How will my child be graded while still learning the language?

Key rules

• Temporary: Adapted evaluation lasts only while your child builds enough language to follow the ordinary curriculum.
• Who decides: The head of studies and the tutor decide the adaptations and record them in your child's file.
• Regional limits: There is no national time limit, so the length of adapted evaluation depends on your region.

Adaptations, time limits and how the boletín shows them vary by region and school, so confirm them with your child's school or regional education office.

Early low grades reflect language, not ability

Schools may adapt how they evaluate a child who arrives mid-course and is still learning the language. This is for a limited time only. The boletín records results each term, so early low grades show the language level, not what your child can do.

What the school can change

Schools can give newcomers language support, individual adjustments to the curriculum and adapted assessment criteria. In some regions a child may also work at a different curricular level for a time.

Adapted evaluation can include:

• Oral tests instead of written ones.
• Simplified wording in questions.
• Extra time.
• Use of dictionaries.
• Marking the content your child knows, not the language errors.

The head of studies and your child's tutor decide which adaptations apply. They should record them in your child's file. Details differ by region, so ask the school what applies where you live.

How long it lasts

Adapted evaluation is temporary. It usually runs while your child receives language support, often one to two school years. Some regions allow longer if needed. It ends when your child's language is good enough to follow the ordinary curriculum. The school reviews it at least every evaluation period.

No single national time limit applies. Each region sets its own time in its rules on late arrival, so ask the school or your regional education office for the limit where you live.

What the boletín shows

The boletín gives a grade for each subject, as for any other pupil. If your child has an adaptation, the report may carry a note that the grade follows adapted criteria. It may also mark a subject as exempt or not assessed. The tutor usually adds comments on your child's progress in the language.

How this appears depends on the region and the school's software, so you may see it worded differently from another family's report.

What to do each term

Read the notes and the tutor's comments. Then ask what your child needs to move on to the ordinary curriculum without adaptations. The checklist below lists the questions to ask.

Year repetition and class placement are covered separately, in the guide on school systems and grade placement.

Checklist

• Ask the tutor which adaptations your child will get, such as oral tests, simplified wording, extra time or dictionaries.

• Check that the adaptation is recorded in your child's file by the head of studies and the tutor.

• Ask how long the adapted evaluation will last in your region and when it will be reviewed.

• Read each term's boletín for notes saying a grade follows adapted criteria or a subject is exempt or not assessed.

• Read the tutor's comments on language progress, and treat early low grades as a sign of the language level, not your child's ability.

• Ask the tutor at each term what your child needs to follow the ordinary curriculum without adaptations.

Frequently asked questions

Can my child take oral tests instead of written ones?

Yes, schools can use oral instead of written tests for a newcomer who is still learning the language, if the school decides to adapt the assessment. Other options include simplified wording, extra time, dictionaries and marking content rather than language. The head of studies and the tutor decide, and the adaptation goes in your child's file.

How long can my child's evaluation stay adapted?

Adapted evaluation is temporary, and it often lasts one to two school years while your child gets language support. Some regions allow longer if needed.