WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT:
 
NCEA
 
NCEA is New Zealand’s national qualification, it is a system of assessment put in place by law in 2002.  Innovative teachers and administrators have made it work in our secondary schools for the sake of their students. These qualifications equip the students to go on to the next stage of their lives.
 
‘NCEA is working because of teacher goodwill and professional determination to make it work for their students’ 
- Robin Duff PPTA President Oct 2007
 
It is important to remember that it is only the assessment style that has been changed, not the core subjects or the skills that are actually taught in our secondary schools. These have stayed the same along with the many other things that secondary schools teach and deliver to students and their families.

That is not to say that there aren’t some major flaws with this assessment style - there are - and the critics have raised some very valid points which are being addressed.  However, good teachers, who love what they do (most of the time) and schools that encourage students to succeed and to believe in themselves and care about others, are still flourishing all over New Zealand.
 
Background Information
 
National Certificate of Educational Achievement has three Levels - One, Two and Three. It was brought in at
•           Level One for Year 11 (Form 5) students in 2002.
•           Level Two for Year 12 (Form 6)  was introduced the following year 
•           Level Three for Year 13 (Form7)
•           As our national qualification for secondary students from Year 11 – 13, it replaces School Certificate, Sixth Form Certificate and Bursary exams.
•           It is recognized internationally as it is, of course, in all Tertiary Institutions in New Zealand
•           Qualifications gained at secondary school are part of a larger system of national qualifications and students can continue to gain them in the work force, after they leave school. 

NCEA : Some Basic Facts
 
What is “Standards-Based Assessment”?
 
This is an assessment which is based on the student’s ability to reach a particular standard of knowledge, therefore “a standard” is a level of understanding which needs to be passed. To show you have reached the standard you must have successfully completed each aspect or part of that standard.
 
Each aspect or part that must be achieved, has been clearly outlined before the student begins, so both the student and the teacher know exactly what needs to be covered.
 
An example from a Creative Writing Standard in English
The student who sits a creative writing assessment will know beforehand, that their work will be judged on the following objective criteria.
•           How well you express and develop your ideas
•           Your ability to use a writing style that is appropriate to the task. For example, if you are asked to write a letter to a school newspaper, then your language must suit school students.
•           How well you organize your material
•           Your accuracy in spelling, punctuation and paragraphing
 
In other words, the piece of writing must have some interesting, clearly expressed ideas, it must have an introduction, paragraphs and a suitable ending. It must also be accurate and be in a style that suits the purpose. Nothing new here, English teachers have been trying to do this for generations. 
 
What’s Different about NCEA?
•           The piece of creative writing will only be judged against these particular criteria.  The personal judgment of the individual teacher or examiner is more clearly focused.
•           All four of these standards must be met. If three are achieved, but one is not, then the student will receive a ‘Not Achieved’.
•           If it is an Internal Assessment, the student may have a chance to re-sit the piece of writing under test conditions.

Before NCEA, a student would receive a percentage mark for one examination in a particular subject. For example, if a student gained 65% in School Certificate, this involved one three hour paper which covered various elements of English like –novel study, comprehension, creative writing, punctuation and grammar.
 
Under NCEA the subject English has been separated out into its various elements, which are now assessed separately. A student may be assessed or examined in any number of these elements which are called ‘Standards” and if the student passes they are said to have “achieved”.
 
A student will no longer say ’I passed or failed English’. Instead they may say, ’I achieved Creative Writing, Extended Text (Novel Study), and Unseen Text (Comprehension) but didn’t achieve Static Image or Film Study’.
 
This method has allowed students, teachers, parents and employers to understand the specific strengths and weaknesses of individuals within each subject.

There are two types of standards, Unit Standards and Achievement Standards,
•           They both give credits of equal value which go toward achieving NCEA.
•           Achievement Standards have four different grades; Not Achieved (N.A), Achieved (A) Merit (M)  or Excellence (E).     
•           Unit Standards have only Achieved and Not Achieved and are always assessed internally.
•           Some Achievement Standards are assessed externally in end of year NZQA examinations, while others are assessed internally by the teacher within the school.
•           Students achieve ‘credits’ for each standard.  The number of credits for both types of Standard ranges from 2-6. Each subject is divided up into a number of these Standards giving the student the opportunity to gain between 18-24 credits per subject.
 
For more details read our book “What You Need To Know Before Your Child Starts Secondary School”. Available from all good bookstores.