2014 National Assessment of Mathematics in the Third Grade of Secondary Education in Flanders (General - Art - Technical Track)

In 2014 a national assessment was carried out, which was commissioned by the Flemish government, to assess the extent to which students have achieved the attainment targets for mathematics at the end of the third grade of general, art and technical secondary education. The attainment targets for basic education were assessed in the general track through 6 tests: (1) real functions, (2) exponential functions, (3) trigonometric functions, (4) derivatives, (5) problem solving with functions and (6) derivatives and statistics. A representative sample of 4004 pupils from 64 Flemish secondary schools participated in these tests. The specific attainment targets were tested in the general track through 4 tests: (1) algebra, (2) analysis, (3) solid geometry and (4) statistics, probability theory and discrete mathematics. A representative sample of 1652 pupils from 58 Flemish secondary schools participated in these tests. Three tests were developed for the art and technical track: (1) functions with tables and graphs, (2) functions with algebra and (3) statistics. A representative sample of 1637 pupils from 62 Flemish secondary schools participated in these tests. Tests were supplemented with background questionnaires for students, parents and mathematics teachers. These questionnaires collected, among other things, information on the general background characteristics of the students and their families, classroom practices and school policies. With regard to the general track, the response rates were 99% for the student questionnaire and 91% for the parent questionnaire. Teachers were able to complete a part of the questionnaire online, for which the response rate was 99%. For the paper part, the response rate was also 99%. As for the art and technical track, the response rates were 98% for the student questionnaire and 86% for the parent questionnaire. For the online part of the teacher questionnaire, the response rate was 95% and for the paper part, it was 89%.