RM extends partnership for international maths and science assessment

RM has signed a contract with IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement) to provide the digital platform that will support the next iteration of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

Directed by IEA's TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center at Boston College's Lynch School of Education and Human Development, TIMSS is an international assessment of student achievement in mathematics and science. Taking place every four years, it has been measuring trends in achievement and attitudes of 9- to 10-year-olds and 13- to 14-year-olds since 1995. More than 650,000 students in 64 countries participated in TIMSS 2023, including 8,330 pupils in years 5 and 9 across 267 schools in England. 

RM is a longstanding partner to IEA, supporting both its TIMSS and PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) work. The 2023 TIMSS programme was the first time assessments were conducted digitally. This was facilitated through RM’s Assessment Master platform.

Following the new deal, the Assessment Master platform will continue to support the delivery of the study in 2027. The platform will support multilingual testing and provide a wider range of question types (including graphical formats) that go beyond what is possible through traditional paper-based assessments. TIMSS 2027 will also combine automated marking with artificial intelligence (AI) assisted human review to enhance scoring accuracy and consistency. 

RM's strategy to develop an end-to-end digital platform for examinations, authoring and accreditations is progressing well. Its RM Assessment division more than doubled its contracted order book in 2024 after securing extensions to several longstanding commercial partnerships (see RM delivers platform for growth). Its work with IEA provides another opportunity for RM to demonstrate its assessment delivery support and innovation credentials on a global scale. 

Posted by: Dale Peters at 09:56

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