Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
Improvements in levels of literacy and numeracy are central to our educational objectives. The National Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF) sets clear national expectations for teachers and will be a critically important driver of improvement, helping all schools to embed literacy and numeracy across all subjects in the curriculum. The LNF will be a statutory curriculum requirement for pupils from Reception to Year 9, from September 2013\.  


 


Statutory reading and numeracy tests for pupils in Year 2 to Year 9 are being developed to provide further, robust evidence of pupils’ level of attainment, in addition to teacher assessments.Consultations on both the LNF and the National Reading and Numeracy Tests took place between June and October last year. 160 written responses were received from a variety of stakeholders and over 300 teachers attended consultation events to give their feedback on the Welsh Government proposals. I am grateful for all of the responses received.  


Several key themes emerged from the consultation responses in relation to the tests:


 


* respondents felt it would be useful to develop supplementary material to use alongside reading tests, but this would need to be considered again properly once the exact form of the new tests are known;
* a majority of respondents felt that it would be worthwhile to report age\-equivalent scores for tests, in addition to standard scores and progress scores – however, there was more limited support for sharing these scores externally;
* there was a wide variety of anticipated practical implications of marking and administering national reading and numeracy tests; and
* there was a wide variety of suggestions as to how the test data could be best analysed and used to help drive up standards, and a number of respondents expressed concerns about the validity of the test data due to the security of the test results.


 


A report summarising the consultation responses will be published on the Learning Wales website in Spring 2013\. However, I want to set out today the steps we are taking to respond to the consultation.


### Provision of supplementary material


Additional material is being designed to assist teachers in making formative assessments of their pupils’ reading \- this will add to the data provided by the tests themselves.  In addition, sample materials relevant to the main reading and numeracy tests will be made available in advance of May 2013 to assist schools in implementing them.


### Age\-equivalent scores


In line with the consensus from the consultation, age\-equivalent scores will be made available for parents’ information, supported by appropriate advice about how to interpret them.  However, in light of concerns about overall validity, these scores will not be used for data analysis or reported to schools as part of the school\-level analysis provided.


### Data use and interrogation


I have taken note of the issues raised in the consultation and my officials are continuing to explore with systems suppliers what analyses can be developed in order to assist schools and others to use the data from the tests most effectively.


### Transitional support for implementation


We have designed the tests to be as simple to administer as possible. It is also important to note that many schools will have been administering a range of tests in any case for a number of years, so the additional burdens will be limited. I recognise, however, that there will be some need for additional support for schools in the first year and I am therefore pleased to be able to announce:


* A one\-off grant of £0\.5 million to schools, for the 2012/13 academic year only, to assist them in test implementation in that first year;
* Special test\-focused input led by the test developers at a series of regional conferences as part of the National Support Programme for the LNF; and
* Provision of a telephone advice line and visiting support service for schools, again in the first year, to ensure that the tests are implemented as smoothly as possible.


I will publish more detail on the operation of these initiatives shortly.







Translation:


 
               Mae gwella lefelau llythrennedd a rhifedd yn ganolog i’n hamcanion addysgol. Mae’r Fframwaith Llythrennedd a Rhifedd Cenedlaethol yn pennu disgwyliadau cenedlaethol clir ar gyfer athrawon, a bydd yn gyfrwng hollbwysig i hyrwyddo gwelliant, gan helpu pob ysgol i sefydlu llythrennedd a rhifedd ar draws holl bynciau’r cwricwlwm. O Fedi 2013 bydd y Fframwaith Llythrennedd a Rhifedd yn un o ofynion statudol y cwricwlwm ar gyfer disgyblion o’r dosbarth derbyn hyd flwyddyn 9\.

Mae profion darllen a rhifedd statudol yn cael eu datblygu ar gyfer disgyblion Blwyddyn 2 i Flwyddyn 9 er mwyn darparu mwy o dystiolaeth gadarn o lefel cyrhaeddiad disgyblion, yn ogystal ag asesiadau athrawon.  

Cynhaliwyd ymgynghoriadau ar y Fframwaith a’r Profion Darllen a Rhifedd Cenedlaethol rhwng Mehefin a Hydref y llynedd. Derbyniwyd 160 o ymatebion ysgrifenedig oddi wrth amrywiaeth o randdeiliaid ac aeth dros 300 o athrawon i sesiynau ymgynghori i roi eu hadborth ar gynigion Llywodraeth Cymru. Rwy’n ddiolchgar am bob ymateb a ddaeth i law.  

Daeth sawl thema bwysig i’r amlwg yn sgil yr ymatebion i’r ymgynghoriad mewn perthynas â’r profion:

* roedd yr ymatebwyr yn teimlo y byddai’n ddefnyddiol datblygu deunydd atodol i’w ddefnyddio ochr yn ochr â’r profion darllen, ond byddai angen ystyried hyn yn iawn rywbryd eto unwaith y byddai’n hysbys beth fyddai union natur y profion newydd;
* roedd mwyafrif yr ymatebwyr o’r farn y byddai’n werth nodi sgoriau oedran ar gyfer y profion, yn ogystal â sgoriau safonol a sgoriau cynnydd. Ond roedd llai o gefnogaeth i’r syniad o rannu’r sgoriau hyn yn allanol;
* o ran goblygiadau ymarferol marcio a gweinyddu profion darllen a rhifedd cenedlaethol, roedd yr ymatebion yn amrywio’n eang;
* roedd amrywiaeth eang o awgrymiadau o ran y ffordd orau o ddadansoddi data’r profion a’u defnyddio i helpu i godi safonau, a mynegodd nifer o’r ymatebwyr bryderon ynghylch dilysrwydd data’r profion mewn perthynas â diogelwch canlyniadau’r profion.

Yn ystod gwanwyn 2013, caiff adroddiad sy’n crynhoi’r ymatebion i’r ymgynghoriad ei gyhoeddi ar wefan Dysgu Cymru. Ond heddiw rwyf am amlinellu’r camau rydym yn eu cymryd i ymateb i’r ymgynghoriad.

### Darparu deunydd atodol

Mae deunydd ychwanegol yn cael ei ddatblygu i helpu athrawon i lunio asesiadau ffurfiannol o lefel darllen eu disgyblion. Bydd hyn yn ychwanegu at y data a ddarperir gan y profion eu hunain. Yn ogystal, bydd deunyddiau sampl sy’n berthnasol i’r prif brofion darllen a rhifedd ar gael cyn Mai 2013 i helpu ysgolion i’w cynnal.

### Sgoriau oedran

Yn unol â’r consensws o’r ymgynghoriad, caiff sgoriau oedran eu darparu er gwybodaeth i rieni, ynghyd â chyngor priodol am sut i’w dehongli. Serch hynny, yng ngoleuni pryderon am ddilysrwydd cyffredinol, ni chaiff y sgoriau hyn eu defnyddio wrth ddadansoddi data na’u nodi ar gyfer ysgolion fel rhan o’r dadansoddiad a ddarperir ar lefel ysgol.

### Defnyddio’r data

Rwyf wedi gwneud nodyn o’r materion a godwyd yn yr ymgynghoriad ac mae fy swyddogion yn parhau i ymchwilio, ynghyd â chyflenwyr y systemau, i weld beth y gellir ei wneud i helpu ysgolion ac eraill i ddefnyddio data’r profion yn y ffordd fwyaf effeithiol.

### Cymorth i weithredu’r system newydd

Rydym wedi cynllunio’r profion i fod mor syml â phosibl i’w gweinyddu. Mae hefyd yn bwysig nodi y bydd llawer o ysgolion wedi bod yn gweinyddu amrywiaeth o brofion beth bynnag am nifer o flynyddoedd. Bydd y baich ychwanegol yn llai iddyn nhw, felly. Serch hynny, rwy’n cydnabod y bydd angen rhywfaint o gymorth ychwanegol ar gyfer ysgolion yn ystod y flwyddyn gyntaf, ac rwy’n bles felly i allu cyhoeddi:

* Grant un tro o £0\.5 miliwn i ysgolion, ar gyfer y flwyddyn academaidd 2012/13 yn unig, i’w helpu i gynnal y profion yn ystod y flwyddyn gyntaf honno;
* Hyfforddiant arbennig sy’n canolbwyntio ar y prawf, dan arweiniad datblygwyr  y prawf, mewn cyfres o gynadleddau rhanbarthol fel rhan o’r Rhaglen Cymorth Cenedlaethol ar gyfer y Fframwaith;
* Llinell gymorth ffôn a gwasanaeth cymorth sy’n ymweld ag ysgolion, eto yn y flwyddyn gyntaf, i sicrhau bod y profion yn cael eu cynnal mewn ffordd sydd mor llyfn â phosibl.

Byddaf yn cyhoeddi mwy o fanylion ynghylch y mentrau hyn yn fuan.