SESSION 1

1. SESSION 1 PLANNING FOR ASSESSMENT IN GRADES R-12

2. Outcome • To demonstrate an understanding of how the various policy and planning documents impact on and relate to planning for assessment

3. Introduction • Purpose of assessment • Collect evidence of learners’ knowledge, skills and attitudes (Protocol par.6) • Evaluate the competence level (learner performance) of learners: • Assessment has to prove learner progress in the learning process – monitor learner progress (Protocol par.7(1) and 7(2)) • Facilitate teaching and learning: • Provide feedback to help learners to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (Protocol par.7 and 10) • Help to decide whether a learner should progress to the next grade (Protocol par.5 and 9) • Raise standards of teaching and learning in the classroom

4. Introduction continued • Planning for assessment is strongly rooted inpolicy: • The newly gazetted Protocol prescribes the number and spread of assessment tasks and to some extent the nature of assessment tasks in Grades 10-12 (e.g. exams, tests) = Programme of Assessment and Annual Assessment Plan. • The Assessment Guidelines are supporting documents which pick up from the Protocol by explaining in greater detail the nature of the assessment tasks and the practical implementation and administration issues when carrying out the tasks in the classroom = Annual Assessment Plan. • The NCS Learning Area/ Subject Statements provide the Learning Outcomes and Assessment Standards to be taught and assessed, and call for the development of a Learning Programme to ensure that the learners achieve the Learning Outcomes as prescribed by the Assessment Standards.

5. Role of Learning Outcomes and Assessment Standards in assessment LOs and ASs SKVs Nature and type of assessment tasks Content for assessment tasks

6. Assessment tasks • Two broad categories: Informal and Formal • INFORMAL = DAILY • Includes assessment tasks (e.g. classroom and homework exercises, etc.) which are used to develop knowledge and skills and progress therein • Mainly formative in nature = scaffolding/ stepping stones towards formal tasks • Self-, peer and teacher assessment • Not taken into account for promotion/ certification purposes • FORMAL = PROGRAMME OF ASSESSMENT • Includes assessment tasks (e.g. tests, examinations, oral/ practical performances, research projects, etc.) which are used to assess learner performance in knowledge and skills • Mainly summative in nature • Teacher assessment • Constitutes the formal result which is taken into account for promotion/ certification purposes = formally recorded

7. Planning for assessment • Strongly linked to the development of Learning Programme and takes place on 3 levels • Within the Subject (1st level) • Within the Work Schedule (2nd level) • Within the Lesson Plan (3rd level)

8. Planning for assessment at 1st level • Focus • Make oneself aware of the required number of PoA tasks and the content, nature and spread of assessment tasks for the subject • Planning Documents • Programme of Assessment (Policy – Protocol) • Content Framework (NCS Statement, Learning Programme Guidelines) • Suggested forms of assessment for the subject (Subject Assessment Guidelines)

9. Planning for assessment at 2nd level • Focus • Broad conceptualisation of assessment tasks with respect to the content each task will cover and the form of assessment it will take • Planning Documents • Programme of Assessment (Policy – Protocol) • Content framework (NCS Statement, LPG) • Learning Programme (LPG – Work Schedule) • Annual Assessment Plan (Subject Assessment Guidelines)

10. Programme of Assessment POLICY – Protocol • The 3 plans have the following in common: • Indicate and/or reflect the number of formal required tasks • Indicate and/or reflect the spread of formal required tasks • Indicate and/or reflect the nature of formal required tasks Work Schedule LPG Annual Assessment Plan SAG

11. Link between PROGRAMME OF ASSESSMENT, the WORK SCHEDULE and the ANNUAL ASSESSMENT PLAN LEARNING PROGRAMME – Work Schedule POLICY - Protocol Programme of Assessment ANNUAL ASSESSMENT PLAN

12. Work Schedule – Grade 10 CAT Term 1: Weeks 1- 6 (HW, SW) Daily: Activities, Assignments, Debates, Case Studies PoA:Test–I/O & Storage devices (w6) Weeks 7 - 11 (WP, FM) = Daily: Activities, Assignments PoA:Prac Assignment – WP & FM (w11) Annual Assessment Plan – Grade 10 CAT Term 1: Test – I/O & Storage devices Assignment – Word Processing & File Management Term 2 Term 3 Term 4 Programme of Assessment – Grade 10 CAT Term 1: 1 task 1 test Term 2: 1 task 1 exam Term 3: 1 task 1 test Term 4: 1 exam including PAT

13. ACTIVITY – Step 1 • Study the exemplar of the Work Schedule provided and the Programme of Assessment for the particular grade as indicated in the Protocol. • Check whether the formal assessment tasks indicated on the Work Schedule match up with the number, nature and timing of formal assessment tasks as prescribed by the Programme of Assessment. • Give advice on how to adapt the number, nature and timing of formal assessment tasks in the Work Schedule to match the Programme of Assessment if necessary.

14. ACTIVITY – Step 2 • Take the Work Schedule provided in Step 1 and compare it to the Annual Assessment Plan provided for the subject. • Check whether the formal assessment tasks indicated on the Annual Assessment Plan match up with the number, nature and timing of the formal assessment tasks as indicated in the Work Schedule. • Give advice on how to adapt the number, nature and timing of formal assessment tasks in the Annual Assessment Plan to match the Work Schedule if necessary.

15. ACTIVITY – Step 3 • Take the Annual Assessment Plan provided in Step 2 and compare it to the Programme of Assessment for the subject as indicated in the Protocol. • Note: At this stage the Annual Assessment Plan should match up with the number, nature and timing of assessment tasks as prescribed by the Programme of Assessment Programme. • Check whether this is the case.

16. Planning for assessment at 3rd level • Focus • Choice/ design/ adaptation of assessment tasks with respect to the details of each task : instructions, criteria, assessment tool, mark allocation, etc. the content each task will cover and the form of assessment it will take • Planning Documents • Work Schedule (LPG, Textbook) • Lesson Plan (LPG) • Suggested forms of assessment for the subject and examples of tasks (SAG, Textbook)

17. Lesson Plan – Grade 10 CAT Lesson Plan (Week 1:Intro to basic HW & SW) Act.1: I/O devices (Q&A– checklist, self) Act.2: Ports, buses (Demonstration – checklist, peer) Lesson Plan (Weeks 7 - 11: WP & File Management) Act.1: WP – basic formatting (Prac assign.– criteria list, teacher) Work Schedule – Grade 10 CAT Term 1: Weeks 1- 6 (HW, SW) Daily: Activities, Assignments, Debates, Case Studies PoA:Test–I/O & Storage devices (w6) Weeks 7 - 11 (WP, FM) = Daily: Activities, Assignments PoA:Prac Assignment – WP & FM (w11)

18. Example– using a textbook *CF • Study textbook – LPG (par. 3.2.6) states that all teachers and learners must have a textbook • If it does not cover all content, indicate where you will add notes • Design / Adapt your Work Schedule for the grade including required number of PoA tasks per term as per Protocol (7 tasks as set out in the PoA – term 1: 1 test + 1 other task, etc.) • Design your Annual Assessment Plan using the PoA tasks indicated in the Work Schedule • Design your lesson plans and indicate daily assessment by referring to and use appropriate activities / exercises in the textbook (add some of your own if you prefer) *CF=Content Framework

19. Conclusion • When supporting teachers in planning for assessment, it is useful to have examples of all planning documents available to clarify the process: • Programme of Assessment (Policy: Protocol) • Learning Programme: Work Schedule and Lesson Plan • Annual Assessment Plan • This will guide teachers to plan for assessment within a policy context.