Publication Date
8-24-2026
Subjects
Educational assessment, Formative evaluation, National competency tests, National standards, Literacy education, Numeracy, Academic achievement, Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Primary school students
Abstract
This report presents findings from more than 30,000 Scottish Online Formative Assessment (SOFA) assessments completed across one Scottish local authority during the 2024-2025 academic year. It demonstrates how SOFA can be used to monitor learning progression across numeracy, reading and writing, identify attainment gaps between learner groups, and provide detailed diagnostic evidence to support classroom practice, school improvement and local authority panning. Although based on a single local authority, the study illustrates how curriculum-aligned formative assessment can complement national assessment evidence by providing richer insight into learner development.
Recommended Citation
Towne, A., & Krstic, S. (2026). Understanding primary level learner progression in Scotland: Insights from Scottish Online Formative Assessments (SOFA) data from the Highland local authority. ACER UK. https://doi.org/10.37517/978-1-74286-813-4
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Copyright Statement
ACER UK © 2026
With the exception of any material protected by a trademark, and where otherwise noted, all material presented in this document is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence.
ACER UK must be attributed as the copyright holder of this publication, and Alexander Towne and Sladana Krstic as the authors.
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
ACER UK
ISBN
978-1-74286-813-4
DOI
https://doi.org/10.37517/978-1-74286-813-4
Geographic Subject
Scotland
Included in
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Elementary Education and Teaching Commons, Language and Literacy Education Commons