Pupil assessment

Pupil assessment aims to verify the degree of acquisition of the skills and the achievement of the objectives of primary education. It comprises:

• formative assessment, which takes place throughout the whole of the learning process;
• summative assessment, aimed at assessing the level of knowledge in certain subjects, as well as of the skills acquired.

With regard to students with special educational needs, the most appropriate measures must be established to ensure that the requirements for carrying out the processes associated to the educational assessment are adapted to their needs.

The Government, through the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MEFP), in consultation with the autonomous communities, is responsible for designing the basic aspects of the curriculum in relation to, among others, the assessment criteria for each stage, in order to ensure a common education throughout the national territory.

The evaluation criteria are the specific referent to assess the learning process of the students. They describe whatever needs to be valued and what the student must achieve, both in terms of knowledge and skills. They respond to what must be achieved in each subject

They are completed and specified by the education authorities in their respective administrative scopes. The educational institutions also do so in their programmes, while the teachers’ assembly is responsible for setting the criteria for students’ assessment.

Each teacher can adopt the evaluation techniques and instruments that he/she deems most appropriate in each context.

Until the modifications introduced in Organic Law 3/2020 amending Organic Law 2/2006 on Education (LOMLOE) regarding the curriculum, organisation and objectives of primary education are implemented, the assessable learning standards introduced by the repealed Organic Law 8/2013 for the improvement of the quality of education (LOMCE), have an illustrative purpose.

The assessable learning standards are specifications of the evaluation criteria, which allow for the definition of the learning outcomes. They specify what the student must know and understand in relation to each subject. They must be observable, measurable and assessable, as well as allow for the adjustment of the achievement accomplished. Their design must contribute and facilitate the elaboration of comparable and standardized tests.

Formative assessment

During this stage, special emphasis will be placed on individualised attention to students, early diagnosis and the establishment of support and reinforcement mechanisms to avoid the need for students to repeat grades, particularly in socially disadvantaged environments.

Formative assessment has these characteristics:

• it evaluates students' learning processes; 
• it is continuous, global and takes into account pupil progression in all the learning processes;
• the education authorities establish three moments throughout such process: initial assessment, continuous assessment and final assessment.

In the context of a continuous assessment process, when any student's progress is not adequate, educational support measures will be provided. These measures will be adopted as soon as difficulties are identified, with special monitoring of the situation of pupils with special educational needs, and will be aimed at guaranteeing the acquisition of any learning that is essential to continue the educational process, with the support each student may require.

At the end of the second and fourth years, the tutor in charge of the class will issue a report on each student's degree of acquisition of skills, indicating, where appropriate, the reinforcement measures to be considered for the following cycle.

In order to guarantee the continuity of the students' training process, at the end of primary education, all pupils shall have a report drawn up by their tutor on their progress and the degree of skills acquisition developed, which shall be specified by each education authority. In the case of pupils with special educational needs, the report should reflect the adaptations and measures adopted and their need for continuation in the next educational stage.

With regard to the communication of assessment results, the following characteristics are present:

• It is made in writing to the families, at least on a quarterly basis.
• It has no official academic value, but is key to deciding whether the student's progress is adequate.
• Whoever is tutoring each class group, as class teacher, is responsible for informing the families regularly about the students’ progress and any difficulties identified.

The MEFP, in consultation with the other education authorities, determines the basic assessment documents and the formal requirements resulting from the assessment process, in order to guarantee student mobility.

The results of the evaluation are expressed in terms of the following. A ‘Fail’ is a negative assessment, whereas all the rest are positive:

• Fail (IN - Insuficiente);
• Pass (SU - Suficiente);
• Good (BI - Bien);
• Very Good (NT - Notable);
• Excellent (SB - Sobresaliente).

Education authorities must guarantee the right of pupils to objective assessment and to have their commitment, effort and performance assessed and recognised objectively, for which purpose they shall establish the appropriate procedures, which must take into account the assessment characteristics determined by the national legislation in force.

At the same time, in those autonomous communities which have, together with Spanish, another official language according to their statutes, students may be excused from the assessment of this Co-official Language area or subject, as established by their regional regulations.

Within the framework established by each education authority, the most appropriate measures must be established so that the conditions for carrying out the processes associated with assessment are adapted to the circumstances of pupils with specific educational support needs. These adaptations may under no circumstances be taken into account in order to lower the obtained marks.

Likewise, the generalised use of varied and diverse assessment instruments adapted to the different learning situations should be promoted, allowing for the objective assessment of all students. At the same time, it is necessary to establish flexibility measures and methodological alternatives in the teaching and assessment of the foreign language for students with specific educational support needs, especially for those with difficulties in comprehension and expression in this language.

Summative assessment

Two assessments of this type are carried out in primary education:

• a diagnostic evaluation at the end of the 4th year; 
• an evaluation at the end of the stage.

These evaluations are carried out by the educational institutions according to what the education authorities set.

Individualised assessment at the end of the fourth year of primary education

Article 21 of Organic Law 2/2006 on Education (LOE), as amended by LOMLOE, establishes that in the fourth year of primary education, all schools must carry out a diagnostic assessment of a census nature to evaluate the skills acquired by their students (at least the degree of mastery in linguistic communication skills and mathematical competence will be checked). This assessment, which falls under the responsibility of the education authorities, is informative, instructional and illustrative in nature for schools, teachers, pupils and their families and for the education community as a whole.

Within the framework of improvement plans based on the analysis of the results of this assessment, education authorities must encourage schools to draw up proposals for action that will help pupils achieve the established skills, enable them to adopt measures to improve the quality and equity of education and guide teaching practice.

Assessment at the end of primary education

Article 143.2 of the LOE, as amended by the LOMLOE, states that, in the last year of primary education, an assessment of the skills acquired by pupils shall be carried out on a sample and multi-annual basis. This assessment is informative, instructional and illustrative in nature for schools, teachers, pupils and their families and for the education community as a whole.

This test has not yet been implemented and is currently pending regulation.

Progression of pupils

The Government, through the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MEFP), is in charge of setting the criteria for students' progression in the basic curriculum for primary education.

Such criteria are defined by the educational authorities in each autonomous community, so some differences may be found in the manner they are formulated.

The progress to the next year or stage has these characteristics:

• It occurs automatically in the first, third and fifth years of the stage. 
• In the second, fourth and sixth years, it takes place as long as it is considered that pupils have achieved the objectives set for the stage or those corresponding to the year concerned, and acquired the relevant key skills.
• The references for assessment in the case of students with special educational needs are those included in the corresponding adaptations to the curriculum, without this fact preventing them from being promoted to the next cycle or stage.
• The decision must be made by the teaching team in a joint manner, although special attention is paid to the information and criterion of the class teacher tutoring the student’s group.
• Students must receive the necessary support to catch up on the learning they did not achieve in the previous year.

Repetition, on the other hand, has these particular characteristics:

• It is an exceptional measure and is taken after all sufficient, appropriate and personalised ordinary measures to deal with the curricular gap or learning difficulties of the pupil have been exhausted.
• It is adopted when, taking into consideration the previous question, the teaching team considers that staying one more year in the same grade is the most appropriate measure to favour the student's development.
• It can be applied only once during the stage, with a specific and personalised reinforcement plan so that, during that year, those repeating a grade can achieve the corresponding level of skills acquisition.
• When the personal circumstances of students with special educational needs make it advisable for them to achieve the objectives of basic education (primary education and ESO), these students may extend their schooling for an additional year. These circumstances may be permanent or temporary and must be sufficiently documented.

Parents or legal guardians have the right to be aware of the decisions concerning evaluation and promotion and must collaborate in the support or strengthening measures adopted by the schools in order to facilitate the students' education progression.

Certification

No certification is awarded at the end of primary education since, at this point, students have not yet completed their basic compulsory education, which comprises primary and compulsory secondary education (ESO).

The school record of primary education is the official document that reflects the evaluation results, as well as decisions concerning the students’ academic progress throughout the stage, and attests successful completion of the studies. Its safekeeping is the responsibility of the school where the student is enrolled and is supervised by the education inspectorate.

It contains, at least, the following items:

• information identifying the holder;
• areas studied each year;
• evaluation results in each level;
• decisions on progression and retention, as well as the date those decisions are made;
• information regarding changes of educational institution;
• areas studied and any relevant curricular adaptations;
• date of promotion to compulsory secondary education.