Introduction

The Government of Jamaica (GOJ) and a group of lenders led by the Inter-American Development Bank (1DB), worked together on a project to improve the quality of primary education in Jamaica. This project was called the Primary Education Improvement Project - Phase II (PEIP II).

The following were addressed under the PEIP II Project:

• Language Arts: This section of the project provided on-the-job training for classroom teachers to help them identify the Grades 4 to 6 students who were not reading and writing as well as they should.

• Curriculum Evaluation: This section of the project was responsible for co-ordinating the evaluation and revision of course of study for primary grades. It also did studies on factors such as absenteeism that can affect students’ ability to learn.

• Civil Works: In this section of the project, 26 primary and all-age schools islandwide were either constructed, extended or refurbished in order to improve the facilities under which students learn.

• Library Services: In collaboration with the Schools Library Service, 120 new libraries were established in schools that were identified as having the greatest need for them.

• Institutional Strengthening: Under this section, funds were made available to the Tropical Metabolism Research Unit at the University of the West Indies (UWI) to carry out research on the effects of nutrition on students’ learning.

• Student Assessment: This component, the Assessment Programme, develops and implements assessment methods for primary grades.

Your Questions Answered

1. What is the National Assessment Programme (NAP)?

The programme monitors how well Grade 1 through to Grade 6 (six-year-old to 11-year-old) students are learning throughout the years of primary level schooling.

2. What does NAP do?

The programme provides tests for schools to use with students in Grades 1, 3, 4 and 6. It also trains teachers on-the-job to:
• Prepare and use tests and other assessments;
• Keep better records;
• Report on how well students are doing, and
• Use the results of tests and assessments.

The programme also provides schools with better facilities to reproduce materials.

3. How does the programme work?

The programme provides national tests, teacher training and equipment.

a. National Tests:

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture (MOEYC) gives all schools which provides primary level education, tests for students at four grade levels: The Grade One Readiness Inventory; Grade Three Diagnostic Test; Grade Four Literacy Test and the Grade Six Achievement Test.

b. Teacher Training:

One teacher from each school is trained as a School-based Assessment Co-ordinator to help other teachers within the same school improve their regular classroom tests and instruction by:

• using a variety of methods to assess students’ skills;
• keeping better students’ records;
• reporting to parents on how well students were doing;
• interpreting and using the results of all the tests and assessments.

c. Equipment:

Machines for reproducing tests and other material are distributed to public schools.

4. On what are the tests based?

The test papers are based on the work that students should be doing in school, as outlined in the national curriculum guides.

5. In what areas are students tested?

At Grade One

The Grade One Readiness Inventory is given to find out which of the basic skills students have when they first enter primary school. Among the questions this inventory seeks to answer are:

• Can the child colour a picture?
• Can she/he understand what she/he hears or sees?
• Does she/he know numbers and letters?

At Grade Three

At the end of Grade 3, the Grade Three Diagnostic Tests in Mathematics and Language Arts (including writing) are given.

The Mathematics test assesses students’ skills in using whole or fractional numbers; reading such instruments as the clock, thermometer and ruler; identifying geometric figures such as triangles, squares and polygons, and understanding information given in a simple graph or table. The Language Arts test assesses students’ ability to read and understand simple stories, factual texts, maps and other documents as well as their ability to understand and use capital letters and punctuation marks in standard English.

At Grade Four

At the end of Grade Four, students are given the Grade Four Literacy Test, which checks their ability to recognise words, read and understand simple stories, factual texts, directions, lists and tables. It also checks their ability to write simple stories, reports and letters.

At Grade Six

Near the end of Grade 6, students are given the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) in Mathematics, Language Arts, Social Studies, Science and Writing.

The Mathematics Test checks students’ ability to use numbers, to compute, to measure and estimate; to organise and interpret information in tables or graphs, and to recognise basic geometric shapes.

In Language Arts, students are tested to see how well they understand and use standard English when reading and writing. The writing task also assesses students’ ability to do simple tasks such as organise a paragraph or fill out a form, and do more creative tasks such as write a report, letter or story.

The Social Studies Test assesses students’ knowledge of people, where they live and how they work and organise themselves.

The Science Test measures students’ knowledge and understanding of their natural and physical environment, for example, living things, rocks and soils, machines, sound and light.

6. How will the tests help students?

All the tests given under the programme will tell students, teachers and parents how well a student is performing for his/her age and grade level. The teacher and principal can use these results to identify the areas in which the student is doing well, and the areas in which she/he needs more assistance. They can then work with parents to correct any weaknesses that students may have.

Students, having benefited from these corrections, should perform well during, and at the end of primary schooling, and should be able to cope more easily with work at the secondary level.

7. How is the GSAT different from the Common Entrance Exams?

The Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) is based completely on the work that the students are doing every day in schools. The test papers used in the Common Entrance Examination were based on the idea of testing a student’s intelligence, and covered some of what was done in schools.

The GSAT will assess students on a wider range of subjects. The four subjects tested — Mathematics, Science, Language Arts and Social Studies — form the basis of the course of study in primary schools. There is also a writing paper.

Students are given more time to complete the GSAT multiple-choice papers, and are asked to demonstrate their creative writing skills.

The GSAT allows students sufficient time to complete the course of study at the primary grades. Students will normally be tested near the end of Grade Six — in March of each year.

8. Is extra preparation needed for the GSAT?

No special preparation is needed for the GSAT. All the subjects tested are already a part of the course of study in schools, and questions are asked based on the work that students should have been doing every day.

9. Has the Common Entrance been done for the last time?

The papers were written for the last time in January, 1998.

10. How is the GSAT administered and marked?

Students will sit the GSAT at their own schools, with outside examiners. The answer papers are collected and marked by the MOEYC. The writing tests are marked by selected teachers supervised by Education Officers.

11. How is the GSAT used?

The GSAT is given at the end of primary schooling. They help students, parents, teachers and the MOEYC to find out how well the student has learned the subjects during his/her time in school.

These tests will be used by the MOEYC to help decide on the secondary level schools students should attend.

12. How will the MOEYC decide which secondary schools students should attend?

Boys and girls are placed in secondary school depending on:

• Their performance on the GSAT,
• The choice of school as stated by parents on the registration form, and
• How near the school is to the student’s home.

13. Does the Ministry plan to expand the places at the secondary level to accommodate all students?

Yes. At present, the high schools that begin at Grade 7 and have a five-year programme, that is, Secondary High, Comprehensive High and a few Technical High Schools, can accommodate most of the children who leave Grade 6 each year. Other schools at the secondary level of education are All-Age Schools and Primary & Junior High Schools that have Grades 7 to 9 departments.

Grades 7 to 9 Departments have been removed from some All-Age Schools and expanded in others to create Junior High Schools or Departments. This was accomplished through the Reform of Secondary Education (ROSE) Programme.

Plans have also been made to improve and expand technical education, and to ensure that the secondary level core curriculum is equivalent in all schools.