Jordan

Monitoring Student Progress in Mathematics and Science

Assessment policies have been updated to ensure that classroom assessment practices conform to the Education Reform for the Knowledge Economy project, which places the student at the center of the learning process and focuses on students’ development as responsible citizens within the knowledge economy. A set of assessment strategies and tools has been developed and employed to monitor individual student progress, including performance-based assessment, observation, communication, reflection, checklists, rubrics, and learning logs. These are used to inform and generate grades, which are recorded along with grades collected from paper and pencil tests. New report cards have been designed to facilitate a new reporting system that focuses on basic skills and general learning competencies. Parents also receive supplemental information regarding their child’s learning progress that may help them with future planning.¹³

According to regulations issued by the Directorate of Examinations and Tests, students in Grades 1 to 3 are promoted automatically unless they earn a grade of less than 40 percent in mathematics and Arabic language. Students in Grades 4 to 10 will not be promoted to the next grade level if they fail in three subjects. If a student fails in one or two subjects, he or she must pass a make-up examination with a score of at least 50 percent. Acceleration of students is possible after careful assessment, special tests, and interviews to ensure student capability. However, acceleration may not exceed two grades. In secondary education, promotion and retention are course-based, and students may take individual tests more than once to fulfill the requirements of the General Secondary Certificate Examinations.¹⁴ The General Secondary Certificate Examinations are administered for students who have completed 12 years of schooling. There are two versions—academic and vocational—that correspond to the same respective streams of secondary education. High stakes are attached to these examinations because the results are used for higher education admission purposes.