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1. INTRODUCTION

This document, which is based on the General Assessment Documentissued by the Ministry ofEducation, provides information and guidance for teachers on the assessment of students studyingEnglish in Grades 11 to 12. The document covers assessment of both the Core (A and B) coursesand of Elective English in Post-Basic Education..

These updated assessment arrangements replace previously-issued documents and will beimplemented from September 2010.

2. ASSESSMENT PRINCIPLES

This Student Assessment Document is based on the following principles:

All assessments are to focus on the learning outcomeswhich students are expected toachieve.

These learning outcomes are organized into elements: i.e. Listening, Speaking, Reading,Writing, Grammar/Vocabulary. These elements provide the framework, not only for assessment

but also for record-keeping and reporting. Teachers are to carry out continuous assessment of all students using a variety of assessment

techniques.

In Grade 11, student achievement is to be reported as a letter-grade, while in Grade 12, bothletter grades and percentage-marks are used. The following table shows the breakdown ofpercentage marks and corresponding letter-grades:

Mark Range Letter-Grade Descriptor

90%100% A Excellent

80%89% B Very good

65%79% C Good

50%64% D Satisfactory

49% or less E Needs further support

Note: The minimum pass mark is 50% or letter-grade D at all grade levels.

3. LEARNING OUTCOMES

In Grades 11 and 12, the learning outcomes of the CoreEnglish courses (A and B) are, for thepurposes of assessment, grouped into fiveelements:

Listening Speaking Reading Writing Grammar/Vocabulary

In order to ensure proper coverage of their most important features, these elements are divided intosub-elements, as follows:

LISTENING SPEAKING READING WRITING GRM/ VCB

Everyday language

+ Texts

Presentations

InteractionClass-basedIndependent

Interactive

Informative

Narrative

Evaluative

Grammar

Vocabulary


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In the Electivecourse, the learning outcomes are grouped into two elements, Readingand(in particular) Writing:

RDGWRT

Grade 11 Grade 12

Texts

InteractiveInformative

Narrative

Evaluative

Interviews

InteractiveInformative

Narrative

Evaluative

Reports

Each sub-element at each grade-level includes learning outcomeswhich students are expected toachieve by the end of the school year. These outcomes are listed in Appendix One . In each case,the list is divided into two sections:

General Outcomes: i.e. brief statements of the mainlearning outcomes. Specific Outcomes: i.e. the lesseroutcomes which are included under each main

outcome.

All of these learning outcomes are described in terms of CAN statements, e.g. CAN recognise andunderstand words and phrases.

4. ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES

The learning outcomes mentioned above are assessed using a varietyof different assessmenttechniques, which can be grouped under two headings: Continuous Assessment and Formal Testing'.(Note: For technical and practical reasons, some techniques are better suited than others to theassessment of particular outcomes.).

4.1 Continuous Assessment

Continuous Assessment (CA) provides a way of collecting information about student learning throughoutthe school year, primarily by regular observation and evaluation of students performance innormal classroom conditions.

Continuous Assessment accounts for 40%of a students overall mark. In Grade 12 only, this includes10% for a short Preliminary Exam(PREX)in the middle of the school year. This exam will be preparedcentrally, but administered and marked in schools.

Continuous Assessment has several strengths in terms of validity, fairness and student motivation. Italso allows for the convenient assessment of Speaking.

General guidelines on the conducting of Continuous Assessment can be found in Appendix Two.These guidelines emphasise the need for teachers to:

have a clear understandingof the different language elements, learning outcomes andassessment criteria;

develop efficient strategies for classroom observation;

keep systematicrecords(both formal and informal); achieve a balance between summativeand formativeassessment; be tactful, encouraging and, above all, fair.

Appendix Two also describes a number of important approaches to CA, including:

Day-to-day Observation Portfolios Project Work Independent Reading

Presentations Quizzes Self-Assessment Giving Feedback to Students


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At the end of Appendix Two, there is a special section devoted to Formal Moderation. The proceduresused in Formal Moderation --- which only apply to Grade 12 --- seek to ensure that common standardsare being applied, so that the Continuous Assessment marks awarded for the Diploma are fair andaccurate. This section includes information for teachers about the kinds of evidence of studentachievement which they will be required to keep and make available to visiting moderators.

4.2 Formal Testing

At the end of the year, a formal examination will be administered, accounting for 60% of a studentsoverall mark for English.

For both Core courses(A & B), this End-of-Year Exam(EYE) will focus, in turn, on Listening,Vocabulary, Grammar, Readingand Writing. (Note: For reasons of time and practicality, there is noformal testing of Speaking, which will be assessed by Continuous Assessment only.)

For the Elective course, the End-of-Year Exam will focus exclusively on Readingand Writing.

Each exam will conform to the Specifications given in Appendix Three (a) and (b). Apdx 3a coversGrade 11, while Apdx 3b covers Grade 12.

End-of-Year Exams in Grade 11 will be prepared, marked and administered by the regions.

End-of-Year Exams in Grade 12 will be prepared, marked and administered centrally.

In Grade 11, there are no Re-sit exams. In Grade 12, there is a Re-sit (or Second Session) exam,which uses the same Specifications as the First Session exam.

5. RECORDING and REPORTING

5.1 Weightings

In the two Core courses, marks are allocated for the different assessment techniques, as follows:

GRADE 11 GRADE 12

Element CA

End-of-

Year

Exam

TOTAL

Continuous Assessment

(CA) End-of-

Year

Exam

TOTALPreliminary

Exam

Other

Tools &

Techniques

LST 15% 15% 15% 15%

SPK 20% 20% 15% 15%

RDG 10% 15% 25% 3% 5% 17% 25%

WRT 10% 20% 30% 2% 10% 18% 30%

GRM/VCB 10% 10% 5% 10% 15%

Total 40% 60% 100% 10% 30% 60% 100%


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In Elective English, the weightings are as follows:

GRADE 11 GRADE 12

Element CA

End-of-

YearExam

TOTAL

Continuous Assessment

(CA) End-of-

YearExam

TOTALPreliminary

Exam

OtherTools &

Techniques

RDG 10% 15% 25% 5% 5% 15% 25%

WRT 30% 45% 75% 5% 25% 45% 75%

Total 40% 60% 100% 10% 30% 60% 100%

5.2 Awarding Marks:

RatingScalesfor the awarding of marks for each sub-element are provided in Appendix Four.

Each Rating Scale identifies and describes, for the relevant sub-element, fivedifferent levels ofachievement with marks from 1 to 5. This five-point scale provides the basis for the awarding of allContinuous Assessment marks at these grade-levels.

Teachers need to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the Rating Scales and to confer withsupervisors, senior teachers and other teachers so as to apply them with consistency and accuracy.(See also Appendix Two, Section FInformal Moderation),

Detailed guidelines on how to use the Rating Scales are provided in Appendix Two, Section E, UsingRating Scales to Award Marks.

5.3 Record-keeping

Blank forms for the formal recording of student marks and grades are provided in Appendix Five. Foreach grade-level, there are two recording sheets: the Continuous Assessment Recording Chart andthe Assessment Summary Sheet. (Note: Teachers should also keep Informal Recordswith additional,more detailed information about each of their students. Guidelines on how to do this are provided inAppendix Two, Section D.)

5.3.1 CORE courses(A & B)

The Continuous Assessment Recording Chart(or CAR-Chart) has a column for student names,followed by either three or four vertical sections: one for each of the elements covered by ContinuousAssessment: Speaking, Readingand Writing, followed by a column for the students TotalContinuous Assessment score.

Here is an example of a typical (Grade 11) CAR-Chart:

SPEAKING READING WRITING TOTAL

Present

-ations

Inter-

actionNS

(20)

(Independent)NS

(10)

INTR INFM NRTV EVLT Total NS

(10)NS

(40)(10) (10) (5) (5) (5) (5) (20)


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During the year, the teacher fills in each of the sub-element columns with provisionalmarks, as wholenumbers from 1 to 5. These marks should be written in pencil, so that they can be amended during theyear, as the teacher gathers further information about the students achievement in the relevant sub-element.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the special case of Speaking (Interaction), the maximum score is not 5, but

10. So, in this case, each students mark should be multiplied by two, e.g. 4 x 2 = 8. It is also possiblefor teachers to award in-between marks such as 3, 5, 7 or 9.

At this stage, the CAR-Chart would look as follows:


Present

-ations

Inter-

actionNS

(20)

(Independent)NS

(10)


(10)NS

(40)(10) (10) (5) (5) (5) (5) (20)

6 9 6 3 3 2 2

At the end of the year, the teacher makes the finaldecision as to the mark for each sub-element, andthen enters it in the appropriate column in ink.

The CAR-Chart would now look as follows:


Present

-ations

Inter-

actionNS

(20)

(Independent)NS

(10)


(10)NS

(40)(10) (10) (5) (5) (5) (5) (20)

7 8 7 3 3 2 3

The teacher then calculates the NS (number score) foreach element. The procedure for doing thisvaries according to the element:

For Reading, the NS mark is already there.

For Speaking, the teacher adds together the two sub-element scores and enters this total in therelevant NS column.

In the case of Writing, the teacher adds together the four sub-element scores, enters the resultunder Total (20), and divides this score by two using the following table:

Total (20) 1- 2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-12 13-14 15-16 17-18 19-20

NS (10) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The final step in completing the CAR-Chart is to determine the students overall ContinuousAssessment mark for the year. This is done by adding together the NS scores for the four elements,and then entering the resulting total in the right-hand column on the chart [Total/NS (40)].

So, the completed CAR-Chart for the year would look as follows:


Present

-ations

Inter-

actionNS

(20)

(Independent)NS

(10)


(10)NS

(40)(10) (10) (5) (5) (5) (5) (20)

7 8 15 7 3 3 2 3 11 6 28


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This total mark for Continuous Assessment (CA) is then transferred to the Assessment SummarySheet, where it is added to the End-of-Year Exam (EYE) score. The resulting percentage score isentered in the Overall / NS column.[ Note: In Grade 12, however, the CA-mark (out of 30) is added is to the scores for the PreliminaryExam (out of 10) and the End-of-Year Exam (out of 60). ]

Finally, in order to determine the overall letter-grade, the table on page 1 (above) is used. The resultinggrade is entered in the Overall/LG column.

5.3.2 ELECTIVE course

Recording of marks for ElectiveEnglish likewise involves a Continuous Assessment Recording Chartand an Assessment Summary Sheet.

The Continuous Assessment Recording Chart(or CAR-Chart) has a column for student names,followed by three vertical sections: one for Reading, one for Writing, and one for the students TotalContinuous Assessment score. In the Writing section, five different sub-elements are also included,along with the maximum number of marks for each.

Here is an example of a typical (Grade 11) Elective CAR-Chart:

READING WRITING TOTAL

NS

(10)

INTR INFM NRTV EVAL Interviews NS(30)

NS(40)(5) (5) (10) (5) (5)

During the year, the teacher fills in each of the sub-element columns with provisionalmarks, aswhole numbers from 1 to 5. These marks should be written in pencil, so that they can be amendedduring the year, as the teacher gathers further information about the students achievement in Readingand Writing.

In the special case of Writing (NRTV/ Narrative), the maximum score is not 5, but 10. So, in this case,each students mark should be multiplied by two, e.g. 4 x 2 = 8. (Note: It is also possible for teachersto award in-between marks such as 3, 5, 7 or 9.)

At this stage, the Elective CAR-Chart would look as follows:


NS

(10)


NS(40)(5) (5) (10) (5) (5)

4 3 3 8 4 3

At the end of the year, the teacher makes the finaldecision as to the mark for each sub-element andenters it in the appropriate column in ink.

The Elective CAR-Chart would now look as follows:


NS

(10)


NS(40)(5) (5) (10) (5) (5)

4 3 2 7 4 4


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The final step in completing the CAR-Chart is to determine the students total Continuous Assessmentmark for the year.

In order to do this, the teacher will first have to add together the five sub-element scores for Writing andenter the result under Writing/NS(30) Then, he/she adds together the NS scores forthe twoelements (Writingand Reading), and enters the resulting total in the right-hand column (Total/ NS) on

the chart.

So, the completed Elective CAR-Chart for the year would look as follows:


NS

(10)


NS(40)(5) (5) (10) (5) (5)

9 3 2 7 4 4 20 29

This total mark for Continuous Assessment is then transferred to the Assessment Summary Sheet,where it is added to the End-of-Year Exam (EYE) score. The resulting percentage score is entered inthe Overall/ NS column.[ Note: In Grade 12, however, the CA-mark (out of 30) is added is to the scores for the PreliminaryExam (10 marks) and the End-of-Year Exam (60 marks). ]

Finally, in order to determine the overall letter-grade, the table on page 1 (above) is used. The resultinggrade is entered in the Overall/ LG column.

5.4 Reporting

During the school year, parents receive a descriptivereportregarding their son's or daughtersprogress. In Grade 11, this report is issued in February; in Grade 12, it is issued in March.

The comment(s) made in this report should be as specific and informative as possible in the spaceprovided. Writing Very goodor Needs further supportis not sufficient. The teacher should try tocapture the students main strengths and/or weaknesses, in terms of the learning outcomes and of theirbehavior, attitudes and learning strategies. A very wide variety of different comments are possible, buttypical statements might, for example, be:

Was at first veryshy when Speaking, but is now gaining confidence.

Shows good understanding of complex texts, butneeds to spend more time readingindependently.

Needs to cooperate more with other students, especially when doing projects.

Is able to communicate quite well in Writing, but should be more careful with Grammar.

In writing these comments, the teacher may wish to adopt some of the wordings used in the RatingScales (see Apdx 3) and/or in the Learning Outcomes (see Apdx 1), but should avoid the use of anytechnical terms which may be unfamiliar to parents. (Note: These comments will, of course, appear onthe Report Card inArabic.) Teachers should also refer to the Informal Notes that they keep during theyear for each student (see Apdx 2, Section D).

At the end of the year, parents will receive a full reportgiving information, in the form of letter-grades,regarding their sons or daughters achievement of the learning outcomes.

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