Major changes to the qualifications available at secondary school level/for New Zealand's school leavers began to be introduced in January 2002. Prior to this, assessment during upper secondary education in New Zealand (students in Years 12 and 13, aged 16-18) included national awards for the Sixth Form Certificate, the Higher School Certificate and the University Bursary.
In 2002, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) was introduced in Year 11, students aged 15-16, see section 6.3. Introduction in Year 12 (students aged 16-17) began in the 2003 school year (January 2003-January 2004) when the Sixth Form Certificate was replaced. In 2004, the Higher School Certificate and the University Bursary were replaced by the NCEA. Further information on the NCEA is provided below and is also available from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) website at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea
The Sixth Form Certificate. which was replaced by the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) in January 2003, was an internally assessed qualification, taken in Year 12 (16- to 17-year-olds). In January 2004, the University Bursary examinations and the Higher School Certificate, both of which took place in Year 13, students aged 17-18, 10 were replaced by the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA).
Achievement 2001 and the NCEA
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), the national senior secondary school qualification, was originally launched in late 1998 under the auspices of a project called 'Achievement 2001'. Formal introduction did not begin until January 2002.
The NCEA is now the main qualification at all levels of the senior secondary school. The purpose of the NCEA is to provide opportunities for the diverse range of students in the increasingly wide variety of courses in schools to have their achievements recognised and reported. Consequently, students can achieve the NCEA from a wide range of studies, within and beyond the school curriculum. Unit and achievement standards are used for the assessment of courses developed by education, industry, and national standards bodies. In each school curriculum subject, there is both external assessment and (externally moderated) internal assessment, using achievement standards. Unit standards have been developed for assessment in vocational/technical subjects. 13 See section 6.4.4.
National Qualifications Framework (NQF)
This framework aims to integrate all qualifications available to New Zealand senior secondary (age 15/16+) and tertiary students, and those participating in workplace training. It has been developed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA)40 in response to the Government's belief that:
the social and economic needs of a modern society require a flexible and cumulative qualifications framework that recognises achievement over a diverse range of subjects and levels, from practical to academic, and acknowledges that education and training can take place in different institutions and at different times in a person's life.23
Credits are gained when students achieve 'standards' which specify what a person knows and can do in a particular area of learning (either a conventional school subject or a vocational or technical subject). The National Qualifications Framework aims to enable the transfer of credits from one qualification to another and to enable students to obtain recognition for prior learning.30 Unit standards are intended to be building blocks on the way to one of three nationally recognised qualifications - the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), see above and below, a national diploma, or a degree.40 A NCEA is attained when a specified number of credits at particular levels of the National Qualifications Framework has been gained. Some students may complete a NCEA by the end of secondary school. Others may carry the credits they have achieved at school through to post-school education and training and complete their NCEA, a national diploma, or degree at the tertiary level. All credits towards national qualifications are recorded on a national database maintained by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).30 The aim is to create a 'seamless' education system, based on unit standards, which integrates traditional senior secondary education, industry training and tertiary education.40
Further details of the National Qualifications Framework are available at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/
Responsible agencies
Curriculum and assessment policy for all the years of schooling is based on the New Zealand Curriculum documents, and is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education.32
Examinations and assessments for the purpose of awarding senior secondary school qualifications are the responsibility of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). 10
The NZQA is an independent body which administers qualifications and provides assurances about qualifications, oversees the examinations system and develops the National Qualifications Framework.13 It coordinates all qualifications in post-compulsory education and training; oversees the setting of standards for qualifications; assures the quality of provision and the quality of outcomes for learners undertaking qualification study; promotes the recognition of New Zealand qualifications overseas and the recognition of overseas qualifications in New Zealand; and administers all national secondary and tertiary examinations.28
The National Qualifications Framework and the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) have been developed by the Ministry of Education Qualifications Development Group (QDG) in consultation with the NZQA and the Post-Primary Teachers' Association.17
Assessment in New Zealand is carried out for a number of purposes. The primary purpose of school-based assessment is to improve students' learning and the quality of teaching programmes. Other purposes of assessment include providing feedback to parents and students, awarding qualifications at senior secondary school level, and monitoring overall national educational standards. Assessment also identifies learning needs so that resources can be effectively targeted.32
The main purposes for assessment at the school level in the primary and lower secondary levels are as a diagnosis for learning and for reporting to students and parents about progress in the respective subject areas. In the senior secondary school, many subjects have an internally assessed component for the particular qualification of the year. Consequently, there is the additional purpose of assessment for qualification.5
National examinations
Chief Examiners' reports on national examinations (such as the previous Sixth Form Certificate or the University Bursary) inform teaching and learning to some extent. Examinations measure student achievements (within the style of the examinations). Examinations continue the traditional 'gate-keeping' function.10
Sixth Form Certificate/University Bursary
The Sixth Form Certificate and/or the University Bursary were previously required to progress to higher education. Students who had completed a course of study were eligible to enter for these national examinations in Years 12 (age 16-17) and 13 (age 17-18) respectively.10 With the introduction of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), the Sixth Form Certificate and the University Bursary were phased out (in 2003 and 2004 respectively).
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement, NCEA
Introduction of the NCEA aimed to:
NCEA results are recognised by tertiary institutions and employers. For some purposes, internal results may be more relevant; for others, examination results may be more relevant. But, for most purposes, a combination of all results will give a clear picture of student's achievements.14 Different tertiary providers will, for example, want to look at a student's record of learning to see whether it indicates that the student has the grounding to enter a tertiary level course in, say, medicine, engineering or dance. Some courses require only a general indication of aptitude, others a more specific background. A potential employer might want to know how well a school leaver had done in, say, number and computer skills and oral communication. The NCEA aims to provide such varying levels of information for the whole range of tertiary institutions and courses, and for employers (http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea)
See section 6.4.7 in addition.
Participation in examination courses, as in education in general during this phase, is voluntary. However, many students previously took Sixth Form Certificate and/or University Bursary examinations, as success in these qualifications was required to progress to higher education. Students who had completed a course of study were eligible to enter for the Sixth Form Certificate in Year 12 (age 16-17), and to take the University Bursary in Year 13 (age 17-18).10 The Sixth Form Certificate was replaced by the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) in the January 2003-2004 school year as was the University Bursary in January 2004.
National Certificate of Educational Achievement, NCEA
Since 2002, students from Year 11 onwards (aged 15/16+) have been able to obtain (National Qualifications Framework) credits towards the new nationally recognised qualification, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). Modelled closely on the National Certificate in Scotland, this qualification, made up from credit-bearing units, replaced the Sixth Form Certificate in January 2003 and the University Bursary in January 2004. Unit standards have been developed to assess students for qualifications developed by industry and other national standards bodies in vocational and technical subjects (such as automotive engineering or dairy manufacturing), and achievement standards have been developed to assess students in school curriculum subjects (such as mathematics, geography and science).44,14
A student's achievement of the standards required to obtain credit towards a National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is measured by an appropriate mix of external and moderated internal assessment.39 At least half of the credits for each subject is assessed externally. External assessment includes written examinations and other assessment such as portfolios of students' work.14
The NCEA is available at four levels of the National Qualifications Framework, as follows. All involve (externally moderated) internal assessment, plus external assessment. It is intended that Year 11 students (aged 15-16) should be aiming at NCEA level 1.14
The levels and age ranges are a guide. It is intended that students can gain NCEA credits at different levels during the same year and that they should be able to aim at NCEA levels that suit their abilities. There is, for example, no requirement for students to achieve NCEA level 1 before attempting level 2. Similarly, after students have left school, they can complete or upgrade their NCEA. NCEA credits can be obtained in many courses at polytechnics, universities (wananga) and colleges of education and in accredited private and government training establishments and on-job training programmes.14
Most external assessment for NCEA is by examination at the end of the year (mid November to early December). For some subjects, portfolios may be submitted or external assessors will visit schools (http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/)
Further information on the National Qualifications Framework, in general, is available at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework
More information on the NCEA is available at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/
Sixth Form Certificate, University Bursary, Higher School Certificate
Until January 2003 (and its replacement by the NCEA), students in Year 12 (aged 16-17) continued to take the national examinations for the Sixth Form Certificate. Until January 2004, Year 13 students (aged 17-18) continued to take the University Bursary and the Higher School Certificate on completion of this phase.10
The Sixth Form Certificate was internally assessed with external moderation,26 and was awarded on a single-subject basis to students in Year 12 who had satisfactorily completed an approved course of study of one year in one or more subjects. Must students took five or six subjects usually including a course of English (or Maori), although English (or Maori) were not compulsory Sixth Form Certificate subjects.26
University Bursary examinations were formal and terminal and followed the traditional pattern of three-hour written papers. However, some internally assessed components were included and there was some use of school marks (for modular components), accounting for a proportion of the final mark. Art portfolios were assessed.10
Examinations and assessments for the purpose of awarding secondary school qualifications are the responsibility of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).31
Individual teachers are responsible for designing, administering and recording school-based classroom assessment.10
National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA)
Lists of student entries for the NCEA are submitted to the NZQA in March. Students may, however, change their entries later in the year. All students must enter for NCEA through an accredited provider. Home-schooled students, for example, need to find a link provider (usually a school) to work with. (http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/)
Development of assessment resources for the various levels of the new National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) (see 6.4.6) involved the NZQA, the Ministry of Education Qualifications Development Group (QDG), the Post Primary Teachers' Association and panels of teachers. Resources were published for trial use and comment by teachers prior to finalisation.(http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/)
The NCEA assessments are designed to suit the skill or knowledge being tested. In school curriculum subjects, at least half of the assessment is based on end of year examinations run by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). Schools can also use other standards on the National Qualifications Framework to tailor courses for the particular needs and requirements of students. In this way, they can prepare all students for careers in areas of their choice. (http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/)
Training for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA)
All secondary schools were involved in professional development programmes (such as a series of workshops on assessment against unit standards for conventional school subjects) to prepare teachers and schools for the introduction of the NCEA. 25
Sixth Form Certificate and University Bursary
The previous Year 12 national examination (the Sixth Form Certificate) and the Year 13 examinations for the University Bursary used a combination of norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessments, with the examination pass and grade rates being norm-referenced. For the Sixth Form Certificate, a nine-point marking/grading scale was used (grade 1 being the highest). For the University Bursary, marks were aggregated and a letter grade given.10 Grades ranged from A to E, with A being the highest. An 'A' Bursary was awarded for marks of 300 or more, a 'B' for marks of between 250 - 299.26
National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA)
At the school level, qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework are made up of unit standards for vocational or technical subjects and/or achievement standards for conventional school subjects. These describe what a learner should aim to achieve in a skill or knowledge area, and are set by written criteria along with a national moderation system. Learners who meet all requirements get credit for that unit/achievement standard; those who don't may be reassessed when ready. A merit system recognises achievements beyond the credit level. 13
Each unit or achievement standard on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) is set at a level from 1 to 8. Levels 1 to 4 generally equate to the four levels of the NCEA, as follows, and usually involve (externally moderated) internal assessment, plus external assessment. It is intended that Year 11 students (aged 15-16) should be aiming at NCEA level 1.14
National standards have been set in each area of learning. When students achieve these standards, they earn credits towards their NCEA qualification (at one of the levels detailed above). In school curriculum subjects, students can do more than achieve a standard - they can achieve with merit or excellence grades. In addition, as detailed above, there is a scholarship award, achieved through additional examinations based on level 3 standards. (http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/)
A minimum number of credits is required, from examinations and internal assessments, for students to achieve the award level for a National Certificate at any level. Students can accumulate credit towards their certificate over a number of years. They do not, for example, have to achieve all the credits for a level 1 certificate while in Year 11 (the final year of compulsory secondary education, age 15-16), although it is expected that reasonably able students should be able to do so.39
For students to be awarded NCEA level 1 they must:
For students to be awarded NCEA level 2, they must:
For NCEA level 3, students must:
For the level 4 New Zealand Scholarship qualification:
In each area of learning, different aspects of skills, knowledge and understanding are assessed separately. Each aspect can earn a different number of credits. Consequently, results about each student's efforts are detailed, giving a profile of their achievements. This profile shows a student's credits and grades for each national standard. Results also show how each student performed compared with all other students across the country. Finally, they provide a grade average for each subject or area of learning. See section 6.4.8 in addition. (http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/)
As well as working towards the NCEA, students can also accumulate credits towards individual national certificates and national diplomas, such as the National Certificate in Computing 13 or the National Certificate in Employment Skills.
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) administers the NQF through the following services:
Admission to tertiary education
Until the full introduction of the NCEA in January 2004, success in the University Bursary determined a student's progress to higher education. Entrance to university was usually achieved by gaining an A or B grade University Bursary (see 6.4.6) or by gaining the Higher School Certificate and three C grades or higher in the University Bursary. There were no formal consequences for the teacher or the school. However, examination results are part of a school's achievements and may therefore serve to attract students.10,13
Scholarships were awarded for high performance in individual University Bursary subjects and there were also top scholar awards. Cash payments were made to those gaining University Bursaries and scholarships.13
Since the final introduction of the NCEA in Year 12 (16- to 17-year-olds) in 2003 and in Year 13 in 2004, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has generated selection scores to rank students for entry to restricted tertiary courses, where required. University entrance generally requires a minimum of 42 credits at level 3 or higher on the National Qualifications Framework. Of these, at least 14 need to be in each of two subjects from an approved list. A further 14 need to come from another two approved subjects or domains. In addition, students also need some level 2 credits providing evidence of reading and writing skills and some level 1 credits showing numeracy skills. Universities also have their own requirements for entry to particular courses. (http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/)
Examination results - Sixth Form Certificate and University Bursary
All marked examination scripts were returned to students,49 and could be retained by them.
NCEA results
Students receive three different documents detailing their achievements:
The credits gained by students through assessment against National Qualifications Framework (NQF) unit or achievement standards are recorded on their Record of Learning (ROL).25 Each learner receives an annual personalised list of the NQF credits and qualifications s/he has achieved in the previous year on his/her Record of Learning.13 This Record of Learning for senior secondary school students can be used as documentation for career purposes.25
In addition, all students in tertiary education are entitled to one free hard copy of their Record of Learning detailing the credits gained on the NQF in the previous year. It is possible for these students to view the Record of Learning via the New Zealand Qualifications Authority website, although this electronic version is not considered to be an official document and cannot be deemed an original source document. Further information is available at: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/news/info/rol-tert.html
If students continue to take qualifications which are on the NQF, these will also be added to their Record of Learning. 65
These results also show how each student has performed compared with all other students across the country, as all National Qualifications Framework credits are recorded on a national database maintained by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).30
See section 6.4.6 in addition.
NCEA results are recognised by tertiary institutions and employers. For some purposes, internal results may be more relevant; for others, examination results may be more relevant. But, for most purposes, a combination of all results should give a clear picture of student's achievements.14 Different tertiary providers will, for example, look at a student's record of learning to see whether it indicates that the student has the grounding to enter a tertiary level course in, say, medicine, engineering or dance. Some courses require only a general indication of aptitude, others a more specific background. A potential employer might want to know how well a school leaver had done in, say, number and computer skills and oral communication. The NCEA aims to provide such varying levels of information for the whole range of tertiary institutions and courses, and for employers. (http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea)
Reporting to the board of trustees, the community, and other agencies
The records maintained within schools provide some of the evidence to inform decisions made by each school's board of trustees. Relevant achievement information assists boards in evaluating the effectiveness of the school's assessment policy and in meeting their obligation to report to the community on students' achievements within the schools.31
Consequently, the assessment policy and processes must ensure that teachers, through the principal, can provide information in summary form for the board of trustees. Teachers need to be aware of the processes involved and the reasons for the requirement to summarise assessment information.31
Completion
Statistics for 1995 showed the proportion of students completing Year levels as follows:
| Year 11, Form 5, age 15-16 (end of compulsory education) | 97 per cent |
| Year 12, Form 6, age 16-17 | 80 per cent |
| Year 13, Form 7, age 17-18 | 48 per cent 34 |
Retention
In 1998:
In 2001:
In 2003:
See the tables below.
Apparent retention rates, 1998, 2001, 2003
| Age 16 | Age 17 | Age 18 | |
| 1998 | 87 per cent | 64 per cent | 18 per cent |
| 2001 | 80 per cent | 58 per cent | 13 per cent |
| 2003 | 82 per cent | 58 per cent | 14 per cent |
Source: Ministry of Education (2003). Secondary School Retention in 2003. [Online] at http://www.minedu.govt.nz/
Apparent* retention rates by ethnicity and age at 1 July 2003
| Ethnicity | Age 16 | Age 17 | Age 18 |
| All | 81.9% | 58.1% | 13.6% |
| Maori | 62.7% | 36.7% | 8.6% |
| Pacific | 84.1% | 63.7% | 23.0% |
* No adjustment has been made to account for migration.
Source: Ministry of Education (2003). Secondary School Retention in 2003. [Online] at http://www.minedu.govt.nz/.