Towards a Better Future

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Chapter Four: Assessment: Primary and Junior Cycle investigations; portfolios, project work and performance tests as appropriate for the subjects in question. However, practice is almost entirely based on the externally-administered written tests. A total of 60,247 candidates took this examination in 2016. Madaus and McNamara (1970) conducted research on the validity and reliability of the ten most popular subjects at Leaving Certificate. They reported that the examination across all the subject areas mainly tested the recall of knowledge to the neglect of all other important skills and also had poor reliability. The findings had equal relevance for the Intermediate Certificate examination. Subsequent to the publication of this report, a grading system for reporting results was introduced, thus acknowledging the virtual impossibility of making such fine distinctions as those involved in reporting percentages. Almost in tandem with the publication of the above report, a committee was established to examine the Form and Function of the Intermediate Certificate Examination. Initially, it was intended to review the examination system in isolation from the programme it was intended to assess. It was widely believed, though not officially stated, that the intention was to replace the essay-type examinations with the widespread use of objective tests, essentially on the basis of their reliability in scoring. Soon after it began its deliberations, the Committee incorporated a review of the curriculum “ It was widely believed, though not officially stated, that the intention was to replace the essay-type examinations with the widespread use of objective tests, essentially on the basis of their reliability in scoring. ” structure in its discussions, as well as the other examination at this level - the Day Group Certificate. The report, which was published in 1975, recommended the abolition of the existing terminal examinations and their replacement by a system of school-based, teacher-led assessment, supported by a system of moderation, based on consortia of schools. Despite the fact that the Committee was established by the Department of Education and had conducted detailed research into the curriculum and examination system, the Department accepted the report with notable reluctance and its findings were never seriously considered.. The proposals for school-based assessment, together with the abolition of the public examination, were viewed by some of the stakeholders as being too elaborate and would lead to the diminution of existing standards. Nevertheless, a glorious opportunity was lost in not initiating a wider debate on the recommendations contained in the report. This could have brought to the fore many of the structural issues around the curriculum and assessment now being discussed and perhaps have resulted in at least some of the less controversial proposals being adopted. How much further on we could now be if that debate had taken place! — 63 —
Towards a Better Future: A Review of the Irish School System The Committee also recommended the establishment of a research project, The Public Examinations Evaluation Project (PEEP), with the brief of designing examinations that would test higher-level skills, exploring the potential of the large-scale use of objective tests rather than essay-type examinations, and involving teachers and school authorities in the assessment of their own pupils. This was to be accomplished through two subjects, History and Mathematics. An extensive programme of in-service education on the principles and techniques of assessment was organised for the teachers who volunteered to engage with the project. Thereafter, the respective subject teachers, having examined the objectives and content of the subjects, designed pilot tests that were later administered to pupils in the teachers’ schools. This involved the application of a model of multiple-objective examining whereby appropriate assessment techniques were selected to match the objectives of the respective subjects. Combinations of objective tests, short-answer and long-answer items were used in each case, in addition to a project/personal topic in the case of History. Objective tests were limited to the testing of knowledge and comprehension, short-answer items to the testing of application, and essay type questions to testing analysis and synthesis. Ideally, a project of this nature would require specially-designed programmes that would facilitate the development of the higher-level skills the project was expected to test and which it was believed were not being currently developed. However, this was not forthcoming and thus the potential impact of the project was limited. Nevertheless, a number of important outcomes were identified, not least in the provision of a comprehensive programme of inservice education on all aspects of assessment for the teachers, matching tests to specific objectives, and the involvement of the teachers in all aspects related to the design, administration and “ The next phase in the reform process was the establishment of the Curriculum and Examinations Board (CEB) in January 1984. In this phase, the curriculum and examination systems were to be reviewed in tandem. ” examining of the pilot tests. Although the project was established at the request of the ICE Committee in order to research some of the issues relating to the new system they were proposing, it did not wait for the findings of the research project before submitting its own report. The PEEP report suffered the same fate as its predecessor in that the Department reluctantly accepted the report but did not seriously engage with the findings (Heywood, McGuinness, and Murphy 1980). The next phase in the reform process was the establishment of the Curriculum and Examinations Board (CEB) in January 1984. In this phase, the curriculum and examination systems were to be reviewed in tandem. This offered great promise. The CEB issued a number of key reports on a rationale and structure of a unified curriculum and an assessment system to match, involving the use of a broad range of assessment techniques and an element of school-based assessment with the — 64 —
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