Half of the school year is over - it's time for the half certificate • The problem: the corona disrupted the school year and the Ministry of Education did not set procedures for the matter • The creative solution formulated by the principals - and also parents who give a grade to the children
Creative Solutions: Outdoor Studies
Photography:
Yossi Zeliger
The middle of the school year is approaching, and with it, as every year, half certificates should arrive.
But the corona disrupted the current school year and for the first time the Ministry of Education did not even issue a recommendation to school principals on how to evaluate students.
The half certificates are expected to be different this time, and some schools may choose not to distribute certificates at all: "Unlike the previous school year, in which they also studied in the shadow of the corona, this time the Ministry of Education did not issue any instruction or recommendation to principals." "Principals have autonomy, and every school is allowed to act as it sees fit. The Ministry of Education does not want to touch or touch it."
Photo: Yoni Rickner, Moshe Ben Simhon, Paz Bar, Newsenders
One reason for this is that the Ministry of Education fears criticism, as schooling was not uniform, and a requirement for a uniform standard could lead to negative reactions from schools.
This year there is no uniform model in the distribution of certificates, and each school does what it sees fit.
This means that one school can only give a verbal opinion, compared to another school that will give students numerical grades - and there is also the option not to give certificates at all.
This vacuum has led managers to think of creative solutions.
"No need to worry"
"In previous years, in third and fourth grades, we would give verbal grades of good, very good, etc. This year, due to the corona, only verbal assessments are given that characterize the student during distance learning and at school," explains Ronit Greif, principal of Brenner School in Givatayim.
The school changed the assessment method in the half certificates.
According to the principal, "In grades 1-4, the certificate will include only verbal assessments without a numerical or verbal grade. In grades 5-6, grades will be given exclusively in mathematics, language and English, based on the assignments given during both frontal and distance learning. In addition, we will allow students to evaluate themselves as learners. "
According to her, the fact that there are no grades is not a cause for concern.
"Parents do not have to worry, we can still know which good student has reached the expected goals and which student is having a hard time helping him. We use the learning time in schools to conduct tests, do student mapping and prepare intervention plans following the mappings. We work to reduce gaps. "We give children the skills we would like them to have in a routine - research work, independent learning, working in groups digitally, producing a product, accepting responsibility and more."
With the help of the children
"This year we do not have a document called a certificate, we do not have a sheet with grades, neither numerical nor verbal, but preliminary feedback conversations, in which the children are supposed to find their strengths," explains Toby Hamo, deputy principal of the Shapira neighborhood school in south Tel Aviv.
"We had conversations with the parents, where we reflected on the learning, social and emotional state of the students, and then we had conversations with the students themselves, asked them what they think and feel and asked to make a strength map with them. The goal is not to come to the student and tell him what is not good, "Here is a statement 'in this profession you are not good and should be helped' - but let's see what you know, and in the rest we will take you further. So far we have had full cooperation from the children and parents and the reactions are good."
In the middle school of the Bnei Akiva studio in Meron, it was decided that the students themselves would write an assessment of their educational and learning performance, in addition to the educator's assessment: Says middle school principal Orit Gross.
"We compiled a questionnaire in which each student rated her personal performance on a variety of topics such as completing assignments, entering zoom classes, listening in classes, helping friends and more. They were then asked to write with the educator a personal assessment. It is very exciting that a student tells about the process in her eyes. "The very expectations of the team from the students, each one knows based on what she is valued and what the educational and learning process she is going through. It gives a clear feeling towards the next half. The girls fully cooperated, they enjoyed it, felt they shared and saw them."
The parents will
And there are schools where parents also shared.
In the middle school of the Bnei Akiva Ulpanat in Lachish, a place is given in the certificate to the parents, where they are invited to write about the process that each student went through.
Studio director Shira Greenwald explains: "The recent period is characterized by distance learning, learning took place at home, so all the challenges of attendance, opening screens, submitting assignments and more were done with the parents' cooperation. "Appreciate the students both in learning and in the other things that happened at home. We saw this as a great opportunity to give them the place to express their appreciation."
She noted that the parents also took part in the distribution of the certificates.
"In the days before the certificates are handed out, the parents will give a series of Zoom lectures on their field of knowledge and the path they have taken to the achievements in their field."
