Assessment Policy for St. Dominic’s NS
Introductory Statement
This policy was originally created in consultation with the teaching staff of St. Dominic’s N.S. – Brigid Mulvihill McNamara, Laura Sorohan, Fiona Hughes, and Fintan Farrelly in 2008.
It is being reviewed in November 2013 in view of the changes with regard to standardised tests and the reporting of results
Reasons for review and rationale
Aims of assessment
Areas to be assessed
Assessment is integral to all areas of the curriculum. In addition to the products of learning, the strategies, procedures and stages in the process of learning are assessed.
In our school we focus on the assessment of literacy. Our next priority is Maths. For these subjects we use standardised tests, published tests (e.g. Planet Maths Assessment tests) as well as teacher designed tests.
Approaches to assessment
A principal function of assessment is to provide the teacher with an accurate picture of the child’s development. This will enable him/her to create the learning contexts and design the teaching strategies most appropriate to the needs of individual pupils.
Another function is to help the teacher to assess the curricular needs of the class – what needs to be taught in any strand/strand unit, what needs to be revisited.
A great proportion of the teacher’s assessment will involve the use of less structured methods and will be an integral part of the teaching process.
To take into account the breadth and variety of the curriculum, we will use a wide range of assessment tool. These range from informal tools such as
to more formal testing such as
Each teacher will select those that best meet their needs at the time. Teacher will keep records of non-standardised test results.
Assessment of/for learning
Teachers will used tests to assess what has been learned and to ensure that children have understood the topic at a level appropriate to their level and ability.
Such tests will include
Teachers will use tests to assess to inform their planning and timetabling and to decide when topics need to be revisited
Such tests will include
*The criteria for referring a child to learning support or resources hours can be found in the policy drawn up for learning support and resource hours.
**See section on standardised testing.
Informing parents (Non-standardised tests)
Results of teacher designed tests and tasks will be communicated to parents throughout the school year using
Standardised Testing
Responsibilities in regard to standardised testing
Recording of results
The teacher who corrects the test will record the results on the appropriate form. Teachers will also be asked to record the results on a class record sheet. These records will be retained in a locked filing cabinet.
Each child’s result will also be recorded as part of their own records. These will be retained in the school until the child has reached age 21. The booklet will be retained only while it is current.
The learning support teacher will collate the results and record them electronically. He will ensure that the required class results are returned to the DES via the OLCS in June. The school bell curve will be communicated to the Board of Management at the first meeting of each school year.
Reporting of results of standardised tests
The results of all tests will be shared with
The results of the standardised tests administered to 1st and 4th classes will be shared with the parent/guardians of the children concerned in face-to-face meetings with the class teacher and the learning support teacher, where appropriate. The results will be given to them in terms of
The results of all standardised tests will be included in end of year reports from 2012 onwards.
STen scores and percentiles will be used as indicators for learning support.
End of year reports
From the end of this school year (2011 – 2012) we will use the new format of reports based on the templates provided by the NCCA. We will store them electronically from 2012-2013 onwards using the Aladdin system. A hard copy will be filed in each pupil’s file.
Roles and responsibility for assessment
Time frame for implementation and review
The section of the policy which deals with standardised testing will be implemented during the 2011-2012 school year. The policy will need to be reviewed by staff at the end of the next school year (2013)
Ratification and communication
This policy will be presented to the BOM for ratification at the next board meeting. Subject to the approval of the board, it will be available for inspection by any interested parties on request from the principal. Parent representatives to the board should communicate the formation of this policy to the parent body. All parents have been made aware, by letter, of the main elements of the policy in regard to standardised testing.
Ratified by the Board of Management: 12 November 2013
Review: November 2016
Introductory Statement
This policy was originally created in consultation with the teaching staff of St. Dominic’s N.S. – Brigid Mulvihill McNamara, Laura Sorohan, Fiona Hughes, and Fintan Farrelly in 2008.
It is being reviewed in November 2013 in view of the changes with regard to standardised tests and the reporting of results
Reasons for review and rationale
- The policy needed to be update to ensure that it adheres to the policies laid down in national literacy and numeracy strategy.
- Mr. Farrelly attended in-service in the area of Assessment. Following this, we felt that it would be appropriate to review our current practice on assessment in the school and to review our policy.
- A significant feature of the curriculum is the central position given to assessment in the teaching and learning process. We feel that we have to use assessment more effectively in our school and in our classrooms.
Aims of assessment
- To monitor the learning processes of teaching and to ascertain achievement in each area of the curriculum.
- To monitor strengths and weaknesses of the teaching of the curriculum at a school, class and individual level.
- Through assessment, the teacher will be able to construct a comprehensive picture of the short-term and long-term learning needs of the children. The teacher can plan work accordingly and give support in curricular areas where needs have been identified.
- Through assessment, the teacher will be able to identify, at a class level, what curricular content needs to be taught or re-taught.
- Through assessment the school will be able to prioritise areas of the curriculum that need attention and areas in which we need to be upskilled.
- Assessment will be used to identify children with specific learning difficulties so that the nature of the support and assistance they need can be ascertained, and appropriate strategies and programmes put in place to enable them to cope with the particular difficulties they are encountering.
- Assessment will assist communication about the child’s progress and development between teacher and parents and between teacher and teacher.
- It will enable the child to become more self-aware as a learner and to develop powers of self-assessment
- It is a diagnostic tool enabling teachers to identify the strengths and weaknesses of pupils and to take the appropriate next step such as looking for psychological assessment
Areas to be assessed
Assessment is integral to all areas of the curriculum. In addition to the products of learning, the strategies, procedures and stages in the process of learning are assessed.
In our school we focus on the assessment of literacy. Our next priority is Maths. For these subjects we use standardised tests, published tests (e.g. Planet Maths Assessment tests) as well as teacher designed tests.
Approaches to assessment
A principal function of assessment is to provide the teacher with an accurate picture of the child’s development. This will enable him/her to create the learning contexts and design the teaching strategies most appropriate to the needs of individual pupils.
Another function is to help the teacher to assess the curricular needs of the class – what needs to be taught in any strand/strand unit, what needs to be revisited.
A great proportion of the teacher’s assessment will involve the use of less structured methods and will be an integral part of the teaching process.
To take into account the breadth and variety of the curriculum, we will use a wide range of assessment tool. These range from informal tools such as
- teacher observation
- classwork
- homework
- teacher designed test and tasks
- discussion with pupils
- projects
- portfolios
- self-assessment by children, especially in the writing process
to more formal testing such as
- diagnostic tests*
- standardised test**
- published tests
Each teacher will select those that best meet their needs at the time. Teacher will keep records of non-standardised test results.
Assessment of/for learning
Teachers will used tests to assess what has been learned and to ensure that children have understood the topic at a level appropriate to their level and ability.
Such tests will include
- spelling tests
- comprehension tests
- cloze procedures
- teacher designed tests following the teaching of topics in History, Geography, Science tests
- Projects and assignments
- Reports on topics covered
Teachers will use tests to assess to inform their planning and timetabling and to decide when topics need to be revisited
Such tests will include
- Pre-tests and post-test, particularly in Maths – including Planet Maths assessment tests
- Comprehension assessment tests from Prim-Ed series
- Projects and assignments
*The criteria for referring a child to learning support or resources hours can be found in the policy drawn up for learning support and resource hours.
**See section on standardised testing.
Informing parents (Non-standardised tests)
Results of teacher designed tests and tasks will be communicated to parents throughout the school year using
- homework notebooks
- as part of face to face consultations
- in end of year reports
Standardised Testing
- In the summer term all children from first class to sixth class will be assessed in English and Maths using Micra and Sigma T standardised tests (end of May-beginning of June )
- Early in the summer term, all children in Senior Infants will be administered the MIST test (April) and from 2016 we will use the B.I.A.P test.
- Jolly Phonics Reading Assessment will be administered to Junior Infants and Senior Infants.
Responsibilities in regard to standardised testing
- The learning support teacher will order all the necessary tests before the Easter holidays.
- Tests will be administered and corrected by the class teacher and learning support teacher.
- In the case of the BIAP/MIST tests the class teacher and the learning support teacher will administer and correct the test
- In the case of the standardised tests Junior Infants, the learning support teacher will administer and correct the tests
Recording of results
The teacher who corrects the test will record the results on the appropriate form. Teachers will also be asked to record the results on a class record sheet. These records will be retained in a locked filing cabinet.
Each child’s result will also be recorded as part of their own records. These will be retained in the school until the child has reached age 21. The booklet will be retained only while it is current.
The learning support teacher will collate the results and record them electronically. He will ensure that the required class results are returned to the DES via the OLCS in June. The school bell curve will be communicated to the Board of Management at the first meeting of each school year.
Reporting of results of standardised tests
The results of all tests will be shared with
- Parents in end of year reports
- The appropriate class teacher
- The learning support teacher
- The Principal will have access to the results and his attention should be drawn to any particular areas of concern
The results of the standardised tests administered to 1st and 4th classes will be shared with the parent/guardians of the children concerned in face-to-face meetings with the class teacher and the learning support teacher, where appropriate. The results will be given to them in terms of
- Percentile
- STen score
- Descriptors – we will adhere to the descriptors in table 2 on p.63
The results of all standardised tests will be included in end of year reports from 2012 onwards.
STen scores and percentiles will be used as indicators for learning support.
End of year reports
From the end of this school year (2011 – 2012) we will use the new format of reports based on the templates provided by the NCCA. We will store them electronically from 2012-2013 onwards using the Aladdin system. A hard copy will be filed in each pupil’s file.
Roles and responsibility for assessment
- The principal will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of this policy.
- The teachers will adhere to the policy and will update and vary the tools of assessment.
- The learning support and resource teachers will be responsible for carrying out diagnostic tests. (See also Learning Support Policy)
- The B.O.M. will support and fund materials and tests required to implement the policy using the grant provided by the DES
- Parents will support the policy by ensuring that children are present for tests and by attending subsequent meetings, as far as possible.
Time frame for implementation and review
The section of the policy which deals with standardised testing will be implemented during the 2011-2012 school year. The policy will need to be reviewed by staff at the end of the next school year (2013)
Ratification and communication
This policy will be presented to the BOM for ratification at the next board meeting. Subject to the approval of the board, it will be available for inspection by any interested parties on request from the principal. Parent representatives to the board should communicate the formation of this policy to the parent body. All parents have been made aware, by letter, of the main elements of the policy in regard to standardised testing.
Ratified by the Board of Management: 12 November 2013
Review: November 2016