ISTA Proposes Postponement of Additional Assessment Components in Senior Cycle Sciences

On Monday, three representatives from the ISTA Council (Humphrey Jones, Mary Mullaghy and Aodhagan O’Súilleabháin) met with two Department of Education officials with responsibility for Senior Cycle reform. The agenda concerned the ISTA’s decision to dissociate from the Additional Assessment Components of the revised senior science specifications back in December and the rationale for that decision. It was a very open, honest and constructive meeting where the ISTA delegates reiterated their deep concerns around the AAC (see December’s statement on that decision here) while stressing it recognised the need for curricular reform, in subjects that change quickly like the sciences. The key points raised included significant concerns around health & safety in the AACs, inadequate lab provision & resources, inadequate funding, the allocation of 40% to the AAC, the challenges AI creates, the impact on teacher workload, wellbeing and retention, the impact on student wellbeing and, crucially, their capacity to widen the social divide.

Last week, the Minister for Education informed the teaching unions (who had previously met the same DE team to discuss their concerns) that the pause in Senior Cycle reform they campaigned for would not happen, with tranche 1 proceeding as planned from September. In the meeting, the ISTA team put forward a compromise solution – a delay to the implementation of the Additional Assessment Component element of the new specifications with the curricular element of the specification proceeding as planned in September, with the ISTA’s support.

The proposal suggested a delay could provide time for the following:

• Address the significant health and safety concerns around the implementation of the current AAC model. The current Safety in School Science guidelines (2001) need to be updated to include reference to extended experimental investigations, risk assessments and laboratory and fieldwork safety. (The ISTA have sought a meeting with the Health & Safety Authority to discuss the safety implications for the AACs in our schools)
• Address the lab infrastructure, funding model for science in schools and the provision of resources. An audit of school lab facilities in schools and a survey of school leaders to establish their capacity to provide lab space for senior sciences could be carried out in this time.
• ⁠⁠Facilitate the Department of Education to complete the much-needed guidance on Artificial Intelligence in AACs and research their potential impact on assessment in schools.
• ⁠Research the impact of AACs on teacher workload, wellbeing and retention.
• ⁠Establish the potential impact of AACs on student wellbeing.
• ⁠Establish if the model for AACs in Senior Sciences aligns with the vision of a Senior Cycle that delivers “equity and excellence for all”. If not, an alternative model of additional assessment could be explored by the Subject Development Groups.
• ⁠Allow teachers to adjust to the content of the new specifications without the additional burden of facilitating extended experimental investigations, especially if they have more than one subject.

While the Department of Education officials could not agree to the proposal at the meeting, the ISTA delegation made a strong case. None of the suggestions were deemed unreasonable but there are obvious challenges. No promises can be made on a postponement of the AACs but the Department of Education agreed to consider the proposal and arrange a follow up meeting. They have committed, in the short term, to review the Safety in School Science documentation, review the funding model for school science (with a view to provide ring-fenced funding for science in schools annually) and confirmed new digital grants would be made available to schools to provide ICT equipment for students carrying out AACs. They wanted to stress that the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) was the mechanism for schools to request laboratory upgrades and asked the ISTA to urge their members to make applications if their science facilities are not suitable. You can find more details on the CASWS scheme. While the ISTA delegation welcomed these commitments, they stressed the need to strongly consider a postponement of the AACs in Senior Cycle science. A postponement makes sense and allows everyone, including the Department of Education, time to ensure the implementation of the new specification is successful.