Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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426. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures she is taking to ensure reasonable accommodations for standardised testing in primary schools, such as increased time for dyslexic children is taking place at the moment. [34145/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Schools are advised that all pupils be included in Standardised Testing whenever possible. A principal may decide that it is possible to include a pupil in testing only if special accommodations are made. This can be done provided that:

• The accommodation next to the pupil’s result is noted.
• Results are interpreted cautiously, as the test has been taken outside of standardisation conditions.
• If the pupil is in 2nd, 4th or 6th class of primary school, the principal will mark them as exempted on returns to the Department (i.e., you do not include their result in this report).

• a child taking the test at a different level than their class level.
• taking the test in a quiet room.
• extra time for comfort breaks.
• taking the test with the support of a Special Needs Assistant.
• reader for the mathematics test (whether a human reader or a digital device that reads text aloud).
• answering a paper test using the test booklet rather than an answer sheet (applies from primary Level 3 (3rd class) upwards).
• using coloured overlays.

• If assistive technology is used, the test results must be interpreted cautiously as the test was conducted outside standardisation conditions.
• Please note that if a pen scanner or screen reader technology is used for a reading test, what is being assessed is no longer independent comprehension of printed text, but rather listening language and comprehension skills. While the raw score (number of questions answered correctly) may still offer some useful information about the child’s language knowledge more generally, the standard score will not be readily interpretable as the comparison with the population is no longer a like-for-like one.
• The online Drumcondra tests are compatible with browser-based apps. Please confirm with the technology provider that it can communicate with browser-based applications. If it can, then the online test should work properly. We recommend scheduling a test session before the student uses the technology to ensure it works correctly.

• www.tests.erc.ie/test-administration-faqs
• www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/standardised-testing-in-primary-schools/