Students with Reading Difficulties
Diagnostic Testing
Since 1989, France has systematically administered a diagnostic assessment in French and mathematics to all students at the beginning of Grades 3 and 6. Conceived as a diagnostic tool, this assessment provides teachers with information on the strengths and weaknesses of each student. The goal of this assessment has been to facilitate early tracking of students with difficulties in reading, writing, and calculation who may be at risk of not acquiring the necessary competencies by the end of the cycle.
In 2008, the diagnostic assessments system evolved to align with school curricula and to account for the implementation of the new primary school syllabus. These assessments continue to monitor achievement in French and mathematics. These national assessments are administered to all students in Grades 2 and 5 (approximately 1.5 million students) and take place in mid-May for Grade 2 and in mid-January for Grade 5.
Both assessment systems are educational tools used to help identify students’ levels and to provide assistance if necessary. Students’ results are communicated directly to their parents by the school within two weeks. Anonymous, aggregated results also are published for every department and regional education authority along with the national average within approximately one month.
Instruction for Children with Reading Difficulties
Four distinct plans accommodate French students with special education needs and ensure their success in school:
- For students with a chronic disease, food intolerance, or allergies, a Projet d’Accueil Individualisé (individualized welcome project) may be implemented.
- For students with a physical disability, a personalized education project may be requested.
- Students with learning difficulties caused by a learning disorder may benefit from a plan d’accompagnement personnalisé (customized support plan).
- For students who may not be able to acquire the level of knowledge and skills expected by the end of a cycle, it is possible to set up a coordinated set of accommodations to meet their needs, referred to as a Programme personnalisé de réussite éducative (PPRE, a personalized educational success program). PPREs are temporary plans of action and their duration may vary according to student need and progress. They may be implemented at any time during compulsory education. PPREs are devised by teaching staff (i.e., class teachers and heads of school), discussed with families, and presented to students as a formal plan; they represent a contract between schools and families. PPREs provide assistance in various forms—from educational differentiation in the classroom to specialized help—and mainly focus on French and mathematics instruction. They deal with precise objectives and methods for assessing student progress. PPREs prevent the escalation of difficulties, allow students to surmount learning obstacles, and provide coherent assistance from which students may benefit.
In 2014, the number of students with disabilities attending school at the primary level was 151,000. Within a school, the integration of students with disabilities may be implemented on an individual or group basis.20 Adapted individual instruction in regular classrooms is the first course of action to be implemented. More than two-thirds of students with disabilities receive individual support in regular classrooms. One or several disabled students may receive adapted instruction in a regular class within the personalized education project framework. Group instruction in a special integration class of students with disabilities (generally comprising 10 to 12 students) in a regular school is the second course of action to be implemented. Approximately one-third of students with disabilities receives group support in special classes in regular schools.