Territory-wide System Assessment

The Government has started implemented the Territory-wide System Assessment (System Assessment) since mid-2004 System Assessment is not an examination. It only assesses the general competence of students at the end of key stages of learning, namely, at P3, P6 and S3

It is generally agreed that most students can improve if given time and support. The Basic Competency Assessment (BCA) sets out standards we would expect our students to be able to achieve at ends of key stages of basic education (P3, P6 and S3). Students who cannot demonstrate these defined capabilities may find it increasingly difficult to engage successfully in their future learning. The BCA is to assist our students to learn to their potential. BCA does not compare performance amongst students. It is to help schools and teachers better understand progress of learning of their students such that timely and effective assistance to students can be provided.

What is System Assessment? System Assessment is a low stake assessment. It aims at providing the overall performance data of our students in Chinese, English and Mathematics. At the school level, schools will know from the assessment the strength and weakness of their students in the above three subjects. The data can help schools, in conjunction with other school internal data and school- based priorities, improve school plans. At the territory-wide level, the assessment can help government evaluate education policies and provide support to needy schools The System Assessment does not report results of individual students

Time Table System Assessment was introduced at P3 level in Government will expand the System Assessment to P6 and S3 levels in 2005 and 2006 respectively. From then on, the System Assessment will be conducted at P3, P6 and S3 annually.

BCA consists of two parts: the System Assessment and Student Assessment. The two parts have different functions but complement each other to help government and schools better know strength and weakness of students System AssessmentStudent Assessment Centrally coordinated by governmentFlexibly used by schools and teachers Mainly conducted with pencil and paperComputer aided Implemented on specified places and datesUsed flexibly in conjunction with daily teaching Provide school and territory-wide level resultsProvide student level results Results provided to schools for internal referenceResults provided to teachers for daily use

Q: What are assessed in System Assessment and how the assessment is conducted? System Assessment assesses students’ competencies which are required under the curriculum of English, Chinese and Mathematics. Therefore teachers and students do not have to change usual learning and teaching arrangements merely for preparing for System Assessment. The oral assessment on Chinese and English is usually conducted in May on a sample basis, and the remaining parts in the three subjects are usually assessed in early July in schools. Q: How the System Assessment results may impact on my child? System Assessment aims at providing overall performance results to schools for the schools to improve school plans. The assessment does not have any bearing on promotion prospect of students. Q: Is System Assessment related to secondary school places allocation? System Assessment only provides data for school improvement. It is not related to secondary school places allocation. Tips for Parents

Q: What should I do if my child does not perform well in System Assessment? Will this affect my child’s progression to the next level? System Assessment does not provide results on individual students, therefore schools are unable to use the System Assessment results to rank students or to determine if individual students can progress to the next level. The schools will know, at an aggregated school level, the overall performance of students and their general strength and weakness. This will help schools to improve. Q:How should I prepare my child for the System Assessment? Parents may - Treat the Territory-wide System Assessment just like ordinary school tests - Encourage their children to try their best in the assessment but no need to put pressure on them - Cooperate and discuss with the schools of their children when the schools are making arrangement for the children to participate in the assessment

Q: The school of my child has given additional exercises to my child for the Territory-wide System Assessment, what shall I do? There is no need to give additional exercises to prepare students merely for the sake of the System Assessment. If schools have arranged supplementary exercises for students to consolidate their learning, such exercises shall not affect other learning activities or resting time of students, and shall not put too much pressure on students. Parents also do not have to buy extra exercise books for students. Q: Will the results of the Territory-wide System Assessment be used to rank schools and affect the prospect of my child? How would I know the ranking of the school of my child after assessment? No. The assessment results will be used to improve learning and teaching only, not to rank schools and are unrelated to students’ promotion or secondary school places allocation. Rankings are misleading and do not provide insight into how schools may improve to help students’ learning, hence will not be provided. Parents may discuss with the schools of their children on how the schools will arrange to improve students’ learning after assessment.