Assessment for equity and excellence?

Hyland, Áine

Assessment for equity and excellence?

Files

Leader article on Assessment - July 2024.pdf(666.35 KB)

Accepted Version

Date

2024

Authors

Hyland, Áine

Publisher

National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals

Abstract

Senior cycle reform has been high on the agenda of Minister Norma Foley since her appointment as Minister for Education in June 2020. In March 2022 she set out her proposals for reform in a document “Equity and Excellence in Education” (see ”A Re-Imagined Senior Cycle: A Response to Equite and Excellence for All” in Leader, Autumn 2022). As part of the proposed reform, the emphasis on the Leaving Certificate terminal examination would be reduced by spreading the assessment load over the two years of senior cycle. In the case of English and Irish, Paper One would be examined at the end of Fifth Year and Paper Two at the end of Sixth Year. When it became clear that this proposal could not be implemented, the Minister issued revised proposals in September 2023. Nine new and revised Leaving Cert subjects would be introduced in 2025 and would be examined for the first time in 2027. Each of the new subject specifications would incorporate externally assessed components that were not traditional written examinations, and these components would be worth at least 40% of the total Leaving Cert marks in each subject. Draft specifications for the nine new and revised subjects were circulated by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in December 2023. In the proposed Leaving Certificate science subjects (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) from 2027, students would be required to carry out an Investigative Project and to submit a report worth 40% of the total marks to the State Examinations Commission (SEC) in the second term of the final year. The report would be submitted in a pro forma online reporting booklet in a format similar to that of the booklet currently used in Applied Maths, Agricultural Science and Computer Science. The proposal that in each subject 40% of the marks would be allocated to an Additional Assessment Component (AAC) has caused a lot of concern among students, teachers, university representatives and the general public. The implications for students and schools of writing up and submitting projects and/or reports for most if not all of their Leaving Cert subjects in the second term of the final year, just before the oral examinations for languages and music, is likely to cause considerable stress for students and teachers, not to mention for school principals and management who will have to ensure that the resources will be available to enable this gargantuan task to be successfully undertaken.

Keywords

Ireland , Leaving Certificate , Additional assessment component

Citation

Hyland, Á. (2024) 'Assessment for equity and excellence?', Leader, Autumn 2024, pp. 1-7.