1

Proposal for the Assessment of Scholarship Physical Education by Portfolio/Report.Proposal: That from 2015 NZ Scholarship Physical Education will be assessed by formal report authenticated by the teacher and marked externally by NZQA.

Background:

New NZ Scholarship Performance Standards were developed in 2012, and assessed for the first time in 2013. These standards are based on the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) up to and including Level 8 and not directly on the Level 3 Achievement Standards. The NZ Scholarship standards assess performance across the curriculum in line with the following statement about NZ Scholarship on the NZQA website:

“Scholarship provides recognition and monetary reward to top students in their last year of schooling. Scholarship examinations enable candidates to be assessed against challenging standards, and are demanding for the most able candidates in each subject.

Scholarship candidates are expected to demonstrate high-level critical thinking, abstraction and generalisation, and to integrate, synthesise and apply knowledge, skills, understanding and ideas to complex situations.” Scholarship » NZQA

The essential scholarship skills are common across all scholarship subjects and the generic Performance Standards reflect this.

Scholarship Performance DescriptorThe student will demonstrate aspects of high level:

analysis and critical thinking integration, synthesis, and application of highly developed knowledge, skills, and understanding to complex situations logical development, precision and clarity of ideas.

Outstanding Performance DescriptorIn addition to the requirements for Scholarship, the student will also demonstrate, in a sustained manner, aspects of:

sophisticated integration and abstraction independent reflection and extrapolation convincing communication.

The Explanatory Notes contain definitions of any words used in the generic descriptors where a subject specific meaning is required. Physical Education Scholarship documents can be found at New Zealand Scholarship Physical Education » NZQA

Rationale

2

Physical Education is exclusively internally assessed for all levels of NCEA. Teachers and students are therefore familiar with the curriculum requirements being assessed through a direct relationship with teaching and learning programmes. It follows that the subject would be better assessed through a similar mode of assessment for NZ Scholarship. Examinations are always limited to a selection of skills and knowledge based on the curriculum. In a subject with learning contexts as diverse as Physical Education this makes setting a fair and valid examination challenging.

Allowing students to select their own context for assessment is a logical way of addressing this challenge. Students will be able to develop self-selected aspects of their Curriculum Level 8 Physical Education course into a detailed evidence based report. The report will include, in all likelihood, a practical component. Physical Education is well established as a New Zealand Scholarship subject with clear criteria for assessment already recognised across a wide range of contexts.

Instructions for the format of the report will be described in assessment specifications similar in detail to those published for NZ Scholarship Technology. New Zealand Scholarship Technology » NZQA Assessment specifications for all NZQA external assessments are published in November of the year preceding the external assessment.

Draft detail plan:

In summary candidates will be required to produce a report on their study and/or investigation of an aspect of Physical Education at Level 8 of the New Zealand Curriculum. The report must integrate key concepts of planning, implementation and evaluation across the Health and Physical Education curriculum and must satisfy the requirements of the NZ Scholarship Performance Standard for Physical Education.

Assessment Specifications published in December 2014 will detail the format for the report. The report will be able to be submitted either electronically or in hard copy. There will be page limit of 30 A4 pages or equivalent for electronic submission. Digital submission or support documentation can be on DVD or CD.

The report will be marked against criteria derived directly from the standard. The judgement statement used for marking in 2013 could provide a basis for a new schedule. (New Zealand Scholarship Physical Education » NZQA) A draft schedule for marking the report will be published on the NZQA website at the end of 2014.

Examples of possible report topics include:

A comparative evaluation of two programmes to improve personal performance. At least one of these programmes must have been planned and implemented by the student.

A comparative evaluation of policies/initiatives to increase/maintain high levels of physical activity into future years. At least one initiative must have been developed or implemented by the student.

The planning, implementation and critical evaluation of a programme of learning or experience designed to improve performance and/or understanding. As examples, this could be related to an outdoor education expedition or coaching a team.

3

The development, implementation and critical evaluation of a training programme designed to improve fitness levels required to meet specified goals.

A comparative evaluation of two major sporting events and the lasting impact on individuals and society. An extended critical evaluation of the sociological context in which an activity is undertaken by the student. A critical examination and evaluation of issues associated with physical activity and

Note: These examples are not intended to be limiting. Students and their teachers would work together to develop individual report topics based on outcomes from The New Zealand Curriculum, and relevant contexts.

Consultation and feedback

Please provide any comments on the above proposal in writing to:

Jennifer MackrellNational Assessment Facilitator (Physical Education)Secondary Examinations TeamAssessment DivisionNZQA

Email: examinations@nzqa.govt.nz with PE Scholarship in the subject line.

4