While demonstrations are planned for this Tuesday against the generalization of assessments in primary schools, Linternaute.com invites you to test your knowledge with the exercises proposed to CM1 pupils.
Several teachers’ unions have called for a strike on Tuesday, September 10. The cause is the generalization of the assessment of students from CP to CM2. A practice deemed ineffective and whose place would be too overwhelming in the schedule of students, but also of teachers. And this year, national assessments are even a new feature for classes from CE2 to CM2 with the implementation of an extension. The unions FSU-SNUipp, CGT éducation and Sud éducation oppose this type of assessment.
According to some teachers, these assessments are too long and complex to correct. On the union side, it is the real effect on the success of students that is pointed out. They do not reflect the real level of the students. Focused on French, mathematics and reading, they do not actually concern all subjects of education. The pedagogical freedom of teachers is also at the heart of the debates, the latter denouncing an educational policy that is sometimes too centralized. But then, in this context, do we really know what we are talking about? What do our children’s assessments look like? Linternaute.com invites you to take the test, with 5 assessments offered to CM1 students, three in mathematics and two in French. What will your grade be?
Mathematics assessment: calculation speed
The instructions are as follows: “You are going to do a calculation speed test. You have 3 minutes to find the most results out of the 30 questions. To calculate quickly online, the student must have a good knowledge of numbers and procedures. Solid memorization and good use of procedures allow the student to calculate quickly and efficiently, and to solve problems more easily”, indicates the dedicated sheet from national education.
We have selected 10 examples of questions that CM1 students must be able to answer in 1 minute. As indicated above, for 30 questions, the time allowed is 3 minutes. Students are evaluated according to the number of correct answers. Being 0 and 7 correct answers, the grade given is +. For a score between 8 and 14 correct answers, the student gets a ++. Finally, if he manages to give between 15 and 30 correct answers, it is a +++. Here are ten examples:
27 + 42 = ? ; 60 + 48 = ? ; 71 + 9 = ? ; 20 + 90 = ? ; 46 + 15 = ? ; 120 + 60 = ? ; 87 – 25 = ? ; 1397 + 300 = ? ; 792 + 10 = ? ; 80+? = 100; 74 + 39 = ? ; 698 – 200 = ?.
Math Assessment: Placing a Number on a Graduated Line
The instruction is as follows:“Look at the graduated lines. The arrow indicates a number. You have to find this number. Write this number in the box.” The exercise has 14 questions, for example: place on a graduated scale the number exactly between 120 and 128.
“The graduated line helps to understand that all the whole numbers 1,2,3… are ordered and equally spaced. The larger a number is, the more it is located towards the right. Adding is moving a certain number of units towards the right. Subtracting is moving a certain number of units towards the left”, indicates the evaluation sheet. The total duration is 7 minutes. Here too, CM1 students are graded according to the number of correct answers given. A + between 0 and 5 correct answers, ++ for 6 to 8 correct answers, and +++ between 9 and 14 correct answers.
Math Assessment: Writing Whole Numbers
The instruction is as follows: “I’m going to tell you numbers twice. Write these numbers in the boxes.” The duration of the assessment is one minute.A good knowledge of numbers, both written and spoken, is essential for calculating effectively. At the very beginning of CP, the objective of this exercise is to check that students know how to write numbers from 1 to 10 in figures”, specifies the national education sheet. Example: 12, 45, 345, 76, 90, 2, 32, 98, 77, 42, 11. The numbers are repeated twice, and the student must write them in a box.
The assessment consists of 11 questions. Between 0 and 6 correct answers, the student’s grade is a +. The student obtains a grade of ++ for 7 to 9 correct answers, and +++ for 10 to 11 correct answers.
French assessment: recognizing words from the same family
The instruction is as follows: “In each exercise, all the words are part of the same family, except one. This is called an intruder. You must find the intruder. Check the intruder among the 4 answer options. The duration of the assessment is 6 minutes.Vocabulary level has an impact on understanding spoken and written language. Recognizing words from the same family allows you to deduce the meaning of unknown words and gain a better understanding of texts,” the assessment sheet states. The assessment is divided into two series of 4 questions each. If the student gets between 0 and 3 correct answers, the grade awarded is a +. He gets ++ if his score is between 4 and 5 correct answers, and +++ with 6 to 8 correct answers.
For example, the child must find the intruder in the following list of words:
– sun
– sunny
– loneliness
– sunshine
It’s the same mechanics for the following series:
– soaping
– soap
– know
– soap
French assessment: agreeing the noun and the adjective
The instruction is as follows:“Read each noun phrase carefully. You must find the adjective and you must find the correctly agreed noun.” The test is split into two parts of 2 minutes 30 each and 4 questions each.
For example, the student must find the adjective that correctly agrees with the noun “une fille”. The suggestions are: sportif, sportive, sportives, sportifs. Conversely, in the second series, he must find the noun that correctly agrees with “un agréable”. The suggestions are: marchand, vendeuses, boulangers, marchande. If the student gives between 0 and 3 correct answers, his grade is a +, a ++ with 4 to 5 correct answers, and finally +++ if the number of correct answers is between 6 and 8.