My international contact and I have been discussing assessments. She actually provided me with a ton of information on how the assessment process works in the Netherlands. This is what she wrote:
Sooo interesting that you are asking these questions. Here in Holland that same issue is being discussed for a couple of years now!
Last summer the government have adopted a new law; compulsory standard exit-tests for all students on both language and math skills.
This starts next schoolyear.
The idea of testing 3-year olds when the enter primary education did not make it trough the Senate, fortunately.
But, let's start at the beginning:
For all subjects national standards are created, from which schools have to teach, but they are written down as final objectives per grade, per subject.
How and when in that specific grade schools teach the matter is completely up to the schools.
However, in higher grades,these objectives are used to write books and other teaching materials, used in the classroom.
Each school can decide if they wish to test their pupils, but usually schools test their pupils twice a year, using standardised tests.
About 80% of the schools use a standardised tests, even with the 4-year-olds.
These are administered indeed in a paper-and-pencil way, for the youngest the line used is" underline the pictuere where you can see a............" , since they cannot read.
Add to that the fact that most schoolbooks have their own tests per chapter, you can imagine that childrens progress can be very closely monitored.
This is another thing schools are required by law to do: monitor and document the progress of each pupil, per subject.
Especially in the first few grades this information is gathered through observation by the teachers.
And, after having observed and documented that,
we have to help students who fall back by writing 6-week plans to get them back on track again.
A funny thing: there's nothing written about the gifted children... I feel they too need 6-week-plans to help them!
Fortunately, the school my two eldest children attend, is implementing a tracking-system for gifted children and offers them "grade 9-time".
Care for those who are not average, is typically something educational inspectors grade schools on.
And than, my opinion on the matter.
Ofcourse we need to test children. It is the only way you can be sure children have picked up and understood what you have been teaching.
Gaps in their understanding of things can be found and 'fixed'. The creativity of the teacher can be exercised in many ways to teach the matter at hand.
On the other hand, I really think we can NEVER underestimate the opinion of the teacher. They know their pupils through and through, know their strengths and weaknesses.
We can never rely on testresults exclusively, luckily colleges and highschools always talk to the primary schoolteachers before placing students.
Testing on entering primary schools is in my opinion rediculous.
This way, young children can be stigmatized as problem child, where this may not be the case.
I think that schools need to focus on the learning-curve of a child. It's not relevant with what level of knowledge a child enters a school,
it's the amount of added knowledge and skills that is important.
We need to expect the most of both studants and teachers in order to achieve a maximum 'output'.
I thanked Ankie and told her what a blessing she has been to this course. It's nice to hear from a fellow professional educator the latest information from another part of the world. It helps us see that we all have the same passion, and we are all working toward a common goal; the happiness and success of our children.
