Substantial updates in the new assessment policy for second year students

The Ministry of Education revealed fundamental updates to the evaluation policy for second-year students for the academic year 2024-2025, as it aims to achieve advanced educational outcomes that meet the needs of the times, with a focus on integrating applied projects into evaluation and activating the role of parents in supporting the educational process.

The Ministry announced, in accordance with the Project-Based Education Guide, which Emirates Today reviewed, the update of new assessment weights to achieve a balance between academic education and projects in the three semesters, as grades are distributed in a balanced manner, taking into account the importance of projects and applied activities in students’ progress in the subjects. Targeted.

The Ministry stated that one of the main objectives of these amendments is to consolidate applied education, which relies on practical projects to motivate students to develop their creative and critical thinking skills.

Updated weights

According to the updated weights, which were stated in the project-based education guide, the weight for the first semester became 35%, divided into 25% for the central test at the end of the semester, and 10% for the daily formative assessment, compared to 30% for the second semester, with 20% for the formative test with a monitored grade. Which schools apply at the end of the semester, and 10% to evaluate the projects assigned to students throughout the semester.

The weight share for the third semester was 35%, with 25% for the central tests prepared and supervised by the Ministry, and 10% for the formative tests with a grade monitored at the school. According to evaluation updates, the student’s share of the formative tests with a grade monitored at the school became 40%, compared to 60% for the tests. Central Ministry.

Procedures and controls

The Ministry has determined the procedures, controls and mechanisms for applying the project-based assessment, which is being conducted for the first time on students in grades five through eight, to replace the second semester exams for the current academic year 2024-2025.

The Ministry focused on four basic subjects, including Arabic and English, science, and mathematics, to evaluate the student. He must also take the Islamic Education and Social Studies tests.

Selected projects

The Ministry has monitored selected projects for each subject, distributed among grades five to eight, to achieve integration between academic subjects, link them to life issues, develop students’ skills, and link curricula to pressing life and environmental issues.

She stressed the importance of implementing projects inside the classroom, under the supervision of the teacher, who provides the necessary guidance to the students during the work period. At the end of the semester, the final projects are presented before the start of the end-of-semester exams, to enable the students to showcase their skills and cooperative learning, and the projects are evaluated based on the students’ commitment. With the specified criteria, as well as the extent of their creativity and interaction with the project objectives.

She pointed out the importance of enhancing curiosity among students and giving them skills that enable them to apply their theoretical knowledge on the ground, which contributes to building a generation capable of facing the challenges of the future.

The new updates also included an emphasis on the pivotal role of parents in promoting project-based education, as the Ministry allocated five roles for parents, the most prominent of which is emotional and social support for students, to help them deal with academic challenges and ensure their psychological stability. The Ministry said: “An ideal educational environment must be created and a suitable place for learning must be ensured within the home, which enhances the student’s concentration and helps him perform his duties. Independence must be enhanced, and students must be urged to take responsibility for learning, while providing the necessary support to overcome difficulties.” She continued: “Performance must be followed up according to the evaluation criteria, and students must be monitored based on the standards set by the Ministry for the new evaluation, in addition to continuous communication with schools and teachers, to achieve fruitful cooperation to ensure the desired results and develop the level of students.”

Interested parties

For their part, school administrations that contributed to explaining the details of the assessment updates to the second year students confirmed that cooperation between the family and the school is a vital element in achieving progress in students’ performance, stressing the importance of parents monitoring the extent of their children’s commitment to the updated standards.

5 guidelines for implementing projects

The Ministry of Education has developed five directives to effectively implement educational projects and achieve the desired goals. It directed students to be distributed into small groups of three to six students for cooperative work, where they are assigned a project for each of the basic subjects (Arabic and English, mathematics, and science). It is necessary to provide a clear task guide for each project that includes the steps and standards required to achieve it.