QA News April 2010 - Issue 67

• Chief Executive's foreword
• Course Endorsement to add further motivation for students
• Top Art on tour
• More students gain NCEA endorsed certificates
• Literacy and numeracy standards proposed
• NZ Scholarship results
• Changes to the qualifications system
• TEOs encouraged to do business online
• External reviews of value
• Deregistration a possibility for non-complying PTEs
• Exemplars for internal standards now online
• Best Practice Workshops
• Workshops for teachers and whanau

Course Endorsement to add further motivation for students

Secondary school students will be able to gain further recognition of their achievements from next year (2011) with the introduction of Merit and Excellence endorsement in course areas.

This follows the introduction in 2007 of NCEA Certificate Endorsement for students who gain sufficient numbers of credits in Merit and Excellence.

With Course Endorsement, previously referred to as 'Subject Endorsement’, students will receive an Excellence endorsement if they gain 14 or more credits at Excellence level, while students gaining 14 or more credits at Merit (or Merit and Excellence) will gain a Merit endorsement.

For Course Endorsement, at least 3 of the 14 credits must be from internally assessed standards, and 3 from external assessment (national examinations), to demonstrate students are competent in both forms of assessment.

Schools will determine what standards make up each course, reflecting current practice. Innovative courses encourage student learning and so Course Endorsement will complement course innovation.

Course Endorsement will be introduced across all three NCEA levels in 2011. Credits from different levels can contribute to Course Endorsement but can only be used for one endorsement per standard per year. Students will be able to study at different levels in any one year and receive recognition for high achievement.

Course Endorsement is part of package of NCEA enhancements since 2007, including:

• Standards Review - being developed with the Ministry of Education, this will occur as a phased implementation with Level 1 in 2011, Level 2 in 2012 and Level 3 in 2013.
• Learner Self-Provisioning (including Web First release of results to students) - an improved results ordering service for students, including earlier online publishing of results, and provision for students to order their own hard-copy results and certificates as required.
• Online Marking - to the possibility of scanning the 1.8 million examination booklets to allow markers for NCEA examinations to mark the papers on screen. The procurement phase is underway with a view to a trial in 2011.

NZQA Deputy Chief Executive, Qualifications, Bali Haque said the programme of work reflected a commitment to continuous improvement.

"We are working with schools and teachers to look at ways we can enhance what is already a world-leading qualifications system," he said.

"Certificate Endorsement has proved a very effective motivating factor for students. We are confident that Course Endorsement will be similarly helpful. As well as motivating students, it will provide tertiary education institutions and employers with more information with which to identify the strengths of candidates."