Monitoring Students Progress
Striving for Academic Excellence
In Killarney Community College our aim is that all students strive for academic excellence. This is encouraged at all levels from the standard of homework a child submits to achievement in all exams. Students are monitored at all levels to ensure that they are achieving to their best ability. The students’ journal play a key role in this process. All students must have a journal in their possession. This is used for recording homework, study plans, and communication with parents on different issues. The college operates an academic tracking system to ensure all students individual progress is being monitored and addressed accordingly
Entrance Tests
When a child and their Parents/ Guardian make an application to the college, the student will be invited to the college’s assessment in early spring. This is a very meaningful test for the college as helps the college understand the child’s learning strengths and difficulties. Students are assessed in the area of reading, maths and overall general aptitude.
These results are then used to inform the academic council’s tracking process after each formal assessment in the school.
Assessments
Academic Assessment of students takes many forms in the classroom. Informally, teachers assess students through class tests and homework on a continuous basis.
Homework
Homework plays a vital role in reinforcing learning in school. The college has developed a detailed policy on the type, amount and time allocation that is needed for each year group in the school. (Further details of the policy are available in the college.)
Formal Assessment
There are formal assessments for all year groups with in the school 4 times per year.
- October Mid term break
- Christmas
- Easter
- Summer
4 reports a year are sent home to parents and guardians detailing a students academic progress, attendance, no of lates and general behaviour. The college feels that it is vital for student’s progress to keep parents informed on a continual basis.
Academic Council
The academic council is made up of the Principal, Deputy Principal, the Year heads, Career Guidance, and the Learning support teacher. This group of people meet to discuss the progress of each individual student after the reports have been sent out. We feel that it is imortant to discuss each child’s progress to ensure that any difficulties can be addressed.
After each of these assessments, the exam results of each student are inputted in to a progress tracking system. The student’s entrance test ability scores are also put in to the system. These scores enable the college to determine if the student is working to the best of their ability in class.
After the council meets,
- If students are working well they will be sent a post card congratulating them on their hard work.
- If students are not working to the best of their ability, they are sent a letter explaining the areas of concern and what improvements need to be made for the next set of assessments.
- The students themselves have welcomed the process as they feel it is being noted by the school that they are making a good effort and this acts as a great motivation for them.
- Parents have applauded the considerable efforts in operating this tracking process as they feel it acts as a great incentive to study and achieve well in the tests.
Parent Teacher Student Meetings
In Killarney Community college, the student is at the core of all school business. Therefore we feel that it is important that a student attends the parent teacher meetings. This gives the student and parent the opportunity to discuss with each teacher how that student is progressing.
Each class group in the school has one formal parent teacher student meeting per year. The third and fifth years have a meeting in Early November after the mid term assessments. This gives parents and students the opportunity to discuss progress and exam levels for the state exams.
The 1st, 2nd & 4th Year parent/ teacher/ student meeting happen in January after the Christmas assessments. This is a mid point in the year and an important time to take stock of progress.
Pre Junior and leaving certificate Exams
These exams occur before the mid term break in February. We feel it is important to have them early to allow time for feed back for students and to help students re focus on the main exams.
Links and Progression to Third level
Even from the initial days when a student enters the college, a major emphasis is placed on looking to their future career path. All first years have a module of career guidance on their timetable where they are encouraged to focus on their strengths, abilities and interests. This is the starting point for focus on progression to third level.
UCC+
Killarney Community College is very fortunate to have strong links with University College Cork Access programme. This programme helps fund various different initiatives in the school such as:
- Graffiti Theatre workshop for all first year students on goal setting and future aspirations.
- UCC projects competition for first and second year students where a number of winning students are brought to UCC to receive their prize. This establishes early links with in teenage minds of the opportunities of going to University.
- Grinds and support classes for some higher level subjects at Leaving and Junior certificate level.
- Summer work shops in UCC.
- Scholarships to the Gaelteacht and summer language colleges.
Progression to other Colleges
The College has a strong tradition of students progressing to third level institutions. Over the last number of years students have attended the following colleges:
- University College Cork
- University College Limerick
- Teacher Training College (Lough Gill, Co. Sligo)
- Art College Cork
- Agricultural College (Clonakilty)
- Cork Institute of Technology
- Institute of Technology Tralee
- Post