Before the day of the exam, a hundred Catalan schools and institutes were able to download the statements of the basic skills tests to evaluate the levels of mathematics, science and languages. These exams, which all 6th grade primary and 4th ESO students pass, do not count towards the grade. They are used to diagnose the educational system and the level of the center, although families receive their child’s results for information purposes.
These schools, 95 in total, took the exams this week, on a date after that ordered by the Consell Superior d’Avaluació, on April 16 and 17. The request to delay the tests is common, since the days of the celebration may coincide with school outings, private events or local holidays. In that case, the directions justify the need to postpone them and the students of that center do it days later. The results do not count in the overall calculation of the educational system.
The difference between what happened this year, compared to previous courses, is that the tests have been known before this second round of exams, through photos on social networks and because they were posted on the website of one of the territorial services of Education, according to El País advanced on Friday.
The teachers took the hanging exam model to exercise their students in the mechanics of the tests. Specifically, they found exams in several subjects in the repository, such as mathematics, English and French. Therefore, it came as a huge surprise to them to discover, upon opening the final envelopes, that they were the same.
It so happens that the group of affected schools is larger this year than in previous years because the council changed the date of the 4th year of ESO at the beginning of this year. They were to be held in February and were moved to April. So, it was justified, they wanted to avoid too many external evaluations coinciding since in addition to basic competencies, the centers have examined the diagnostic tests of the education law (Lomloe), which have begun to be applied this year.
Education sources explained to this newspaper yesterday that late tests do not count in the global data for Catalonia. They pass them so that the center can keep track of the students. “It is not new, it happens every year, the important thing is that it has no impact on the statistical value,” they insisted.
In this year’s assessments, open questions in 6th grade mathematics and science have also been eliminated. This type of question requires the student to justify the answer, which usually determines its level.
Educació explains that closed answers allow a faster correction with a very reduced loss of value or information,” unlike written expression tests where they are maintained. Educació has prioritized speed. “The centers need and ask us for reports in time to be able to make decisions for the following year.”
Students in 4th grade and 2nd ESO have also been examined in compliance with Lomloe regulations. They are tests prepared by the Government that do not count towards the grade. This year a statement surprised: “Why can’t we see the stars when it’s daytime?” A child corrected the question: “Why can we only see a star when it is daytime?” and he answered: “The sun prevents us from seeing stars anymore.” The Consell sent a note to the school. “Congratulate this child for his punctuality! He has all the reason. We take note.”
This institution has been in the spotlight these months, after in December it attributed the drop in the PISA report to a biased sample. The Government immediately rectified, dismissed the president of the council weeks later, and announced the creation of the Agència d’Avaluació i Prospecció. This has been paralyzed due to lack of budget.
