Each year, pupils in CP, CE1, and 6ème take national assessments in French and mathematics. This year, the mid-year CP evaluations that were scheduled to take place the week of January 17 have been postponed.
This January 13, faced with the discontent of teachers and the epidemic situation which is not improving, Jean-Michel Blanquer announced new measures, including the report of the evolutions of “Mid-CP“ which were to take place during the week of January 17. “They are postponed to a deadline that remains to be defined“, explained the Minister of Education during a press conference. The dates should therefore be specified soon by the Ministry of National Education.
Good assessments for the start of the 2021 school year
This November 16, Jean-Michel Blanquer had announced the results of the national evaluations in a video published on the National Education website. As the Minister reminded us, these assessments for the start of the 2021 school year were of particular importance, because they followed the confinement of spring 2020. Good news: the effects of the health crisis on the level of students had been compensated in CP and CE1, after declining results in 2020. The level of the students had thus returned to the level of 2019. Better still, he had overtaken him in several acquisitions.
- Among CPs, the results are equivalent or even superior, to those for the 2019 and even more so for 2018, in all skills. “The proportion of students who master letter recognition satisfactorily increases from 61% in 2018 to 64% in 2021; in writing numbers, it increases by 6% over the same period (from 83% in 2018 to 89%) “, reports the press release. And, this progression is notable in particular among the pupils of the priority education (EP), making it possible to reduce the gap with those of the public (except EP).
- Same observation in the students of CE1. “In some areas, the level of CE1 students in 2021 is even higher than that of students in 2019, and even more than that of 2018”, details the ministry. 75% of students read aloud better, compared to 68% in 2018. Ditto for writing numbers, mastered by 69% in 2018 and 76% in 2021. Good news therefore, especially since the effects of the health crisis had led to a drop in results, in particular for CE1 classes in 2020. Finally, the gaps between EP students and those of the public (excluding EP) are income at levels comparable to those observed at the start of the 2019 school year, thus blurring the level of inequalities created by the closure of schools in 2020.
- On the part of the students of 6and, the results have continued to grow these 4 past years, including in REP+. They are thus 89.4% to master skills in French and 72.3% for mathematics in 2021.
The ministry would also like to congratulate the entire school institution, educational teams and families for their mobilization.
Assessments from CP: what is it for?
Established since 2017, these assessments aim to allow teachers to better understand the level in French and mathematics of each student in order to support them according to their needs from the start of the school year. They also make it possible to initiate a dialogue with the families, in order to monitor the schooling of pupils who may be in difficulty. These national assessments concern the classes of CP, CE1 and 6th. They took place from September 13 to 24 for CP and CE1, and from September 13 to 1er October for classes of 6and. “Once again, school teachers have mobilized strongly to organize them: the participation rate reached more than 99% on October 18, 2021 in CP-CE1 and 95% in 6and“, is it specified in the communicated from Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports, published this Tuesday, November 16, 2021.
What are students assessed on?
In CP: the basics of reading and arithmetic
The skills of CP students in French and mathematics are assessed in September, then again during a progress report at the end of January. In September, CP students spend two 20 minute sequences each in French, one 20 minute sequence in mathematics. At the end of January, three sequences of 10 minutes each in French then two sequences of 10 to 12 minutes in mathematics. In French, they focus on the child’s ability to recognize sounds, understand words, sentences and oral texts, identify the letters of the alphabet, and read aloud. In mathematics, students are assessed on their ability to know and use numbers up to 10, identify simple geometric shapes and solve simple problems.
In CE1: understand a text and master numbers up to 100
CE1 students who already know how to read are evaluated in French on their ability to read and write and their understanding of oral and written language. In mathematics, the exercises relate to the understanding and use of numbers up to 100, mental calculation, online calculation, problem solving and the observation of geometric figures.
In 6th grade: written and oral comprehension and automatisms in mathematics
In 6th grade, schools have the individual results of pupils, as well as dashboards for the “reading comprehension” parts in French and “automatisms” in mathematics. These assessments are organized digitally, on an online platform.
- In mathematics, emphasis is placed on numbers and calculations, magnitudes and measurements, as well as geometry and the student’s ability to solve problems.
- In French, assessments will focus on oral and written comprehension (literary texts, images, documents, audio and video media), language study (spelling, grammar, vocabulary) and reading aloud.