SPANZ Day 3 - Workshop Two - Lorraine Pound (Epsom Girls) Looking at Year 11 Differently (an update)

A typical Year 11 Course at EGGS in 2020

 A journey...

Context 

  • We support NCEA - credit for both internal and external
  • Entry to competitive courses internationally
  • Time for learning?
  • Level One provides...
  • 3 years of constant assessment
  • 3 plus more at tertiary level at the majority
Thoughts
  • Gaining time for learning - 10 weeks
  • Reduce the sense of having to rush to 'get through' the curriculum in Year 11
  • Opportunity to provide strong, deep learning in Year 9-11
  • Reducing burden of over-assessment
  • Provide experience in NCEA
  • Undertake Numeracy

Why, How and What...

  • Why change?
  • How to embrace.
  • How to effect the change.
  • What was hard?
  • What are we seeing and learning?
Process
  • Blue skies thinking
  • Consultation
  • More consultation
  • Meetings with depts
  • Individualised needs discussed
  • Mathematics did a full year 
  • Regular updates to board
Community Process
  • Student input
  • Evening presentations 
  • Ask a question doc shared before hand
  • Emailed information to parents
  • Newsletter
  • Information to Intermediates and full primaries in the Kahui Ako
  • Some nervousness, understandably
The Year 11 Programme
  • English, Mathematics, Science, core PE and Health and three options
  • Year 11 start gaining L21 credits (approx 30-40 credits) spread throughout the year.
  • Twenty of those credits will credit towards 80 credits required for L2 the following year.
Students in Year 11 are offered a broad and balanced curriculum
The assessment programme includes: subject tests, common assessments tasks, performances, essays, research etc. Preparing them for Level Two. 

Subject contexts 2020
  • Maths - a full programme of BCEA assessment
  • Science - semester courses no NCEA assessments
  • Most subjects chose an internal AS
  • Visual Arts - 1AS part of an assessment programme. Portfolio not a as an AS. 
Student Feedback 
  • Easier pace
  • Less pressure
  • Motivates you to understand beyond memorising and rote learning
  • Tests were prep for exams without the stress
  • Time management skills learned
What happened in 2020?
  • 98% of Year 11 2020 earned at least 20 credits.
  • 70% of credits earned by Year 11 2020 last year were all Merit and Excellence Level.
  • 96.6% of Year 11 achieved Numeracy in 2020.
  • We kept them until Week 5-6 in Term Four.
  • We used the extra time with Year 11 to try different programmes, numeracy and catch up, exhibitions and final projects.
Data after they completed Year 12
  • 92.3  of Year 12 students gained L2 (L1) NCEA
  • Most who didn't achieve L2 in Year 12 did so at beginning of Y13
  • Level 2 Excellence Endorsements at 33.5% and Merit 37.1% (slight up from year before)
  • In the first cohort in 2020, 96.9% gained UE Numeracy with that rising to 98.8% by the end of their Year 12. 
Looking ahead at new NCEA Package

Concerns around the potential assessment load across Term Three and Term Four. Complicating and elongating external assessment. It isn't lightening the load. 


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