Field          Sciences

 

Review of Science Level 2 achievement and unit standards

 

Unit standards

Subfield

Domain

ID

Science

Earth Science

6360-6362

Science - Core

6351, 6352, 21610

 

Achievement standards

Domain

ID

Subject reference

Science - Core

90312

Science 2.1

90764

Science 2.7

90766

Science 2.8

90767

Science 2.5

90768

Science 2.9

90771

Science 2.2

90772

Science 2.3

 

The Ministry of Education and NZQA National Qualifications Services have completed a review of the achievement and unit standards listed above.

 

New Registration date                           November 2011

 

Date new versions published             November 2011

 

Planned review date                              December 2014

 

Summary of review and consultation process

 

In 2008 the Ministry of Education (MoE) and NZQA began to review achievement and unit standards in light of the revised New Zealand Curriculum (NZC).  This Alignment of Standards (AoS) review also addressed duplication of outcomes, credit parity, fairness, consistency, and coherence.  The AoS review was guided by the revised NZC itself and the Principles for Standards Review.  A copy of the NZC is available at: http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-documents/The-New-Zealand-Curriculum.

 

Teacher subject associations were involved in the review, and draft achievement standards were the focus of wide consultation, especially with secondary schools and teachers.  Extensive resources, including student exemplars, were also developed to support these standards, and are available on the MoE and/or the NZQA websites.

 

The review of unit standards included consultation with tertiary providers to assess continued relevance and likely future use of the standards.  Unit standards that duplicate achievement standard outcomes and those without the likelihood of future tertiary use were recommended for expiry.

 

National consultation was undertaken in 2010, with the results analysed by Research New Zealand.  The responses were generally positive.

 

The review of these Level 2 unit and achievement standards was completed in time for implementation in schools in 2012.  The review of unit and achievement standards at Level 1 was completed in time for implementation in schools in 2011.  Standards at Level 3 will be implemented in 2013.

 

Main changes resulting from the review

 

·         All NZC Level 7 (NZQF Level 2) outcomes derived from the NZC are now assessed using achievement standards, and there are no longer any unit standards linked to the NZC.

·         Existing achievement standards were reviewed and new achievement standards were developed to align with the NZC.  See table below.

·         Grading criteria for achievement standards were reviewed in accordance with the Standards Review Guidelines.

·         Unit standards that recognised similar outcomes as achievement standards were recommended for expiry.  See table below.

 

For a more detailed description of the review of, and the changes to, the Earth Science and Science - Core standards see the appendix at the end of this report.

 

Impact on existing organisations with consent to assess

 

Current consent for

Consent extended to

Nature of consent

Classification or ID

Level

Nature of consent

Classification or ID

Level

Domain

Earth Science

2

Domain

Earth and Space Science

2

Domain

Science - Core

2

Domain

Earth and Space Science

2

Standard

6360

2

Domain

Earth and Space Science

2

 

Impact on Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR)

(Formerly known as AMAP)

 

All new achievement standards have been registered on CMR 0233.

 

Impact on registered qualifications

 

Key to type of impact

Affected

The qualification lists a reviewed classification (domain or subfield) in an elective set

The qualification lists a standard that has changes to level or credits

The qualification lists a C or D category standard

Not materially affected

The qualification lists a standard that has a new title

The qualification lists a standard that has a new classification

 

The following NZQA - National Qualifications Services qualification is affected by the outcome of this review and has been updated as part of the review of the qualification in 2011. 

 

Ref

Qualification Title

Classification or ID

0233

National Certificate in Science

Earth Science

 

The following table identifies qualifications developed by other SSBs that are affected by the outcome of this review.  The SSBs have been advised that the qualifications require revision. 

 

Ref

Qualification Title

Classification or ID

SSB Name

0453

National Diploma in Surveying (Level 6) with an optional strand in Mine Surveying

6360

InfraTrain New Zealand

1323

National Certificate in Diving (Instruction) (Level 6)

Earth Science

Skills Active Aotearoa Limited

 

Impact of changes on NCEA Exclusions List

 

For transition purposes, the following exclusions will apply for new achievement standards.

 

Achievement standard

Excluded against each of these standards

91187

90312, 6361, 6360

91188

90771, 6352

91189

90767,  6362

91192

90764

 

Review Categories and changes to classification, title, level, and credits

 

The following summary shows the changes made to the standards as a result of the review.  All changes are in bold.  Where a new or a new version of an externally assessed achievement standard is registered, the following designation appears after the title [Externally Assessed].

 

Key to review category

A

Dates changed, but no other changes are made - the new version of the standard carries the same ID and a new version number

B

Changes made, but the overall outcome remains the same - the new version of the standard carries the same ID and a new version number

C

Major changes that necessitate the registration of a replacement achievement standard with a new ID

D

Achievement standard will expire and not be replaced

 

Externally assessed achievement standards categorised as category C or D expire at the end of

December 2011

 

Internally assessed achievement standards categorised as category C or D expire at the end of

December 2012

 

Unit standards categorised as category C or D expire at the end of

December 2013

 

Sciences > Science

ID

Ref

Domain

Title

Level

Credit

Review Category

6351

 

Science - Core

Report on the historical development of a scientific idea, with supervision

2

4

D

6352

 

 

 

 

 

Science - Core

 

Report on an issue affecting the environment from a scientific perspective, with supervision

2

 

 

4

 

 

C

90771

2.2

Science - Core

Research information to present a scientific report

2

3

C

91188

2.2

Earth and Space Science

Examine an Earth and Space Science issue and the validity of the information communicated to the public

2

4

 

6360

 

 

6361

 

90312

 

91187

 

 

 

 

 

2.1

 

2.1

Earth Science

 

Earth Science

Science -Core

Earth and Space Science

Identify geological features from recorded visual information

Investigate and report on the geology in an area

Carry out a practical scientific investigation with supervision

Carry out a practical Earth and Space Science investigation

2

 

 

2

 

2

 

2

2

 

 

4

 

4

 

4

C

 

 

C

 

C

6362

 

90767

 

91189

 

 

2.5

 

2.3

Earth Science

Science - Core

Earth and Space Science

Demonstrate an understanding of fossils

Describe New Zealand's geological history

Investigate geological processes in a New Zealand locality

2

 

2

 

2

3

 

3

 

4

C

 

C

21610

 

Science - Core

Collect, and use computer technology to store and process, numeric data for a scientific purpose

2

4

D

90764

 

91192

2.7

 

2.6

Science - Core

Earth and Space Science

Describe the nature and life cycle of stars

Demonstrate understanding of stars and planetary systems [Externally Assessed]

2

 

2

2

 

4

C

90766

2.8

Science - Core

Describe the chemical properties and effects of fertilisers

2

4

D

90768

2.9

Science - Core

Use physics concepts and principles to describe the behaviour of light

2

4

D

90772

2.3

Science - Core

Describe the factors and processes involved in the evolution of New Zealand's plants and animals

2

4

D

91190

2.4

Earth and Space Science

Investigate how organisms survive in an extreme environment

2

4

New

91191

2.5

Earth and Space Science

Demonstrate understanding of the causes of extreme Earth events in New Zealand [Externally Assessed]

2

4

New

91193

2.7

Earth and Space Science

Demonstrate understanding of physical principles related to the Earth System [Externally Assessed]

2

4

New

 

Appendix

 

Development of Level 2 Earth and Space Science Standards

The Level 1 achievement standards were developed in such a way as to allow providers to offer assessments for science courses that offer a broad based science approach or a more specialised approach.  This was a compromise that necessitated some duplication of outcomes in the matrix for Level 1 science.

 

The Level 2 achievement standards derived from the Science curriculum learning area have been developed in a different way.  A distinct set of standards has been developed for each of the contextual strands in the curriculum.  Biology standards derive from the Living World strand, Chemistry from the Material World strand, Physics from the Physical World strand, and Earth and Space Science (ESS) from the Planet Earth and Beyond strand.  Each of these sets of standards also reflects aspects of the Nature of Science strand as appropriate.

 

The name 'Earth and Space Science' was chosen for two reasons - first it reflects the focus on earth and astronomical systems, and second, it is a name that is distinct from the previous Level 2 'Science' standards.  The latter standards were developed for use in a 'general' science type course that covered outcomes from across all strands in the earlier curriculum statement.  The new Earth and Space Science standards are a specialised set of standards derived from curriculum level 7 in the same way as the biology, chemistry and physics standards are.

 

Process of Aligning Standards with the New Zealand Curriculum

The standards reflect the Achievement Aims (AA) and Achievement Objectives (AO) of the Planet Earth and Beyond (PEB) strand, the Nature of Science strand and the Using Physics AO of the Physical World strand at curriculum Level 7.

 

The titles in the Level 2 ESS matrix have been derived from the relevant curriculum learning area(s) in the following way.

 

ESS 2.1 Carry out a practical Earth and Space Science investigation is aligned with the Nature of Science strand Investigating in Science AO and Understanding about Science AO.

 

ESS 2.2 Examine an Earth and Space Science issue and the validity of the information communicated to the public is aligned with the Nature of Science strand Participating and Contributing AO, and Communicating in Science AO.

 

ESS 2.3 Investigate geological processes in a New Zealand locality is aligned with the PEB strand Earth Systems and Interacting Systems AO.

 

ESS 2.4 Investigate how organisms survive in an extreme environment is aligned with the Living World strand Life Processes AO.

 

ESS 2.5 Demonstrate understanding of the causes of extreme Earth events in New Zealand is aligned with the PEB strand Earth Systems and Interacting Systems AO and Nature of Science strand Understanding about Science and Communicating in Science AOs.

 

ESS 2.6 Demonstrate understanding of stars and planetary systems is aligned with the PEB strand Astronomical Systems AO and Nature of Science strand Understanding about Science and Communicating in Science AOs.

 

ESS 2.7 Demonstrate understanding of physical principles related to the Earth system is aligned with the PEB strand Earth Systems and Interacting Systems AO.

The domain Earth Science was designated lapsing as part of this review and was replaced by a new domain Earth and Space Science.

 

Addressing Duplication

Some existing unit standards and new achievement standards assess essentially the same outcomes.  Where this occurs the unit standards have been recommended for expiry.  There is no duplication of outcomes in the new ESS achievement standards and those in the new biology, chemistry or physics achievement standards. 

 

Addressing Credit Parity

Each ESS standard has been allocated 4 credits.  Each standard assesses an outcome that would require approximately 40 notional hours of learning, practice and assessment for an average candidate studying at the appropriate curriculum level.

 

Providers are expected to select the appropriate standards from the matrix of standards available at this level.  It is not intended that any student would be assessed against all these standards in a typical science programme - this would result in teaching, learning and assessment overload.

 

External and Internal Assessment

The standards that primarily assess investigative skills in the widest sense are assessed internally.  External assessment would place constraints that would limit the sample of evidence students could present.

 

The standards that primarily require understanding of key concepts are assessed externally.