Fifty-eight thousand students across the island will sit the Grade Four Literacy and Numeracy examinations on June 28 and 29.

While 43,000 are registered to sit both components, 15,000 will sit literacy only. Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean explained that the examinations are designed to identify areas of strength and weakness among students in the subject areas.

The information received from these tests, she said, “should guide administrations in developing and implementing enrichment and recovery programmes for students as they enter grade five with the expressed view that they will achieve the requisite levels of mastery by the end of grade six”.

She noted that testing at the grade four level allows a longer period for the preparation of students for the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

“The literacy and numeracy tests provide teachers with enough information to plan teaching strategies that will help improve students’ academic performance,” she said.

Mrs. McLean informed that the Student Assessment Unit has trained education officers and/or presiding examiners in the administration of the tests.

For the numeracy segment, students will be tested on number operation and representation; measurement and geometry, and algebra and statistics.   The literacy component will comprise word recognition; reading comprehension; and writing.

The tests are diagnostic in nature and after completion students may be assigned a mastery level, almost mastery level or non-mastery.

In 2009, the Ministry initiated the Competency-based Transition Policy, which stipulates that no child will be allowed to sit GSAT without being certified as achieving mastery in the Grade Four Literacy and Numeracy Test.

Source: Jamaica Information Service