ASSESSMENT POLICY: FOUNDATION PHASE

ASSESSMENT POLICY – FOUNDATION PHASE

OBJECTIVE

Assessment is essential in Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements

(CAPS) because it is necessary to determine whether a learner has
achieved what is required in each grade. It is a planned process of
collection of information on learner performance as measured against the
learning outcomes. Learners are assessed on the learning outcomes on the
level indicated by the assessment standards for each grade. All
assessment has to comply with the requirement of validity, reliability and
fairness. Assessment should also help learners to evaluate their own
performance and to set goals for progress, and should encourage further
learning. Assessment should improve the teaching and learning processes.

In order to be able to implement assessment effectively at school,

educators should inform themselves thoroughly regarding:

POSSIBLE REASONS FOR ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT IS DONE:

 to motivate learners
 to promote individual growth and development
 to monitor success
 to facilitate learning
 to diagnose and correct a problem or learning disorder
 to provide support for learning
 to report on learners’ progress
 to review the teaching programme
 For progress and promotion purposes, etc.
FEATURES OF ASSESSMENT

 Clearly transparent and focused

 Based on previously planned criteria or standards
 According to the pace of the learner
 Participant, it involves the learner in an active way, using
applicable knowledge in real life contexts
 Flexible enough to ensure extensive opportunities

DIVERSITY
In order to accommodate diversity amongst learners, assessment should be
based on the following principles:
 All learners are able to learn with the necessary support.
 CAPS happen according to the pace of the learner and are
learner orientated.
 The school creates the circumstances for learners to achieve
success.
 Instead of categorizing or labeling learners according to
disability, educators should address disabilities experienced by individual
learners.

PLANNING FOR ASSESSMENT

 Planning, teaching and assessment are related. As educator you

have to assess in order to plan, to teach or to create learning experiences,
after which further assessment follows.
 Phase overview, work schedules and lesson plans represent
different stages of planning.
 All off these stages should include plans for assessment for
learning, as well as assessment of learning.

1. Set clearly defined goals.

2. Answer questions.
 Which outcomes should be assessed?
 Which knowledge, skills and values should be assessed?
 Which type of knowledge is being assessed: reasoning,
memory or process? In which ways can those outcomes be demonstrated?
 What should a learner be able to do to show the level on
which he/she has achieved those outcomes?
 What is the educator going to do to determine the level of
learner performance?
 Which instrument/method is going to be used to assess
the learner’s performance?
 Take the broad context into consideration.
 Assessment criteria are known to the learners.

TYPES OF ASSESSMENT

1. BASELINE ASSESSMENT

o It is important to determine what the learners

already know and can do at the beginning of a grade or phase and at the
beginning of any learning cycle. It enables educators to plan learning
programmes and learning activities.
o Baseline assessment is based mostly on the
previous year’s outcomes and assessment standards of a learning area.
o Grade 1 educators should try to complete the
baseline assessment within the first two weeks of the term, Grade 2 & 3
within the 3 days of the 1st Term in order to be able to provide for learners
at different levels.
o Evidence collected during baseline assessment can be placed in the
learner portfolio.
o The baseline assessment will also provide the
educator with information regarding which learners need assistance and
support.
o It will also supply the educator with valuable
information when the educator wants to implement differentiation in class
in order to accommodate different learning tempos and learning styles.

2. DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT

 This is used to determine the nature and cause of a learning

disorder experienced by a learner and which learning has not occurred. It
is followed by planning of suitable support strategies for intervention,
guidance, remedy or referral to a specialist.
 The assessment is done formally by a qualified person, such as an
external moderator or a specialist in a specific field.
3. CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

 CASS is a process by means of which valid and reliable

information on the performance of a learner is collected on an ongoing
basis, measured against clearly defined criteria, using a variety of methods,
instruments, techniques and contexts.
 It is done over a period of time and continuously.
 It supports learners’ growth and development.
 It provides feedback on learning and teaching.
 It makes provision for integrated assessment.

4. SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

 Provides a total image of a learner’s progress or state of

knowledge and skills at any specific time. It can be done at the end of any
period of time, such as at the end of a learning activity, learning cycle,
term or year.

5. SYSTEMIC ASSESSMENT

 This is a way of assessing the suitability of the educational

system

ASSESSMENT METHODS

1. SELF ASSESSMENT

 Learners assess their own individual performance against the

given criteria in different contexts, e.g. individual work, group work, etc.

2. PEER ASSESSMENT

 Learners assess the individual performance of a learner or

learners.

3. GROUP ASSESSMENT

 Learners assess the individual performance of other learners in a

group or the overall performance of the group against the given criteria.
4. EDUCATOR ASSESSMENT

 Teachers have the overall responsibility for assessment. The

educator assesses the performance of the learners against given criteria in
different contexts, e.g. individual work, group work, etc.

ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS

Assessment instruments are any instruments used by the educator to

assess that are suitable for the planned method of assessment.

The following can be used to do a fair, valid and reliable assessment:

 Check list: It contains discrete statements or criteria that
describe a learner’s performance in the execution of a specific task.
Learner performance is therefore described by all the statements or criteria
ticked on the list. These lists are especially suitable for peer assessment
and for the assessment of group activities.

 Memorandum: It provides the answers to specific questions and

indicates how marks should be allocated.

 Rubric / Matrix: It is a combination of graded codes and

descriptions of standards. It consists of a hierarchy of standards with
descriptors that indicate the extent of acceptable performance for each
encoded level.

 Analytic: An analytical rubric supplies a clear image of the

separate aspects criteria consist of by means of competence level
descriptors.

 Holistic: A holistic rubric assesses the whole of a required

standard (such as all the criteria of a whole assignment or task).
ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES

A technique can be a specific way the teacher uses the method as

instrument to provide the learners with opportunities to demonstrate their
achievement.

EXAMPLES OF ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES

Presentation
Debate
Demonstration
Research and investigation
Interview
Practical demonstration
Project work
Role play
Task
Simulation

RECORDING/RECORD KEEPING

 The success of a continuous assessment model is dependent on

thorough and meticulous record keeping of learner performances.

 Learner performance should not be recorded in the form of

marks only, but also in the form of specific comments regarding strengths
and weaknesses.

 As assessment is continuous, record keeping should be done

regularly.

 The objective of recording is to stay informed regarding the

development of learners after the achievement of learning outcomes at the
applicable level.

 Learner performance is measured against the learning outcomes

and the results are recorded.

 Formal recording of learner performance against the learning

outcomes at the level applicable to the grade should be done at least once
per term.

 In the FOUNDATION PHASE where specialized education happens,

learning area educators are responsible for the recording of learner
performance per learning area.
 Recording can also be done when learning support educators,
psychologists, etc. report on specific learner achievement or cases of
intervention.
ENCODING OF ASSESSMENT TASKS - GRADE R- 3

Recording and reporting is done according to the National Protocol

for recording and reporting.

NUMBER OF FORMAL RECORDED ASSESSMENT TASKS

ISIXHOSA HOME LANGUAGE

GRADE TERM 1 TERM 2 TERM 3 TERM 4 TOTAL
R 1 1 1 1 4
1 1 1 1 1 4
2 1 1 1 1 4
3 1 1 1 1 4
ENGLISH FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
GRADE TERM 1 TERM 2 TERM 3 TERM 4 TOTAL
R 0 0 0 0 0
1 1 1 1 1 4
2 1 1 1 1 4
3 1 1 1 1 4
MATHEMATICS
GRADE TERM 1 TERM 2 TERM 3 TERM 4 TOTAL
R 1 1 1 1 4
1 1 1 1 1 4
2 1 1 1 1 4
3 1 1 1 1 4
LIFESKILLS
GRADE TERM 1 TERM 2 TERM 3 TERM 4 TOTAL
R 1 1 1 1 4
1 1 1 1 1 4
2 1 1 1 1 4
3 1 1 1 1 4

ENCODING OF ASSESSMENT TASKS: GRADE R- 3

RATING
CODE DESCRIPTION OF COMPETENCE MARKS %
 7 Outstanding Achievement 80 - 100
6 Meritorious Achievement 70 - 79
5 Substantial Achievement 60 - 69
4 Adequate Achievement 50 - 59
3 Moderate Achievement 40 - 49
2 Elementary Achievement 30 - 39
1 Not achieved 0 - 29

PORTFOLIOS (LEARNER)

 In the Foundation Phase learner portfolios should be organized

according to the way the curriculum is presented in the phase.

 The portfolio consists of the evidence of the learner’s

performance or best work, i.e. al assessment tasks that will be used to
evaluate the learner’s performance.

 The date of completion of a task should be indicated clearly, as it

can provide information regarding the learner’s development.

 The learner portfolio shows the learner, parents or guardian,

educators and others the progress, growth and achievements of the learner
in relation to the expected outcomes.

 The complete portfolio should be available at request during

parent meetings and moderations.

PORTFOLIOS (EDUCATOR)

 This is a collection of all the tasks designed for school-based

assessment as well as the corresponding assessment instruments.

 The portfolio is compiled on an ongoing basis.

 The following information should be included in the educator

portfolio:
o A copy of the instructions for each assessment task
o Assessment instruments for each task, e.g. rubrics,
memoranda etc.
LEARNER PROFILE

The profile is a confidential, ongoing report of information that provides a

complete image of a learner’s progress, including the holistic development
of values, attitudes and social development.

The following documents should be included in the profile:

 Personal information (Cum. Chart)

 Medical history
 Preschool report
 Schools that have been attended and record of attendance
 Learner’s progress report
 Participation and achievement in extramural activities
 Emotional and social behaviour
 Parent involvement
PROGRESS AND PROMOTION

The national assessment policy states the following regarding progress:

“Learners are expected to progress mainly with their age group. Where it
is felt that a learner needs more or less time to demonstrate achievement,
decisions will be taken on grounds of advice from the relevant role players:
educators, learners, parents and education support services. If a learner
needs more time to achieve specific outcomes, he or she does not need to
be kept in a grade for a whole year. No learner should stay in the same
phase for more than four years, unless the provincial head of education
grants approval on grounds of specific circumstances and professional
advice.”

Learners, who do not master the minimum requirements according to the

NCS, can spend more time in a specific grade on the recommendation of
the (ILST).

 Promotion from one grade to the next is determined by to the

total of a year’s progress towards the achievement of outcomes at the level
applicable to a specific grade.
 Absence: Where the learner missed more than 25% of the school
year (i.e. 50 school days) due to absence for reasons that cannot be
determined, such learner can be classified a more time learner.

 The decision to keep a learner back can also be taken after

intervention and consultation with the parents or guardian. The
consultation process with parents should occur every term.

 Communication between educator and parent should be signed

by both parties.

PROGRESS SCHEDULE

 At the end of each term a progress schedule should be

completed for each grade (class) and signed by the educator, phrase head
and principal.

 At the end of the year a progress schedule of all learners in a

grade group in alphabetical order should be completed and submitted for
approval to the circuit manager.

REPORTING

 Educators should be accountable to the learners, educational

system and the community as a whole when they assess learners.

 Formal reports for reporting to parents should be issued each

term.

 Reports should supply information on performance in each

learning area.

 Performance in each learning area should be indicated in the

report by a percentage and code as prescribed by the National Protocol for
Record keeping and Reporting.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR REPORT ARE:

BASIC INFORMATION
 Name of education department
 Name of school
 Name of learner
 Date of issue
 Learner’s grade
 Learner’s date of birth
 Learner’s unique number and gender
 Year and term
 Learner’s performance
 Days absent
 Dates when school closes and reopens
 Comments by educator
 Signature and date of educator, principal and parent
 Explanation of national encoding system

This policy will be reviewed annually.

This policy has been adopted:

____________________ __________________
Date Place

EDUCATORS: ________________
_________________
_________________
_________________

PRINCIPAL: _________________

CHAIRPERSON (SGB):____________