Teachers regularly assess their pupils using methods that may vary from tests, analysis of the pupil’s work, observations, exams…
During the learning cycle, parents are directly informed about the assessment and the progress of their child regarding the objectives to be achieved : entretiens individuels (individual exchanges) with the teacher take place three times a year at the end of each term.
This information is communicated by two different tools: the bilan intermédiaire (intermediate report) and the bilan de fin de cycle (end of cycle review).
The bilan intermédiaire
At the end of the three terms of each school year (before the Christmas holidays, the Easter holidays and the Summer holidays), the teaching team prepares an intermediate report of the skill development (formative assessment). This intermediate report shows the learning progress of the pupil in relation with the objectives to be reached at the end of the cycle.
The review eases communication between parents and teachers during the personal meeting at the end of each term :
- A mark assesses the performances of the pupil during the term. There are eight possible marks : A+, A, B+, B, C+, C, D+, D. In German, French, Luxembourgish and mathematics, this mark is allocated for each field of competence (e.g. in the languages: written production, oral production, reading comprehension, listening comprehension). In the other development and learning fields (initiation to sciences), it applies to the subject.
- In each development and learning field, the learning motivation of the pupil is assessed on a four-level scale (ranking from "rarely" to "frequently").
- The progress of the pupil regarding the skill bases is documented by field of competence (e.g. in the languages: written production, oral production, reading comprehension, listening comprehension).
- The skills that are the priority targets of each field are described in an understandable way providing parents with a clearer picture of the performance and skills their child is supposed to develop during the cycle.
- Transversal skills i.e. not linked to a specific development and learning field are assessed on a four-level scale (ranking from "slightly developed" to "well developed").
- For each development and learning field, the review gives the possibility to write down comments, observations and perspectives that the teacher and the parents have discussed during the individual exchange.
The bilan de fin de cycle
At the end of each learning cycle, the teaching team prepares a bilan de fin de cycle (end of cycle review). It certifies the skills acquired by the pupil in order to move on to the next cycle.
The bilan intermédiaire (intermediate report) and the bilan de fin de cycle (end of cycle review) refer to the socles de compétences (skills bases) the pupil is supposed to develop during the cycle.