Assessment Policy

School: Caherleaheen NS

Overview

Caherleaheen N.S. understands assessment to be “…the process of gathering, recording, interpreting, using and reporting information about a child’s progress and achievement in developing knowledge, skills and attitudes”. (Assessment in the Primary School Curriculum – Guidelines for Schools NCCA).

This policy also correlates with the expectations set out in the Looking at Our Schools Guidelines, (LAOS) It supports the development of the expectations as outlined in Domain 1, 2 and 3 for Teachers, specifically:

With regards to Leadership and Management, it supports the LAOS policy, domains 1 and 4:

Development

This policy was first ratified in 2008. It was amended in  2012, and  2016.

 

Policy Rationale

The core of the policy is that all children should experience success at school.  The policy endeavors to identify, at the earliest possible opportunity, children who may have learning difficulties and put in place a whole school response to their needs.  An effective assessment policy is central to this core objective. It also aims to support the development of life-long learning skills amongst the student body, and to encourage student ownership and self-assessment

Relationship to School Ethos

The school promotes a holistic approach to the education and development of each child and the enhancement of teaching processes.  We believe that an effective Assessment policy identifies early interventions that need to be put in place to ensure that relative success, increased confidence and raised self-esteem is achieved for all pupils, thus promoting life-long learning in our pupils. We recognise the importance of standardised testing but acknowledge that this is a snapshot in time, on a particular day. We endeavour to practise more frequent methods of assessment which adhere to academic and socio-cultural needs putting the child at the centre of the focus.

Aims and Objectives

The primary aims of the policy are:

 

These aims will be achieved through the following objectives:

Principles

  1. Careful thought is given to the purpose of assessment, adopting a wide range of methods to reflect the whole curriculum and learning opportunities. The main purpose of assessment is to facilitate progress in a pupil’s learning.
  2. Assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning process, a valuable formative tool.
  3. The range of opportunities for carrying out continuous assessment is increased by good classroom organisation, which encourages children to work independently while the teacher is concentrating on a small group.
  4. The outcomes of assessment modify our teaching methods, provide feedback on the curriculum as well as indicate pupil progress.
  5. We recognise the potential for assessment in developing a positive self-image in the pupil from positive and constructive feedback and the feeling of success, which encourages further study.
  6. Results of assessment are reported in a way useful for pupils, teachers, parents and other interested parties.
  7. Assessment records must be easy to interpret, useful, accessible, manageable and should not be administratively burdensome.

Policy Content

This policy is aimed towards using assessment to inform planning and identify the needs of all pupils so that adequate strategies are in place early enough to facilitate remediation.  These strategies may include pupil self-assessment, pupil profiling, two-way communication between parents and teachers, modification of teacher programmes & Student Support Plan

Assessment Methods

How is learning assessed?

As part of the assessment process, a selection of assessment tools, chosen at the discretion of the teacher, will be used to help gain a clearer picture of the success of the teaching and learning in our school.  Apart from the specific tests named below, a variety of assessment methods is used throughout the school, depending on the age of the pupils and the specific curricular area. In general, the assessment methods used in this school are:

 

 

Main Areas to be Addressed in this Policy

 

  1. Assessment for Learning
  2. Assessment of Learning
  3. Self-assessment by students and teachers
  4. Screening/Diagnostic assessment
  5. Standardised assessment
  6. Educational Psychological assessment
  7. EAL assessment

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Assessment for Learning emphasises the child’s active role in his/her own learning.  This level of involvement in shaping their own learning can heighten children’s awareness of themselves as learners and encourage them to take more personal responsibility for, and pride in, their learning. This specifically supports Domain 2, Learner Experiences, LAOS. By interacting with the children in such a way, the teacher can gain invaluable information as to how best to deliver the curriculum in their classroom.  Every interaction has the potential to provide the teacher and children with a better idea of what they do or don’t understand or can and can’t do.  Many of these interactions are informal and are a continuous part of everyday classroom activities, in all classes, across the full curriculum.  They are used to identify what pupils have achieved, what might be affecting their progress and what strategies will best support their future learning.  The information that such assessment provides will also enable teachers to evaluate their own professional/personal practice and make changes, thus meeting the standard requirements for Domain 3, Teachers’ Individual Practice, Standards 2-4, LAOS .

 

Assessment for Learning may consist of, among others, the following:

  1. Teachers observing the child in the classroom and whole school environment, through listening, observations, reflections, and reactions to classroom problems, so that a picture of the child can be built up. Various checklists can be compiled e.g. vocabulary, behaviour, skills, samples of pupils’ work (e.g. writing, art) etc. An important part of recording the progress of the child is the periodic recording of strengths and weaknesses of the child.
  2. Class/group work
  3. Homework
  4. Pupil – teacher talk
  5. Project work in all classes
  6. Teacher-designed assessments
  7. Pupil Portfolio

Assessment of Learning (AoL)

Assessment of Learning generally involves assessing a child’s learning at the end of a given period, such as the end of a unit of work, a week, a term, or a year.  Assessment of Learning is more about measuring a child’s cumulative progress towards objectives, often in the form of a grade or score.  Assessment of Learning also helps the teacher to plan future work, to set new targets, and to provide feedback and information for end-of-year assessment.

Self-Assessment by Students and Teachers

Children are involved in self-assessment when they look at their own work in a reflective way, identify aspects of it that are good and that could be improved, and then set personal learning targets for themselves.

This aims to support the development of Domain 2, Learner Experiences, LAOS 2022.  Self-assessment skills include effective questioning, reflection (in monthly teacher reports) problem solving, comparative analysis, and the ability to share thoughts in a variety of ways.  Self- assessment can be used by children of all ability levels and in all areas of learning.  In age-appropriate ways, it can be used throughout the primary curriculum and across all subjects.  Whole class discussions, group situations or one-to-one conferencing are all platforms for self-assessment.  These everyday activities place assessments at the very heart of teaching and learning.  It enables the child to take greater responsibility for his/her own learning.

 

Teachers in turn, can also use self-assessment to evaluate how they deliver the curriculum content to the children and by reflecting on how a unit of work was delivered.  This reflective practice, coupled with the AfL and AoL strategies earlier, will help to inform them as to what was successful and if any adjustments may improve the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom.

 

We use a variety of ways of involving pupils in assessing their own learning, these may include:

 

  1. General or differentiated questioning
  2. Feedback-individual and/or group/paired feedback
  3. Dialogue and Discussion
  4. Focused Correction of Work eg COPS
  5. Thumbs up/thumbs down
  6. WALT and WILF
  7. Learning logs
  8. Mapping
  9. Rubrics

 

 

Early Intervention and Supplementary Teaching

There is a particular emphasis in our school on early intervention primarily in Literacy but also in Numeracy, gross/fine motor development and social skills at Infant level. However, these interventions apply when the needs emerge as children progress up through the school. If a child begins to show signs of difficulty or a discrepancy becomes apparent between the chronological age of the child and their level of attainment, the SEN teacher and the Class Teacher may meet to discuss with the parents/guardians, the possibility of further support or testing in order to establish the nature of any difficulty.  At this point the parents/guardians may be asked to sign a consent form allowing their child to receive additional support.  After this consultation with parents/guardians, the SEN teacher, in co-operation with the Classroom Teacher and Principal, may administer screening/diagnostic checklists and/or tests in order to identify any underlying causes of learning difficulties which are acting as obstacles to learning.  By eliciting more precise information, it is possible to analyse the relative strengths and weaknesses of the child.  Programmes can then be devised, based on the needs of the child, in order to give him/her specific help.  If there is still cause for concern after Learning Support intervention, the child may possibly be placed on a priority list for educational psychological assessment in consent with the child’s parents/guardians.

 

In the case where a child is selected for supplementary teaching but the parents do not wish for the child to receive such support, a written letter from the parents will be sought outlining that while the school made them aware of the difficulty their child was experiencing and while supplementary teaching was made available, they have decided that they do not wish their child to avail of this support. This has never happened in our school to date. All parents appreciate and consent to extra support from SETs.

 

High-achieving students will also be supported. Initially this will take place in the classroom through differentiated learning.  The SET may provide a programme to support their further learning and the class teacher will liaise with SET to engage such children.

Screening/Diagnostic Assessment

In general, all children are screened in various ways in order to identify those experiencing difficulties in learning or meeting learning objectives.

The following screening measures may be used:

 

All children in Junior Infants are screened to identify children experiencing difficulties in learning. Some or all of the following screening measures may be used:

Input from parents

Teacher Observation

Teacher-designed tasks and tests

BIAP (Belfield Infant Assessment Profile) for specific pupils

Two Peas in a Pod-Phonological Awareness assessment

Station Teaching Dolch & Reading Assessment

Pupil Literacy Profile

 

Senior Infants:

MIST-Test of Early Literacy Skills

Drumcondra Test of Early Literacy and Numeracy Screening-DTEL-S/DTEN-S

Drumcondra Primary Reading Test-DPRT

Sight Word assessment

Two Peas in a Pod-Phonological Awareness assessment

Station Teaching Dolch & Reading Assessment

Pupil Literacy Profile

 

 

First to Sixth Class

Drumcondra Spelling and Reading

Sigma T

Weekly Spelling Tests in English & Irish

Weekly Mental Maths

English Dictation

Termly Subject Class Assessments

Station Teaching Dolch, Phonics & Reading Assessment

 

Station Teaching:

Pupils are assessed by the SET team individually, before they begin their six-week station teaching programme, which informs us of what the focus will be. Along with graded PM+ readers other activities may include oral and reading comprehension, phonics, spelling, handwriting and listening skills. This is to develop fluency and vocab as well as confidence, and to make sure each pupil is reading at their own level while being challenged appropriately. Parents receive a detailed letter beforehand from the SET team, explaining how they can support the station teaching programme at home each evening

 

List of Screening/Diagnostic methods which may be used by our school

 

 

 

 

Standardised Assessment

During April/May teachers carry out the standardised tests in accordance with circulars 0056/2011 and 0018/2012.  It may, on occasion, be deemed appropriate by the school to administer alternative standardised tests at the beginning of the school year, to help gain a clearer picture as to any learning needs of a particular child/class.  However, it should be noted that this is not required and if carried out will be in addition to the May/June testing.

 

Arrangements are made for mixed classes who need to be tested separately and

SET teachers may be needed to administer tests to some other class groups, such as:

 

 

Where results indicate a learning difficulty i.e. where there is a marked difference between the child’s chronological and reading/mathematical age and/or whose classroom performance signify some level of difficulty, the pupil may, with written parental approval, be referred for diagnostic testing. If there is still cause for concern, the child, after Learning Support interventions, (in line with the NCCA Continuum of Support guidelines) may possibly be placed on a priority list for educational psychological assessment, again with parental written consent.

 

Results are communicated to parents, in adherence to Circular 0056/2011 and 0018/2012.  These results are accompanied by a standard explanatory note from school.  These whole-school results are also delivered to the BOM. Results for Second, Fourth and Sixth Class are reported to the Department of Education and Skills in aggregated form. The STEN and/or Percentile Rank is communicated to parents.  The parents of pupils whose results give cause for concern, are most welcome to arrange a meeting with their child’s teacher or SET to discuss their child’s progress and attainment. Teachers may also arrange meetings with parents to discuss future interventions.

 

 

Educational Psychological Assessment

When a child is prioritised for an educational psychologist assessment, a meeting will be held with the parents to discuss this procedure.  The SEN team in conjunction with the Principal and SEN co-ordinator will organise the assessment.  The assessment will inform the drafting of a Student Support Plan for the child.  These plans are stored securely in locked filing cabinets.

 

Recording and Storage of Assessment Information

 

 

Assessment information in this school is recorded through marks, grades, checklists and narrative comment, both oral and written. Comments are phrased in a positive manner and, if appropriate, with recommendations for improvement in specific areas of learning.

The records of report cards and standardised assessments are stored in a secure filing cabinet.  Assessments & work samples are stored in each child’s portfolio, stored by the class teacher/SET team. The results are also stored in electronic copy form on Aladdin Student Management System.

The standardised test booklets are kept until the following year when the new test results are collated.  Thereafter, only the results will be stored. These records are kept until the child has reached twenty-five years of age. (See Data Protection policy).

 

 

The Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2003 entitles the parents/guardians of all primary school children to have access to all personal data relating to their children, whether stored in electronic form or hard copy. This school complies with this legislation.

Where appropriate, the school also shares information with other teachers, other primary schools and secondary schools when children transfer, and the children themselves. Assessment information on an individual child will be provided to another school, primary or post-primary, to which the child is transferring.  This will only be done upon receipt of written enrolment confirmation.  If a school requests our school to forward the educational psychological assessment, this request will be conveyed to the parent.

 

The school also shares information with other relevant individuals and agencies such as the Inspectorate of the Dept. of Education and Skills, Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs), Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) of Tusla and other professionals such as speech and language and occupational therapists. Where assessment information is shared, confidentiality is maintained between the school and the receiver of the information. All requests from outside agencies for assessment information on individual pupils must be made through the Principal.

 

Assessment information is formally shared with parents twice a year.

Parent/teacher meetings take place once a year during the first term, usually in November Each child’s parents are invited to attend a 15 minute (approx.) meeting. If either the teacher or the parents believe that a follow-up meeting should take place, it will be arranged for a mutually convenient time.

SET team meets parents formally twice a year to discuss targets/reviews for IEP’s. This usually takes place in term 1 & 2. Informal communication takes place throughout the year.

A comprehensive written report is given to parents at the end of the school year which supports the requirements outlined in Circular 18-2012. Staff will generate report cards, and share using Aladdin. This report covers both academic and social progress. This report includes the results of the Drumcondra tests and a short explanation of the results.

Results of diagnostic tests are shared with the parents and teacher of the child concerned.

Copies of the end of year reports are available to view for the child’s new teacher at the beginning of the following school year via the Aladdin Student Management System.

Meetings between current and previous years class teachers are facilitated at the beginning of September each year.

Assessment results are used to communicate a child’s progress to his/her parents (Assessment of Learning).

Results are also used to enable teachers to plan lessons in a specific way, both for the class in general and to differentiate the learning experience for particular pupils (Assessment for Learning).

These assessments also inform the SET teachers on which targets should be included in the children’s Support plans. It also allows for evaluation of progress targets and expected outcomes across the Continuum of Support.

In accordance with Circulars 45/2014 and 26/2019, information will be sent to the relevant post primary school following confirmation of enrolment and by the end of June. The Sixth Class teacher will use NCCA Education Passport materials to support the reporting, communication and transfer of pupil information at the end of sixth class. The materials are presented under the umbrella title of ‘Education Passport’ and are available at www.ncca.ie/transfer.

 

Success Criteria

We will know this policy has succeeded when:

  1. A range of informal and formal assessment modes are used to place assessment as an integral part of teaching and learning.
  2. Procedures run smoothly and efficiently because there is clarity about what is expected and who is responsible for the different aspects.
  3. Transfer of information from teacher to teacher happens efficiently at the beginning and end of the school year.
  4. SET teachers are collaborating with class teachers with regards to the assessments.
  5. Each child has been presented with the opportunity of assessment from the spectrum of assessment tools mentioned above.
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