Assessment for new students from overseas

The municipalities of Árborg, Hafnarfjörður and Reykjanesbær in
in collaboration with the National Centre for Education have worked on the translation and localisation into Swedish
an assessment tool for new students of foreign origin which has been used with good success in Sweden. It is suggested
including an assessment of prior knowledge and experience, as well as literacy and numeracy. The main aim of the baseline assessment is to support schools in positioning pupils in terms of their knowledge and experience, thereby making it easier for teachers and school leaders to
Organise each student's learning according to their strengths and needs.

The implementation of a place-based assessment has begun in four primary schools.

Last week, a course was held in Garðabær for four primary schools that have taken on the task of beginning to implement the assessment tool. This assessment tool was designed by three universities in Sweden and Skolverket following an extensive study. The schools taking the lead are Háaleitisskóli in Reykjanesbær, Lækjarskóli in Hafnarfjörður, Vallaskóli in Selfoss and Fellaskóli in Breiðholti. Others also took part in the course, including advisers from the Centre for Language and Literacy in Reykjavík and representatives from the Ministry of Education and Culture. Thordis H. Olafsdottir and Annelie Hultgren, who have extensive experience teaching multilingual children at Rosengårdskolan in Malmö, presented and taught on the diagnostic tool and spoke about teaching in a multilingual classroom. The participants were very positive about the course and will subsequently introduce the assessment tool in their own schools. Once it has been trialled and the pilot phase is complete, further courses will be held and all schools in the country will be given the opportunity to use the new assessment tool, which has been sorely lacking in the country. 

A steering group has been active for two years, but it is composed of
Aneta Figlarska, teaching advisor in Árborg, Fanney Dóróthe Halldórsdóttir, director of the education and leisure services department of Hafnarfjörður municipality, Halldóra Fríða
Thorvaldsdóttir, teaching advisor at the Education Department of Reykjanesbær; Helgi Arnarson, Director of the Education Department of Reykjanesbær; Hrund Harðardóttir, teaching advisor in
Árborg, Kolfinna Njálsdóttir, Head of School Services for Reykjanesbær, Kristrún
Sigurjónsdóttir, teaching adviser in Hafnarfjörður; Þórdís Helga Ólafsdóttir, special education officer for primary schools in Hafnarfjörður; and Þorsteinn Hjartarson,
Director of Education at Árborg Municipality.