Assessment in Post- Primary Schools

Assessment is the process of generating, gathering, recording, interpreting, using and reporting evidence of learning in individuals, groups or systems. Educational assessment provides information about progress in learning, and achievement in developing skills, knowledge, behaviours and attitudes (NCCA 2015).

Assessment is integral to all aspects of teaching and learning. It concerns daily interactions between teacher and child that include moment-by-moment conversations, observations and actions. By using a combination of methods over time, the teacher gathers evidence of children’s progress and achievement. Based on this evidence, he/she can make important decisions about the teaching and learning process and plan how future learning can be supported most effectively.

Assessment can be viewed as either summative or formative assessment. The NCCA have developed a series of booklets, a Focus on Learning which support a whole-school approach to professional development and capacity building in developing effective, ongoing assessment practice which supports students' learning. These booklets can be found here.