Monitoring Student Progress in Mathematics and Science
Teachers and schools monitor individual student progress using grades and report cards. In Grades 1 to 6, there are no examinations for determining student promotion to the next grade. At the end of each school year, students’ eligibility for promotion is assessed based on their grades and teacher evaluations in the form of report cards. Periodically, parents receive school reports on their child’s progress that must be signed and returned to the school. This allows parents to track their child’s learning progress and seek extra support if reports show low achievement. Remedial programs are offered under school supervision.
The Indonesian government monitors student progress in mathematics and science through national and regional examinations and surveys. Students take national and regional examinations throughout their formal schooling. Students take national examinations at the end of Grades 6, 9, and 12 as a requirement for obtaining a school graduate certificate and continuing to the next level of education (i.e., junior secondary, senior secondary, or university education). The examination for Grade 6 is based on the blueprint of similar national tests, while the examinations for Grades 9 and 12 comprise standardized tests developed by the national authority. Every semester in Grades 7 to 12, students take regional examinations that are formative or summative; the formative examinations monitor learning progress, and the summative examinations determine promotion to the next grade. In addition, national high stakes examinations administered at the end of Grades 9 and 12 in mathematics, Indonesian, English, and science determine student promotion to the next level of education. Students who wish to continue their studies at a university or another higher education institution are required to pass the national examinations.
Nationwide surveys such as TIMSS are administered to obtain more comprehensive insight on student performance. National and regional examinations use a multiple-choice format only, while national surveys include constructed response format items that allow students to formulate responses that yield greater insight on their academic performance.