Karamu High School NCEA Policy
NCEA work and assessments occur from the beginning of year.
Assessment Standards for NCEA may be either:
Unit Standards - Assessed within the classroom (Internal)
OR Achievement Standards - Assessed within the classroom (Internal)
OR Assessed by End of Year Examination or Portfolio (External)
Both Unit Standards and Achievements gain credits towards NCEA.
Unit Standards are marked as Achieved or Not Achieved.
Achievement Standards are marked as Not Achieved, Achieved, Merit or Excellence.
The particular grade in Achievement Standards depends on the depth of the answer.
All Internally assessed work is marked by the class teacher, and moderated across all classes in that subject. A sample is also moderated by people appointed by NZQA to ensure that our marking is fair to the students.
Karamu NCEA Policy
The Karamu High School Policy is in the students' Diary. The Karamu High School NCEA Policy highlights two important issues:
(a) Meeting deadlines is ESSENTIAL and failure to meet them will mean the student will get Not Achieved.
(b) If there is a very good reason why the student cannot meet the deadline – then an Application for Extension is essential. This application must be made at least 2 days before the assessment is due.
(c) A student absent on the day of an assessment must provide satisfactory evidence eg Medical Certificate, note clearly outlining the reason for the absence. If it is possible the student will be given a chance to do the assessment.. However, some assessments such as Field trips, practical work, performances can only be done on the day set.
(d) If no satisfactory reason for an absence is provided the student will be given a Not Achieved for the assessment and given no chance for an assessment opportunity.
(e) Students will be entered into all assessments both Internal and External appropriate to their cours.
Requirements for NCEA for 2010
NCEA Level One
Requires students to have at least 80 Level One credits (or above) which MUST include 8 English credits and 8 Mathematics credits.
NCEA Level Two
Requires students to have at least 60 credits at Level Two and the other 20 credits can come from either Level One or Level Three.
NCEA Level Three
Requires the students to have at least 60 credits at Level Three and the other 20 credits can come from Level Two
Scholarship
Students who have demonstrated academic success, ie a number of Excellences in External
Achievement Standards at Level Two may be invited to enter one or more Scholarship exams where work is at a higher level of understanding than Level Three.
Merit and Excellence Endorsements
NCEA Level One, Two, or Three with Merit:
Requires that students have 50 or more credits at Merit and /or Excellence in a combination of Internal and External Achievement Standards.
NCEA Level One, Two, or Three with Excellence:
Requires that students have 50 or more credits at Excellence Level in a combination of Internal and External Achievement Standards.
NCEA Results
(a) Results for both Internal and External NCEA Standards will show on the student's result slip. This includes Not Achieved, Achieved, Merit and Excellence.
The consequences of this is that students who do not:
- hand in work on time
- follow Absence procedures for NCEA eg notes for Absences etc
- complete assessments
- come to school on the day of assessments
- do not meet the requirements of the Unit or Achievement Standards as required by NZQA and will be given a grade of Not Achieved. This grade will appear on their results.
(b) NZQA issues three types of Certificates of NCEA completion at each Level. These are: NCEA , NCEA with Merit, or NCEA with Excellence if a students satisfies the Endorsement criteria above,
Using NCEA Results in 2011
Returning to School next year:
To study a subject the following year – students will require at least 16 credits in a subject. A number of subjects also require success in particular External Standards.
Going to Work or on a Course
Employers are looking for Merits and Excellences and students show strive for these if at all possible.
EIT requirements:
Either: a Tertiary Entry (University Entrance)
or: NCEA Level Two gained in one year. Depending on the course of study.
Entry to a University or to Higher learning:-
- A number of Universities have changed their entry criteria for next year. Others are changing the following year.
- Students need to realise for entry to Auckland and Victoria University courses will be filled from the best students until course is filled
- Merits and Excellences will have increasing importance
- University Entrance while being essential to go to University will not be sufficient on its own. Students will require at a minimum NCEA Level 3
University Entrance
- A minimum of 14 credits at Level One Mathematics (or higher)
- A minimum of 4 Reading credits and 4 Writing credits at Level Two
- Three subjects with at least 14 credits in each at Level Three
and - A further one, or two subjects together, that will give at least 14 credits
Important information for Year 12 students
- Universities require Level 2 results when initial entries to Courses and Halls of Residence are made as insufficient NCEA Level 3 results are available in August
- A number of Universities offer academic and equity scholarships. These Scholarships are worth $3,000 - $4,000. An important criteria for these Scholarships is Merit and Excellence Endorsements from Year 12.
Characteristics of a Successful Student
- Have very few absences from class
- Are active learners who take academic work seriously
- Catch up on any work they miss
- Meet all assessment deadlines
- Prepare well for assessments
- Set goals to pass their Internal assessments with the best possible grade
- Want as many credits as they can get
- Aim for Merits and Excellences
- Do homework each night
- Keeps the hours of work well below 20 so they can cope with the requirements of their academic studies
