The National Assessment Framework |07 August 2013

It is the first time that the Ministry of Education develops a National Assessment Framework (NAF).  The NAF has been produced as part of the 2009 – 2010 Education Reform agenda, to ensure that assessment strategies enhance teaching and learning.

As a continuation of last week’s feature, we bring you more information about the National Assessment Framework, which was officially launched by the Ministry of Education on Friday July 26, 2013.

Policy context of NAF
Assessment is an integral part of learning and teaching. The primary purpose of assessment is to enhance students’ learning and improve teachers’ teaching. As both students and teachers respond to the information that assessment results provide, they can gain insights into and make decisions about progress towards the desired outcomes of the national curriculum.

Such an acknowledgement comes in response to the stipulation made in the Education Act 2004, Section 79, in that,
Assessments shall be conducted in accordance with regulations at the end of each key stage of primary and secondary schooling to evaluate the performance of students in relation to the targets of the national curriculum. (Page 402)

This policy framework developed with the intention of bringing about an improvement in learning outcomes, will assist in creating the enabling conditions necessary to accomplish the ministry’s mission as established in the policy document “Education for a Learning Society”

Rationale of the National Assessment Framework
The purpose of this framework is to inform teachers and schools of the guidelines for providing quality assessment and reporting practices.
The framework aims to
•    establish a systematic way of using assessment data to improve instructional and schools’ effectiveness;
•    inculcate a sense of responsibility from a very early stage by providing developmentally appropriate and challenging expectations to all learners;
•    promote diligence, perseverance and honesty among learners;
•    promote a common understanding of assessment;
•    assist schools in the development of their own assessment policies and procedures;
•    promote an assessment vocabulary to be shared by all.

The principles of assessment
Assessment provides a basis for planning, developing and implementing a variety of school programmes and classroom activities.  The NAF is based on the following principles:

•    Inclusivity and Equity
•    Ethics
•    Validity and reliability
•    Appropriateness
•    Significance
•    Fitting the Purpose (Assessment For learning, Assessment As learning,     Assessment Of learning)
•    Communication and Reporting
•    Learner Involvement
•    Examination as an assessment technique
•    Promoting learner responsibility and cultivating good work habits

National assessment at the end of key stages
The National Curriculum Framework of 2013 makes provisions for national testing to take place at the end of each key stage. The Ministry of Education shall have the overall responsibility for development of national tests and tasks and schools shall play a key role in their administration, marking of scripts and dissemination of results.
National assessments will take place at the following key points (see diagram):
•    Key Stage 1
•    Key Stage 2
•    Key Stage 3
•    Key Stage 4
•    Key Stage 5

 
CR: Creche, P: Primary, S: Secondary, Yr: Year

Assessment types and forms
Assessment in education is the process by which inferences are made about students’ learning based on observation of what they say, do or make in a variety of contexts and situations. Assessments are not random events. They should be embedded in instruction in order to support and enhance learning. Assessment practices and types may be of the forms listed below (the list is not exhaustive).
•    Performance assessment
•    Anecdotal records
•    Portfolio
•    Rating scales
•    Checklist
•    Survey
•    Examination

Records of Achievement as an assessment system
Records of Achievement (RoA) were introduced to produce cumulative evidence on students’ achievements as they leave schooling at the end of Key Stage 5.  As part of the 2009-2010 Education Reform, the RoA system was further extended to include Key Stage 4.

Classroom and school-based assessment
The primary purpose of classroom or school-based assessment is to improve students’ learning. It is expected that the core principles listed above will guide teachers and school leaders in collecting information that is meaningful, rich, and valuable for making decisions about learning, instruction practices, monitoring and support.

Implementation of NAF
The NAF calls for a new vision of learning based on sound curriculum and assessment planning. This new vision puts the learner at centre of all learning and teaching endeavours and aims to produce independent, responsible, and lifelong learners who can find solutions to real life problems.

•    The Centre for Curriculum Assessment and Teacher Support (CCATS) is responsible for the implementation of the these frameworks and also to provide support through advice and guidelines and facilitating continuous professional development related to curriculum implementation and assessment.

•    The National Curriculum Advisory Committee (NCAC) of the Ministry of Education has overall responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the frameworks.
The successful implementation of the framework will require the collective effort of all. The roles of key stakeholders are outlined below and the list is not exhaustive
•    Students
•    Parents
•    Teachers
•    Schools
•    Seychelles Qualifications Authority (SQA)
•    Inspectorate Unit
•    Policy Planning and Research Division

The NAF will be reviewed every six years, in addition to on-going review through the normal process of monitoring and evaluation.
The NAF is expected to be implemented as from January 2014.

Way forward
The CCATS is responsible to ensure that mechanisms are in place to
•    Develop subjects under each learning area and for each Key Stage.
•    Develop operational  guidelines for curriculum time allocation
•    Develop operational guidelines and procedures for assessment at all levels
•    Plan and conduct capacity building for curriculum leaders and teachers
•    Plan and conduct capacity building in assessment for curriculum leaders and teachers
•    Develop mechanisms for effective monitoring of the implementation of NAF
•    Ensure the provision for teacher support based on school needs
•     Plan, design, produce and acquire relevant core instructional curriculum resources for schools.

For more information contact:

 

  Ministry of Education
 Tel: (+248) 4283 283/ 4283252