1. “ASSESSMENT SOLUTIONS” CONFERENCE

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is pleased to announce a provincial conference, “Assessment Solutions”, for teachers of Grades 1 - 6 on 15 and 16 April 2005.
1.1 The conference venue is the lovely Boland Agricultural College in Paarl. Registration will take place on Friday, 15 April, at 14h00 for 15h00 and proceedings will end at 19h00. On Saturday, 16 April, the sessions will run from 8h30 to 14h00.
1.2 The conference programme will be provided by teachers, IT specialists and school principals or assessment managers.
1.2.1 The keynote address will be delivered by award-winning school principal, Mr Ronald Philander, of St Marks’ Primary in Prince Alfred Hamlet.
1.2.2 The second plenary session will address “Burning Issues” - for example the question of the precise role of Assessment Standards in regard to recording and reporting.
1.2.3 Apart from the two plenary presentations on the Friday, the conference will consist of four sets of parallel sessions: Set 1 will have a Grade or Phase focus; Set 2 will be on “Managing Assessment” (for an audience of school or assessment managers); Set 3 will be on “IT and Assessment”; and Set 4 is for teachers in multigrade classrooms.
2. CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

Potential presenters are hereby invited to share their creative assessment solutions with other teachers across the province.
2.1 The attached information sheet provides details of the kinds and lengths of presentations that would be welcome and indicates how and where proposals should be submitted.
2.2 Proposals should be submitted to Anne Schlebusch at fax: 021 467 2620 or aschlebusch@pgwc.gov.za by 16 March 2005.
2.3 Potential presenters may also telephone Anne at 021 467 2629 or the Foundation or Intermediate Phase Curriculum Adviser at their local EMDC with any enquiries.
2.4 The successful conference presenters will be notified in person on 22 March 2005.
3. COSTS
3.1 The conference fee is R100 (to cover venue hire, printing and refreshments, which will include a take-away lunch). The WCED is able to offer limited sponsorship to delegates whose schools are unable to pay the fee.
3.2 Travel sponsorship of R250 (a flat rate and not a per kilometre rate) is available on request (and subsequent approval) to those delegates who will travel further than 250 km to the venue (i.e. a round trip of over 500 km).
3.3 Hostel accommodation for 50 delegates is very kindly being provided by Paarl Boys’ High at R90 a head for “dinner, bed and breakfast”.
3.4 For those who prefer to make their own arrangements a list of possible Paarl venues and rates is provided on the attached information sheet.
4. PROVISIONAL REGISTRATION AND REGISTRATION
4.1 As the venue can only accommodate 320 teacher delegates (40 per EMDC), it is necessary for interested delegates to register provisionally.
4.1.1 Interested delegates should supply their local EMDC’s Assessment Co-ordinator with their provisional registration form (see attached) by 16 March 2005. After 16 March, the allocations per EMDC may be adjusted if the conference is under-subscribed by one EMDC and over-subscribed by another.
4.1.2 It is anticipated that more teachers will apply than can be accommodated, so schools are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
4.1.3 Successful applicants will be informed by 22 March 2005.
4.2 Formal registration, and electronic payment of the conference and accommodation fees, must be completed by no later than 4 April 2005.
4.3 The final lists of presenters and names of those who have successfully registered will be advertised on the curriculum website at http://curriculum.wcape.school.za on the link to Assessment (GET & FET) . The draft conference programme and news items will also appear on that site.
5. Further enquiries may be directed to the EMDC Assessment Co-ordinators or Chief Curriculum Advisers.
6. Schools are asked to bring the contents of this circular to the attention of all concerned.


SIGNED: D.R. SHEPHERD
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2005:03:07

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