Parents of primary school children will be receiving their kids’ end-of-year reports this week or next, and if your child is in first class or above, then they will probably include the results of their standardised tests.
School reports are an important tool for understanding how your child has progressed throughout the school year and what they potentially need help with when September comes. While there is more to a child’s ability than a simple report, they can be a handy starting point if you have any concerns you would like to address with their teacher.
You may also notice their standardised test scores at the end of the report and be wondering about their significance and if there is anything you should do once you find out the results.
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Here is what parents need to know
What are standardised tests?
Standardised tests are tests that all children must take during their time in primary school. You may remember them as Drumcondra tests from your own schooling and they assess a child’s ability in certain areas compared to other children in all schools in Ireland at the same class or age level.
They are usually taken in May and children are generally not informed about them beforehand to try and reduce pressure and stress for them. The school will usually notify parents in the weeks leading up to the tests to they can ensure their children are in school.
The tests must be taken by children when they are in second, fourth and sixth classes but schools can give them to every year group from first class if they wish. Children will be tested in English reading, maths and Irish reading if they are in an Irish medium school.
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What if my child is absent on the days the standardised tests are being taken?
If your child is absent on one or more days of the standardised tests, the school will usually organise for them to be taken at another time under the supervision of a teacher or SNA. Not all children will take the tests, for example, if they have a learning disability, their teacher may assess their progress in another way and if English is not their first language, then they may not have to take the English reading exam, according to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA).
What do my child’s standardised test scores mean?
Your child’s results show how they compare to other children their age around Ireland.
According to the NCCA, there are two ways that parents may receive the results, either a standard score or a STen score. Both scoring systems tell parents the same thing, the standard score usually just goes from 55-145 and the STen scores are measured on a scale of 1-10.
What the STen scores mean
- 8 – 10 is a ‘well above average’ score and 1/6 or almost 17% of children will receive this score
- 7 is a ‘high average’ score and 1/6 or almost 17% of children will receive this score
- 5 – 6 is an ‘average’ score and 1/3 or almost 34% will get this mark
- 4 is ‘low average’ and 1/6 or almost 17% will score this
- 1 – 3 is ‘well below average’ and 1/6 or almost 17% will receive this score
What the standard scores mean
- 130 and above is a ‘very high’ score and 2% of children will score this
- 120 – 129 is ‘high’ and 7% of kids will get this score
- 110 – 119 is ‘high average’ and 16% will receive this score
- 90 – 109 is ‘average’ and 50% of kids will get this score
- 80 – 89 is ‘low average’, and 16% of children will get this score
- 70 – 79 is ‘low’ and 7% of children will get this score
- Below 70 is ‘very low’ 2% and of children will receive this score
What should I do if my child get a high or low score in their standardised tests?
If your child receives a high score in one or more of the tests it could mean that they are a high achiever in this particular area. However a high score alone is not enough to confirm this and you can contact your child’s teacher to confirm how well they are doing in school and where to go from this point. They may want to discuss extra learning opportunities to keep your child challenged.
As with a high score, if your child receives a low score in the tests it could mean that they are struggling in that area, but again, one test is not enough to confirm this. You can discuss their progress with their school and their teacher may decide that extra support is needed.
