Rationale for introducing RoA in S1-S3 |22 August 2012
However, it was introduced at first only to the secondary 4 and 5 (S4-5) students, since it
The introduction of the RoA in S1-S3 is tied to the ongoing secondary curriculum and assessment reform of the Ministry of Education. The system has taken roots and its evaluation has brought out positive results as the files have proven to be useful for post-secondary purposes, for example in helping to place students in different post-secondary institutions at the start of the year. It is now fitting to progress further with the system and introduce it in lower secondary (S1-S3) to both streamline its implementation as a whole across the secondary level and to allow the younger students to also benefit from it.
The two previous articles run on this same page for the past three weeks have already outlined the benefits that the RoA brings. Being a cumulative record, the RoA provides meaningful evidence of achievements to parents, employers, training and educational institutions. It is also beneficial to the teaching/learning process in a number of ways: it shows the trends in strengths and weaknesses of students within the level (across terms in S1) and when those students move across levels, from S1 to S5. These can then be subjected to appropriate teaching/learning interventions.
Facts about the piloting of RoA in S1-S3
1. The pilot started during term 2 of this year and will affect S1-S3 students.
2. Done as part of the reform in secondary schools and in line with national assessment policy.
3. Such a system has been implemented at S4/S5 successfully since 2005.
4. It focuses on the achievements of the student and not about other things like behaviour problems.
5. The aim of the project is to capture and record all achievements of students so as to enable users of the file to know the student better (multi-dimensionally) and take better and informed decision(s) about him/her. The RoA therefore replaces the need for testimonials. It also allows the student to better market himself/herself at the post-secondary stage, giving him/her an opportunity to take some responsibility for his/her own learning and at the same time himself/herself.
6. It doesn’t form part of the normal record that the school keeps for each student.
7. The child/parent buys the file at a reasonable price (R30+) and it will be the property of the child as he/she leaves school.
Features of the file
It will contain:
• Personal details and the statement of the student
• End-of-year reports for all the subjects of the curriculum that the student is following.
• Certificates and attestations
• PSQ (Personal & Social Quality) form to be filled in by each subject teacher and average out for each quality, example meeting deadline.
Features of the end-of-year report
• It will be filled in and made available to parents at the end of the year but the school will organise for parents to come to school on, for example open days to discuss the performance of the student. The teacher uses his/her mark book.
• There will be a space for the students and parents to comment and sign towards the end of each term. It is optional for parents to write comments.
• There will be expected standard of performance for the year level so that the student as well as the parent know the position of the student generally vis-à-vis the objectives/work done in the year.
The in-school processes system of assessment
1. In line with the assessment policy, the RoA system will focus on continuous assessment. The primary objective is to have teachers focus on teaching and maximising the achievement of students; continuously checking on whether the students have understood and chartering out suitable course of action(s) to help the students.
2. There will be no end-of-term exams under this system. However, there will be end-of-year exams at the end of each year level. The exams will provide information to external users on the degree of success of the student at the particular year level in each examinable subject, for example parents, curriculum developers and the school’s senior management.
3. Students will be encouraged to take their studies seriously throughout the term instead of at the end of it.
4. Training will be organised for teachers so that they can deliver quality continuous assessment and examinations.
5. Each student will undertake a standard assessment task at each year level.
6. Each student will be encouraged to have an assessment file.
2012 situations
S1-S2
• The school will organise end-of-term exams for the first term and parents are expected to collect report cards as per the usual procedure.
• There will be no end-of-term exams at the end of the second term but parents will come to the school to discuss their children’s performances on a particular day to be decided by the school. Teachers will use their mark books to provide parents with assessment data during the discussions.
• Teachers will continue teaching and give students revision-based work to be done during vacation.
• Parent and the student to write comments and sign the report that is to be kept by the school and release at the end of the year.
• There will be an examination at the end of the year as per the usual practice.
• Each student is required to have an assessment file.
S3
• The school will organise end-of-term exams for the first term and parents are expected to collect report cards as per the usual procedure.
• There will be S3 centrally-coordinated exams in August as per the usual practice and parents will also collect report cards.
• There will be an examination at the end of the year as per the usual practice.
• Each student is required to have an assessment file.
For more information or queries on assessment kindly contact Assessment Section at the Ministry of Education on Telephone: 4283218 or 4283215