Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 April 2022
473. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the definition of State Examinations Commission externally moderated, school-based assessment entails in the context of senior cycle reform; if teachers will be required to grade their students; and the details of the State Examinations Commission moderation will entail. [17825/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra474. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education if an algorithm will be used by the State Examinations Commission to moderate teachers’ marking of continuous assessment components in the context of senior cycle reform. [17826/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 473 and 474 together.
As the deputy is aware, on March 29th I announced an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle of education where the student is at the centre of their Senior Cycle experience. The three tenets of Senior Cycle reform are to:
- Empower students to meet the challenges of the 21st century
- Enrich the student experience and build on what’s strong in our current system
- Embed wellbeing and reduce student stress levels
I have asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) together with the State Examinations Commission (SEC) to jointly research and explore how an SEC externally-moderated, teacher-based form of assessment could be possible within the mix of approaches used to assess each subject. This assessment component will be have a weighting of 40% of the total marks available.
International research and practice have demonstrated that there is a variety of approaches to the internal and external moderation of teacher-based assessment that warrant in-depth consideration. The NCCA and SEC work in this area will include extensive engagement with teachers and other stakeholders and will rely on the use of network schools to progress this aspect of Senior Cycle development.
In the programme of work ahead we will move to a model that uses other forms of assessment beyond terminal written examinations, over a less concentrated time period, in line with international best practice. It will enable us to maintain the high standards and quality that we need to continue to achieve in our schools to serve our students well. It is vital that the form of assessment we use both reflects excellence in standards and truly enables all students to showcase their abilities.
