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Assessment Standardised Testing

Standardised tests are used to measure a child’s reading and mathematical achievement, and to determine children’s progress in those areas. Information from the tests is important given the vital role of literacy and numeracy in enabling children to access the full curriculum. All primary schools are required by the Department of Education and Skills (Circular 0056/2011) to administer standardised tests. Arrangements for standardised testing are set out below. • English medium schools are required to administer standardised testing in English reading and Mathematics during the period May/June for all students in 2nd, 4th and 6th classes on an annual basis with effect from 2012 onwards

During your child’s time in primary school, he/she will complete standardised tests in English Reading and in Maths. Most primary schools in the Republic of Ireland have been using these tests for many years. From 2007 schools must use the tests at certain times and share the results with you.

What is a standardised test?
We are all familiar with the idea of tests in school. Your child probably tells you how he/she did in a spelling or tables test prepared by the teacher. A standardised test is another kind of test. It is used to measure a child’s achievement in English Reading and Maths compared to other children throughout the country at the same class level or age level. The English Reading test gives information about how well your child can understand what he/she has read. This test does not gather information on your child’s written or spoken English. The Maths test finds out how well your child can use numbers for different purposes and solve maths problems. Schools can choose from a number of standardised tests, which have been developed for use in primary schools in Ireland. These tests are based on the curriculum. There are different levels of the tests so, for example, the test your child does in first/second class will relate to your child’s age and the curriculum for that class level.

Are standardised tests the same as intelligence tests?
No. Standardised tests are not intelligence tests. The main purposes of using standardised tests are to help the teacher plan your child’s learning, and to inform you about how well your child is doing in English reading and maths. When the test scores are used alongside other information gathered by the teacher through observing your child at work, talking with him/her and looking at his/her work, they show how your child is getting on in English reading and maths, and help the teacher to identify your child’s strengths and needs.

What is a standardised test?
Standardised tests are used to: 

• report to you as a parent on your child’s achievement in English reading and maths
• help to find out if your child has learning difficulties in English reading and maths so that the school can put appropriate supports in place

• help to find out if your child is a high achiever in English reading and maths so that appropriate learning experiences can be provided for him/her
• help your child’s teacher plan for further learning across the curriculum because your child’s achievement in English reading and maths is important for all his/her learning

When are standardised tests carried out?
In CETNS, standardised testing is completed in First Class during the period May/June.

Do all children take standardised tests?
A small number of children might not take the tests. For example, if your child’s first language is not English, the teacher may decide that he/she should not take the English reading test. Your child may, however, take the maths test. If your child has a learning or a physical disability, the teacher may decide not to give the test but to use a different way to check on your child’s progress. In all cases, the teacher will use the information he/she has about your child to decide whether or not your child should take the English Reading test and the maths test.

Should I help my child prepare for standardised tests?
No. Standardised tests are one source of information about your child’s achievement in English reading and maths. The teacher gathers information about your child’s learning all the time. Your child will take the standardised tests on a regular school day as part of his/her daily work in the classroom.

How will I know how my child has done on the standardised tests?
Your child’s standardised test results will be included in his/her end of year report.

How will I know what the test scores mean?
The teacher used standard scores to tell you how your child did in the tests. Standard scores usually go from 55to 145. The table below describes what the different standard scores tell you about your child’s achievement in the tests.

If my child’s score is high, what does this tell me?
A high score on the test may suggest that your child is a high achiever in English reading or maths. As with low scores, one high score is not enough to confirm this. Your child’s teacher will use information from other classroom assessments to understand more clearly how well your child is doing in English reading and maths.

Should I share the score with my child?
As part of the school report, we will make your child’s standardised English Reading and Numeracy results known to you. It is up to you, as a parent to decide if you wish to discuss the exact result with your child. The school would STRONGLY advise that you only discuss results in general terms with pupils – rather than giving them a numeric value. Comments such as “You should be very proud of your results” and “Your hard work paid off” might be more appropriate. You must consider if it will cause undue worry or stress to your child to share a score every year – they may worry about ‘going up’ or ‘going down’ from year to year, when it is perfectly natural for results to do this. You know your child best. No matter what the score is, you play an important role in encouraging your child to do his/her best, and in helping your child with English reading and maths. If the score is low and your child needs extra help with English reading or maths, it may be helpful to talk to him/her about this and to see the help in a positive way.

If you do choose to share the results with your child, please remind them to keep the results to themselves, and not to share them with their classmates. Test results should NOT be a topic of conversation, particularly in the Senior Classes, as it can cause a lot of undue pressure for children.

No matter the results, most pupils have worked hard across the year, and if they did their best, they should be praised for doing so. Remember, a single type of test does not reflect any one child’s range of talents and skills.

Helping my child to enjoy school and to succeed in learning
Using standardised tests during primary school to gather information on your child’s achievement in English reading and maths can play a vital part in supporting your child’s learning. Ultimately, this support can help your child enjoy school and make the most of the many opportunities to learn created by you and by your child’s teachers.