Monitoring Student Progress in Mathematics and Science
There are no national examinations at the primary level. Students take examinations at the end of basic school (Grade 10) and at the end of secondary school (Grade 12). The examinations at the end of basic school cover the mother tongue and mathematics. Students in language minority schools take an additional examination in the Lithuanian language. At the end of secondary school, the range of final examinations (the Matura or Brandos examinations) is much wider. Lithuanian language (either as a mother tongue or as the national language) is the only compulsory examination. Students are free to choose other examinations from among mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, geography, history, foreign languages, art, music, informatics, and mother tongue (for language minorities).
Students must pass at least two examinations in order to receive the secondary school leaving (Matura) certificate. Lithuania administers national sample surveys in mother tongue, mathematics, science, and social science at Grades 4, 6, and 8 that provide information at the national level about the main areas of education.
In 2014, a project was initiated to create diagnostic tools for the second grade. Since the 2013–2014 school year, all schools have been using a range of standardized tests for Grades 4, 6, and 8. Since 2015, these tests have been delivered to schools using the National Examination Centre data transmission system KELTAS (translated as “the ferry”). The tests are provided to schools free of charge. The aim of the tests is to allow schools and teachers to evaluate student learning outcomes, independently and objectively, and to collect feedback for improving education quality and management. At the end of the school year, standardized testing tools are stored on the National Examination Centre website7 and are available to the public.
In certain districts, students are tested in order to monitor school conditions and gather information for educational management decisions. Example questions with scoring instructions and national level statistics are made available to teachers to help them gauge the relative achievement of their students. A number of commercial tests also are available, but they are not quality assured or standardized. Primary school students (Grades 1 to 4) do not receive grades, but are evaluated in detailed narrative assessments based on teacher observations. Beginning in the fifth grade, after a transitory period of approximately half a year, teachers begin grading students on a scale from 1 to 10, with 4 comprising the minimum “passing” grade and 10 an “excellent” grade.