Projects for schools

Testing and evaluation

Every year, an average of 11,500 students from more than 2,000 schools (i.e. 36% of schools in the Czech Republic) take part in our projects. We annually evaluate more than 33,000 tests. The results of our analyses serve as independent feedback and lead to improvement of instruction. Our products are supported by both long-term practice and the latest trends and findings in the field.

We see testing as more than a diagnostic tool, as our objective is also to ensure that students and teachers enjoy themselves and that the result truly aids their further development. Our products include comparison and verification tests. We offer not only ordinary subject tests, but also tests focused on general education prerequisites, skills and competencies. Three years ago, we became the only institution in the Czech Republic to launch computerised adaptive testing (CAT, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computerized_adaptive_testing) of English-language skills. We now also offer testing of German, life skills and reading literacy.

The principal projects offered to schools include:

National testing

Nationwide testing contains unique comparative tests that serve for obtaining high-quality and unbiased feedback and comparisons of hundreds of schools throughout the Czech Republic. Thanks to the test of general education prerequisites (similar tests are used worldwide for determining students’ prerequisites for further study), schools gain information on the extent to which students use their learning potential in individual subjects. The results of the tests are supplemented with information from a questionnaire administered to students. Testing is conducted in key periods of instruction – at the end of the first and second grades.

• Every school receives detailed results of students, grades and the school itself.
• In addition to comparison with other schools, the results are focused on determining problem areas and uncovering students’ hidden potential.
• Students receive a detailed report including insight into their test results.
• Testing can be conducted on tablets; students can thus take the tests at home.
• Tests of general education prerequisites, mathematics, Czech language, English language and German language.

World of literacy

This comprehensive service is aimed at developing students’ literacy (e.g. reading literacy) and includes everything from an adaptive test of reading literacy and tips on selecting books to suggestions and tips focused on instruction. All aspects of the service are interlinked and comprehensible.

School climate

The School Map questionnaire-based survey provides schools and founders with comprehensive information on the atmosphere in a given school, relations between all actors in the life of the school and their opinions and attitudes, and on potential problem areas (bullying, safety, healthy eating habits). We offer schools a comparison of older and new results, analysis of differences between schools and formulation of SWOT analyses.

ESF projects

In the past, we also implemented ESF (European Social Fund) projects, particularly in the areas of schools’ IT equipment, CLIL methods and alternative assessment methods.

Test development

All of our tests are formulated using a so-call Authorial Tool (AT), which is the result of SCIO’s own research.

Authorial Tool

The Authorial Tool (AT) serves as an online database in which test items are formulated, amended and stored. Tests are also composed in AT. At the same time, AT is a communication environment for all of the people who take part in developing test items. In the phase of formulating items, the authors send their items via AT to the guarantor, who reviews the items and sends feedback in the form of comments to the authors. This process continues until such time that the planned number of test items corresponding to the commission has been reached.

In the course of development, all comments on test items, statuses and revisions of items, revisions of tests and performed activities are recorded in AT. It is thus possible to see all changes, comments and amendments that have been made.

At present, AT supports 12 different types of test items, and we are administrating 53 projects and 29 courses in AT. During its time in operation, nearly 100,000 test items have been created in AT, along with 1,327 tests, of which 943 have reached the final product phase.

ScioDat testing application

The ScioDat application supports modern technologies and a broad spectrum of functionalities, and our online testing is conducted in the application. Working with the application is easy and intuitive. The initial rigorous testing was carried out in September 2011; to date, several hundred thousand students have gone through the application and more than 300,000 tests were completed last year alone. Scio’s own team of programmers work on the continuing development of the application. Since 2015, the application has also supported e-learning, for which content is currently being developed.