Numeracy unit

standardsupdate

Background

• Government strategy to improve literacy and numeracy levels of all New Zealanders

• Adult Literacy Strategy (TEC)

• Alignment of Standards with the New Zealand Curriculum (MoE/NZQA)

• Development of National Standards (MoE)

Literacy and Numeracy unit standards

• Registered in the domain Work and Study Skills and are numbered 26622 – 26627

The literacy standards are:– 26622 Write to communicate ideas for a purpose and audience

(4 credits)– 26624 Read texts with understanding (3 credits)– 26625 Actively participate in spoken interactions (3 credits)

The numeracy standards are:– 26623 Use number to solve problems (4 credits)– 26626 Interpret statistical information for a purpose (3 credits)– 26627 Use measurement to solve problems (3 credits)

Defining Literacy and Numeracy (English Medium)

• numeracy is defined as: the bridge between mathematics and daily life. It includes the knowledge and skills needed to apply mathematics to everyday family and financial matters, learning, work and community tasks, social and leisure activities

• literacy is defined as: the written and oral language people use in their everyday life, learning and work. It includes reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Skills in this area are essential for good communication, active participation, critical thinking and problem solving

Unit standard design

Designed to:• assess the literacy and numeracy knowledge and

skills required to fully participate in work, community, learning and family life

• be used in secondary and tertiary education, and in the workplace

• support the principle of embedded literacy and numeracy

• demonstrate literacy and numeracy knowledge and skills via naturally occurring evidence.

Naturally occurring evidence

Key points• Evidence is from part of the student’s everyday life:

– the classroom eg from different subjects or different topics or aspects of the same course

− the workplace eg employment documentation and conditions, or regular work tasks

− other contexts eg family, sport, leisure, community• Evidence is required from at least three separate

activities within at least one context.• Evidence is obtained over a period of time. • Evidence does not come from one-off assessment events

designed specifically for this purpose.

National external moderation

• Evidence and documentation required for moderation is the same as that required for assessment (when the assessor is not also the evidence gatherer).

• Ensure documentation reflects that evidence was naturally occurring and generated over time.

Key messages

• Assessment opportunities can be identified within existing programmes – developing new assessments specific to these standards should not be required.

• Evidence for each standard can be drawn from different topics within a single subject.

• Develop methods of recognising, collecting and verifying evidence.

• Collect evidence for each standard over time. • Level 1 NCEA numeracy requirements can be gained

across calendar years.

New NCEA level 1 requirements

New literacy requirement for 2012 onwards - Minimum of 10 credits through

Either Unit standards Package of 3 literacy standards (total 10 credits – all three required

Or Achievement standards

Specified achievement standards available through a range of subjects – (minimum total 10 credits)

New numeracy requirement for 2012 onwards - Minimum of 10 credits through

Either Unit standards Package of 3 numeracy standards (total 10 credits – all three required

Or Achievement standards

Specified achievement standards available through a range of subjects – (minimum total 10 credits)

Transition Arrangements

• For the transition year in 2011 students can achieve the literacy and numeracy requirement for NCEA Level 1 by meeting the:– literacy requirement using either the new 10 credit literacy

requirement or the current 8 credit literacy requirement using current specified unit and internally assessed achievement standards

– numeracy requirements using either the new 10 credit numeracy requirement or the current 8 credit numeracy requirement using current specified unit and internally assessed achievement standards.

• However, a student cannot mix and match between the new and current requirement within the literacy or within the numeracy requirement.

Numeracy transition arrangements for 2011

Either Or

New (minimum 10 credits) Current (minimum 8 credits)

Either package of 3 numeracy unit standards (total 10 credits- all three required)

Any Pāngarau, mathematics or statistics unit standards

Or specified achievement standards available through a range of subjects - still to be finalised (minimum total 10 credits)

Any mathematics or statistics achievement standards

Issues

• A paradigm shift required in terms of assessment practice?

• The need for guidance around how schools may manage and administer the collection of evidence and summative assessment of the evidence.

• Concerns that schools may adopt a “blanket” approach to assessing the standards in year 10 in order to “bank” literacy and numeracy credits for award.

• How verification/authentication might work when the assessment occurs cross-curricula or extra-curricula.

• How moderation will work and what evidence is likely to be required for external moderation.

Assessment

• Knowing the requirements of the standards:– will assist with gathering learner evidence – is essential for making the assessment decisions.

• How much evidence is needed to make the assessment judgement?

– enough to demonstrate that the learner has met the requirements of the standard over time and through evidence that has occurred naturally.

Submission for external moderation

Schools:• use current NZQA moderation cover sheets for each

standard, and• use new NZQA literacy and numeracy-specific assessed

work cover sheets for each set of learner evidence

Submissions must include:• learner evidence• information that supports and contextualises the learner

evidence, and reflects standard requirements (eg. special note or other requirements)

• assessor sign-off that the learner evidence, combined with the contextualising information, meets (or does not meet) the standard’s requirements.

Resources• Accessible via NCEA subject resources page on the

NZQA website at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/qualifications/ncea/ncea-subject-resources/literacy-and-numeracy-level-1– resources for planning and implementation– resources for assessment and moderation– resources for Numeracy standards– resources for Literacy standards– link to the Level 1 NCEA Literacy and Numeracy requirement document– links to other website resources such as:

• Ako Aotearoa website containing research and resources relating to literacy and numeracy.

• the Financial literacy resources• Waikato University website containing the Adult Literacy and

Numeracy progressions; assessment tool and resources• Te Kete Ipurangi website containing Literacy and Numeracy

resources.

Currently underway at NZQA

• Moderator training on 27 & 28 Oct– 14 moderators (8 secondary, 2 advisors, 1 ITO, 3 tertiary)– using learner work from pilot schools– moderator feedback is also informing the draft templates

• Next steps:– publish examples of good practice and annotated exemplars

constructed from the samples gathered to date– put together material around which good practice assessment

workshops can be delivered.

• Under development:– literacy and numeracy resources for the tertiary sector. These

may also be used by secondary schools.

Evidence for Numeracy is located inside the learning

EnvironmentThe place where the student is learning.

Context The general activity under consideration.

Objective The aim of the learning

ProblemSpecific questionrequiring solution

Solution