Enhancing Education Quality Through Evidence-Based Strategies

1. SELECT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND RECREATION 2016 EVIDENCE BASED REPORT & REFLECTION ON THE 2016 NSC EXAMINATION RESULTS 15 March 2017

2. A SYSTEM ON THE RISE TIMSS 2015 2

3. Presentation Outline • The Evidence Based Report (2016) • Design Features • Key Areas • Improving Language Proficiency • Subject-Specific Interventions • ICT Provisioning & Support • Learning and Teaching Support Material • Tracking Learner Performance • Impact Assessment 3

4. Presentation Outline 2. Reflection on the 2016 NSC Examination • Class of 2016 • Policy of Progression • Historical Trends • Overall Performance • District Performance • Inclusive Basket of Criteria • School Based Assessment • SBA Subject Specific Analysis 4

5. The 2016 Evidence Based Report (EBR) 5

6. EBR : Background • The final NSC results are derived at through the standardisation process; • The Evidence Based Report (EBR) is the primary tool tosupport the standardisation process. • It encapsulate the teaching and learning support that the Class of 2016 was exposed to in addition to the normal teaching and learning activities; • Presented bi-annually (September and December) respectively, to allow sufficient time for the UMALUSI Assessment Standards Committee (ASC) to study the targeted interventions and its impact on improved learning outcomes. 6

7. EBR : Background • The EBR presents consolidated qualitative and quantitative information regarding the intervention programmes implemented by the Basic Education Sector aimed at supporting and improving the quality of education. • Nationally driven interventions as well as interventions initiated and implemented at provincial level, including support for progressed learners. • Serves as a tool to monitor and assess the level of intervention as well as its impact on learner performance. 7

8. EBR: Design Features • Criteria for selection of target; • Nature of intervention; • Focus; • Scope; • Duration; • Number of teachers affected; intended vs. actual • Number of learners affected; intended vs actual • Tracking learner progress; • Pre and post tests; and • Impact of Intervention 8

9. EBR: Key Areas • Language Support (Home Languages, EFAL and African Languages); • Subject-specific contentsupport; • ICT provisioning to support teaching and learning; • Resource provisioning (LTSM); • Support for Progressed Learners; • TrackingLearner Performance; and • Impact of interventions (Pre and post results). 9

10. Improving Language Proficiency 10

11. Improving Language Proficiency 11

12. Support for African Languages: Example FS: Sesotho • DVDs recorded and distributed focusing on the following content • Analysis of prescribed books • Examination structure outlined for papers 1, 2 & 3 • Presentation on memo discussion • IBP Lessons • Paper 1 Comprehension and summary • Paper 2 Literary genres prescribed for Grade 12 • Paper 3 Essays, letters and transactional writings • Radio Lessons • Essay writing • Letters • Obituary • Analysis of poems • Focus on Paper 3 content • PanSALB • workshop on spelling and orthography • Writing process 12

13. Support for African Languages Example NW: Setswana Example KZN: isiZulu Supplementary Revision Materials: Teachers Learners Support for progressed learners: 1100 progressed learners attended boot camps focusing on isiZulu HL • Winter camps • Summary writing (Précis) ; Cartoons • Advertisements ; Grammar = noun, verb, adjective, adverb. • Poems / Folklore tales – devices of folklore and poetic devices • Folklore tales = katse le mongwayona, pekwa. • Creative essay and transactional writing: Article; Letter: formal & informal Transactional writing: Report ; Agenda ; Minutes • Exam preparation manual • Literature; Creative writing 13

14. Support for African Languages Example MP: SiSwati Example MP: IsiNdebele Radio lessons Grammar and structure of Paper 1 and the instructions thereof Literature: requirement and topics to consider in the analysis of the novel LTSM P3 Creative writing : Types of essays and transactional texts P2 Literature: Literary essays on the Poems, Novel/Folklore and Drama P1 Grammar: Comprehension test/comparative questions, Summary, Visual literacy (Advertising techniques and cartoon interpretations) and Language study (Parts of speech: identification and their application). • Radio lessons • Creative Writing: types of essays and transactional texts • Examination tips / techniques • Language usage lesson on the difference between the idioms, idiomatic expressions and proverbs and their effects on the different aspects of the Language. • Literature lesson: poetry, novel and drama • Literature and Creative writing Study Guide 14

15. Support for African Languages: Example EC: isiXhosa Revision Material focussing on: • Summary writing (Précis) • Visual Literacy (Cartoons) • Essay Writing Creative writing • Literary Essay • Exemplar tasks: Teaching and assessing cartoons and advertisements Subject clinics • Summary writing (Précis), essay writing, and literature   Radio lessons • Literature analysis 15

16. Subject Interventions 16

17. Background • Provinces presented targeted subject specific interventions in the high enrolment subjects grounded in the 2015 Diagnostic Report and the 2016 Improvement Plan. • 2016 Improvement plan is based on qualitative and quantitative data that is drawn from the subject reports after the marking process. • Serves as a catalyst for improved planning at all levels of the system to elevate quality of teaching and learning. 17

18. Criteria for Subject Interventions • Common criteria used by PEDs to identify and select schools that participated in the intervention programmes, e.g.: • Schools that achieved below 60 / 70% pass in the 2015 results; • All schools that enrolled 100 or more learners in a subject; • Schools that enrolled 50 or more learners in 2016 but performed below 70% in the 2015 NSC examinations; • Schools that enrolled more than 100 learners in high risk subjects • First time (new) Grade 12 teachers/schools; • Schools performing below the provincial subject average and • Schools that had a large number of high risk learners (progressed). 18

19. Summary: Types of Provincial Interventions • Vacation classes; • Broadcasting and Radio lessons; • Additional Support Material / resources; • Differentiated support for Progressed Learners & High Achievers; • Improving Language proficiency; • Teacher content & methodology training; • Quarterly tracking of learner performance; and • Impact assessment. 19

20. Vacation Classes: Provincial Winter Camps 20

21. Vacation Classes : Provincial Spring Camps 21

22. Intervention and Support - Accounting Example: NW 22

23. Intervention and Support - Mathematics (Example: NC) 23

24. Intervention and Support - Physical Sciences (Example: KZN) 24

25. Support for Progressed Learners 25

26. Support for Progressed Learners 26

27. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Provision 27

28. Provision of ICT Resources • Provincial initiatives are further supported by DBE electronic aligned curriculum content resources including • study guides; • interactive workbooks; • free core textbooks; and • videos lessons. • The e-resources are provided to PEDs for distribution to schools through their ICT programmes. 28

29. Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM) 29

30. Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM) • The present Grade 12 started Grade 10 in 2014 which was the second year of Grade 10 CAPS implementation. • The Department supplied the following LTSM to benefit the present cohort: • Grades 10 and 11 Mathematics and Physical Sciences Siyavula Textbooks in partnership with Shuttleworth Foundation; • CDs and DVDs with exemplars in all NSC subjects provided to Subject Advisors; and • Mind the Gap Self-study Guides. 30

31. Tracking Learner Performance 31

32. Tracking Learner Performance Provinces track learner performance through various modes to inform interventions and improve learner performance including: • Comparisons with previous cohorts over the same period last year; • Comparing the cohort's performance from Grades 10–12; and • Tracked learner performance by following the performance of the cohort over a number of years. 32

33. Tracking Learner Performance: Comparison 2015 vs 2016 performance per subject (Example FS ) 33

34. Tracking Learner Performance: 2016 Overall Pass % (Example LP) 34

35. Tracking Learner Performance: (Example WC) 35

36. Impact Assessment 36

37. Impact of interventions: Vacation Classes: Example GP 37

38. Impact of Winter Classes: Example NC Life Sciences: Impact of the winter camp for borderline learners (pre-and post-test results) 38

39. Impact of :‘Just In Time’ Workshops (Example KZN) 39

40. Emerging Trends from the NSLA • A growing number of provinces are utilising ICTs (Telematics; IBP and radio lessons; DBE and PED channels and websites); • Provinces are utilising top achieving current and former learners to support other learners through study groups and homework assistants to assist learners after school hours; • Increase in partnerships with various stakeholders as part of the improvement plans; • Targeted and focused interventions for high achievers to improve the quality of the 2016 performance; • Quarterly tracking of learner performance and early intervention to achieve the desired outcomes; and • Increased focus on interventionimpact determination. 40

41. 2. Reflection on the 2016 NSC Examination 41

42. NSC Examination • The education enterprise is a highly complex activity and the outcome is based on a multiplicity of factors. • Hence, the quantification of the improvements in the system is an extremely challenging task. • NSC examination is one of the most important barometers to evaluate the success of the sector. • Primary purpose of the NSC examinations is to certify learners, but it can be used to monitor trends in performance, provided we understand the cohort differences. 42

43. NSC Examination (e) In terms of Action Plan to 2019, the following three key targets are directly measured through the performance in the NSC examinations: • Increase the number of Grade 12 learners who become eligible for a Bachelor’s programme at University’; • Increase the number of Grade 12 learners who pass Mathematics; and • Increase the number of Grade 12 learners who pass Physical Science 43

44. The Class of 2016 44

45. NSC Full Time Enrolments: 2012 - 2016 45

46. NSC Part Time Enrolments: 2012 - 2016 46

47. Policy on Progression 47

48. Policy on Progression • In terms of the Regulations pertaining to the National Curriculum Statement Grades R-12, promulgated as Notice No. R1114, in Regulation Gazette No. 9886 of 28 December 2012, a learner may only be retained once in the Further Education and Training Phase in order to prevent the learner from being retained in this phase for longer than four years. b) Policy on Progression has been applied in the FET band since 2013. But this policy has been applicable in the GET band since Curriculum 2005. • The implementation of the Promotion and Progression Policy in Grades 10 -12, has attracted considerable attention from various quarters. 48

49. Rationale for Progression • Policy on Progression is intended to minimise the high drop out rate and maximise school retention. b) The notion of progressed learners is not new in our education system and internationally. c) Consistent with International best education practice in countries such as Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, Korea, and United Kingdom. d) These countries however, implement a very strong learner support programme.  49

50. Pre-conditions for Progression (a) Progression has been limited since 2016. (b) Additional criteria for a learner to be progressed: - must pass four of the seven subjects - must pass Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) - must have attended school on a regular basis (absent for a minimum of 20 days with a valid reason). - must have complied with the SBA requirements in all subjects (c) DBE developed a Guideline to assist schools in the implementation of the Progression dispensation. 50