A primary purpose of large-scale provincial, national and international assessments and examinations is to obtain information for the purposes of public accountability, improving programs and schools.
Large-scale assessments and examinations determine students' knowledge and skills in required and elective areas of learning.
Assessment information enables educational decision-makers at the classroom, district and provincial levels to make informed choices related to improving student achievement.
British Columbia students, teachers, principals, and other school officials will participate in the Foundation Skills Assessment, Graduation Program Examinations, Provincial Grade 12 Examinations, and national and international assessments as required by the Minister.
The Ministry of Education will provide test specifications and sample test questions for all provincial assessments and examinations. The Ministry may designate as secure specific assessments and examinations, or parts thereof.
Secure assessments and examinations may contain questions that will be re-used over time. Using questions more than once is an important accountability measure that allows for more accurate comparison of provincial, district and school results from year to year. School principals are responsible for maintaining security of assessments and examinations as directed by the Ministry.
A primary purpose of provincial examinations is to certify that students have met graduation requirements. Provincial examinations enable individual students to demonstrate that they have met specific graduation requirements and standards of achievement. These examinations will be based on learning outcomes of specific courses.
A secondary purpose of provincial examinations is to enable students to qualify for provincial scholarships.
Provincial examination results may also be used by external organizations.
Provincial examination results will be blended with classroom percentages to determine final course percentages and reported on student transcripts as determined by the Ministry. Students' results on Grade 10 and 11 Graduation Program Examinations do not appear separately on student transcripts or Permanent Student Records. Students' results on Grade 12 level Graduation Program Examinations, including Optional Examinations and Provincial Grade 12 Examinations, appear on student transcripts.
For students on the 1995 Graduation Program, Provincial Grade 12 Examinations count for 40% of a final course mark.
For students on the 2004 Graduation Program, required Grade 10 and 11 Graduation Program Examinations and the BC First Nations Studies 12 examination count for 20% of the final course mark. Additional Grade 12 level examinations, including required Graduation Program Examinations in language arts and Optional Grade 12 Examinations, count for 40% of a final course mark. Students have the choice of whether or not to write Optional Grade 12 Examinations. If they choose not to write an optional examination, the classroom mark will count for 100% of the final course mark.
Students' Foundation Skills Assessment results are not part of Student Progress Reports or Permanent Student Records. Schools may choose to include individual students' results in students' files.
British Columbia students, teachers, principals, and other school officials will recognize external assessments and credentials approved by the Ministry.
The Board of Examiners provides expert advice to the Ministry of Education. Areas of advice include, but are not limited to, ways to ensure fair treatment of individual students who may need adaptations for examinations or who request a review of a school or Ministry decision regarding students who may have contravened examination procedures.
The Ministry of Education may convene advisory committees to provide advice on provincial large-scale assessments. |
