ABSTRACT
Negotiation and dialogue in new forms of student assessment Student profile assessment and records of achievement schemes have developed with such rapidity that they seem to bear the stamp of an evangelical movement. As with many such movements, emphasis on development and action often outweighs critical reflections (see Broadfoot, 1986, for a critique of some of the issues arising). Even a cursory examination of profiling practice reveals a confusion of purposes, processes, concepts and principles. On the one hand, pro cesses aspire to be formative, developmental and confidential; on the other hand, they have a summative element and claim public currency. One can argue that this dichotomy represents a fundamental division of purposes that is not easily reconciled.
