PIRLS 2006 Encyclopedia

national examinations. A special syllabus applies to these students, in which a final goal,intermediate goals, and subgoals in reading and writing are defined.Reading DisabilitiesDiagnostic TestingA small number of diagnostic tests are in use for students of compulsory school age.They are used almost exclusively by special education teachers to diagnose readingdifficulties and identify areas of teaching emphasis for individual students with seriousreading problems. It is fairly common for students, starting in first grade, to be given ageneral screening test to identify which of them are likely to have learning difficulties.Most of these tests are translated adaptations of foreign tests. Additionally, the nationalstandardized examinations in reading and orthography at the beginning of the fourthgrade are sometimes used to identify students with reading disabilities that have notalready been diagnosed.Special EducationIcelandic students’ reading abilities are assessed regularly by the classroom teacher. Thosewho have reading difficulties are given support or special teaching starting in first grade,for various lengths of time. If they fail to make normal progress, their reading difficultiesare assessed by a special teacher and a psychologist. Students who are diagnosed as havingdyslexia receive regular, individualized teaching, which generally continues throughouttheir schooling and is given either by special education teachers or under their guidance.In most cases, students with dyslexia are given private lessons during school hours ortaught in small groups of three or four students outside the classroom.PIRLS 2006 EncyclopediaTeachers and Teacher EducationTeacher Education and TrainingCompulsory school teachers are hired by local municipalities and work either full timeor part time. In 2005, female teachers comprised around 78% of the total teaching forceat compulsory schools, and 13% of teachers were not fully licensed. 13There are three ways to become a fully licensed teacher. Having completed theMatriculation Examination or its equivalent, one can be trained as a general teacher atthe University of Education (Kennaraháskóli Íslands) or the University of Akureyri ina 3-year program. It also is possible to receive the same training in a distance-learningcourse, which lasts 4 years. Finally, to become a teacher at the lower-secondary levelspecial training is provided at the University of Iceland. In this case, a bachelor’s degree(3 or 4 years of study) is a prerequisite for teacher training, which lasts 1 year, or onesemester if applicants have a degree beyond a bachelor’s. Courses are both academic andpractical and lead to the awarding of teaching qualifications.At the primary level, the same teacher instructs a class in most subjects. At the lowersecondarylevel, teachers generally teach one or more subjects to a number of differentclasses. Teachers may or may not continue with the same group of students from oneyear to another. 14IcelandTIMSS & PIRLSInternational Study CenterLynch School of Education, Boston College 183