Principals call for alternative assessments to stay beyond 2027
Photo:
123RF
The Secondary Principals Association says some members want a temporary alternative to online NCEA literacy and numeracy tests to become permanent.
In poor communities, about 60 percent of students
failed the online reading, writing and maths tests
, or common assessment activities (CAAs) in May.
Secondary Principals Association president Louise Anarau said students who failed could instead reach the requirement through internally assessed standards, but only until the end of 2027.
She said the alternative pathway was especially useful for students who struggled with exams.
"The Year 12 learners this year, over 50 percent of them who didn't achieve the CAAs in Year 11 have done so as Year 12, more so through the alternative pathways assessment," she said.
"We know that our Māori, Pacific learners perform better in alternative assessments to exam-like settings and and the transitional arrangement allows for that."
Anaru said, as a result, some principals wanted the alternative pathway to remain permanently.
"Principals with Māori, Pacific learners and lower-income communities are calling for the transitional arrangements for the alternate pathway systems to remain on a permanent basis," she said.
Anaru said the online tests created an equity divide between schools and increased the number of school-leavers with no qualification.
"I am hearing from principals, particularly in high-equity schools, a concern that there will be an increase in leavers with no qualifications," she said.
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Principals Call For Alternative Assessments To Stay Beyond 2027
The Secondary Principals Association says some members want a temporary alternative to online NCEA literacy and numeracy tests to become permanent. In poor communities, about 60 percent of students failed the online reading, writing and maths tests, or common assessment activities (CAAs) in May. Secondary Principals Association president Louise Anarau said students who failed could instead reach the requirement through internally assessed standards, but only until the end of 2027. She said the alternative pathway was especially useful for students who struggled with exams. "The Year 12 learners this year, over 50 percent of them who didn't achieve the CAAs in Year 11 have done so as Year 12, more so through the alternative pathways assessment," she said. "We know that our Māori, Pacific learners perform better in alternative assessments to exam-like settings and and the transitional arrangement allows for that." Anaru said, as a result, some principals wanted the alternative pathway to remain permanently. "Principals with Māori, Pacific learners and lower-income communities are calling for the transitional arrangements for the alternate pathway systems to remain on a permanent basis," she said. Anaru said the online tests created an equity divide between schools and increased the number of school-leavers with no qualification. "I am hearing from principals, particularly in high-equity schools, a concern that there will be an increase in leavers with no qualifications," she said.
RNZ News
11 hours ago
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Principals call for alternative assessments to stay beyond 2027
Some principals claim online tests increase the number of school-leavers with no qualification. Photo: 123RF The Secondary Principals Association says some members want a temporary alternative to online NCEA literacy and numeracy tests to become permanent. In poor communities, about 60 percent of students failed the online reading, writing and maths tests , or common assessment activities (CAAs) in May. Secondary Principals Association president Louise Anarau said students who failed could instead reach the requirement through internally assessed standards, but only until the end of 2027. She said the alternative pathway was especially useful for students who struggled with exams. "The Year 12 learners this year, over 50 percent of them who didn't achieve the CAAs in Year 11 have done so as Year 12, more so through the alternative pathways assessment," she said. "We know that our Māori, Pacific learners perform better in alternative assessments to exam-like settings and and the transitional arrangement allows for that." Anaru said, as a result, some principals wanted the alternative pathway to remain permanently. "Principals with Māori, Pacific learners and lower-income communities are calling for the transitional arrangements for the alternate pathway systems to remain on a permanent basis," she said. Anaru said the online tests created an equity divide between schools and increased the number of school-leavers with no qualification. "I am hearing from principals, particularly in high-equity schools, a concern that there will be an increase in leavers with no qualifications," she said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
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Fear more students will leave without NCEA qualifications
By John Gerritsen of RNZ Principals warn the number of school-leavers with no qualifications could spike in poor communities this year. One South Auckland principal said as many as a third of teenagers leaving schools in Northland and South Auckland could have no NCEA certificates - double the normal figures. Their warnings followed the release of results from high-stakes NCEA literacy and numeracy tests held in May. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, 14%-17% of school-leavers in Northland and South Auckland had no qualifications. The after-effects of the Covid lockdowns drove that figure to 21% in 2023. Principals had been hoping numbers would improve, but said pass rates of 39%-49% for Northland and South Auckland teens in NCEA reading, writing and maths tests did not bode well. Looking at the socioeconomic factors, 34% of students from the third of schools facing the highest barriers passed the numeracy assessment, 41% passed reading and 35% passed writing. Students could attempt the tests again in September, but Papakura High School principal Simon Craggs said it was likely a significant number would fail and leave without an NCEA qualification. ''A third would probably be realistic because you're going to have students in year 13 who still haven't achieved the corequisites despite having year 11, year 12 working toward them,'' he said. Craggs said schools were working hard to help students over the line - either by preparing them for the September tests or through the 20 English and maths credits they could use until 2027 to meet the benchmark. Aorere College principal Leanne Webb said she had hoped the unqualified school-leaver rate would improve this year, but there was a danger more young people would leave school unable to enrol in further study because they had failed the tests. ''They'll walk away from school, there'll be no recognition of what they have achieved at school and when times are tough, and times are tough, and there aren't sufficient places in tertiary organisations for them, who gets shoved to the bottom of the heap? It'll be the kids that don't have a qualification. "What is there for them then? Do they just get to roam the streets?'' Webb said her students' achievement of the literacy and numeracy co-requisite had improved, but for many that was due to the alternative 20-credit pathway rather than the online tests. The problem with that option was the 20 credits could not be counted towards the 60 required for an NCEA certificate, she said. ''If you take away 10 credits out of their English achievement and 10 credits out of their maths achievement, they then have to get another 20 credits on top of their programme in order to get NCEA - that's the problem. ''Last year, while we were pleased with our results. It came at the expense of achieving NCEA.'' Both principals said their students were doing better than last year, but government-funded assistance had not been much help. Webb said her school did not take up the offered training because it did not fit with the school's timetable and Craggs said the training was of limited use. "I don't think the on-the-ground support that we have been looking for has really been provided. So we're just doing our own thing and working within our own resources to improve," he said. "There's certainly a lot more interest from our senior advisers at the ministry in our results and how things are going, but not a lot in the way of support." The next round of literacy and numeracy tests is scheduled for September.
