1. ANALYSIS OF EXAMINATION RESULTS AND THE LEARNER ATTAINMENT STRATEGY

2. Introduction

3. 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

4. 2006 School Realities DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, RSA
1. Learners
(97.2%) public schools
(2.8%) independent schools
2. Teachers
(95%) public schools
(5%) independent schools
teachers for learners in secondary schools-Matric
Results
3. Schools schools
public 95.8%)
1 098 independent (4.2%)
Learner to teacher ratio
32.6 public schools
17.5 independent schools

5. 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 :
2003 :
2004 :
2005 :
2006 :

6. Examination Administration
Examination Statistics
No. Wrote:
No. of Exam Centres:
No. of Marking Centres: 81
No. of Markers:
No. of Question Papers:
No. of examiners:
No. of Internal Moderators: 554

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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)

12. 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

13. 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

14. RESULTS

15. 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
National
74 297

18. Passes per Gender 2001 – 2006 Narrowing the gap towards gender parity
YEAR
MALE %
FEMALE
DIFF.
2001
63.6
60.1
19 948
3.5
2002
70.7
67.4
19 196
3.3
2003
75.1
71.8
20 238
2004
72.0
69.5
21 157
2.5
2005
69.7
67.2
22 530
2006
67.9
65.5
23 373
2.4

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

20. DISTRIBUTION OF DISTRICT PERFORMANCE
Province
No. Districts
Less 50 %
51-60 %
61-70 %
71-80% %
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

21. SUBJECT RESULTS

25. Dealing with under-performance in all schools

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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.

29. NSLA
Development
School
Development
Teacher
Attainment
Learner

30. 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

31. 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

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

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

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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

37. Schools with pass rate below 20%

38. 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

39. 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

41. CONCLUSION a national picture

45. 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
85 117
2005
86 531
2006
85 830