. Information consists of test scores on a variety of tests (specific test content is confidential and not deposited with the Data Archive, but summary descriptions follow): Mathematics: an 85 item test (divided into 2 sections, the first consisting of 22 mathematical problems to be answered within 30 minute time limit, and the second consisting of 63 items covering mensuration - 20 minutes allowed). Mathematical Insight: 77 items designed to measure understanding of basic mathematical concepts (4 sections each separately timed - overall time limit 45 minutes). Mechanical Arithmetic: this is the same test as used for the 10+ group (see SN:60007 for description). English: 80 item test, covering vocabulary, comprehension, grammar usage and written expression (2 sections, first of 20 minutes duration and second of 30 minutes). English reading: description as for 10+ group (see SN:60007). Background information on child includes: sex; date of birth; school class; parental encouragement assessed on a three-point scale; rating of parental occupation (i.e. professional - managerial - unskilled etc.); subjects taken at school; number of these to be taken at GCE. Also included are mathematics and English attitude scales. Information on school includes: type, size, denomination of school, character of school locality, age of school buildings, amenities provided, sex of mathematics teacher and of English teacher and percentage of pupils leaving school at fifteen.
One-stage stratified or systematic random sample
schools as the sampling unit. The schools were those on the Ministry of Education list of maintained and assisted schools in England effective in January 1959. For each school chosen, all children fourteen years of age or older were assessed. The strata were defined by type and sex of school; within each stratum the schools were selected by the use of the relevant sampling interval for that stratum
Educational measurements
