NCEA report likely to spark changes

Trevor Mallard

A report into NCEA, due to be released tomorrow, is expected to bring changes to the secondary school assessment system.

Officials at the State Services Commission have refused to reveal details of the report, but the Herald understands it will prompt Education and State Services Minister Trevor Mallard into a series of alterations to improve standards-based assessment.

A source told the Herald that the report was critical of agencies, including the Qualifications Authority, but supportive of NCEA as a concept and suggested ways to deal with variability in results.

The report's release comes at the end of a series of problems within the secondary qualifications system, many coming from last year's results.

Barring a monumental political shift - only Act would scrap NCEA - standards-based assessment is here to stay. It is one area where Labour and National are in agreement. And figures released to the Herald seem to show it is working.

Fewer students are leaving school without qualifications. Critics argue that those qualifications are meaningless - what does 14 credits mean compared with 60 per cent in School Cert? - but advocates insist it is a comprehensive record of what a person is capable of and all that is needed is more understanding.

Despite that, a growing band of schools, mainly independent, integrated and high-decile state schools, are turning their back on NCEA in favour of British-developed Cambridge International Exams.

But both Labour and National say they will fight back by making changes to restore the integrity of standards-based assessment after a year of unparalleled qualifications embarrassment.

Changes have already been made to the Scholarship exams, which will see students ranked and a set number of scholarships awarded to avoid a repeat of last year's mess when hundreds of students unexpectedly failed.

Exactly what Labour will do with NCEA will be announced after the commission's report.

But the Government has already signalled some tweaks, including more professional development for teachers, a focus on valid and fair internal and external assessment and better communication.

National plans a "fundamental overhaul" of NCEA, which includes:

* Assessing standards to create consistent and comparable results from one year to the next, and from one school to the next.

* Reducing the volume of assessment and administration so teachers can focus on teaching.

* Reporting failure to work out why it happened and how it can be fixed.

* Reviewing moderation.

Apart from Act, other parties would adopt a similar approach to the big two.

New Zealand First adds an investigation of the removal of unit standards, Progressives want more non-contact time for teachers and United Future says work is needed to "demystify" the system.

The Green Party would also try to develop ways for NCEA results to become internationally recognised qualifications.

Beginner's guide to the NCEA

Q: What is the NCEA?
A: The National Certificate of Educational Achievement. It replaced School Certificate (students now sit NCEA level 1), Sixth Form Certificate (level 2), Bursary (level 3). The NZ Scholarship (level 4) is a separate qualification.

Q: How does it work?
A: Students take courses in units, which are worth a certain number of credits. They need 80 credits to pass each level, plus minimum credits in literacy and numeracy. For university entrance students need an NCEA qualification with at least 42 credits at level 3 or above.

Q: How is it marked?
A: There are two types of courses. Achievement standards have excellence, merit or achieved awards - roughly equivalent to A, B and C passes. Unit standards are pass/fail only.

Q: Do students still sit exams?
A: Most students sit a mixture of exams and internal assessment. A sample of students' work in every subject at a school is checked by an external marker to ensure nationwide uniformity.

Q: Is NCEA working?
A: Yes, say supporters. Last year 87 per cent of school leavers had some qualification - up from 83 per cent in 2001, the last year of the old system.

No, say opponents. Many parents, students, schools and employers do not trust or understand NCEA. Last year 5000 students sat 13,870 subjects in the alternative Cambridge Exams.

Worst Moments

* 2002: In NCEA's debut year, teachers threaten to strike over "shoddy implementation". Results show huge numbers failed level 1.

* 2003: Criticism flares up again over the non-reporting of "not achieved" results - a decision that is later reversed.

* 2004: Cambridge High School becomes the NCEA's success story with a 100 per cent pass-rate. Principal Alison Annan later leaves under a cloud, after allegations of "manipulation of results" and revelations children picked litter to gain credits.

* 2005: It emerges there has been "significant variability" in the numbers passing, particularly in Scholarship, but also at other levels. A catalogue of errors surface, including

Feb 1: A Kings College student passes Scholarship geography without a single lesson in the subject.
Feb 10: The entire Rangitoto College level 3 graphics cohort fail, despite aceing every other test in the subject.
Feb 17: Former University of Auckland chemistry associate professor, science textbook author and bursary examiner John Packer tests himself by sitting NCEA level 3 chemistry. He can't finish the paper.
Mar 12: A top Taumarunui High School student fails level 1 history. The paper is remarked and she scores the highest award possible.