Introduction

This policy on Assessment has been written by the teachers of Kiltiernan N.S. in January 2008 and approved by the Board of Management and Parents’ Council.

Policy Rationale

The core of our policy is that all children should experience success at school. This policy endeavours 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 these core objectives.
The Education Act (1998) requires to schools to regularly evaluate students and to periodically report the results of the evaluation to the students and their parents. Therefore, the tools of assessment we have developed are designed to be broadly based so that they give a full and accurate account of each child’s progress and achievement.
Assessment is an ongoing process throughout the child’s life at primary school. Judgments of a child’s development and learning are made over a period of time rather than reflexively or sporadically. Assessment determines the nature of support and intervention appropriate to the child’s stage of learning so that each child is best positioned to engage with and experience success at each level of the curriculum.

Relationship to School Ethos

The school adopts a holistic approach to the education and development of each child. An effective Assessment Policy identifies early interventions that need to be put in place to create a supportive learning environment. This, we believe, will lead to increased confidence and raised self-esteem and facilitate the experience of success and awareness of achievement which every child needs to learn and develop.

Aims and Objectives

The primary aims / objectives of the policy are to –
1. To facilitate improved pupil learning.
2. To monitor learning processes.
3. To generate baseline data that can be used to monitor achievement over time.
4. To assist teachers in short and long term planning.
5. To involve parents and pupils in identifying and managing learning strengths and difficulties.
6. To provide pupils and parents of an accurate and full account of each child’s progress and achievement.

Policy Content

This policy is geared towards using assessment to inform planning and identify the needs of all pupils, including the exceptionally gifted, 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, and Individual Education Plans as used in Learning Support and Resource rooms.

Screening

The screening test used to identify learning strengths and weaknesses in our school are –

  • Middle Infant Screening Test (MIST)

The MIST is administered to Senior Infants, on a whole class basis, around Easter of each year. Screening is used by the school to initiate the staged approach to intervention as per circulars 24/03 and 02/05.

  • N.R.I.T. (Non-Reading Intelligence Test)

The N.R.I.T. is administered to First Class and Fourth Class.

Standardised Testing

The following whole school decisions have been made in relation to standardized testing:

  •  Drumcondra tests are used for measuring standards in Reading and Mathematics.
  • All classes from First class upwards are tested.
  •  The tests are usually administered in the last week of May or first week of June by the class teacher.
  • The staff analyse the results in June for allocation of resources to pupils in September.
  • Standard and Percentile Rankings scores are recorded on the class Record template and stored centrally in the strong room with a copy held in the learning support office.
  • The Learning Support teacher will administer the test to those pupils who were absent on the day the test was administered.
  •  Results are given in writing in school report at the end of the school year using a Sten score and descriptor, (Appendix 1) and are discussed at the parent teacher meetings in October where relevant.
  • Pupils at or below the 10th percentile will receive learning support.

Diagnostic Assessment

If after initial screening further intervention is required for diagnostic testing/ supplementary teaching, the parents approval is sought (App. 2)
Tests are administered by the Learning Support and Resource Teachers following referral by the class teachers in consultation with parents / guardians. The administration of such tests is in keeping with the approach recommended by Circular 02/05 where a staged approach is used by the individual class teachers before recourse to diagnostic testing /psychological assessment. Parents are provided with test results and if a psychological assessment is warranted, parental permission is sought and a consent form is completed. The Principal will facilitate such an assessment happening.
The diagnostic tests used in the school include –

  • Neale Analysis
  • Jackson Phonics Test: ‘Get Reading Right’
  • Dolch Word List
  • Schonell Reading and Spelling Analysis
  • Free Sample of pupil’s writing
  • High frequency words
  • Phonological Awareness Checklist
  • 100 High Frequency Spellings
  • Drawing for comprehension
  • Aston Index
  • Running Records
  • Maths Error Analysis
  • Maths Check Lists
  • Maths Language Checklist
  • Ballard West Timed Arithmetic Number Fact Test
  • Chamberlin School Kindergarten Math Screening Test

Psychological Assessment

Some pupils who continue to present with significant learning needs will require more intensive intervention. If stages 1 and 2 fail to deliver adequate intervention the class teacher / Principal will contact the parents for permission to secure a Psychological Assessment for their child. An assessment will determine the subsequent level of intervention, be it Learning Support, Resource hours or an Individual Education Plan. The most common forms of assessment used in our school are teacher observation, teacher designed tests, projects and homework (informal assessment).On receipt of the psychological assessment, a meeting will be arranged between

(a) The L.S. / Resource teacher and the class teacher and

(b) L.S. / Resource/ Class teacher and parents to discuss and evaluate the report.

An Individual Education Plan will then be drawn up.
Kiltiernan N.S. is obliged to report assessment information when requested to other teachers, other schools and the children themselves where appropriate. The school is also obliged to share assessment information with other individuals who are involved in the child’s education, including DES inspectors, NEPS Psychologists, SENOs, and Educational Welfare Officers as well as other professionals such as speech and language therapists and Occupational Therapists. Parents are informed when this information is to be shared.
Psychological reports will be held in a locked filing cabinet in the office.

Recording

  • Standardised Tests

All assessment results are recorded by the teacher on standardized forms, found in the Drumcondra manual. A copy of the results is given to the L.S. teacher and a copy is held in the filing cabinet in the Strong Room.

The results are also converted to bell tables, stored and saved in the Assessment file on computer. These are then brought to staff meetings where whole school approaches to improvements can be discussed if necessary.

  • Summer Reports

Each child from Infants to Sixth class results are being recorded on computer. Each report is saved and a hard copy showing standardized testing results, teacher designed class tests and observations using checklists, running records are posted to parents each July. These reports share assessment information with parents in an accessible format, and strengthen the link between home and school. Each September these reports are forwarded to the relevant teacher for use in classroom planning and for PTMs in October. (See Assessment information below).

PDF format summer reports are being phased in on a yearly basis since 2009 as recommended by the NCCA.

  • Teacher’s Day to Day Records

The teacher keeps their own day to day records of observations, incidents etc, as they occur in the classroom and playground. We use:
1. Running records for reading (once –three times per year per child)
2. Teacher designed testing in the areas of tables, maths, spelling (both dictation formats as well as list, oral and written)
3. Writing: e.g. writing frameworks
4. Oral language checklists and self-evaluation models such as KWL
5. Evaluation sheets: prompt questions for each child/ group to compose and/or consider at the beginning/ end of an exercise
6. Rubric formats: e.g. Construction in VA and writing (See sample below)
7. Buddy Systems: Reading (Reading aloud, echo reading, choral reading, popcorn reading, see-saw reading) and Writing (reading and discussing work with peers, using agreed editing symbols for correction by peers)
8. Questioning for self-assessment/ teacher’s assessment, using clear guidelines at the beginning of a lesson which are then used again for review by teacher and pupils at the end of the lesson.

Sample KWL

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[ultimatetables 4 /]

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  • Psychological Reports

All external assessments received by the school will be circulated to the Principal, L.S. /Resource and relevant class teachers. These will be held in a locked filing cabinet in the office.

  • Assessment Information will be formally reported to parents at the parent teacher meetings and in end of year reports. Teachers may also meet parents informally throughout the school year.

Managing Sensitive Data: Procedures are in place to manage sensitive data (see Data Protection Policy).

Retention of Records

  • Standardised test results are stored in a locked filing cabinet in the strong room and results will be kept until the pupil is 21 years old.
  • L.S./Recourse teacher retains a copy of all standardised test results.
  • Test booklets will be kept for one year, after which, the front page will be retained and the rest of the booklet will be recycled.
  • Samples of work will be held by the class teacher and passed on as the child progresses in classes.
  • Report cards will be held by the class teacher and it is that teacher’s responsibility to pass the reports up to the next class teacher as the child progresses.

Success Criteria

This policy is considered successful if –

  • Early identification and intervention is achieved
  • Clarity is achieved regarding procedures involved in staged approach
  • Procedures are clear and roles and responsibilities are defined
  • The Special Education team have clearly defined roles and objectives
  • There is efficient transfer of information between teachers, parents and pupils
  • Teaching and planning becomes more effective and targeted at those in most need

Roles and Responsibilities

Mainstream, Special Education teachers, and the Principal assume shared responsibility. It is the responsibility of the class teacher to set in train staged interventions at class level. At Stage 2, the responsibilities are shared with the Special Education team. The Principal assumes a primary role at Stage 3 when a Psychological Assessment may be required. Parents have a role at all stages and the lines of communication must be always kept open.

Implementation

This policy has been drawn up in January 2008 and has been reviewed most recently in March, 2011 and is effective immediately.

Ratification & Communication

This policy was ratified by the Board of Management in March and communicated to parents thereafter.

Review Timetable

This policy will be reviewed every 2 years and amended as necessary by means of a whole school collaborative process.

References

D.E.S. Circular 02/05 – 24/03
D.E.S. Learning Support Guidelines 2000
www.sess.ie
Working together to make a difference for children – NEPS
Education Act (1998)
Data Protection Amendment Act (2003)
Education Welfare Act (2000)
Education of Persons with Special Needs Act (2004)
Freedom of Information Act (1997, 2003)
Assessment in the Primary School Curriculum: Guidelines for Schools

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