Contributing to external examination

Another fundamental role of continuous assessment is the contribution of 30% of the marks of external examination, the Basic Education Certificate Examination, BECE. As explained in chapter 2, pupils’ aggregated marks are sent to the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) to be added to the external examination, BECE, for the purpose of grading. As explained previously (section 3.2.5), continuous assessment contributes 30% of the marks of final examination (MoE, 2002). The weighting of continuous assessment to external examination was 40:60%, this was changed to 30:70% in 1994 because the Ministry felt teachers did not organise their assessment systematically (MoE, 1996).

Unlike the pre-reform assessments, the BECE is the only assessment used for certification and selection of pupils for further education and training. Although teacher assessment, since continuous assessment contributes 30% to the marks for BECE, all pupils and in particular, lower attaining children have ‘high-stakes’ in continuous assessment (as shown in the discussion of impact assessment). In Ghana,

selection to Senior Secondary School (SSS) as illustrated in the statement below is very competitive. According to the Director General of the Ghana Education Service, Ameyaw-Akumfi (2003):

Only about 30 percent of all basic school graduates gain access to Senior Secondary schools and about 15 to 20 percent of them being enrolled in GES Technical Institutes and NVTI Vocational Schools and other private technical and vocational schools, the vast majority are expected to work as apprentices in the informal sector or to become self-employed (p. 3).

Many pupils, particularly lower attainers do not qualify for SSS because their grades at the BECE are usually very low.

Commenting on continuous assessment in general, Wolf (1996) explains that the fact that teachers conduct continuous assessment does not mean that it is low stakes or less important, from the pupils’ point of view, or low in the stress it creates for pupils particularly, those who record lower attainments. For their part, Black and Wiliam (2006c) state that for assessments that are used outside the school, whether for progress to employment, further stages of education or for accountability purposes the sakes are even higher. These different forms of assessment can be considered to be what Madaus (1988) defines as ‘high stakes assessment’. High stakes assessment consists of tests and procedures that provides information perceived by pupils, parents, teachers, policy makers, or the general public as being used to make important decisions that immediately and directly impact upon pupils’ educational experiences and futures.

Literature shows that, many systems of public examination consist of a mixture of continuous and terminal assessments. For example, in England, as Torrance and Pryor (2002) report in 1998 the Government introduced a National Curriculum coupled with

a programme of National Assessment designed to measure how much children were learning and how effective schools were implementing the National Assessment. The national assessment is carried out by a combination of externally designed and marked Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs) and Teacher Assessment (TA).

Nonetheless, in England, Pollard et al. (2005) state that at the end of Key Stage 1, there are a variety of tests and tasks designed for children working at different levels. The Key Stage 1 tests and tasks are marked by the teachers, with Local Education Authorities undertaking audit to ensure consistency of administration and marking. Also, the end of Key Stage National Curriculum assessment is carried out through tests or tasks and Teacher Assessment and applies to English, mathematics and science. According to Pollard et al., at Key Stage 2, the lowest attaining pupils are assessed through Teacher Assessment alone. For the end of Key Stage Teacher Assessment the teacher makes judgements for each child in the form of a level for each attainment target in English, mathematics and science; an overall subject level in mathematics and science is also calculated.

Writing about Key Stage 2 tasks and tests in England, Lewis (1999b) notes that the then new arrangements for modifying tests and increasing the teacher assessment element have demonstrated that they are flexible enough to be used with children from a wide ability range, thereby adding credibility to the practice of extending inclusion within the confines of the national curriculum. However, Lewis adds that some children may still achieve in ways that cannot be assessed through the present arrangements: ‘consequently, more searching and fundamental questions about the appropriateness of curricula goals need to be asked’ (p. 14).

As argued earlier (see Section 3.2.1), despite the differences in cultural contexts, Ghana can adopt a similar policy; at JSS 3 lower attaining pupils may be assessed only through moderated teacher continuous assessment (T.C.A.). This will change the present situation whereby the pupils write the BECE only to attain poor grades which portray them as failures. However, this will raise a number of challenges including; certification, further training opportunities as well as public opinion and acceptance of the new assessment programme.

Also, in the UK, there has ongoing debate among writers in education assessment and commentators for example, Weeden et al. (2002), as to whether a single assessment system, such as the one proposed by TGAT for the National Curriculum (DES/WO, 1988) can serve all these functions. Wiliam (2000) cited by Weeden et al. (2002) points out that ‘very few teachers are able or willing to operate parallel assessment systems, one designed to serve “summative” function and one designed to serve a “ formative” function (p. 20). Wiliam (2000) suggests that to enhance pupils’ learning, teachers need to find ways to integrate the diagnostic, formative, and summative functions of assessment and not be driven by the evaluative function.

Writing in the context of inclusive assessment in Europe, Watkins (2007) points out that for all countries, assessment of pupils’ learning not only has different methods or processes, but also very different purposes. Educational policy as well as actual classroom practice results in the information different assessment methods may provide being used for very different reasons. In terms of the purposes assessment information can be used for, assessment is not only something a teacher does in the classroom in order to make decisions about next steps in the pupils’ learning

programme. As well as informing teaching and learning, assessment information can be used for administration, selection, monitoring of standards, diagnosis and also resource decision-making. Different forms of assessment can determine pupil placement, provision and support allocations. Assessment practices and discourses are embedded in and emanate from cultural, social, and political traditions and assumptions. These factors affect policies and teachers’ practices in subtle, complex and often contradictory ways (Broadfoot, 1996).

The review shows that in Ghana, continuous assessment is largely used for summative purposes but has the potential for formative purpose.