ANALYSIS OF EXAMINATION RESULTS AND THE LEARNER ATTAINMENT STRATEGY

Introduction

National pass rates - not enough to provide useful information on the following key priorities: 1. Access and retention of learners in the education system 2. Improved quality 3. Gateway subjects 4. National Strategy for Learner Attainment- dealing with under-performance The approach on this analytical effort focuses: 1. Access - Numbers passing 2. Quality - Numbers passing with endorsement 3. Gateway subjects especially in Mathematics and Science 4. Under-performance in all schools

2006 School Realities DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, RSA 1. Learners 12 302 236 11 962 176 (97.2%) public schools 340 060 (2.8%) independent schools 2. Teachers 386 595 367 188 (95%) public schools 19 407 (5%) independent schools 23 947 teachers for 3 828 705 learners in 5 851 secondary schools-Matric Results 3. Schools 26 292 schools 25 194 public 95.8%) 1 098 independent (4.2%) Learner to teacher ratio 32.6 public schools 17.5 independent schools

Class of 2006 The cohort that began formal schooling in 1995 Have had 12 years of schooling in a democratic, non-racial, transformed single education system First group of learners to write 11 subjects set nationally Highest number writing the Senior Certificate Examination since 2002 2002 : 443 826 2003 : 440 267 2004 : 467 985 2005 : 508 363 2006 : 528 525

Examination Administration Examination Statistics No. Wrote: 528 525 No. of Exam Centres: 8 124 No. of Marking Centres: 81 No. of Markers: 29 731 No. of Question Papers: 1 489 No. of examiners: 1 492 No. of Internal Moderators: 554

Examination Administration Examination Process: Setting and moderation of Question papers. External moderation of Question papers by Umalusi. Editing, translation and printing of question papers Registration of Exam Centres. Registration of candidates. Distribution of question papers. Writing of the examination. Marking Standardisation Processing and Release of results

Quality of Examination Papers First Senior Certificate examination where eleven of the subjects were set nationally. Panels of examiners with internal and external moderation. More cognitively demanding question papers.

STATEMENT BY HIGHER EDUCATION SOUTH AFRICA (HESA) “Congratulates the Department of Education on the strides made in securing the integrity of the examination process” “The challenge well-recognized by the Department of Education is to shift the focus to issues of quality, language and the need to produce high level outcomes and disparities in provision “Evidence need to be produced that there is an increase in the cognitive and conceptual demand on exam papers and that examiners and markers are well prepared that set new levels of engagement for learners and that these new demands are reflected in classroom practices and a strong focus on teacher development” HESA-29 December 2006

Approval of the 2006 Senior Certificate Examination Umalusi approved the 2006 Senior Certificate Examination on 20 December 2006. 2. In the approval of the results, Umalusi noted the following: Improved Administrative Systems. improvement in the quality of question papers. Increase in the number of learners writing the Senior Certificate

Increased Cognitive Demand Statement from the Umalusi report notes: ‘ …. an increase in cognitive challenge of the national question papers. This has been a welcome move, and it will very well assist in preparing the learners for the challenges of the 2008 curriculum and the new National Senior Certificate (NSC)

Irregularities Most irregularities- administrative in nature. All irregularities- reported to the National Examination Irregularities Committee (NEIC). 3. Most administrative irregularities- dealt with prior to the release of the 2006 results

Umalusi Declaration “On the whole Umalusi is satisfied that the 2006 examination were conducted in a manner that renders them fair, valid and reliable. Umalusi wishes to report that there were few reported irregularities but these were addressed appropriately, and therefore Umalusi endorses the fact that the credibility of the 2006 examinations is above reproach” Umalusi report on the 2006 SC examination

RESULTS

  ProvinciaL Efficiency gains 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 EASTERN CAPE 12 443 28 825 33 286 37 468 33 915 39 597 41 268 FREE STATE 5 879 15 703 17 777 18 916 19 459 20 355 21 582 GAUTENG 9 987 47 368 50 941 55 621 54 808 57 073 57 355 KWAZULU-NATAL 23 840 58 620 68 973 75 077 81 830 84 842 82 460 LIMPOPO 9 879 48 971 49 644 48 219 54 897 60 087 58 850 MPUMALANGA 7 343 18 136 22 222 22 700 22 913 22 737 25 479 NORTHERN CAPE 182 5 571 5 309 5 667 5 609 6172 5 753 NORTH WEST 2 477 22 963 24 637 25 055 24 221 23 748 25 440 WESTERN CAPE 2 267 31 049 32 985 33 769 33 065 32 573 33 316 277 206 305 774 322 492 330 717 347 184 351 503 National 74 297  

Passes per Gender 2001 – 2006 Narrowing the gap towards gender parity YEAR MALE % FEMALE DIFF. 2001 128 629 63.6 148 577 60.1 19 948 3.5 2002 143 289 70.7 162 485 67.4 19 196 3.3 2003 151 127 75.1 171 365 71.8 20 238 2004 154 780 72.0 175 937 69.5 21 157 2.5 2005 162 327 69.7 184 857 67.2 22 530 2006 164 065 67.9 187 438 65.5 23 373 2.4

Passes per Gender from 2001 – 2006 Narrowing the gap towards gender parity

DISTRIBUTION OF DISTRICT PERFORMANCE Province No. Districts Less 50 % 51-60 % 61-70 % 71-80% 81-100 % 2005 2006 EC 24 23 06 03 10 07 11 01 02 none FS 05 None 04 GP 12 08 KZN LP MP N/A NC NW none  WC

SUBJECT RESULTS

Dealing with under-performance in all schools

National Strategy for Learner Attainment NSLA An overarching or transversal programme directing the focus of the system to the achievement of all learners “A programme: A planned and sustained series and set of related operations, projects, activities, strategies, interventions with short and long term objectives of raising learner performance and ensuring improved quality learner achievement Not once-off, cosmetic, response to crisis or isolated/silo feature Integrates nine provincially driven complimentary strategies An overarching/ is by design rather than by default and that it is a true reflection of the health of the system – achievement / performance must be guaranteed

NSLA In schools – seeks to raise learner achievement from Gr. R to Gr. 12 Initial focus on foundation and FET phases May need to employ different strategies, approaches for different learners All learners can learn therefore all learners can achieve Move beyond the narrow constraint of only academic, scholastic, theoretical knowledge… Learners can achieve at a variety and at varied levels Must at least ensure that learners perform optimally / achieve within current programmes Therefore there is still a role and place for “special or specific” interventions, remedial and corrective strategies The institution (schools) remain the central place for the execution of our core mandate and for executing the NSLA A strategies, interventions (education system) t Not once-off, cosmetic, response to crisis or isolated/silo feature Integrates several complimentary strategies

NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR LEARNER ATTAINMENT (NSLA) Strategic site-based focus: Comprehensive, integrated, diagnostic and targeted approach 1. Improving the overall performance- across all schools. 2. Improving the quality of learner attainment- Increased numbers of Learners passing with endorsements. 3. schools performing below the national average 4. All learners in the system- a fair chance to succeed (Integrated and comprehensive intervention to link NSLA with the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategy in GET) 5. Link with Mathematics, Science and Languages interventions 6. Monitoring and reporting (monthly HEDCOM and CEM reports): A teacher in the classroom - a textbook for every learner in each subject 7. Diagnostic and targeted specific projects and interventions- Increased numbers passing Science, Mathematics and gateway subjects, Eliminating lowest 20% performance in each province, more than 10% below previous performance; New teachers and first matric classes in the schools; Increased endorsements in schools with 100% passes, More HDI learners in the top 50 in each province and more quality and consistency in well endowed schools Ministerial Remit to the IPEC Lekgotla Academic and situational analysis of schools that performed badly Some typical questions: Did they have learning resources; Are all management and teaching posts filled; What subjects were failed and do the schools have teachers for these subjects; What parts of the syllabus give more problems; How does 2006 compares with previous performances and District offices-does it have staff, resources and can it provide support.

NSLA Development School Development Teacher Attainment Learner

MAKING THE NSLA NATIONAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN WORK School Development Strategy School self-evaluation S D P P I Province SCHOOL INTERVENTIONS Monitoring visits Reporting to HEDCOM and CEM DIP DISTRICT

MAKING NSLA WORK Educator development Integrate with School Improvement Plan Focus on IQMS – responding to development needs; Establish SMT responsibility; 3-year plans for educator development & curriculum training Focus on content of learning areas/subjects School Visits Appropriate monitoring tools Teacher orientation Workshops EXAM Feedback/ ITEM ANALYSIS

MAKING THE NSLA WORK Learner achievement: Grade 1 – 12; Focus on 10 - 12; Focused and targeted interventions; Teaching and learning time, actual learner activity, assessment, remedial/intervention work; Access to LTSM;

MAKING THE NSLA WORK Reporting Parental involvement Increased visits to schools – Learning Area Managers and Circuit Managers Intensify all services and support to schools

MAKING THE NSLA WORK Computerized system for tracking learner achievement and early interventions towards 00% success rate by 2014: IECS All information relating to learner progression collected; Includes all learners in the system; Integrated database developed

NSLA Integrated NSLA Programme Learner Development Educator PROGRAMME FOR NSLA Learner Development Educator Development School Development N C S IQMS School Dev Strategies Educator Dev. Needs Learning Area/Subject/ examinations School Dev/ Evaluation Individual/ General Learning Interventions 9 Focus Areas Target driven Use of examination and other credible data Monitoring Value Addedness Fair chance to succeed for all learners Integrated NSLA Programme

STRATEGIC IMPACT Enables every child to fulfill his or her potential Matches challenging targets with appropriate resources Achievement makes it easier for learners to go to HEIs or to access good jobs Decreases disengagement from education and from wider society Direct impact on Human Capital development initiatives

Schools with pass rate below 20% 1999 - 2006

Number of schools below 50% pass rate Province 2005 2006 Change LER EC 419 345 - 74 33.3 FS 26 36 + 10 29.5 GP 118 94 - 24 33.7 KZN 375 471 96 32.8 LP 309 547 238 33.4 MP 167 98 - 69 34.5 NC 8 31.8 NW 135 95 - 40 29.4 WC 34 16 - 118 31.1 NATIONAL 1 591 1 710 119 32.6

Dealing with under-performance in the system in 2006 114 schools-in an NSLA project of selected schools under 20% in 2006 99 schools – improved (87% success) Improvement categories: 20 – 40% = 49 schools 41 – 60% = 25 schools 61 – 79% = 18 schools 80 – 100% = 7 schools 4. Transfer of lessons and experiences across all schools in 2007

CONCLUSION a national picture

Number with endorsement Number enrolled, writing and passing SC 2004 to 2006 examination YEARS IN COMPARISON Number enrolled Number Wrote Number passed Number with endorsement 2004 493 447 467 985 330 717 85 117 2005 533 405 508 363 347 184 86 531 2006 554 079 528 525 351 503 85 830