Assessment of the academic performance of first grade students

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to contrast children’s actual performance in reading, writing and mathematics, with the objectives of the official educational program. An additional purpose was to determine possible relations between performance and children’s previous academic history (preschool vs. no preschool). Subjects were 20 first grade children belonging to two public schools of low SE level in the State of Mexico. 10 were children who had preschool experience and 10 lacked this experience. Assessment supported by criterion-referenced and curriculum-based measures was conducted in four different periods: one at the beginning of the school year, two more in the middle of the cycle and one at the end. Results indicate that children with preschool experience perform better than children without this experience in the initial assessment in the three academic areas. Differences in performance between groups tend to decrease along the school year. Nevertheless, actual performance indicated that program objectives are only accomplished partially, regardless of previous experience. The lack of correspondence between actual performance and program expectations is discussed in terms of the need to continue research in order to determine relevant variables that are contributing to this phenomenon. Results are also discussed in relation to advantages of the type of measures used for the analysis of reading, writing and mathematics performance.