Monitoring Student Progress in Mathematics and Science
The Ministry of Education has set out to measure the quality of curricula, teaching-learning processes, and assessment provided to its public school students by administering national standardized tests that measure learning, teaching, and assessment outcomes using established methods. The UAE has developed National Assessment (UAENAP) tests based on international criteria to compare UAE student performance with its international peers’ by measuring student achievement and progress in the basic subjects of Arabic, English, science, and mathematics.1
Continuous assessment is implemented in all grades in public schools in the UAE. Different evaluation tools are used, depending on the grade and the subject. Students in Grades 1 to 5 are assessed with written tests prepared by their teachers at the end of each textbook unit in each subject. Other evaluation tools include classroom activities, such as oral presentations, written activities, and practical exercises, as well as activities outside the classroom, such as research projects and portfolio construction.
According to the Ministry of Education examination system, students are promoted to the next grade automatically. However, if a student does not achieve 50 percent of the total examination score, he or she will be enrolled in a remedial program after diagnostic testing. If the student fails again after completing the remedial program, he or she will enroll in another remedial program at the beginning of the following year to support his or her learning in the next grade.
Students in Grades 6 to 9 are assessed using the same system for students in Grades 1 to 5, in both mathematics and science. These students also take short written tests. Students need a score of 50 percent in each subject for promotion to the next grade level. If a student fails an examination in any subject (up to a maximum of three subjects), he or she is allowed to retake the examination at the end of the academic year and before the summer holiday. If the student fails the examination again, he or she must repeat the grade.
At the end of each semester, students in Grades 1 to 9 in public schools receive a report card, which includes the score obtained in each subject, the level of evaluation, and any comments or observations related to remedial programs by teachers of all subjects. Teachers record student performance and areas of improvement, along with recommendations, notes, and evaluations, and these are presented periodically to parents and guardians.