CCEA GCSE Qualifications Controlled Assessment

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CCEA GCSE QualificationsControlled Assessment
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Controlled Assessment Presentation

• Overview
• Why change coursework?
• 2005 QCA report
• Outcome of review
• What is controlled assessment?
• Questions and answers
• Useful information

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Controlled assessment -Overview

• In relation to new and revised CCEA GCSE
  qualifications only.
• Controlled Assessment is the new term for GCSE
  coursework.
• All CCEA revised and new GCSEs, except Religious
  Studies, Economics and Mathematics, have an
  element of controlled assessment.
• Either 60 or 25 weighting.

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Why change coursework?

• 2005 QCA report, www.qcda.org.uk
• Views from
• Candidates, teachers, parents, senior examiners
  and moderators, awarding body staff and staff of
  the regulatory bodies.

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2005 QCA report findings

• Findings of review
• Benefits outweigh any drawbacks
• Value of coursework
• assessing skills and knowledge that cannot be
  assessed by exam
• important motivator for many candidates in many
  subjects
• candidates have an opportunity to study an area
  in depth
• candidates have an opportunity to take
  responsibility for their own learning

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2005 QCA report findings (contd)

• Findings of review (contd)
• Needs to be a strengthening of the current
  arrangements
• Concerns about coursework
• Teachers need to be able to confidently and
  consistently confirm that the work is the
  candidates own
• More guidance needed on
• setting tasks
• drafting work
• limits of permitted help
• what constitutes malpractice
• internal standardisation
• purpose and format of feedback from moderators
• weighting of coursework across subjects

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Outcome of the Review

• The 2007 report recommended that coursework be
  replaced by controlled assessment. For the full
  report go to www.ccea.org.uk
• New general regulations were developed.
• New subject specific regulations were developed
• All subjects were allocated 0, 25 or 60
  controlled assessment weighting.
• All GCSE specifications which were developed or
  revised by all awarding bodies from the 2007 to
  2010 were required to adhere to these
  regulations.

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What is controlled assessment?

• New approach in GCSE subjects which require
  coursework.
• A more integrated approach to teaching, learning
  and assessment.
• A tightening of the circumstances in which
  students, over a period of time, complete those
  aspects of the subject which are usually marked
  by their teacher.
• Controlled assessment regulations set out the
  levels of control for individual subjects.
• Levels of control address issues of authenticity,
  plagiarism and comparability of process and
  demand across specifications in the same subject
  offered by different awarding bodies.

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Processes in controlled assessment

• Important processes in coursework, now referred
  to as controlled assessment, relate to
• setting the task the need to ensure that tasks
  are valid and reliable by making them less
  predictable and formulaic
• taking the task the circumstances under which
  the task is taken and the need to address issues
  of authenticity and
• marking the task the need to ensure
  high-quality judgements in assessment.

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Levels of Control

• For each of the processes different levels of
  control are possible
• high
• medium
• limited/low
• Within any subject, varying levels of control are
  likely to be required across the three processes.

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Task Setting explained

• High CCEA sets the task(s).
• Medium CCEA provides a task(s) that can be
  adapted by the teacher.
• Low/Limited The teacher sets the task(s)
  according to criteria provided by CCEA.

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Task Setting (contd)

• Some specifications require teachers to submit
  the titles to CCEA.
• There are also some specifications that offer
  teachers a choice, for example
• choose from exemplar tasks provided by CCEA
• create a task of choice or
• adapt a task provided by CCEA.
• For those specifications that have
• 25 controlled assessment, CCEA will replace the
  task every year 
• 60 controlled assessment, CCEA will review the
  task, as a minimum, every two years to ensure
  that they continue to set an appropriate
  challenge.

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Task Taking explained

• One of the issues for centres relates to the
  level of supervision that is required during the
  time when candidates are completing their
  controlled assessment.
• The level of supervision varies for individual
  subjects and is defined in each specification.
• Three levels
• High Formal Supervision
• Medium Informal Supervision
• Low Limited Supervision

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Formal Supervision JCQ para 4.1.2

• Candidates work must be completed under direct
  supervision ie. candidates teacher or another
  person nominated by the centre.
• Candidates must work independently.
• Teachers must not offer assistance.
• Usually candidates do not have to complete their
  work in one sitting advice in specifications.
• Usually during the final stages of the work when
  candidates write up the results of preparatory
  work or research and present the outcome for
  assessment.
• When this takes place over a number of sessions,
  candidates work should be collected, stored
  securely and redistributed as necessary.

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Informal Supervision JCQ para 4.1.3

• Candidates can work on their own - some guidance
  by the teacher.
• Some subjects, e.g. Art Design and Music -
  necessary for candidates to complete part of the
  assessment outside the classroom
• Teacher/supervisor must be able to state that
  what candidate presents for assessment is their
  own work
• Candidates must sign a Declaration of
  Authentication
• Close supervision of portfolio work which may
  have been
• started in class and completed in the candidates
  own time
• started outside the classroom and completed by
  the candidate in class

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Informal Supervision (contd)

• Where work has been done outside the classroom,
  the amount of work carried out during class time
  should be sufficient for the teacher/supervisor
  to determine each candidates capability in
  relation to what is presented for assessment.
• E.g. analytical discussion with the candidate
  about his/her work.  

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Limited SupervisionJCQ para 4.1.4

• Candidates undertake work without teacher
  supervision.
• Candidates may undertake research and preparatory
  work which will inform, but should not be
  included in, the final piece of work presented
  for assessment.

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Task Marking explained

• Most tasks for individual specifications are
  marked with a medium level of control. This
  means that the tasks are internally marked by
  centres and externally moderated by CCEA.
• There are some tasks within a small number of
  specifications which are marked with a high level
  of control. This means that the tasks are marked
  by CCEA.

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Your questions answered -drafting/redrafting

• Can candidates draft and redraft their work?
• When drafting skills are being assessed, mark
  schemes will clearly give credit for
  drafting/redrafting work. Therefore, candidates
  work should show evidence of work having been
  drafted and redrafted.
• When drafting is not one of the skills being
  assessed, teachers may review candidates work
  and may provide advice at a general level.
• Teachers must not provide detailed and specific
  advice on how drafts could be improved to meet
  assessment criteria.

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Your questions answered storage

• Where should the candidates work be stored to
  ensure that it is secure?
• Assessment materials and mark schemes must be
  kept secure throughout the controlled assessment
  process.
• Candidates work for assessment must be stored
  securely within the centre.
• This could be done by the subject department or
  the examinations office - this would normally
  mean a locked steel or metal cabinet.

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Your questions answered storage (contd)

• Where should the candidates work be stored to
  ensure that it is secure? (contd)
• If this is not practical because of the nature of
  the assessment e.g. the need to allow items of
  work to dry overnight, secured storage can be
  defined as classrooms being locked from one end
  of the session to the start of the next.
• Memory sticks should be collected at the end of
  each session.
• Teachers can mark at home but need to take
  sensible precautions regarding the security of
  the work.

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Your questions answered adherence to regulations

• What procedures are in place to ensure
  adherence to the regulations?
• It is the responsibility of the head of centre to
  ensure that the subject leaders adhere to the
  procedures for setting, taking and marking the
  task(s), as appropriate to the specification.
• Declaration of Authentication (JCQ para 4.7)
• Any breaches of the regulations for the setting,
  supervision, authentication and marking of
  controlled assessment may constitute
  maladministration as defined by JCQ.
• For further information and access to the current
  documentation go to www.jcq.org.uk

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Your questions answered malpractice

• What constitutes malpractice?
• Candidates must not
• submit work that is not their own
• lend their work to others or allow their work to
  be copied
• allow others access to, or the use of, their own
  independently sourced material
• use any books, the Internet or other sources
  without acknowledgement or attribution
• submit work word processed by a third party
  without acknowledgement.

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Your questions answered absenteeism

• If a candidate has an occasional absence during
  the controlled assessment, how can this be
  managed?
• If a candidate is absent or misses allocated
  controlled assessment time, they can sit the task
  or work on it at another convenient time
  providing that the controlled assessment
  supervision requirements for the specific
  subject(s) are met, ie. an alternative supervised
  session may be organised for such candidates.
• If the assessment can not be repeated, the centre
  should contact CCEA for advice.

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Your questions answered re-doing units

• If a candidate wants to re-do a controlled
  assessment unit, what are the regulations?
• Units not yet submitted to CCEA
• At the discretion of a centre, candidates who
  wish to re-do a controlled assessment unit before
  the marks have been sent to us can do so as long
  as the following conditions are met
• Controlled Assessment tasks taken under Formal
  supervision conditions
• Candidates must do a different task available
  from the examination series in question.
• The work must be undertaken in a new period of
  formal supervision.
• Candidates must not be allowed to make another
  attempt at the same task.
• Note Candidates may re-use the research carried
  out for the
• original task.

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Your questions answered re-doing units (contd)

• If a candidate wants to re-do a controlled
  assessment unit, what are the regulations?
  (contd)
• Controlled Assessment tasks taken under Informal
  supervision conditions
• Candidates may make amendments to their work in
  the light of feedback from their teacher.
• The feedback must be in line with the
  requirements of the specification and any
  additional instructions issued by JCQ on task
  taking.
• Candidates must not be allowed to make amendments
  after the work has been submitted for final
  assessment by the teacher.

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Your questions answered re-sitting units

• If a candidate wants to re-sit a controlled
  assessment unit after it has been submitted to
  CCEA what are the regulations?
• Candidates who wish to re-sit a controlled
  assessment after it has previously been submitted
  to CCEA may make another attempt at the task if
  it is still available within that examination
  series.
• The work presented for assessment must be
  entirely new and carried out under the level(s)
  of control specified in the specification.
• Candidates must not be allowed to amend the work
  which was submitted previously.
• In unitised specifications, candidates may
  re-take an individual unit once before
  certification.
• Note Candidates may re-use the research carried
  out previously.

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Your questions answered re-using units

• If a candidate wants to re-take a GCSE
  qualification, what are the regulations regarding
  re-using results?
• The candidate can re-use the result of any unit,
  including the controlled assessment unit.
• The candidate, however, must meet the terminal
  requirement by re-taking units contributing to at
  least 40 of the assessment.
• The result(s) from this final series (of units
  accounting for at least 40 of the total
  assessment) will count towards the new award even
  if the candidate has (a) better result(s) from a
  previous series.

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Your questions answered re-taking linear GCSEs

• In linear GCSE specifications candidates who
  re-take the whole qualification may either
  re-take their controlled assessment component or
  re-use their previous mark.

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Further questions and answers

• Answers to these and other questions can be
  found on our controlled assessment microsite and
  the JCQ document, for example
• Can candidates work in groups to complete their
  controlled assessment task?
• If candidates miss a substantial amount of
  controlled assessment, what are the procedures?
  (JCQ para 13.6)
• How should candidates authenticate their work?
  (JCQ para 4.7.1)
• What if a teacher has reservations about the
  authenticity of the candidates work? (JCQ para
  4.7.4)

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CCEA supporting teachers and learners

• Where can you find more information on
  Controlled Assessment?
• Within the revised Specification for each subject
  in
• Section 6
• The Appendix.
• Some Specimen Assessment Materials have specimen
  tasks.
• Subject microsites at www.ccea.org.uk

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Supporting teachers and learners

• What additional support/information
• is available?
• Controlled Assessment Guide
• Teacher guidance
• Student guidance
• Student guide
• Controlled assessment microsite
• www.ccea.org.uk/controlled_assessment/
• JCQ documents
• www.jcq.org.uk

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Centre management of controlled assessment

• Develop and implement a controlled assessment
  policy (JCQ Instructions for conducting
  controlled assessments 1.6)
• www.jcq.org.uk
• Create a centre-wide plan (QCDA Managing GCSE
  controlled assessment. A centre-wide approach)
• www.qcda.gov.uk

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QCDA suggested approachto developing a policy

• Whole school approach
• Roles and responsibilities (Outlining staff
  responsibilities)
• Risk management (Risk management process)
• Coordination of controlled assessment activities
• Monitoring of progress

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Administration of controlledassessment

• Some recurring issues
• Timetabling
• Accommodation
• Facilities
• Resources
• Absenteeism
• Adherence to rules
• Internal standardisation
• Internal appeals
• Unitisation
• Re-sits
• Terminal assessment

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Other useful documents

• JCQ www.jcq.org.uk
• Arrangements for internal appeals about internal
  assessment decisions and enquiries about results
• Notice to centres Malpractice
• Plagiarism in examinations Guidance for
  Teachers/assessors
• Ofqual www.ofqual.gov.uk
• Avoiding Plagiarism A guide for parents and
  carers

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Other useful documents(contd)

• QCDA www.qcda.gov.uk
• Authenticity A guide for teachers
• Unitised GCSEs and the terminal assessment rule

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Controlled Assessment Micro-site
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Staying informed

• For information on all our support events go
• to www.ccea.org.uk
• Click on the Events icon (top left)

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Useful information

• www.ccea.org.uk
• Subject specific microsites
• Controlled assessment microsite
• Online event booking
• NI Regulators
• Qualifications handbook
• www.jcq.org.uk
• Instructions on conducting controlled assessments
  
• Other useful guides and instructions
• www.qcda.gov.uk
• Useful links and documents on controlled
  assessment