Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has officially mandated a standardised reading literacy assessment three times a year.
Students between the ages of 6 and 15 are required to take the test, according to the education regulator.
With effect from the academic year 2023-24, all Dubai schools will participate in the digital Reading Literacy assessment from Grades 1 to 12, as well as the Arabic Benchmark Test from Grades 1 to 9.
According to Peter Bonner, Assistant Principal Primary - Curriculum, Progress, and Assessment, GEMS World Academy - Dubai, “All students in the 6-15 age range are required to complete a standardised reading literacy assessment every three years.
In accordance with the guidelines, tests should assess reading skills across a range of domains, including, but not limited to:
Phonemic awareness
Word recognition and phonics
Reading comprehension
Fluency
Vocabulary
Interpretive and comparative analysis of passages
Application of understanding and critique of text
Comprehension of different genres, including poetry."
According to Bonner, "Schools have the flexibility to select a reading assessment platform and provider that meets their specific needs."
According to him, assessments should be "computer-adaptive," and the results should show each student's reading age in comparison to grade/age expectations, and also a Standard Age Score (SAS) to facilitate comparisons.
This will allow for a detailed analysis of results, which will assist in identifying individual student needs and how these are used to guide interventions with all students."
The UAE is committed to maintaining high standards of education, and institutions are piloting these assessments in a few grades and sections.
As a result, schools will be able to establish a baseline of students' cognitive potential and their achievements over time, as well as facilitate necessary modifications to their learning.
In some schools, students are now receiving their test results, but in others, they are not.
As Bonner points out, “While it is not mandatory to share the reading assessment results with parents, this is generally done as a matter of effective practice in order to maintain transparency and to clarify students’ next steps for teachers, parents, and students,” he says.
The reading literary assessment should be external, standardised, reliable, and applicable across all curricula, according to Deepika Thapar Singh, CEO-Principal, Credence High School. As part of these assessments, reading skills should be assessed in accordance with international assessment standards, such as the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
"At the time the test is given, the assessment providers should provide results showing each student's reading age in comparison to grade/year level." In addition, each student's SAS (Standard Age Score) should be produced so that comparison of results can be made.
All stakeholders are informed of the results. By aligning the reading assessment with the verbal component of the cognitive ability test, schools should be able to compare the results."
Students' results will not be affected by the results of these tests, according to educators.
Using [the] Harkness Table Model of learning, Rashmi Nandkeolyar, Principal and Director, Delhi Private School (DPS) Dubai, says reading is followed by invigorating discussions and activities that promote deep critical thinking.
Students' reading habits and abilities are revealed by assessment data. Additionally, it contributes to their stellar performance in IBTs. During home reading sessions, the program allows families to spend quality time together.
After a reading assessment is completed, teachers provide learners and their parents with feedback.