INCA Education around the world
Spain : Assessment arrangements
6.2.1 Control
6.2.2 Purpose(s)
6.2.3 Participation
6.2.4 Nature
6.2.5 Administration
6.2.6 Grading process
6.2.7 Consequences
6.2.8 Use of results
6.2.9 Output statistics
6.2 Second phase: Compulsory primary, age 6 - 12 [see 3.2.2]
6.2.1 Control
There has been no national system of testing/assessment in Spain. The minimum core curriculum includes basic guidelines for assessment, which is an integral part of the curriculum and is intended to be global and continuous. Provisions for assessment are incorporated in the objectives and process of developing the curriculum at each of the three levels: central official curriculum, local curricular plan, and individual class programme:
1. The official curriculum sets minimum goals for the student defined as a series of abilities (locomotive, cognitive, affective or emotional balance; interpersonal relationships; and social action and integration).
2. Local curricular plans reflect assessment strategies and procedures:
- What to assess (reviewing and adapting official attainment targets as necessary and setting attainment targets for each cycle).
- How to assess - situations, strategies and procedures.
- When to assess - initial, formative and summative points.
- How the results of assessment will be recorded and to whom they will be reported.
- Criteria for: student progression to the next year/cycle; supporting students who receive a negative assessment; and (if applicable) determining whether a student will receive the final qualification.
3. Class programmes, in which the individual teacher uses his/her discretion to adapt the school's curricular plan and assessment to meet the needs of his/her students.35
The State School Council ("Consejo Escolar del Estado") is involved in the general planning of education and basic standards, and advises on legislation. The Council comprises a Chairman and Secretary General (nominated by the Minister of Education), a Vice-Chairman elected by the Council and 80 advisers including teachers from public and private institutions and universities, representatives of education authorities, parents, students, administrative and service staff and employers' organisations.16
The individual institution, whether it is state or private sector is responsible for student assessment, and for awarding the corresponding certificates.16
INCE/INECSE
The 1990 Education Act (LOGSE)5 set up a body for the general evaluation of the education system. This body - originally known as INCE (Instituto Nacional de Calidad y Evaluación, the National Institute for Quality and Evaluation), and now known as INECSE (Instituto Nacional de Evaluación y Calidad del Sistema Educativo), the National Institute for Evaluation and Quality of the Education System) conducts national surveys based on assessment of students' attainment, and collects background data from principals (headteachers), teachers, students and families on a sample basis, usually at the end of educational phases (e.g. at age 12 on completion of compulsory primary education and at 16, the end of compulsory lower secondary school).35 Further information is available via the INECSE website at: http://www.mec.es/inecse/.
New national assessment from 2008/09
The Education Act 2006 (LOE) establishes that all educational establishments must take part in the diagnostic assessment/evaluation of students by the end of Year 4 of primary education (aged around 10) and by the end of Year 8 (the second year of compulsory secondary education, aged 14). The tests, which will be introduced from the 2008/09 school year, aim to assess the acquisition of basic competences. Some of the Autonomous Communities in Spain have been carrying out similar annual assessments in their jurisdictions for some years. These generally consist of pen and paper tests in mathematics, language and reading comprehension. Results are used for information and advisory purposes. They can also be useful for improving both daily teaching practice in schools and general education policies. (Source: Eurydice Unit, Spain)
6.2.2 Purpose(s)
Ongoing classroom assessment by teachers is used to measure student achievement against the objectives set, and to identify student need. It is therefore summative and formative. Satisfactory progress is usually required to grant access to the next class or cycle. See section 6.2.7 for further information on the latter.29
Assessment at this level should serve to determine any special needs attention required by students. The identification of any difficulties through assessment could result in the introduction of Individual Curricular Adaptations (ACIs) for some students.34 (See the special needs archive for further information. Select the 'special' button from the navigation box.)
At this educational stage, assessment is:
- Global: it covers the entire range of abilities set out in the general objectives for primary education and assessment criteria for the various areas of knowledge.
- Continuous: whereby class teachers continually gather information about the learning process of their students.
- Formative: designed to regulate and guide the education process by providing constant information that enables improvements to be made both in the educational process and its results.17
INCE/INECSE assessment
The main purpose of INCE/INECSE assessment (see 6.2.1), which usually takes place on completion of compulsory primary (and secondary education), students aged 12 (and 16) years, is to contribute to the general evaluation of the education system. As Spain comprises autonomous regions, national assessment studies such as those conducted by INECSE can provide a broad, comparative picture of educational progress both at national and regional levels. Consequently, national INECSE assessment has both diagnostic and informative purposes. It intends to provide policy-makers, schools, families and the public in general with sound, reliable information about the health and state of the education system.31
New national assessment from 2008/09
The new national system of assessment/evaluation of students by the end of Year 4 of primary education (aged around 10) and by the end of Year 8 (the second year of compulsory secondary education, aged 14), to be introduced from the 2008/09 school year, aims to assess the acquisition of basic competences. Its purpose is essentially diagnostic. (Source: Eurydice Unit, Spain)
6.2.3 Participation
Generally, all children are continually assessed during compulsory primary education by school-based classroom assessment.
In addition, INECSE national surveys are usually based on assessment of students' attainment, and background data collected from principals (headteachers), teachers, students and families on a sample basis, usually at the end of educational phases (e.g. at ages 12 and 16, on completion of compulsory primary and compulsory lower secondary education respectively). Every year, not more than 700 schools (providing both compulsory primary and secondary level education) take part in the different INECSE assessment surveys. This means that an individual school will probably only be asked to take part in some of the surveys once every five or six years.31
New national assessment from 2008/09
Under the Education Act 2006 (LOE), from the 2008/09 school year, all educational establishments will be expected to assess all students by the end of Year 4 of primary education (aged around 10) and by the end of Year 8 (the second year of compulsory secondary education, aged 14). (Source: Eurydice Unit, Spain)
6.2.4 Nature
Continuous assessment
In primary education in Spain, classroom assessment is continuous (using various tests) and comprehensive (taking into account the different subject areas), in accordance with pre-defined objectives and is based on the student's achievements throughout the cycle.16
INCE/INECSE assessment
INCE/INECSE national surveys are based on assessment of students' attainment and collect background data from principals (headteachers), teachers, students and families on a sample basis, usually at the end of educational phases (e.g. at age 12 and 16, on completion of compulsory primary and compulsory lower secondary education respectively). Occasionally, some studies may be carried out amongst other age groups, or conducted under the auspices of international agencies or bi/multilateral arrangements, or by regional authorities or schools themselves.31
INECSE assessment at the end of primary education is intended to cover all subjects of the official national curriculum. However, some areas have proved difficult to test by means of written, standardised instruments. Areas effectively covered to date are: mathematics, Spanish and regional languages, natural and social sciences, foreign languages and physical education.31
INECSE assessment tests include multiple choice items, open-ended questions and, occasionally, free response items, depending on the subject, the competencies to be assessed and the test objectives. Most INECSE tests are in written form, but in some cases (for example, physical education or foreign languages) may include observation, listening or conversation. All tests are based on the national core curriculum, which is the basis for curriculum development, both at a regional and school level (see 5.2.2). Assessment usually takes place during the later months of the school year (usually April or May), in from one to three two-hour sessions. Students included in the sample are tested in their own schools and classrooms.31
6.2.5 Administration
General
Assessment of students' attainment for certification and academic purposes is the responsibility of schools and teachers. There is no external (regional or national) examination of students during compulsory education. Schools are not obliged to follow a uniform model for assessing and marking student progress. They use guidelines included for that purpose in the core curriculum.31 In other words, teachers in each school determine the assessment criteria, methods and tools and, most importantly, they also set the criteria for progression.34
There are no externally prepared tests or instruments for teachers to use when performing their assessment duties. Most individual teachers design their assessment tools entirely on their own. Even textbook publishers have not put any effort into providing these instruments, limiting their role to the provision of instructional texts and classroom activities.34
INCE/INECSE assessment
Instruments used for the INCE/INECSE sample assessment are nationally set tests, prepared by specialists from INECSE in collaboration with representatives from the Autonomous Communities. The test development process is a long and careful, collaborative process, in which the curriculum is analysed, a table of specifications established, items written, pilot instruments developed and piloted, and tests approved. A number of experts - curriculum designers and developers, teachers, assessment specialists, and statisticians - from regions throughout Spain are involved in the development process.35
Test administration is the responsibility of regional authorities, in collaboration with INECSE. The principals (headteachers) of the schools included in the sample are contacted first by the regional authorities. Schools are also briefed via a letter from INECSE detailing the purposes and characteristics of the testing, and requesting their collaboration. Usually external personnel administer the tests and the responsible organisation (usually a university department or contracted agency) contacts schools in the sample to agree the data and procedures for the administration of the tests, in accordance with the general criteria set up for the tests. In some cases, external personnel are not used to carry out INECSE testing and the students' teachers themselves administer the tests.35
On some occasions, information on student attainment is also collected from teachers who, in such cases, may conduct their own assessments of student performance.35
6.2.6 Grading process
When providing assessment information as a student progresses to the next cycle, teachers use the following two grades for each of the subjects in the curriculum:
- PA - progressing adequately;
- NM - needing improvement.
These grades are often also used by teachers when reporting during the course of a cycle. 34
INCE/INECSE assessment
The outcomes of testing and assessment undertaken as part of INCE/INECSE national testing (usually for students aged around 12 and 16, see 6.2.1) are expressed in different ways: percentage of success, failure and non-response for each test item; a global score for each dimension or group of items; a global score for each exercise; a global score for each student (anonymous); aggregated scores for each school (anonymous); and aggregated scores for each region. See section 6.2.8 in addition.31
6.2.7 Consequences
Until the 2003/04 academic year, students usually progressed automatically from one class or cycle to the next. Provisions were in place which aimed to ensure that children had to achieve the appropriate objectives, that is, the objectives of the class or cycle, as well as the particular criteria established in the school's curricular plan, to be allowed to move up to the next class or cycle, and to ensure that students not achieving such objectives could be held back for one academic year once during primary education. In reality, however, this happened rarely. 29,34
However, since the 2003/04 academic year, automatic promotion to the next year has no longer been the norm. Students who do not meet the objectives for a given year receive additional support to achieve these objectives before being allowed to move on. In addition, those children regarded as borderline cases, who are promoted to the next year, benefit from special classes in their weakest areas. Generally, however, no child is held back for more than one year. 63
Any special needs attention required by students and identified during assessment at this level could result in the introduction of Individual Curricular Adaptations (ACIs) for some students.34 (See the special needs archive in addition. Select the 'special' button from the navigation box.)
6.2.8 Use of results
The institution, whether it is state or private sector, is responsible for student assessment, and for awarding the corresponding certificates.16
Teachers produce an initial report when the child first arrives in school, and a further one at the end of the first cycle (students aged 8). Such reports are designed by the teacher him/herself. There are also legal requirements for teachers to produce summary assessment reports on completion of each of the three (two-year) cycles of compulsory primary education (ages 8, 10 and 12 respectively) and these must follow a required format.34
Teachers also provide families with written reports of student achievement at the end of each term (usually every three months). These are designed by the school and include a description of the child's attainments, as well as providing details of specific measures the school intends to take to improve the future achievement of the student. All of the above documents are added to the student's personal file.34
When students move to another school, a special report is produced, in addition, which summarises the student's level of attainment with regard to each of the subject areas, and includes comments on the students' knowledge acquisition skills, as well as on the necessary educational measures to be taken.34
Reporting INCE/INECSE assessment
The outcomes of national INCE/INECSE testing and assessment (see 6.2.1) are reported in several ways. First, there is a general, informative report, which presents the main results of the assessment and testing programme. Second, there is a technical report. This aims to inform experts and academics, support the validity and reliability of the results, describe the technical procedures involved, and analyse and interpret the results. Finally, there are short summary reports which disseminate the results of INECSE assessment programmes to the public at large. Policy-makers receive all three of the above types of report, but the first is the one most oriented towards them. They also receive a set of suggestions and recommendations which result from INECSE's analysis of the testing and assessment programme. Regional authorities also receive a full set of their own data from INECSE testing and assessment programmes. This is for the purposes of self-analysis. Schools do not receive individual results from INECSE testing. Both participating and non-participating schools receive the general reports, however, and have access to the testing instruments for their own further use, analysis and self-evaluation.31
6.2.9 Output statistics
As education during this phase is compulsory, almost all children, who are eligible, attend. Similarly, almost all children progress to the next phase of education, which is also compulsory.
