Graduation Assessments: Questions and Answers for Grade 10 students and Parents
For 2020-21:
- Grade 10 students will:
- Write the Numeracy and Literacy 10 assessments before graduation.
- There will also be a Literacy 12 assessment that current grade 10 students will write before graduation in their grade 12 year.
► What are the new literacy and numeracy graduation assessments?
They are two new provincial assessments required for graduation. They are broad-based measures of a student’s literacy and numeracy skills.
► What is the purpose of the new literacy and numeracy graduation assessments?
- They are a graduation requirement for all students.
- They provide system-level information on performance in the areas of literacy and numeracy.
- They help inform decision-making at all levels of the system (school, district, student, province).
► What do the new literacy and numeracy assessments measure?
The assessments measure foundational literacy and numeracy abilities that have been learned across multiple subjects. Within the new curriculum, students’ proficiency in literacy and numeracy is developed over the course of their education. The assessments will ask critical-thinking and problem-solving questions within relevant contexts and scenarios.
► What are the definitions of literacy and numeracy?
For the purpose of these new provincial assessments, literacy and numeracy are defined as follows:
Literacy is the ability and willingness to make meaning from text and express oneself in a variety of modes and for a variety of purposes. Literacy includes making connections, analyzing critically, comprehending, creating, and communicating.
Numeracy is the ability, willingness, and perseverance to interpret and apply mathematical understanding to solve problems in contextualized situations, and to analyze and communicate these solutions in ways relevant to the given context.
► How are the new literacy and numeracy assessments aligned with the new curricula?
Literacy and numeracy are foundational across all curriculum areas. The new assessments measure literacy and numeracy as applied in relevant scenarios and contexts.
► Will the new literacy and numeracy assessments be tied to a course?
No. Because these are broad-based measures, the assessments will not be tied to a course mark.
► What types of questions will be on the new literacy and numeracy assessments?
The assessments consist of both selected-response questions (e.g., multiple choice, sequencing) and constructed-response questions (e.g., written answer, problem-solving)
► When will students write the new assessments?
Students in grade 10 will be registered to write the literacy 10 and numeracy assessment in the quarter they are enrolled in math and English 10. If a student is currently taking a math and/or English course, they will write their assessment(s) in November during the week of November 2 – 6. Other sessions of the assessments are scheduled for January, April and June, in alignment with our quarters.
► How will the assessments be reported?
A student’s overall result will be reported on a four-category proficiency scale. Each category on the proficiency scale will have a corresponding description indicating what skills the student has demonstrated to attain that level.
► Do students need to attain a certain proficiency category to graduate?
No. Students are not required to reach a minimum proficiency category in order to graduate; however, they will be required to complete the assessment to graduate.
The intention is to allow students to demonstrate their “best level of proficiency,” which will be shown on their transcript, and thereby provide an additional piece of evidence of a student’s achievement.
Students can write the numeracy assessment up to 3 times before they graduate, if they want to improve their proficiency level. Information will be shared soon with respect to re-writing literacy assessments if students desire to.
► What information will show on the student’s transcript?
Student results on the literacy and numeracy assessments will appear as a stand-alone item on their transcript. It will be in the form of a numeric value from 1 – 4.
► How is assessment information used?
The results from these assessments will serve as one piece of evidence of a student’s achievement. The results will appear on student transcripts as a category on a proficiency scale.
The Province reviews and monitors student performance and the performance of groups of students. The results of the assessments are also used to provide information to citizens regarding the performance of BC students in key areas and to maintain public confidence in the education system.
Schools and districts may use the information from graduation assessments as an indicator of student performance in literacy and numeracy. They may also use the results for program planning, resource allocation, and monitoring trends in student achievement over time.
► Will the assessments affect scholarships?
Results of these assessments are not used to determine eligibility for scholarships.
