Dutch school placement test sparks confusion and criticism
In the summer of 2024, a middle school in Rotterdam faced an unprecedented wave of applications, leading to a student lottery. "For the first time in years, we’ve had to hold a lottery," the school’s freshman coordinator told de Volkskrant. Thirty students were not selected.
The surge in admissions, particularly in havo-vwo classes, coincided with the implementation of the doorstroomtoets, a standardized test introduced to replace the Cito-toets. The test was designed to promote educational equality by addressing biases that have historically disadvantaged girls, students with migrant backgrounds, and children from rural areas.
Under the revised system, teacher recommendations are required to be "opportunity-oriented," which allows students to be placed at higher learning levels if their test scores justify it. "Every parent wants the best for their child," the coordinator said.
However, by December, school administrators began expressing concerns. "Many students, especially in havo, are struggling with the level. The likelihood that some will need to downgrade to mavo is very high," the coordinator said.
Educators across the Netherlands have criticized the doorstroomtoets for producing unpredictable results. A school director in Helmond noted inconsistencies in the scores. "Around 30 percent of our group 8 students scored far better than expected. At neighboring schools, this was true for nearly half of the students," the director said.
Disparities between test providers have also led to questions about fairness. One test provider, IEP, acknowledged that differences in tests significantly affect results. "It absolutely matters which test a school chooses," the IEP director said.
The head of a vocational school in Zutphen reported a steep decline in student enrollment. "Our numbers dropped by as much as 50 percent after the test results. I wouldn’t be surprised if some students placed in vmbo return to us in a few years after struggling," she said.
Data from 2023 showed that the number of students moving from vmbo to practical education increased by 25 percent compared to 2018. Educators observed that students often return to vocational schools with diminished confidence. "By the time they come back, their self-confidence is often shattered," the Zutphen school leader said.
Former education minister Mariëlle Paul expressed optimism about the new system shortly after its launch. “All students placed in a sufficiently challenging environment will thrive,” she said.
However, teachers, inspectors, and test providers have flagged issues with the norming process. Instances of mismatched placements have been reported, such as a student with a perfect spelling score being assigned to mavo/havo.
One test provider raised concerns directly to the College for Tests and Exams (CvTE). "We have major concerns about the norming," a provider said in an email. Another test provider said that some results left students "in tears."
The doorstroomtoets costs the Dutch education system 8.5 million euros annually, with hundreds of thousands of euros allocated to each test provider. Schools, in turn, face challenges as they switch between test providers in search of those perceived as yielding better results.
