Spain

Monitoring Student Progress in Reading

External large scale evaluation studies are well established in Spain. External evaluations at the end of the stages are some of the latest developments introduced by the Organic Law for the Improvement of Educational Quality (LOMCE) as a measure to improve the quality of the educational system.²⁶ Originally, LOMCE previewed four nationwide evaluations in Grades 3, 6, 10, and 12. In the absence of a national pact for education, further normative developments have introduced a number of changes:

• Grade 3—Evaluations are unchanged
• Grade 6—Evaluations are sample-based rather than census-based
• Grade 10—Evaluations are sample-based rather than census-based and have no academic effects
• Grade 12—Evaluations are only used for the purpose of university admission

When PIRLS was administered in 2016, the evaluation was census-based for Grades 3 and 6. The Grade 3 results were used to adopt ordinary and extraordinary measures in the event of unfavorable results; the evaluation had no academic consequences for students. The Grade 6 results were offered in an individual report to the families, and had an informative and guiding purpose for families and for the schools and teachers where the student would study secondary education.^27,28 These evaluations had a formative and a diagnostic purpose. Besides determining whether students had achieved the expected competencies and learning level for normal personal and professional development, they aimed to guide students in their school decisions based on their acquired knowledge and competencies. Furthermore, these evaluations regulated the standards required in all of Spain to obtain certificates at every stage. They also provided families, schools, and administrations with valuable information for educational decisions.

Primary school teachers are responsible for evaluating individual student progress. The evaluation of student achievement in reading and in other subjects is ongoing, and it takes into account student progress in all aspects of the curriculum. Teachers use the evaluation criteria specified for a content area as the basis for determining students’ levels of competence. Primary schools use qualitative grades to inform students and their parents about learning progress at the end of each term. When students’ progress is inadequate, schools must adopt remedial measures as soon as the difficulties are detected. These measures are designed to guarantee the acquisition of essential skills so all students can progress within the education system.

Schools use assessment results in Grade 3 to plan interventions to guarantee student achievement of key competencies in Grades 4 to 6 of primary education. These results allow schools to evaluate instruction and teacher performance and to analyze, evaluate, and redirect the teaching methods used in Grades 1 to 3.