Transcript The New Junior Cycle – An Introduction

The New Junior Cycle – An
Introduction
Starting in September, your son/daughter
will do the current Junior Certificate exam
in all subjects except English. Those exams
will follow the same format as currently
exists, with results released in September
2017
In English, however, they will be
examined according to the new Junior
Cycle format. Students will receive the
Junior Cycle Student Award in autumn
2017 assessing their performance in
English
This is the first student group to be
examined under the new Junior Cycle
format
Other subjects will move to the new
format in the years to come, but for
your son/daughter, English will be the
only subject following the new format
over their three years
Why change
to the new
Junior Cycle
format?
ESRI Research showed the
following
-2nd year students being taught to the test.
-Large minority of these students disengaging
-This disengagement not just a phase
- Negative impact of teaching to the test on
teaching methodologies
-Narrow range of assessment activity
-Too much teaching to the test
-Too much rote learning
PISA survey results
-A need to focus on literacy and
numeracy
-A need for connections and progression
In English, one of the big changes is that
students will now be taught key skills in
their subject.
Many teachers have taught a lot of the key
skills indirectly over the years, but now the
curriculum is being set up in a way to
promote these skills as much as possible
The key skills
In recent months, the staff have begun
to work on incorporating the first of
these key skills into all subject
department plans. This will ensure
that not only are the key skills taught
in English, but that staff can begin to
teach & promote them in all subjects
for next year’s first year students
Why are key skills so important?
- Students are more engaged
- Learning is more effective
- Students are aware of themselves as learners
- Students think critically for themselves
http://vimeo.com/ncca/review/16471534/a463328
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What are the main differences between English
and all other subjects next year?
-
Their certification at the end of the process will be
different
- They will be assessed differently at the end of their
three year cycle. 40% of their marks will be allocated for
Continuous Assessment. This 40% will be spread across
two tasks in second & third year
-
The remaining 60% will be assessed by one written
paper in June 2017. This will be linked to students
engagement with texts in 2nd & 3rd year
All their other subjects will follow the current Junior
Certificate model