Phase 2 of the Review of the HSC Assessment Program consisted of two surveys: The School Survey was sent to all schools and TAFE colleges throughout NSW where the HSC is offered, while the Student Survey was sent to 1,000 randomly selected Year 12 students.
Initially it had been the intention to have only one survey. However, the issues which emerged from the Focus Group discussions with teachers, school executives and Year 12 students revealed a significant discrepancy in the perceptions of the two groups. This necessitated a second survey to canvas, the opinions and thoughts of the Year 12 student body. These survey instalments are presented as APPENDIX C1 and APPENDIX C2.
S C H O O L S U R V E Y
445 responses to the School Survey were received from schools and colleges, representing an overall response rate of 6 1 % . Based on the pattern of school types and locations revealed by the statistical data, the profile of respondent schools closely resembled the statewide profile of NSW schools.
The scope of the survey focussed cn a number of areas:
(i) Purposes of HSC Assessment (ii) School Assessment Programs (iii) Completion of Tasks by Students
(iv) Effects of HSC Assessment on Students and Staff (v) Moderation and Reporting
(vi) Training and Support
(vii) Assessment Policies and Guidelines
The following provides a summary of the findings of each of these sections in the School Survey. Full details of these findings are set out in APPENDIX D.
Purposes of H S C A s s e s s m e n t
The HSC Assessment Program was seen as serving a wide range of purposes. Generally it was regarded as meeting these purposes quite well in current school practice.
Approximately 85% of respondents saw two of the most important purposes of the HSC Assessment Program as being:
(i) to provide student feedback; and
(ii) to allow progressive assessment using multiple tasks.
The majority of these respondents also indicated that these purposes were achieved very well in their schools. While not being ranked quite as highly by as many respondents, providing teacher feedback was another important purpose which was being generally well met by schools. The same opinions applied to the assessments providing information for illness/misadventure purposes, as well as a student's relative position in the school cohort.
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demonstrate achievement in non-exam-based tasks, of measuring syllabus outcomes that cannot be measured by the HSC external examinations alone and of assisting students to achieve course outcomes were observed to be relatively important and quite well met by schools, 10% of respondents believed that these were not being adequately achieved in their schools.
Similar patterns were evident for the purposes of providing students with confidence and motivation and giving them exam practice, as well as the opportunity to undertake substantial projects, although their importance was not rated as high.
The purpose which diverged significantly from the established pattern was that of the assessments providing a close correlation with the HSC exam results. Schools were largely managing to achieve this purpose, although it was only regarded as important by approximately 50% of the respondents.
School A s s e s s m e n t Programs
In each subject area the majority of schools used 5 or 6 assessment tasks per 2 Unit course, with the average number of tasks ranging from 5.19 (Maths) to 6.14 (English).
However, there was considerable variation across schools and subject areas, with approximately 15% - 25% using fewer than 5 tasks (particularly in Mathematics) and 20%
- 30% using more than 6 (particularly in English, Creative Arts and LOTE).
Opinions were divided on whether the current number of tasks was appropriate. While approximately 35% of respondents agreed that it would be desirable to reduce the number of assessment tasks that the typical student is currently required to complete, approximately 40% disagreed and the remainder were neutral. On a related item, less than 5% of respondents felt that there were not enough assessment tasks in 1 Unit and 3 Unit courses, but over 75% disagreed.
There was evidence that a wide range of tasks is applied by schools in HSC assessment.
The following are the major patterns which were observed in the Survey:
• Trial HSC examinations and Yearly or Half-Yearly examinations form part of the HSC assessment program in nearly all schools and subject areas. Class
tests are also commonly used, particularly in Maths, Science and HSIE subjects.
• Oral and listening tasks are very frequently used in English and LOTE.
• Practical work is used in most schools in Science, Creative Arts and Technology, while fieldwork constitutes a common component in Science and HSIE, workbooks and process diaries in Creative Arts and Technology, and presentations/performances in Creative Arts and English:
• Class essays are used in most schools in English and HSIE, while research projects are used across a range of subjects, particularly HSIE, Creative Arts, Technology PDHPE. Most commonly these projects are predominantly undertaken outside the classroom.
In most subject areas the maximum weighting for tasks typically ranges between 20% and 40%, with an average of approximately 30% (although Maths has a somewhat higher average of approximately 35%). Minimum weightings generally range between 5% and 15%, averaging approximately 10% for all subject areas. Most respondents indicated that assessment tasks are designed to reflect the weightings given to the components in the syllabus.
While most respondents verified that their school made efforts to co-ordinate assessment tasks, more than 50% agreed that there is a significant problem in ensuring that their students are not over-burdened with multiple assessment tasks at a particular time. Co- ordination approaches included "assessment periods" to enable tasks to be undertaken simultaneously across classes and courses (used in 40% of schools) and "assessment- free" times, where assessment due dates cannot be placed (used in 65% of schools).
Virtually all schools issued HSC students with a calendar of assessment tasks and dates.
A substantial percentage of respondents (40% - 45%) agreed that there is a significant problem in Term 3 with HSC assessment tasks coinciding with dates for other HSC tasks and also that the closing date for submission of assessment marks to the Board was too early.
Co-ordinating assessments for multiple classes in the same course created difficulties for 35% of schools. The most common approaches employed to overcome this problem and to help ensure consistency included common assessment tasks, marking scales and markers, while double marking or peer discussions were less frequently used.
Completion of T a s k s by Students
Virtually all respondents indicated that a problem existed in their schools with students giving insufficient attention to tasks which are not part of the HSC assessment program, with 50% rating it as a major problem. Most respondents also reported problems with student absenteeism prior to assessment tasks and difficulties in preparing alternative tasks for absent students. About 20% of respondents viewed these as major problems.
Three, other issues were regarded as problems by approximately 70% of respondents
(and rated as major by 5% - 15%): "Suspect" use of medical certificates to account for student absences, inequity in student access to resources to complete assessment tasks and authenticity of assessment tasks undertaken outside the classroom (ie is it the student's own work?).
Two approaches were employed to some extent by most schools and "often" by 20% - 30% to supervise the authenticity of externally completed assessment tasks. These were the use of process diaries and/or the requirement that some part of the project be undertaken in class time. Verification slips to be signed by students were used in a minority of schools.
Most schools had strict policies relating to student absenteeism, although they were rarely used in about 35% of schools. Most schools set alternative tasks for absent students, while the use of estimated marks for absent students was iess common.
Effect of H S C A s s e s s m e n t on Staff and Students
There was a general feeling that the introduction of the HSC assessment program had increased student stress. In order to help alleviate this stress the majority of respondents indicated that teachers make particular efforts to reduce the level of pressure placed on students because of HSC assessment tasks.
According to approximately 65% of respondents students are inappropriately focussed on their HSC assessments to the detriment of their wider learning. For 25% of respondents HSC assessments were also seen to have an unhealthy effect on relations between students due to competitiveness and an unwillingness to assist one another.
There was general agreement (75% - 80%) that students are increasingly likely to seek justification from teachers for their marks in HSC assessment tasks. Increasing workload and other pressures on teachers (expressed by approximately 80% of respondents) are also a negative result of the assessment program.
Moderation and Reporting
There was very strong support for the moderation of assessment marks to ensure fair comparison between marks from different schools. However, approximately 25% of respondents reported concern regarding the use of HSC exam marks for this moderation process, while approximately 35% reported difficulties ranking students and spreading the range of assessment marks appropriately, owing to the nature of the school's candidature.
Provision of additional information on statewide standards by the Board in order to assist in formulating assessment tasks was a high priority for approximately 65% of respondents.
Approximately 80% of respondents agreed that there is an increasing tendency for HSC assessment tasks to mirror the HSC external examinations. A similar percentage of respondents were of the opinion that teachers are expected - indeed in some instances feel under pressure - to ensure that there is a high correlation between the assessment marks awarded to students and the marks that those students obtain in the HSC exams.
Training and Support
Respondents considered Board syllabuses and assessment booklets to be valuable resources in assisting in the development of HSC assessment programs in schools. The software for the Principals' Analysis Package was generally available to the principal and school executive and in approximately 50% of cases it was also used by classroom teachers. However, it was generally regarded as being somewhat less useful for the purpose of developing assessment programs.
Respondents expressed a strong demand for additional support and assistance from the Board. The highest priority was given to practical' assistance in the form of sample assessment materials, information on best practice and access to a bank of HSC assessment tasks. The majority of respondents would also require support and assistance in outcomes-based reporting and in the development of multi-component tasks, while more information on HSC assessment requirements in specific syllabuses and subject areas was also an important issue for a substantial majority of respondents.
A s s e s s m e n t Guidelines and Policies
Virtually all respondents were of the opinion that students have a clear understanding of the school's HSC assessment policy and requirements. Approximately 90% of respondents believed that the HSC assessment guidelines provided by the Board are also clearly stated.
In response to the question addressing policy flexibility, the majority preference was for prescription and specification by the Board. While approximately 10% of respondents agreed that the HSC Assessment Girielines provided by the Board should be more flexible, they were outweighed by 50% who disagreed. The remaining 40% were neutral.
Approximately 55% expressed the view that the Board should:-
• Specify the maximum number of HSC assessment tasks that schools are permitted to administer for. each course;
• More closely prescribe the extent to which schools are required to use different types of HSC assessment tasks;
• Provide clear parameters on the weightings that are to be applied to individual tasks by schools.
20% - 30% of respondents disagreed with this view and 20% remained neutral.
In response to questions about overall policy directions 65% - 70% of respondents agreed that the Board should clarify the purpose of the HSC assessment program and that steps should be taken to simplify the HSC Assessment program and make it less burdensome.
Finally, there was very strong support for the principle of school assessment as part of the HSC, with about 90% of respondents concurring (55% strongly) that the Assessment component of the HSC should be continued.
Open-Ended R e s p o n s e s
Question 17 in the School Survey gave respondents the opportunity to express comments and opinions on the school-based assessment program and to make suggestions for changes to be implemented to that program, in accordance with the assessment initiatives proposed in the White Paper. Approximately 27% of respondents completed this section, presenting a wide range of comments in varying degrees of detail.
This discussion does not attempt to quantify these opinions, because they do not necessarily represent a consensus view and could lead to some distortion and misrepresentation of the statistical findings of the Survey. However, they are views which were expressed seriously and quite forcefully and as such are deserving of attention and consideration.
Not surprisingly these comments tended to focus on the negatives and areas which are perceived as problematic. Yet only very few people suggested abolishing the school- based assessment component of the HSC program. While it was viewed as less than perfect, the Assessment program received significant endorsement from the vast majority of respondents, albeit in a more simplified form. There was some suggestion that a move back to the pre-1986 estimate system was the preferred option, but in general it was acknowledged that this was contrary to the aims and spirit of the HSC Assessment program.
The issues which elicited the strongest response were:
(i) Stress levels
(ii) Student-Teacher and Student-Student Relationships (iii) Student Learning
(iv) Statewide Parity (v) Mandating/Prescription
(vi) Correlation of Assessment and HSC; the Mirroring of the HSC Exams in Assessments, and Moderation
Stress Levels: Respondents expressed concern about increased stress levels associated with the HSC Assessment Program on both teachers and students alike.
Described as a "burdensome task" for teachers, the HSC Assessments were viewed as contributing to increased teacher workload because of the increased "hysteria and massive paper accountability".
While the thinking behind the HSC Assessment Program highlighted the belief that a school-based assessment would reduce the stress by spreading the load over a longer period of time and provide an opportunity to cater for those students who do not achieve well in exams, in reality it was perceived that the assessment process is stressful in itself and this has resulted in increased workload and constant anxiety about performance.
Student-Teacher and Student-Student Relationships: Another issue given significant credence in the comments was that of the changed relationships between students and between teachers and students. Whereas in the past a "collegiate" feeling of co-operation and sharing had existed, now the dominant atmosphere is one of competition amongst students and an unwillingness to share ideas and insights. "Assessment has operated to increase a spirit of mean competitiveness in place of a spirit of co-operation." Students are now seen. to be "much more guarded and possessive of their resources and understandings".
The relationship between students and teachers has also undergone a transformation, as was already evident in the Eltis, Ball et al Report of 1987. It was reported that "students [were] fighting about marks, particularly those who were most competitive, and some felt that the relationship of staff with students had changed from being their friends to their judges".1 2 The same scenario confronts teachers in classrooms now, especially in highly academic situations, where students constantly seek justification of marks awarded to them by their teachers. In the eyes of the students, the role of their teachers has changed from "helper to assessor", from "guide to judge".
Student Learning: Of serious concern to some respondents was the issue of the impact of HSO Assessment on student learning. Instead of complementing the learning process and providing a rounded assessment, which was the ultimate aim of the Assessment program when it was introduced, these respondents maintained that the Assessment program had been detrimental to the wider learning process.1 3 Students only applied themselves seriously to "assessable tasks" because -of the perceived "high stakes"
involved and tended to ignore those tasks which "did not count", thus restricting teachers in their ability to refine lots of skills and preventing them from providing students with a
"broader experience of education". Students have become reluctant to extend themselves beyond what will contribute directly to their HSC results. The element of "enjoyment of learning" has largely been taken away for the majority of students.
Statewide Parity: The issue of statewide parity aroused considerable comment.
Respondents expressed concern .about equity issues as they relate to the school-based Assessment program. They also felt that there needed to be an improvement in the
"comparability of and more uniformity in assessment tasks". Country schools were seen as at a serious disadvantage because of lack of access to marking experience, lack of guidance on good assessment practices; lack of access to the resources and technology available in metropolitan schools, a high turnover of staff and often the appointment of inexperienced staff. There was a feeling that a "school's postcode was the best indicator of student success".
One suggestion made was that there should be "greater unification of the assessment program- statewide", .because "[assessment] practices vary considerably between schools". At the same time the question was posed as to how assessment practices can be made "more consistent without impinging on the independence of each school". There
1 2 Assessment Practices in Schools Project. Final Report Assessment in the 1986 Higher School Certificate, Eltis, Ball et al, July 1987, p.86.
1 3 Of course this must be balanced by the opinions of others who support the notion that assessment promotes continued learning and.contributes positively to that process.
appeared to be a doubt in the minds of some that other schools were following the Board's assessment guidelines properly. Those schools which do "aim to assess the full range [of assessment tasks] required by the Board should not be disadvantaged by schools which only used exam-type tasks".
Mandating/Prescription: Following on from the conviction that there exist a "wide discrepancy in the assessment programs across the state" and a "great variation in the levels of difficulty" and the "range and intensity of tasks and accountability in performance", it stood to reason that the vast majority of respondents who chose to comment on the Assessment program would be in favour of a higher degree of mandating of tasks and more prescription of the extent to which schools are required to use a range of HSC assessment tasks. Respondents expressed the views that there should be
"tighter monitoring" ot the school-based assessment program, whiie at the same time the
"examinable content [of the syllabus] should be specifically defined". Checks should be put in place so that the emphasis in assessment is not on exam-style assessment tasks.
Clear, definitive limits to the number bf assessment tasks should be set, so that assessment does not take over from the learning process. Some respondents also called for more stringent guidelines that there should be "one externally researched task".
Correlation of Assessment and HSC Marks; Mirroring of the HSC Exam in Assessment Tasks; Moderation of Assessment Marks against Assessment: By far the strongest responses related to the correlation of the Assessment and HSC marks and the mirroring of the HSC exams in assessment tasks. Respondents perceived that there was a dilemma confronting teachers.. There appeared to be a requirement for a high correlation between the HSC assessment and the actual HSC exam marks. This has resulted in a move towards the replicating of exam tasks in the school-based assessment as a way of ensuring this high correlation. This is viewed by many as compromising the integrity and spirit of the HSC Assessment Program.
According to the respondents, if the Board's guidelines are strictly adhered to and those objectives which cannot be assessed in an exam situation are assessed at school, then it should not necessarily follow that the Assessment will bear any close correlation to the HSC exam performance. .
Allied to this is the concern felt by some respondents about the validity of moderating the Assessment against the HSC examination marks. "If students are assessed on knowledge and skills that are not examinable, then assessment marks should not be moderated against exam results", since "one should have no effect on the other". It was suggested that "only those assessment tasks which cover similar skills to those assessed in the written exams [should be used] to moderate assessment".