Competency Based Assessment (CBA) is critical for the success of CBC implementation at all levels. Effective CBA entails a balance between formative and summative assessments to inform both the feedback on learning progress and transition across the various levels of Basic and Tertiary education and training.
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The Taskforce recommends that KNEC assumes its leadership role in both policy and strategy for overall assessments at the Basic Education to ensure the following:
Assessment at Pre-primary level
Assessment at Pre-primary level will be administered by classroom teachers to inform not only learning progress but also assess readiness for transition to Primary school and advice on required interventions and appropriate placement, especially for children with special needs as well as the talented and gifted.
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In addition, KNEC will be responsible for building the capacities of teachers to develop the assessment tools.
Assessment at Primary level
Assessment at Primary level will be mainly formative. In Grades 1 to 3, teachers will conduct classroom assessment, and at Grade 3, KNEC will develop a standardized assessment tools to be administered, scored and feedback given to individual learners by teachers in their respective schools.
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The schools will then submit the results for each learner in a designated format to KNEC to facilitate analysis of achievement of competencies at national level.
The report from KNEC will guide the teachers receiving the transition Grade 4 and advise TSC in developing content for continuous teacher professional development that targets areas requiring intervention.
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Further, KICD will use the report to develop instructional resources that target areas that learners find challenging. KICD will also use the report to revise the curriculum in cases where assessment reports reveal that the curriculum could be the cause of weak achievement.
Assessment in Upper Primary
Assessment in Upper Primary will align to a policy governing the balance between formative and summative to assess comprehensively the mastery of multifarious competencies of different learners as well as facilitate placement of learners in Junior Secondary School.
The mode of assessment will entail a combination of teacher-administered formative assessment in Grades 4, 5 and 6, and a summative assessment to be administered by KNEC at the end of Grade 6.
The proposed weighting is 60% for formative and 40% for summative assessment. The summative assessment is prompted by the need to allow learners from across the country to access schools which have superior infrastructure and a culture of good performance, thus enhancing equity.
Assessment at Junior and Senior Secondary
Assessment at Junior and Senior Secondary school will be both formative and summative at the end of the cycle.
The Junior Secondary School assessment will facilitate placement in Senior Secondary School Pathways and Tracks, while the Senior Secondary School assessment will facilitate transition into Tertiary and University Education and Training.
At Senior Secondary School, learners will have the opportunity to do dual certification by enrolling for TVET qualifications, depending on their abilities and career interests.
Assessment of Learners with Disabilities and Special Needs
Assessment of Learners with Disabilities and Special Needs, including the gifted and talented, will be determined by the nature and severity of the disability and special need.
For learners with ability to follow the regular curriculum, KNEC will adapt the assessment items, while also providing appropriate time during assessment administration for learners with disabilities.
For those unable to follow the regular curriculum, KNEC will develop a policy for various types of assessments that document the stage based abilities and fast-tracking of competencies among the gifted learners.
To implement the Competency Based Assessment effectively, the Taskforce makes the following recommendations for KNEC on strategy and policy respectively:
- Collaborate with TSC to train all teachers on Competency Based Assessment of learners with different abilities;
- Develop robust ICT systems to support CBA;
- Develop guidelines and quality controls to ensure the credibility of formative assessments;
- Collaborate with other assessment bodies for continuous research in CBA.
- Finalize the Competency Based Assessment Framework (CBAF) and develop related regulations.