Qualifications are changing Curriculum Update Event

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Qualifications are changingCurriculum Update
Event Stirling Management CentreThursday 1
December

• Technologies, Social Studies (Business), Health
  and Wellbeing

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Welcome

• Latest qualification information
• Meet the people who are developing the
  qualifications
• Opportunity to discuss curriculum planning
• Opportunity to provide feedback
• Package of publications and support

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Welcome

• Design of new National Qualifications
• Development of new National Qualifications
• Update on Technologies, Social Studies (Business)
  and Health and Wellbeing

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Designing the new National Qualifications

• Margaret Miller, Policy Manager
• Scottish Qualifications Authority

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What are we trying to achieve?

• Clear and smooth progression from Experiences and
  Outcomes and between levels of qualifications
• More focus on skills development
• Assessment which supports, motivates and
  challenges learners
• An inclusive, coherent, and easy to understand
  framework of qualifications which uses
  hierarchical structures wherever possible
• Less prescription (especially in Unit) - more
  flexible evidence requirements
• High standards, credibility and relevance

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Specifications, guidance and support

• New ways of specifying requirements shorter,
  more open, less prescriptive
• Course Specification, Unit Specification, Course
  Assessment Specifications outline the mandatory
  requirements
• More guidance and support, for example
• Course and Unit Support Notes guidance on
  delivering Courses and the Units, approaches to
  learning, teaching and assessment
• Assessment support (via NAR) eg specimen QPs,
  specimen coursework, unit exemplification
  materials

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Added Value / Course Assessment

• Each Course from National 4 to Advanced Higher
  will include a 40 hour added value assessment
• For National 4, added value is assessed in the
  Added Value Unit
• For Courses at National 5 to Advanced Higher the
  added value assessment is in the Course
  assessment
• This will sample breadth, challenge and/or
  application of skills from across the Course
• The Course assessment at these levels will be
  graded A - D

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Added Value / Course Assessment

• The National 4 Added Value Unit and National 5,
  H/AH Course Assessment will be assessed using one
  or more of seven agreed methods
• Assignment
• Case study
• Practical activity
• Performance
• Portfolio
• Project
• Question paper/test

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Controlled Assessment

• SQA is introducing controlled assessment for the
  National 4 Added Value Unit and course assessment
  at National 5, H and AH
• 3 stages of assessment, each of which will have a
  defined level of control
• Setting the assessment the specification of the
  requirements
• Conducting the assessment the conditions for
  learners taking the assessment
• Marking the assessment who marks and how
  marking is carried out and quality assured

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Three levels of control

• SQA will work in partnership with centres and
  focus on
• SQA-led activity SQA carries out all of the
  activity or provides detailed specifications
• Shared responsibility between SQA and centres
  responsibility for carrying out the activity is
  shared between SQA and centres
• Centre-led activity Centres have flexibility to
  decide how to carry out the activity, in-line
  with broad guidance and overall policies and
  procedures laid down by SQA

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Quality assurance of internal assessment

• Feedback from engagement
• need for robust QA
• approaches need to be developmental and foster
  partnership
• constraints
• Developing ways SQA and centres can work together
  to
• promote a shared understanding of national
  standards across centres and sectors
• build training and support into the QA process
• develop partnership approach
• Further engagement
• national partners and stakeholder groups
• detailed work to ensure manageable and successful
  implementation

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Development of the new National Qualifications

• Roderic Gillespie, Head of Curriculum for
  Excellence
• Scottish Qualifications Authority

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How are we developing qualifications?

• Qualifications developed in a more strategic way
  starts with learning, process is iterative
• Each stage informs the next on-going process of
  exploring issues/developing thinking, seeking
  advice/guidance and then testing proposals
• Wide range of engagement from formal groups to
  Liaison Team visits to targeted activities
• Open transparent
• draft documents published at each stage (both for
  information and feedback)
• stakeholders and partners involved at each stage
• feedback published on website

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Publication/Support Access 2 Access 3 Nat 4 / Nat 5 Higher
Draft Course Specifications Oct 11 Oct 11 Apr 11 Aug 11
Draft Unit Specifications Dec 11 Dec 11 Aug 11 Nov 11
Draft Course Assessment Specifications N/A N/A Nov 11 Jan 12
Draft Course/Unit Support Notes Apr 12 Apr 12 Jan 12 Feb 12
Course/Unit Assessment Support on NAR Apr 13 Apr 13 Apr 13 Apr 14
Subject Implementation Support Events Session 2012/13 Session 2012/13 Session 2012/13 Session 2013/14
Publication of final document for Access 1 Higher April 2012 Publication of final documents for Advanced Higher April 2013 Publication of final document for Access 1 Higher April 2012 Publication of final documents for Advanced Higher April 2013 Publication of final document for Access 1 Higher April 2012 Publication of final documents for Advanced Higher April 2013 Publication of final document for Access 1 Higher April 2012 Publication of final documents for Advanced Higher April 2013 Publication of final document for Access 1 Higher April 2012 Publication of final documents for Advanced Higher April 2013
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New National Qualifications Implementation
Timelines

• Session 2012/13 last diet of Standard Grade
  examinations
• Session 2013/14 first diet of new
  qualifications (Access to N5), dual run with
  existing Access and Intermediates
• Session 2014/15 first diet of new Higher, dual
  run with existing Access, Intermediates and
  Highers
• Session 2015/16 first diet of Advanced Higher

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Controlled assessment likely patterns

• National 4 Added Value Unit
• Set by centres following SQA guidance and
  exemplars
• Conducted by centres within SQA requirements
• Marked and internally verified by centres to SQA
  marking instructions and externally quality
  assured by SQA
• National 5 and Higher Course Assessment
• Usually set by SQA a few subjects set by
  centres - within SQA guidelines
• Conducted under a high degree or some supervision
  and control within SQA requirements
• Submitted to SQA for external marking a few
  subjects marked by centre staff in line with SQA
  marking instructions.

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Breakout

• Technologies Derek Middleton
• Social Studies (Business) Linda Allison
• Health and Wellbeing (Business) Marie Morrison

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Workshop 1 New National Qualifications

• Using the materials provided, please provide
  feedback on
• Progression between levels
• Balance and focus of skills, knowledge and
  understanding
• National 4 Added Value Assessment and National 5
  Course Assessment
• Opportunities to meet the Aims, purposes and
  principles of Curriculum for Excellence