Reaching for the Stars Matters in Education

"During my time as a senior administrator at an international school, the school offered a curriculum for primary classes from grade one to six, secondary students from years 7 to 12, and an additional year 13, which was equivalent to the first year of tertiary education. This school was home to people from around 80 nationalities, including students, teachers, administrators, and support staff."

"There was also an unexpected educational administrative feature at the school that I could only describe as astonishing. From year 7 to year 10, students participated in a weekly exam that assessed the material covered in the previous week. The structure of these weekly exams consisted of true-or-false and multiple-choice questions. From my observations, there were no signs of anxiety, protests, or opposition from students or parents. No parent, for example, ever kept their child home on exam days."

The international school provided education from primary grade one through year 13, serving a community of about 80 nationalities. Secondary students in years 7–10 demonstrated notably high social, emotional, and intellectual maturity. A qualitative empirical monitoring program tracked academic performance, social behaviour, and teacher practice via class attendance and observations. Explicit teaching methods predominated, and most students were fully engaged in lessons. A weekly low-stakes exam assessed prior-week material using true/false and multiple-choice items. These exams were accepted by students, teachers, and parents without visible anxiety, and were treated as routine progress checks.

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