Pupil/students assessment

Student assessment is used for the continuous improvement of the management and day-to-day running of schools. It is an integral part of the teaching and learning process.
In order to conduct assessments, schools use a set of techniques and approaches:

• Diagnostic assessment is carried out at the start of a school year in order to record prior student performance and contribute to lesson planning and instruction
• Formative assessment is conducted during the learning process in order to determine if learning objectives specified by the current curriculum for each subject have been met.  The ultimate purpose is to support the instruction process and learning outcomes
• Assessment of knowledge and skills needs to be reliable, comparable and consistent. This is achieved through summative assessment.

Distinction of taught subjects in general upper secondary education schools

According to law 4547/2018, attendance in day and evening general upper secondary schools (lykeio) is 3 years.  It includes grades A, B and C.  
Day and evening general lykeio grade Α subjects (ministerial decision 102474/Δ2/20-08-2021) are divided into two (2) groups:

• Group A includes general education subjects tested through written exams:

1. Greek Language. Ancient greek language and Literature and Modern greek language and Literature)
2. Mathematics (Algebra and Geometry)
3. History
4. Natural Sciences (Physics and Chemistry)
5. English

• Group B includes all other general education subjects as well as elective/optional subjects not tested through written exams.

Day and evening general lykeio grade Β subjects are divided into two (2) groups:

• Group A includes general education subjects tested through written exams:

1. Greek Language. (Only the Modern greek language and Literature section)
2. History
3. Natural Sciences (Biology)
4. Mathematics (Algebra and Geometry)
5. English

In addition to the above subjects, group A also includes specialization group subjects.

• Group B includes all other general education subjects and elective subjects not tested through written exams.

Day general lykeio grade C subjects are divided into two (2) groups:

1. Group A includes the general education school subject of Modern Greek Language and Literature along with all the Specialization Groups school subjects. All these subjects are tested through the written school-leaving exams.
2. Group B includes the rest o the general education and elective school subjects and they are tested through the written school-leaving exams.

Evening general grade C subjects are also divided into 2 groups:

1. Group A:

• Modern greek language and Literature. 
• Mathematics for the students attending  the  human studies specialization group. 
• History just for the students attending the Natural sciences and Healthy studies specialization group as well as the Economics and Information technology specialization group respectively.

2. Group B includes all other general education subjects not tested through written exams.

Student assessment refers to the assessment of each subject separately. It is the exclusive responsibility of the instructor who teaches it.

Assessement procedure

Instruction time is performed in two teaching periods, called terms.
The first term lasts from 11 September until 20 January.
The second term lasts from 21 January until the end of lessons. Lessons end the last 10 days of May.  For lykeio, the end of lessons is specified every year by decision of the Minister of Education published until the 30 April.
The assessment combines various forms and techniques. Within this framework, students are assessed on the basis of their performance during the terms and the results of the final progression and graduation exams at the end of the school year (law 4610/2019).

Student assessment during terms (oral performance)

For the assessment of the student every term, the following criteria are taken into account:

1. Classroom participation
2. Enthusiasm and interest for the subject concerned
3. Performance in written classroom tests, that are either short or last for an hour or more. Short tests  are given with or without prior notice in the form of various, short and suitable written questions. The number and frequency of these short tests held every term are at the teachers’ discretion. Written tests lasting one (1) hour are given: (a) with prior notice, when following a recapitulation or (b) without prior notice when covering the material taught in the previous lesson. Given longer written tests should not exceed the one per day and should not be more than three (3) per school week.  In grade two (2) of all general upper secondary schools,  assessment tests are carried out on all  group subjects, one (1) during the first term and one (1) during the second term respectively, except for the subject of Physical Education where no assessment test is carried out. If for specific reasons no assessment test is carried out during the first term, then two (2) assessment tests will be held in the second term.
4. Homework or school exercises
5. Comparative/creative projects assigned. These count for positive student performance achieved during the respective term. The projects may be individual or collective and aim to nurture creativity and the spirit of research.

At the end of school terms A and B, the teachers submit students' marks to the school head.  The school head and the teachers are responsible for entering the oral marks on the individual progress report, without any delay.  As regards the second term, marks are given before the written progression and graduate exams.
At the end of each term and when grades have been finalized and recorded, guardians/parents are informed about student performance, diligence, attendance and behavior, and receive the individual progress report.

Written progression and school-leaving follow-up exams

In general upper secondary schools, written progression and school-leaving classroom exams are given at the end of the yearly instruction, during the 2nd term. They take place during May or the special exam period of June/September, in case where a student has to re-sit exams.  These exams assess the knowledge and skills attained by students during the relevant school year.
The programme for progression and graduate exams is determined by the school teachers' board.  The school head of lykeio announces it to students 5 days before the end of lessons.
The school head and the school teachers' board are responsible for the progression and graduate exams. The exam questions are produced by the teachers of the subjects.  They are common for all classes of the same grade. 
Teachers are responsible for selecting and properly defining the syllabus content that will be assessed.  According to l. 4692/2020, for the written exams in the 1st and 2nd grade (promotion exams), and graduation exams in the 3rd grade, exam topics are decided by random selection (to a degree of fifty percent (50%) from the Repository of Subjects of Graded Difficulty and up to fifty percent (50%) by the teacher or teachers of the corresponding course during the school year.When a subject is taught by more than one teacher, the teachers must work together in order to produce the content to be assessed.  This is submitted to and approved by the school head.  It is announced to the students 5 working days before the final lessons.
Questions for these tests are based on each subject’s assessment content during the exam year.
The syllabus content for the pan-hellenic exams (matriculation exams) is determined by decision of the Minister of Education.  It is published the latest at the end of September of the school year, after a proposal by the Institute of Educational Policy.

Annual student performance

As stipulated in l. 4610/19, grades A and B of general upper secondary education (lykeio), the annual student performance score in all subjects assessed through written exams is estimated by:

• The average of the annual oral performance score
• The respective written tests score (in decimal numbers turned to full).

For grade C of general lykeio, the annual student performance score in all subjects assessed through written exams is:

• The average of the annual performance score by 60 per cent
• The respective written tests score by 40 per cent (in decimal numbers turned into full).

The annual performance score for specialisation subjects is the general average of the scores for specialisation subjects.

For subjects not assessed through written exams, the annual performance score is the average of the first and second term.

The general average score (in decimal numbers turned into full) is based on the average of the annual performance grades of all subjects assessed through written and non-written examinations, including the optional subjects.  

Failing students of grades  A and B who do not achieve the general promotion average, have to sit the special examination period in September.

Grade C  students who do not attain the school leaving general average are examined in the special exam period in June. Sudents who who fail in teh school leaving exams of June are re-examined in the special exam period in September.

Grading scale

The grading scale used for calculating student performance on all subjects ranges from 0 to 20 and comes with the following descriptions:

The written parts of the progression and school-leaving exams are marked on the scale of 0-100 (whole numbers only).

The final mark of the written part is reduced to the scale of 0-20 (in whole decimal numbers).

Progression of pupils/students

Students may progress to the next grade or graduate when two (2) requirements are met at the same time:

1. Minimum average score
2. Sufficient attendance.

Minimum average score

The progression of general upper secondary (lykeio) students, is estimated on the basis of a general average, which has to be a minimum of 10.  This average is calculated from the annual average performance score of all subjects assessed through written and non-written exams.

Students (at any grade) who have failed to achieve the general average required (10), repeat exams taken,  in the second half of June of the same year.  For group A subjects, exams are written and are conducted according to the procedure of progression exams.  For group B subjects, the exams are oral. Students are not assessed in the subject of Physical Education

 In grades A and B, if students fail after re-sitting in September exams, they have to repeat the same grade.

Grade C students who fail to attain the general average score during the special exam period of June, can sit the special exam period of September, for subjects in which the obtained mark is less than 9.5.  In case of failure, students may either repeat the grade or may take the school-leaving exams of the following or any other year, without attending the respective grade. These students are assessed in all written and non-written subject exams, except for PE.

Students of grade C who do not achieve the general graduation grade average,  during the special examination period of June, are referred to the special examination period of September (first ten days) to be examined in the courses in which their performance grade is lower than 10. In the event that they fail to achieve the general  average again, failing students can either repeat the class or take the graduation exams the following or any other school year, without attending the corresponding class. These students are examined in all written and non-written subjects, with the exception of the Physical Education course.

Sufficient attendance

Another necessary prerequisite for the progression or the graduation of pupils in all grades of the general lykeio is their adequate attendance during the relevant school year.

Attendance is characterised as adequate or inadequate, based on the total number of absences.  Absences are enumerated one per teaching hour and must not exceed 114 per school year.

In the case of music, art and evening lykeio, it is plus 16 absences. Students whose absences exceed the limit are obliged to repeat the same class, as their attendance is considered inadequate.(ministerial decision 79942/ΓΔ4/21-5-2019).

Progression, graduation and reference to the special exam period of June/September or repeat of the grade depends on the current legislation.  Parents are not allowed to be involved in this decision process.

Certification

Pupils who successfully graduate from lykeio are awarded an upper secondary educational qualification, i.e an upper secondary education Graduation Certificate (Apolytirio Lykeiou).

The graduation certificate includes the photograph and the personal details of the student.  It also states:

• The general academic performance
• The specialisation group attended by the student
• The detailed grades per course of the student during the school year.

Certifcates also refer to student conduct throughout the school year (l. 4692/2020).

Graduation Certificates are issued by the school unit the pupil graduated from and bear the signatures of the:

• School head
• Certificate editor
• Members of the school teachers’ board. 

Holders of the upper secondary school leaving certificate have the following options:

1. To pursue their studies in tertiary education based on results from:

• Their performance at school level
• The marks taken in the exams at national level (pan-hellenic exams).  The latter refer to the specialisation group subjects, are linked with entry to HEI of the country and correspond to specific scientific fields

1. To enrol in Vocational Training Institutes (IEK) to get specialisation
2. To take part in competitions in the public or private sector
3. To join the labour market without specialisation.

Teacher evaluation 

Teacher assessment and evaluation aims to improve the individual performance of teachers and the quality of the public education system, in terms of the general pedagogical, didactic and support work offered by educational and support structures. This evaluation is carried out in accordance with the principles of impartiality and takes into consideration efficient service, and the ability for educational and support of teachers and special educational and auxiliary staff. The actual specificities of the offered educational, pedagogical and support work are also taken into account.

Details on Teacher’s evaluation  can be found in the section 6.3 Assessment in general lower seondary  education.  

Fields and evaluation criteria of teachers' work

Teacher’s work is evaluated on a four-point descriptive scale, in which their work is graded from excellent, to very good, to satisfactory or to unsatisfactory, in terms of two (2) fields:

1. the teaching and pedagogical work of the teacher, which is specialized in A1) general and special didactics of the cognitive subject and A2) pedagogical climate and classroom management and
2.  service consistency and competence of the teacher.

Details on fields and evaluation criteria of teachers' work  can be found in the section 6.3 Assessment in general lower secondary education.   

Utilisation of evaluation results 

In the event that the work of a teacher is evaluated as "unsatisfactory", the teacher in name is required to attend a mandatory training program, drafted by the Institute of educational policy. The subject of the training and its duration is determined by decision of the Education quality supervisor, following a recommendation by the relevant Education advisor,  l. 4823/2021.