Monitoring Student Progress in Reading
Teachers conduct ongoing assessments of student progress using grades on a five point scale, verbal assessment, or a combination of both. Verbal assessment as the sole means of assessment can only be used until the fourth grade. Continuous assessment based on observations, student activities, oral examinations, written examinations, and other assignments (e.g., homework and projects) is conducted throughout the school year. Students receive evaluation feedback based on this assessment at the end of January and the end of June. The final evaluation in June is presented as a report card.
Three national examinations are centrally prepared and administered on the same date throughout the country by the National Institute for Certified Educational Measurements. The first two examinations, Testing 5 and Testing 9, assess students in Grades 5 and 9 (the first and last grades of ISCED Level 2) in the language of instruction, literature in the language of instruction, and mathematics. The results from Testing 9 can be a decisive criterion for admission to secondary schools, and there are plans for Testing 5 to be among the criteria for admission to eight year grammar schools. Students attending schools with minority languages of instruction also are tested in Slovak language and literature.17,18
The third national examination is administered to students in the last grade of secondary schools that end with a school leaving examination (maturita). Among other subjects that depend on the school type and students’ choice, the school leaving examination covers Slovak language and literature, the language of instruction (if different than Slovak), and foreign language. This examination consists of internal and external sections. The National Institute for Certified Educational Measurements is responsible for the written portion of the internal examination (i.e., topics for writing composition that are evaluated within schools) and the entire external section, which covers language and literature and one foreign language. Students who choose mathematics as a school leaving examination subject may also take an optional test in mathematics.19 Results from maturita are a decisive criterion for admission to certain universities.
In all national examinations, the test of language and literature includes text excerpts and tasks that assess reading comprehension. National statistics regarding reading literacy are supplemented by results from PIRLS and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).