House Examinations - Purposeful and Impactful?
In Ireland and internationally, many students who are not sitting state examinations are turning their focus to end of year examinations. In some cases, students will undertake projects or a blend of projects and examinations for their assessment. Crucially, for both students and teachers, preparing for written examinations can take considerable time and effort. If we are going to make this investment, it is crucial that the examinations are constructed effectively and with a clear purpose. To improve the level of effectiveness, we must have succinct and clear answers for the following questions: 1) What is the purpose of these examinations? 2) How will they enhance learning for all students? 3) Are our school-based examinations aligned with the national curriculum standards (IGCSE, IB, JC, SC)? 4) Are the examination papers valid and reliable in both construction, setting and grading? 5) How will the data attained enhance strategic decisions at both departmental and SLT level in...