Central tests (also known as “Flemish tests”) determine how well students have mastered specific achievement goals for reading comprehension and mathematics. The tests aim to support schools in achieving strong learning for all students. The overall results of central tests show room for growth. It is a first step in supporting schools with quality assurance. The next step is to provide feedback to each school.
How can we support schools in school development?
Researchers at the Central Testing Center of the Education Support Center (hereinafter: Support Center) processed and analyzed the test results. Schools receive personalized feedback based on scientific analyses. All schools received two tools at the end of September:
The notice board displays the school results. School leaders see the percentage of their students who have or have not been tested Final goals For reading, comprehension and mathematics achieved, and in it Skill level Students fall. This skill level is not a classic number out of 10, but a skill level (from A to E). Each level has a description that explains what students have mastered at that specific level. Skill levels support schools in interpreting test results: they show what students can typically do well and what they still have difficulty doing. Schools can then use their students’ results Compare with Average for all students Flanders.
In addition to comparison with the Flemish average, schools can also compare their results Compare with middle Similar schools. These are schools that have a similar number of students. Similar schools are not existing schools, but theoretical schools based on analyzes in which researchers take the number of students into account. In the mock feedback dashboard below, for example, the school sees that its students on the Dutch language test, the test at the top, are average (●) achieves a result similar to the average in Flanders (□), but a lower result compared to similar schools (△). This encourages thinking.
The e-course supports this thinking. The e-course not only explains the results, but also provides tools to begin obtaining feedback to the school, as well as sources of information such as tests and school notes. On the basis of the process cycle and real-life cases, the school gains insight into how school development is shaped. In cooperation with the educational supervisor, the school can then maintain what works and reinforce what can be improved.
In what context do schools work with feedback?
Each school receives its own school results. The Educational Guidance Service and the Education Inspectorate also receive these results. School feedback is confidential. Therefore, school results may not be shared publicly. This is determined by decree. In this way, school classification can be avoided. After all, schools have one Safe context It is necessary to start with comments. All participants have a shared responsibility for this context: policy makers, researchers, school team members and supporting partners can ensure that test results are actually used for school development.
And more?
School feedback provides feedback but does not yet provide an interpretation of the results. Further research could provide more knowledge about the differences between schools and students in Flanders. Which groups of students achieve which results? What school characteristics are associated with the ability to easily understand all types of texts and solve mathematical problems? What do schools do with high-risk students who achieve higher than expected results? This research into the Flemish education system is still ongoing. Pending results, school feedback provides each school with opportunities for school improvement.
