Assessment

Assessment can be used for a variety of purposes and can include both formal and informal processes. For example, in-school assessment can be carried out as part of the cycle of planning for the individual pupil with special educational needs and can encompass information-gathering, planning, intervention and review. Such assessment can assist the teacher in identifying areas of learning difficulty, in measuring and recording attainment, in measuring pupil progress, and in indicating intervention measures.

Assessment methods may include a range of activities relevant to the pupil such as teacher observation, questioning and discussion, completion of checklists, samples of work, portfolios, projects, tasks and class-designed tests, diagnostic assessment, and data collected as part of school screening (such as results of standardised tests in reading and mathematics or attendance records).

The SESS have compiled a Glossary of Assessment Terminology in order to assist with familiarity of the language associated with assessment.

Schools should choose carefully when selecting assessment tools and guidance is available from a range of sources, including the following:

Schools should choose carefully when selecting assessment tools and guidance is available from a range of sources, including the following:

• Assessment in the Primary School Curriculum: Guidelines for Schools (NCCA) [PDF, 1.7 Kb]
• Circular 0018/2012 - Supporting Assessment: Standardised Testing in Primary Schools (PDF, kb]
• Circular 0056/2011 - Initial Steps In The Implementation Of The National Literacy And Numeracy Strategy (PDF, 139kb)
• Circular 0138/200 - Supporting Assessment in Primary Schools (MS Word, 58kb)
• Special Educational Needs: A Continuum of Support - Guidelines for Teachers (NEPS, 2007)
• Inclusion of Students with Special Educational Needs: Post-Primary Guidelines (DES, 2007)
• Learning-Support Guidelines (DES, 2000).

Assessment tests should be used judiciously as their interpretation may require professional special needs insight. Assessment may also include the gathering of information from the pupil and his/ her parents. Other professionals that might be involved in assessment include educational psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, and speech and language therapists. However schools should not defer individual planning for significant periods on the basis that these specialist assessments are not yet available. Rather, schools should proceed with planning for the pupil on the basis of the comprehensive assessment information already available.

Tests for use by Guidance Counsellors and Support Teachers in Post-Primary Schools

A list of assessment instruments/tests which are considered suitable for use by guidance counsellors, learning support and resource teachers in post-primary schools is available from the DES website.
Please click here for information on the DES website.

Literacy Assessment

The Dolch List of sight words is a list of the 220 most common words in the English language,excluding nouns.

• Download Dolch List [PDF - 73KB]

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