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Module 4 1
Table
of
Contents
THE
NCEA
AS
A
SYSTEM
OF
QUALIFICATION
ASSESSMENT
3-5
6-9
10-19
Module
4
2
Part
1:
introduction
of
a
new
system.
The
National
Certificates
of
Educational
Achievement
(NCEA)
are
the
official
secondary
school
qualifications
in
New
Zealand.
They
were
phased
in
between
2002
and
2004,
replacing
three
older
secondary
school
qualifications.
The
New
Zealand
Qualification
Authority
administers
the
NCEA.
There
are
three
levels
of
NCEA:
Level
1
replaced
School
Certificate
in
2002,
Level
2
replaced
Sixth
Form
Certificate
in
2003
and
Level
3
replaced
University
Bursary
qualifications
in
2003
and
2004.
Since
its
initial
implementation
in
2002,
the
NCEA
has
been
reviewed
and
improved:
all
standards
curriculum
related
were
scrutinized
and
refined
so
that
they
are
aligned
to
the
NZC.
The
reviewed
standards
are
being
implemented
over
the
last
three
years.
Part
2:
intensions
and
purposes.
Although
there
was
a
lot
of
debate
as
to
whether
evolvement
of
the
NCEA
was
evolutionary
or
revolutionary,
it
is
now
recognised
that
a
new
system
of
qualifications
was
needed
by
any
means
and
it
is
a
sensible
and
inevitable
product
of
the
previous
30
years
(Bill
Lennox,
QANews
#38,
June
2001).
The
underlying
idea
was
to
bring
about
an
assessment
and
national
qualifications
system
based
on
developed
standards
that
would
recognise
a
wider
range
of
knowledge,
skills,
and
abilities
of
school
leavers
and
reflect
the
more
flexible
environments
of
New
Zealand
schools.
My
understanding
of
the
main
intentions
behind
as
well
as
the
main
purposes
of
the
NCEA
is
that
the
effort
was
to
develop
and
introduce
a
system
that:
Provides
more
flexibility
in
teaching
and
learning;
Provides
a
rich
and
accurate
picture
of
students
skills
and
knowledge;
Is
transparent;
Module 4 3
Flexibility
in
teaching
and
learning.
The
flexibility
of
the
NCEA
is
reflected
both
in
course
design
and
time
frame,
by
giving
schools
the
greater
flexibility
to
develop
a
range
of
programmes
to
suit
the
specific
needs
of
their
students
(teachers
can
decide
which
standards
to
include,
and
how
many
be
unit
or
achievement,
and
how
many
will
be
internally
or
externally
assessed),
and
for
students
and
teachers
deciding
when
students
should
be
assessed
for
a
particular
standard
(completion
of
NCEA
is
not
constrained
by
a
one-year
timeframe).
Consistency.
While
offering
schools
and
students
much
greater
flexibility
in
teaching
and
learning,
the
NCEA
framework
maintains
consistency
in
assessment.
The
NCEA
system
provides
the
opportunity
for
students
to
be
assessed
and
for
teachers
to
assess
students
performance
in
a
wider
range
of
competencies
and
skills
throughout
the
school
year
by
using
internal
assessment
along
with
external.
In
addition,
being
a
standards-based
system,
the
NCEA
more
accurately
measures
students
abilities
and
reflects
students
strengths
and
weaknesses
because
students
who
have
gained
credits
for
a
particular
standard
have
demonstrated
the
required
skills
and
knowledge
for
that
standard.
NZQA
has
a
formal
quality
assurance
process
to
ensure
that
the
assessment
of
each
standard
is
fair
across
all
students,
regardless
of
the
school
they
attend.
Transparency
of
the
NCEA
is
quite
obvious:
Students,
teachers,
parents,
employers
and
tertiary
providers
have
access
to
all
NCEA
assessment
information;
Candidates
can
review
their
marked
work
and,
if
they
wish,
apply
for
a
review
or
reconsideration
of
their
results;
National
statistics
from
external
and
internal
assessments,
reports
are
published;
The
standards
and
examination
markers
used
for
assessments
are
publicly
available;
Examples
of
students
work
that
meet
the
standards
along
with
commentary
from
moderators
are
available.
Providing
links
with
academic,
technical
and
vocational
training
The
NCEA
is
an
assessment
system,
which
is
aligned
to
practice
at
tertiary
level.
The
balance
of
internal
and
external
examinations
in
NCEA
courses
is
in
line
with
that
used
at
universities
and
polytechnics.
The
unit
standards
provide
a
link
with
technical
and
vocational
training.
Students
can
start
to
specialise
while
they
are
at
school,
or
can
keep
their
options
open.
The
NCEA
is
a
national
qualification
on
the
NZQF.
Standards
that
students
achieve
as
a
part
of
NCEA
can
be
used
as
building
blocks
for
other
qualifications.
One
study
has
suggested
that
low
achieving
students
who
have
been
disengaged
in
earlier
years
might
be
even
encouraged
to
re-engage
in
learning
if
they
experience
success
in
gaining
unit
standards
credits
in
a
context
for
which
they
can
see
personal
relevance
and
Module
4
4
practical
value,
early
in
the
school
year
(Boyd,
with
McDowall
&
Ferral,
2006).
The
NCEA
also
rewards
students
who
achieve
at
high
levels
through
certificate
and
course
endorsements.
Moreover,
the
fact
that
NCEAs
are
recognized
by
employers,
and
used
as
the
benchmark
for
selection
by
universities
and
polytechnics,
both
in
New
Zealand
and
overseas,
is
very
encouraging
for
school
leavers.
Developing
lifelong
learning
dispositions.
The
intention
of
the
NCEA
assessment
regime
that
allows
students
be
assessed
when
ready
and
so
come
to
see
themselves
as
successful
learners
is
one
of
the
conditions
necessary
to
encourage
the
development
of
lifelong
learning
dispositions
(Hipkins,
2005).
Other
research
suggests
that
by
focusing
more
on
internally
assessed
standards
where
teachers
can
support
students
to
demonstrate
their
learning,
and
by
limiting
less
confident
students
exposure
to
external
examinations
(Hipkins,
R.,
Vaughan,
K.,
Beals,
F.,
Ferral,
H.,
&
Gardiner,
B.,
2005),
the
NCEA
is
providing
students
with
more
opportunities
to
see
themselves
as
successful
learners,
and
thus
encouraging
among
all
students,
not
just
those
who
taking
the
traditional
academic
path,
the
development
of
lifelong
learning
dispositions.
Module
4
5
Context
Conditions
for
learning
Content
How
culturally
responsive
is
the
programme?
Big
goals
in
mathematics
and
statistics
(senior
secondary
on
tki):
Students
understanding
mathematical
and
statistical
concepts;
Students
thinking
mathematically
and
statistically,
and
seeing
the
connections
between
them;
Keeping
doors
open
for
all
students
to
do
mathematics
and
statistics
in
future
years;
Equipping
students
with
the
mathematical
and
statistical
knowledge
and
skills
to
be
global
citizens
in
the
21
century;
Making
mathematics
and
statistics
real;
Recognising
that
mathematics
and
statistics
underpin
many
other
areas
and
making
connections
with
these
areas;
The
place
of
mathematics
and
statistics
within
the
qualification
framework.
The
flow
chart
below
illustrates
my
understanding
of
key
considerations
that
are
involved
in
this
process.
Module 4 6
Making
decision
about
approaches
to
a
programme
design:
achievement
objectives,
NS,
the
Literacy
LP,
subject
specifics,
vocational
pathways,
NCEA,
effective
pedagogy.
Content
and
context:
Build
on
prior
knowledge,
broad
contextual
themes
familiar
and
relevant
to
students,
local
and
global
contexts,
connect
with
other
subjects
and
learning
areas,
academic
or
vocational
pathways.
Assessment
and
evaluation:
feedback,
set
up
formative
assessment
to
inform
teaching
and
learning
prior
to
summative
assessment
(school
exams),
NCEA
assessment
opportunities
align
with
school
policy
and
NZQA.
Curriculum
alignment:
motivating,
challenging,
and
encouraging
learning
environment;
key
concepts,
high
expectations,
learn
to
learn,
clear
progression,
meet
literacy
requirements
opportunities
to
satisfy
AO,
NS,
NCEA,
university
entrance
requirements.
Module 4 7
Module 4 8
In
summary,
Effective
programmes
in
senior
Mathematics
and
Statistics:
Are
designed
to
address
student
needs;
Are
coherent
and
have
meaning
for
students;
Support
a
broad
vision
and
goals;
Include
content
and
contexts
that
students
will
connect
with
their
wider
lives;
Facilitate
collaborative
learning;
Offer
students
an
element
of
choice;
Are
tied
up
into
appropriate
curriculum
objectives;
Generate
authentic
opportunities
for
assessment;
Set
up
assessment
so
that
it
will
inform
further
leaning.
Module
4
9
Adjustment
of
judgments
to
align
with
common
expectaHons,
benchmarks
or
standards.
High
quality
teacher
judgments:
appropriate,
comparable
and
equitable
Comparison
of
that
evidence
against
expectaHons,
benchmarks
or
standards.
(Moderation:
professional
learning
modules
for
teachers
on
tki.org.nz)
In
summary,
We
moderate
to:
Develop
shared
or
common
interpretation
of
standards
and
expectation
of
what
constitutes
achievement
of
curriculum
(National
Standards);
Develop
shared
understanding
of
what
students
achievement
look
like;
Develop
accuracy
and
reliability
in
making
judgements;
Ensure
judgements
are
equitable
in
terms
of
implementations
for
student
learning;
Strengthen
the
value
of
teachers
judgements;
Inform
well-targeted
programmes.
Part
2:
Moderation
in
schools.
Schools
can
design
their
assessment
policies
and
moderation
processes
taking
in
consideration
many
different
factors
to
ensure
it
suits
their
situation
and
needs.
Schools
use
moderation
to
increase
dependability
of
teacher
judgments.
Module
4
11
Discuss
and
reach
consensus
on
the
related
success
criteria
for
learners
Module
4
12
Does
the
evidence
allow
judgements
about
progress
and
next
steps?
How
is
professional
dialogue
encouraged
and
developed?
What
informaHon
do
you
collect
and
use?
How
do
you
know
what
quality
achievement
looks
like?
Module 4 13
How
is
professional
dialogue
encouraged
and
developed?
What
opportuniHes
are
given
to
explain
the
context
of
the
evidence?
On
what
basis
do
sta
compare
and
discuss
judgements?
Clear
indications
of
progress
from
oirst
attempts
to
current
performance
Teacher
collaboraHon
Student
progress
Adequacy
of
evidence
Evidence
What
further
professional
development
might
be
needed?
Quality
assurance
procedures
such
as
moderation,
both
at
a
local
and
national
level
(internal
and
external),
provide
opportunities
for
staff
to
reflect
on
the
performance
of
learners.
The
assessment
information
gathered
through
these
processes
also
informs
both
individual
and
establishments
self-evaluation
and
improvement
planning.
Through
learning
together
and
sharing
good
practice
next
steps
can
be
identified.
Module
4
18
In
Summary,
Taking
all
aforementioned
important
aspects
of
moderation
into
consideration
and
using
basic
facts
from
MNA
leaflet,
it
could
be
summarised
that:
The
schools
assessment
information,
policies
and
procedures
are:
Helping
teachers
to
carry
out
the
schools
assessment
policy
and
procedures;
Communicating
to
students
and
their
families
effectively;
Regularly
reviewed
for
accuracy
and
are
comprehensive
and
up
to
date.
The
school
complies
with
moderation
requirements
by:
Reporting
only
results
that
have
been
subject
to
internal
moderation
and
are
complete,
up
to
date
and
checked
for
accuracy;
Submitting
materials
for
external
moderation
and
using
moderation
reports
to
validate
and/or
improve
assessment
quality.
Module 4 19