Revised standards introduced from 2010

Revised curriculum-based standards resulting from the joint NZQA-Ministry of Education standards review will now be introduced progressively, with level 1 standards due for introduction in 2010, followed by level 2 in 2011 and level 3 in 2012.

NZQA Deputy Chief Executive, Qualifications, Bali Haque said of the standards review: "There is much work to do and it is important that it is done carefully and to a high quality."

The review covers all curriculum-based achievement and unit standards and is being carried out by subject associations using a set of six principles developed by the Standards Review Expert Group:

1. The standard must be derived from a curriculum or established body of knowledge.
2. A standard must have a clear purpose.
3. A standard must allow valid and reliable assessment.
4. Where more than one credit-bearing grade is available, grade distinctions must be based on qualitative differences in achievement.
5. Credit Parity (between standards).
6. Standards should not duplicate one another.

The principles will also be applied to ongoing reviews of all National Qualifications Framework (NQF) standards. NZQA's own standards-setting units, National Qualifications Services and Maori Qualification Services, will incorporate them in their usual business while Industry Training Organisations are being consulted about their application.

"The review process is at different stages for different subjects. Some are well ahead, others have more complex issues to deal with so are taking a little longer," Bali says.

Subject associations are developing matrices for NCEA levels 1, 2, and 3 to align standards with the curriculum. They are (or will be) consulting with teachers - usually through subject association websites or TKI. The Standards Review Expert Group has also reviewed some of the matrices.

The majority of subjects will have draft standards ready in February. When they are rolled out, the standards will be supported with high quality assessment materials and exemplars - something teachers have wanted for some time.

Next year the focus will be on testing and finalising level 1 draft standards ready for registration. To find out if the standards allow valid and reliable assessment, assessment tasks will be written and tested with small groups of students. This will allow the development of sample assessment tasks and exemplars of student work to support the standards.