Offer all schools in the country a new food measure

Three local authorities are offering all schools in the country a new food tool free of charge.

Since the autumn of 2016, the municipalities of Árborg, Hafnarfjörður and Reykjanesbær have been in professional collaboration on the translation and adaptation of an assessment tool used by schools to evaluate the academic competence, knowledge and experience of students of foreign origin in their own language. At the end of 2018, Fellaskóli in Reykjavík also joined the collaboration.

Progress assessment for international students

The assessment is hosted on the website of the National Education Agency, which also took on the task of applying for the translation rights from Skolverket in Sweden. The material is open to all.Language assessment for international students | The National Centre for Education (mms.is) However, all the necessary materials to administer the Position Assessment can be found there, such as instructional guides, tasks, scoring rubrics and summary documents. There are also promotional videos presenting the history of the Position Assessment, the administration of each section, practical considerations and the conclusion.

There has been a great need for a robust assessment tool for students of foreign origin in this country. The project aims to build on students' strengths and enhance their learning abilities, and to respond as early as possible to the individual learning needs of each student through early assessment and targeted intervention in the early stages of their schooling in a new country. The emphasis is on viewing the Placement Assessment as an assessment tool, not a test, and the assessment is divided into three levels:

Level 1 – prior knowledge and experience:

Support schools in placing students in terms of their prior knowledge and experience. The results of the assessment make it easier for schools to plan the student's learning based on their strengths and needs. To explore the student's prior knowledge and experience, e.g. regarding language skills, schooling, strengths, etc.

Level 2 – literacy and numeracy. 

A test that assesses the student's reading skills and numeracy in their own mother tongue.

Level 3 – subjects: 

Assesses the student's proficiency in the school's subject areas, such as English, History, Biology, Mathematics, etc. It provides an indication of the student's prior ability and a basis for organising appropriate learning and teaching. This subject area section is partially under development.

Many schools are already using the local assessment. 

A steering group has led this important development work, and the following people are on the group. From Árborg: Aneta Figlarska, adviser on teaching children of foreign origin, Hrund Harðardóttir, teaching adviser, and Þorsteinn Hjartarson, Head of Department. From Hafnarfjörður: Fanney Dóróthe Halldórsdóttir, Director of the Department; Kristrún Sigurjónsdóttir, Multicultural Education Adviser; and Þórdís Helga Ólafsdóttir, former special education officer for primary schools, now a teacher at Borgarholtsskóli. From Reykjanesbær: Halldóra Fríða Þorvaldsdóttir, project manager for Icelandic as a Second Language, Helgi Arnarson, Director of the Department, and Kolfinna Njálsdóttir, Head of School Services. .

The Positioning project has received grants from the Sprotasjóður fund and, following courses organised by the steering group, the Positioning has been adopted in many schools in this country, such as in Árborg, Hafnarfjörður, Reykjanesbær and Reykjavík. More municipalities that are taking the first steps have received training on implementation. Two upper secondary schools, Borgarholtsskóli and Fjölbrautarskóli Suðurlands, have started using the Positioning Assessment, and more are considering its implementation as there are opportunities at that level of education.

See also the news item on the Ministry of Education and Culture's website.