Qualifications and standards

English - moderator newsletter

October 2011

Useful web sites

NCEA home page for English. Grade boundary exemplars are available for all level one standards (including the "revised" standards). The annotations provide guidance and clarification of assessment issues.

Sample questions relating to level one internal standards

90052 Produce creative writing, version 4 (1.4)

Can we still use the TKI resources like Now and Then?

The TKI resources for the previous versions of this standard can certainly be used as the basis for assessment of this standard. However the exemplars, the schedule, and some of the guidance included in the activity itself are no longer appropriate and will need to be modified to meet the requirements of this standard. For example, "Alicia" was an Achievement exemplar in version 3, but is now a Not Achieved exemplar (version 4).

Is this new version just the same as the old one with just the four criteria being put together to make two?

No, this standard is now at curriculum level 6, which was not the case with the earlier versions.

One key change is that students now need to "develop" their ideas, rather than "express" them across the three levels of achievement. Another change is that ideas need to be developed "convincingly" at Merit, whereas in earlier versions "convincingly" was the descriptor for Excellence. The grade boundary exemplars help clarify these changes (see site reference above)

90053 Produce formal writing (1.5)

Can students use their practice essays for the external literature exams ?

Yes, they can. However it is useful to remember that the external literature standards, 90849 and 90850, are quite different in intent and assessment. The external literature standards primarily assess reading, rather than writing processes and strategies, and as such the focus is quite different:

The externally assessed literature standards require students to "show understanding of specified aspect(s) of studied written text(s)/ visual or oral text(s), using supporting evidence."
The internal writing standard requires students to demonstrate that they can "develop and structure ideas in formal writing" and that they can "use language features appropriate to audience and purpose in formal writing."

The same level of crafting is not expected from an external answer as from an essay where the student has no specific time limit, and has access to materials (both content, eg reference materials, and language use, eg a dictionary/thesaurus). The internal standard specifies "crafting" and "accuracy": these aspects are not specifically assessed in the external standards, although an "organised written response" is required. It is recommended that if teachers do integrate these two types of assessment, that students have clear guidance as to what is expected from each standard. Separate marking schedules, providing the opportunity for specific feed back/ feed forward for each standard are also recommended.

Can students use work prepared and written for other standards?

Yes, work from other standards may be used as the basis for this standard. Work will normally need to be re-worked to meet the specific writing requirements. For example, the conclusions developed for 1.9 are not assessed for the "use of language features" (and certainly not for "control" and "command attention"). Some standards that teachers are integrating with 1.5 are:

1.8 (Explain significant connection(s) across texts, using supporting evidence, 1.9 (Use information literacy skills to form conclusion(s) and 1.11 (Show understanding of visual and/or oral text(s) through close viewing and/or listening, using supporting evidence). The work for these three standards is often presented in written form, so students can often re-work their material reasonably easily to meet the writing requirements.
1.1 and 1.2 (Show understanding of specified aspect(s) of studied written text(s)/ visual or oral texts, using supporting evidence ). The practice essays students prepare for the external examination of these two standards can also be re-worked for this standard (see note above)
1.6 (Construct and deliver an oral text) and 1.10 (Form personal responses to independently read texts, supported by evidence). The work presented for these standards generally needs considerable re-working, but it should be possible to rework and develop the basic content to meet the requirements of this standard.

90857 Construct and deliver an oral text (1.6)

Is it true that students can no longer do a role play from their class play?

Students can do a role play based on a text, as long as the role play is their own construction. Students can not take a scene from, for example, Macbeth and act out Lady Macbeth’s lines as written by Shakespeare. Students could write their own script of, for example, an "additional" scene, or a conversation with another person (like the TKI "Looking Back" activity).

Can students still use the TKI activities from the old oral standards?

Yes, they can, although as with 1.4 (above) the assessment materials will need modification. Because this standard is now at curriculum level 6, there has been a shift from "communicate ideas" to "develop ideas." If students use, for example, "Show me how", a straight demonstration will not be sufficient. Students could, for example, give an historic overview, or discuss reasons for particular techniques needed for the activity that is being demonstrated. As well as the NCEA exemplars, moderators recommend teachers use the NZATE dvd, which was recently released for this standard. This extensive collection of grade boundary student samples would be a useful teaching/learning resource as well as an assessment guide.

90855 Create a visual text (1.7)

Can we still use the TKI resources for the old standard?

Yes, the resources contain some useful contexts for assessment, but teachers and students need to be aware that because this standard has been revised to meet level 6 of the curriculum, the consequence is that some exemplars in the old standard no longer meet the requirements of the new standard and will need to be modified as with 1.4 and 1.6 (see above). For example the old achievement exemplar based on the text "On the Sidewalk Bleeding" does not "develop" an idea, so it no longer meets the standard.

Don’t students have to write a commentary any more? How will moderators know what they are trying to do?

No, the visual text does not have to have any explanation or commentary. Teachers will be well aware of student intentions through the normal conferencing and feed back/feed forward conversations, but if it is felt that moderators need some help to understand student intentions, then a brief explanation is quite appropriate. The written commentary can also be useful to explain a motif or other symbols used by the student which are specifc to the context of their presentation.

90852 Explain significant connection(s) across texts, using supporting evidence (1.8)

Is it all right if I choose the connection for the students? I have chosen three of the texts with this in mind.

No, teachers can not select the connection. Students do need to select the specific connection themselves. The Conditions of Assessment Guidelines state that "It is essential that students make their own connections and draw conclusions independently." It is likely that teachers may well have chosen texts with some similarities, but students will refine the ideas to focus on a connection that interests them. For example, the NCEA grade boundary exemplars for this standard were all from the one class, and the teacher had chosen texts that all had "love" as a common idea. Students came up with a range of connections, such as: "unconditional love", "teenagers making wrong choices resulting in negative consequences", "forbidden love", "young lovers facing difficulties in being together", "challenges/obstacles of love", "loving friendships."

Do students have to compare the way the connection is used in each text?

No they do not have to, but they may do so. Responses must include 4 texts which must all have the same "commonality", (see EN3: knowledge, experience and ideas, purposes and audiences, language features and structures). Texts can be discussed individually or texts can be linked together or compared with each other. It is the explanation of the connections supported by evidence that is assessed, not the student’s ability to link the texts.

Does the connection have to be about theme?

No, the connection can be derived from any of the processes and strategies that underpin the level six curriculum. Students may consider, for example, the use of first (or third) person narrative perspective, the use of flashbacks/ chronological / episodic structure, the use of imagery, the effect of using specific settings (time and/or place).

Does the student have to write a formal essay?

No. Students can present their connections in a variety of forms as stated in EN8: "Explanations about connection(s) may be presented in appropriate oral, written and/or visual forms." This is a reading standard, not a writing one, so if students are presenting in a written form then they are graded according to the 1.8 criteria, not the writing criteria. The piece may also be reworked for submission for 1.5 – see above. Teachers have, however, found that it is sometimes difficult to assess when students present their connections as a speech, and a transcript or at least a series of notes may also be required.

90853 Use information literacy skills to form conclusion(s) (1.9)

Do I have to send all the research for moderation or just the report?

All materials are required to be submitted for moderation. This standard is different from the previous research standard in that students are required to demonstrate the "use of information skills in order to form conclusions." The "conclusions" must be based on the information gained by using information literacy skills, and the use of these skills is therefore equally as important as the conclusions drawn. Although it is the quality of the conclusions that differentiates between the grades, there must be evidence of: framing the enquiry, selecting/using strategies for finding and processing information and evaluation of that selected information.

Can I give students the questions for their research?

No, teachers can guide students but not supply them with specific questions. The questions themselves are an essential aspect of the assessment of students’ information literacy. EN3 clarifies this step: "framing the inquiry within an authentic and relevant context based on carefully considered information needs. This may include identifying an area or direction for investigation, or posing a question(s)." It is recommended that teachers check that students’ questions provide ample opportunities for students to "draw conclusions."

90854 Form personal responses to independently read texts, supported by evidence (1.10)

If students get different grades for each response how do I know what final grade to give them?

The Conditions of Assessment Guidelines state that: "to gain achievement, at least four responses must be at least at achievement. To gain achievement with merit, or achievement with excellence, at least four responses must be at merit [or excellence]. Responses must be submitted for all six texts."

Can they use the novel they are using for the external literature as one of their texts ?

No, this is clarified in EN6: "All written texts must be selected and read independently by the student and must not have been previously studied."

Do they have to include some written texts?

Yes, the Conditions of Assessment Guidelines stipulate that at least four texts must be written, and at least two must be extended texts

How many responses do students have to make for each text?

There is only one response required for each text. This response may focus on one aspect, or students may present their response as their viewpoint/s about one or two different aspects in the text. The best responses tend to focus on one main aspect, which gives students plenty of scope for depth and engagement with the text.

90856 Show understanding of visual and/or oral text(s) through close viewing and/or listening, using supporting evidence (1.11)

Can students discuss four camera shots or do they have to be all different aspects?

It is possible to limit the discussion to four different examples of, for example, camera usage, but this would create some difficulties for students as all explanations must be different, as stated in EN7: "At least four text aspects must be discussed. Different explanations must be given for each text aspect, each supported by different details."

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