| 1. |
INTENTION AND SCOPE OF MINUTE
This document provides support for officials as they prepare to make informed judgments regarding the progression decisions made by teachers. It does not announce new policy or deviations from any previous policy.
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| 2. |
OFFICIAL POLICY
The specifications for the GET Band for the WCED are contained in the WCED November 2003 document "Assessment Guidelines for the General Education and Training Band". These are, in turn, based on the national policy documents.
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| 3. |
THE ROLE OF ASSESSMENT IN MANAGING THE TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS
The National Department of Education RNCS Guidelines for the Development of Learning Programmes (2003) states on page 15: "Assessment should find out what a learner knows, understands and/or can do (and) make judgments based on valid and appropriate evidence - these judgments should then enable us to make well-informed decisions about what a learner needs to learn next".
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| 4. |
SETTING OF PROVINCIAL STANDARDS
Provincial and district level standard-setting meetings at each phase and level will, over a period of time, ensure that there is a common standard across the province. To this end, three cluster meetings will be held per year. Adequate notice will be given and EMDC personnel will be present. Over time Curriculum Advisers will be in a position to visit classes to ensure that the work is completed and is assessed at an appropriate level.
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| 5. |
THE MEANING AND FUNCTION OF CODES |
| 5.1 |
Codes 1- 4 are intended to indicate the level at which a learner is progressing in each learning area/programme. A "1" indicates that there is a problem. All other codes indicate that a learner is making some progress. It is the teacher who sets the assessment tasks and marks the learner's work. The code is therefore a representation of the teacher's professional judgment about whether or not a learner is learning. The teacher is thus making ongoing judgments about a learner's learning and progression. |
| 5.2 |
The codes are used to indicate performance against the standard, which is relevant to each learner at a particular point in time. It is a misconception to think that learners must start each year scoring 1's and 2's and that they can only work up to a 3 through time. |
| 6. |
THE ROLE OF THE ASSESSMENT STANDARDS |
| 6.1 |
Assessment Standards have been designed to show conceptual progression. If an over-arching level is achieved, in a comprehensive performance that shows evidence of successful completion of a number of auxiliary or subsidiary Assessment Standards, then only summary recording of that achievement is needed. |
| 6.2 |
Teachers do not, therefore, need to record against every Assessment Standard. |
| 6.3 |
The Assessment Standards must, however, guide the teacher's planning and teaching to ensure that learners are continually progressing towards high levels of knowledge and skills and more complex, deeper and broader understanding. |
| 7.1 |
The report card must have meaning for the parent or guardian. This is best achieved by means of simple and descriptive reports which capture the essence of the main areas of teaching and assessing and which point out successes and areas for support. The code attained per learning area / programme must appear on the report card. |
| 7.2 |
Reports in the course of the year indicate the level at which the learner is achieving in terms of assessment standards and outcomes addressed in that term and not against the entire range of outcomes and assessment standards for the grade. |
| 8. |
PROGRESSION: THE POLICY |
| 8.1 |
The Assessment Policy indicates that all learners in Grades R to 8 progress with their age cohort unless they need more time in a grade. |
| 8.2 |
Only Grade 9 learners must achieve the required levels indicated in Circular 111 (2003) for promotion to Grade 10 and Government Gazette 25699 of November 2003. |
| 8.3 |
No learner may spend more than 4 years in a phase unless special permission is given by the Head of Education. |
| 8.3.1 |
If a learner has completed a Grade R year then this counts as one of the four years. If such a learner is assessed as needing an additional year in Grade 3 then the above special permission must be sought. |
| 8.3.2 |
This rule applies to Grade 9 learners as well. They may not remain in the phase for more than 4 years unless permission is formally granted by the Head of Education. Adequate motivation must accompany such a request. |
| 9. |
PROGRESSION: THE MEANING |
| 9.1 |
Outcomes-based education is a supportive system and not a punitive system and one that places the interests of the learner first. The issue at stake in C2005 and RNCS is not about progression to another grade - the issue is about ensuring via monitoring, assessment and other mechanisms that teaching and learning is taking place throughout the year. |
| 9.2 |
Research has indicated that the majority of learners do not do better or become more amenable to learning if they repeat a grade. Research also indicates that learners develop and progress at different rates and times. |
| 9.3 |
Progression simply means that a learner is continuing to learn and to achieve the outcomes (at the appropriate assessment standards where applicable). Not all learners attain exactly the same standards at the end of a year. In the past a learner could pass whether the learner had attained 95% or 35%. In outcomes-based education this minimum pass mark is replaced by evidence that a learner is progressing towards understanding and competence, albeit at a different level and/or pace from his/her peers. Instead of gathering and adding up marks, teachers have to gather and interpret evidence based on the learner's work and on assessment activities. |
| 9.4 |
Decisions about the progression of a learner are made by a teacher as he/she monitors the progress and achievement by the learners throughout the year. The decision is confirmed at the end of the year. However, this does not mean that a teacher can decide during the year that a learner will not progress. The teacher has to show that he/she has made every effort to enable the learner to progress. It is unlikely that any learner will only be identified for retention after the beginning of the fourth term. However, such exceptional cases can be dealt with as soon as the teacher identifies the need to retain the learner. |
| 10. |
PROGRESSION: MAKING DECISIONS |
| 10.1 |
If there is sufficient progress to indicate that the learner, although slower than others, is clearly advancing, then that learner should be allowed to progress to the next grade where he/she must be given additional support. |
| 10.2 |
If it is clear that the learner is not progressing, and evidently needs more time to engage with the knowledge and skills in the current grade, the learner may be retained. |
| 10.3 |
Circuit Managers or Multi-functional Teams will confirm or reject the teacher's decision about which learners should progress and which learners need more time in the grade. Because this decision is not a technical decision based on codes or percentages, schools must engage with the circuit manager and/or multifunctional team as from the beginning of the fourth term with regard to learners who have not shown evidence of progression.
The circuit manager/multi-functional team will
ensure that adequate support has been provided as per Circular 108/1999. ensure that parents or guardians have been consulted. request curriculum advisors to review evidence of the learner's work and assessment tasks.
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| 10.4 |
A qualitative report by the teacher, that can be backed by evidence of assessment and support, and that motivates the retention of a learner must guide the decision of the circuit manager /multifunctional team, and not an aggregate of codes. |
| 10.5 |
Having undertaken this preliminary work, the circuit manager / multifunctional team will be in a position at the end of the year to confirm that these learners must be retained in the same grade, if there is no change in their position by the end of a year. |
| 10.6 |
Senior Circuit managers / leaders of multifunctional teams must meet to set up a management plan and to ensure that they are familiar with the criteria for retaining learners. These criteria will relate to the teacher's qualitative report and the evidence available from assessments and support given. |
| 11.1 |
Where the results are the product of ill-discipline the principal needs to indicate how the problem is being managed, how the school's disciplinary policy was implemented, what action was taken and what will be done differently to address the problem in the following year. |
| 11.2 |
If there has been excessive absenteeism, which is evident from the portfolio, there must similarly be evidence of intervention steps. |
| 11.3 |
If there is a language problem (e.g. language of learning and teaching), the value of a learner progressing with his/her friends and peers as well as the learner's sense of self-esteem must be given due consideration. As far as possible, such learners should be given additional support in the next grade. |
| 12. |
ROLE OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
Principals must ensure that they take responsibility for all matters relating to assessment in their schools, including internal moderation and must deal with absenteeism and disciplinary problems that impact negatively on the progress of learners. This does not mean that they should over-burden teachers with recording or other related administrative functions. Multi-functional teams will give support where requested but cannot take on the responsibilities of principals.
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SIGNED: P.A. VINJEVOLD
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2004:10:18
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