Test of Standards to be only administered in Grades Four and Six, says Minister Richards

(SKNIS): In a statement on the National Assessment Framework given on February 06, the Honourable Shawn Richards, Minister of Education, announced that Test of Standards will only be administered in Grades Four (4) and Six (6) and will cover content for the respective grades.

“In line with the 2017-2021 Education Sector Plan, which seeks to implement a revised and more relevant national curriculum and assessment system over the planned period, the Ministry of Education will modify its existing National Assessment System to implement national assessments of students performance at key stages,” said Minister Richards, while noting that at the primary level changes will be made to the assessment strategy for kindergarten, grade two, grade four and grade 6.

He said that the new assessment methods are to deliver improved learning outcomes for students and provide “valid and reliable data for education officials.”

Minister Richards explained that the national assessment that will be overseen in grade four (4) will allow educators to assess students’ competencies after completing more than half of their primary level education to determine those that may benefit from targeted remediation.

“A national assessment at grade six (6) will provide a summative evaluation on the student learning outcomes attained by the end of primary education,” he added.

He noted that to achieve the goals set out in the Education Sector Plan, assessments will be developed for the selective grades. However, the form and timing of the exams will remain the same.

“The Ministry of Education recognizes that this is a significant shift in the approach to national assessments and craves the support of schools and teachers as we strive to develop a more meaningful National Assessment System,” stated Minister Richards.