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Assessment Policy

September 2021

Junior and Senior Infants

1. Teacher Observation. 

∙ Class teacher using his/her own observation and initiative. There are no set teacher  observation sheets. 

2. Standardised Test. 

∙ The L.A.R.R. Test of Emergent Literacy (Linguistic Awareness in Reading Readiness) will  be administered in November to Junior Infants. 

∙ The M.I.S.T. (Middle Infants Screening Test) will be administered in February to Senior  Infants. 

∙ Tests administered by Special Education Teachers (S.E.T.) 

∙ Tests will be corrected, interpreted and collated by class teacher. 

∙ Referral of pupils for supplementary teaching: Class teacher refers pupil to  Principal. Following discussion with teacher and S.E.T., Principal/teacher will contact  parents. 

3. Record Keeping. Test booklets will be held for 3 years by S.E.T. 

Results will be kept long term. 

4. Diagnostic Tests. 

∙ At class teachers’ and Principal’s request, S.E.T. will administer diagnostic tests to children. ∙ Tests will be corrected, interpreted and collated by S.E.T. 

∙ Record Keeping – test booklet will be retained for 3 years by S.E.T. 

5. Work Samples. 

Some samples/books/projects may be kept so children can compare with past work in a self assuring fashion.  

Record Keeping – short term storage, not kept from year to year. 

6. Communication. 

∙ Principal initially communicates with parents of children who go down in 3 areas in the  M.I.S.T. 

∙ A follow up programme to M.I.S.T., The Forward Together programme will be offered to  parents by class teacher. 

∙ Class teacher then continues to communicate with the parents in the Forward Together  Programme. 

∙ During communications, no information on how the child is doing in relation to the rest of  his/her class can be given.

Assessment 

First and Second Class 

1. Teacher Observation – continue general assessment throughout the year. 

2. Teacher Designed Tasks and Tests 

∙ Termly test (e.g. Maths Challenge, Busy at Maths, Master Your Maths, Mathemagic  Assessment Tests) 

Word tests/Vocabulary Checklists, Ability based spelling tests 

3. Standardised Tests 

First Class: 

∙ Drumcondra Primary Maths Test and Drumcondra Primary Reading Test will be  administered in May. No class teacher will test or correct their own class pupils’ tests. ∙ Non Reading Intelligence Test (N.R.I.T) will be administered and corrected by S.E.T.  in May. 

∙ Drumcondra Spelling Test administered and corrected by SETs in May. Second Class: 

∙ Drumcondra Primary Maths and Drumcondra Primary Reading will be administered  by teachers in May. No class teacher will test or correct their own class pupils’ tests. ∙ Drumcondra Spelling Test administered and corrected by SETs in May. 4. Diagnostic Tests 

∙ For children referred by class teacher, tests will be administered, corrected and  interpreted by S.E.T. 

∙ Parents/Guardians will be contacted by the class teacher / Principal following tests if  there appears to be concern. 

The following tests may be administered: 

∙ The Quest 

∙ York Assessment of Reading for Comprehension 

∙ Word Recognition and Phonic Skills Test (WRAPS) 

∙ Rain Test 

∙ Aston Index (Parts of it) 

∙ Dyslexia Screening Test 

∙ Bangor Dyslexia Test 

∙ PM Benchmark 2 

∙ WIAT -111 

5. Record Keeping 

∙ Standardised Test Booklets will be kept until the end of June of school year during  which test was completed.

∙ End-of-year reports for each child will be stored long term. 

∙ Pupil Profiles for pupils in receipt of learning Support or Resource Teaching will be  stored by S.E.T.s long term. 

∙ Results of all standardised tests will be kept long term. 

∙ Results of tests will be available to class teacher and parents on request. Results of  Drumcondra Primary Maths tests and Drumcondra Primary Reading tests will appear  on the end-of-year reports. 

Third to Sixth Class 

∙ Continuous assessment of pupils’ progress throughout the year, through teacher observation. ∙ Teacher designed tasks and tests – spelling tests, Maths tests and other subject areas at the  discretion of the teacher. 

∙ Standardised Tests: Drumcondra Primary Maths and Drumcondra Primary Reading test will be  administered in May. No class teacher will test or correct their own class pupils’ tests. ∙ Drumcondra Spelling Test administered and corrected by SETs in May. ∙ Non Reading Intelligence Test (N.R.I.T) – administered by S.E.T. to 4th class in October of each  year. 

Work Samples: First to Sixth Class 

∙ Work samples will go with the child at the end of school year. 

∙ Projects done by whole class or large groups may be kept at the discretion of the teacher. Communication: First to Sixth Class 

∙ When necessary children will be referred to S.E.T. by class teacher. Further testing will follow  and parents will then be informed by Principal if there are concerns. 

∙ Parents/Guardians can meet with S.E.T. on request. 

∙ NCCA end-of-year reports will be sent to parents in June with details of STEN scores for  Standardised Maths and English Tests taken in May. An explanatory sheet on STEN (NCCA)  will accompany report cards. 

∙ End of year reports are sent home via the Aladdin app 

∙ Parents are requested to supply a SAE for a hard copy of the end of school year reports. ∙ STEN scores will also be conveyed to the parents and discussed at Parent Teacher Meeting the  following November. 

∙ When communicating test results to parents/guardians, it is important not to imply absolute  precision. Parents/guardians who believe that test scores are absolutely accurate  measurements, like physical measurements, may arrive at incorrect conclusions regarding their  child’s reading level and her rate of progress. Faced with a lower score than was obtained by 

the child the previous year, such parents/guardians may conclude that the child’s reading has  deteriorated over the period when, in fact, the lower reading is actually within the margin of  testing. In the course of discussing the results, it might be deemed helpful to elaborate on other  aspects of the results, such as the child’s superior performance on the word recognition sections  of the test. 

∙ Parents/guardians may request to see the actual test booklet and, based on this, they may wish  to comment on aspects of the child’s performance. It may be professionally appropriate to do so  in individual circumstances. Bunscoil Bhríde will, on request through the Principal, allow the  actual test booklet to be shown to parents/guardians. Under no circumstances will the actual  test or photocopy of it be given to parents/guardians. 

∙ The NCCA website contains information on the tests which parents/guardians may find informative. 

Storage of Records 

∙ Record sheets of standardised tests will be stored long term in the Principal’s office and on the  pupil administration system, Aladdin and short term in teachers’ files. 

∙ Files for all children in receipt of Learning Support/resources will be stored in filing cabinets in  S.E.T. rooms. 

∙ End-of-year reports will be kept in children’s individual files in the Principals’ Office and on  Aladdin.