JSS Professional Documents

Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes

The following QA measures SHALL be applied in assessment at JSS and Pre-Vocational levels.

5.14.1 Assessment Timetables

KNEC in collaboration with MoE SHALL plan and conduct all the assessments within a particular year within the set term dates. This includes decisions on the number and estimated cost of the assessments.  

Monitoring of School Based Assessments in Junior Secondary

• KNEC SHALL provide guidance to teachers on the conduct, scoring (to ensure objectivity) and interpretation of scoring guides and rubrics with regard to performance of assessment tasks. This includes the capturing of scores in the scores sheet and uploading of scores in the KNEC website.
• KNEC SHALL monitor and guide on the gaps resulting from learners scores that are yet to be captured in the system. Teachers will be advised appropriately.
• The feedback of monitoring SHALL be utilized by test developers for amendments in test development and curriculum interpretation (as necessary).

Provision of feedback for Continual Improvement

Two types of feedback SHALL be given about a learner’s performance in relation to learning goals, outcomes or tasks. This SHOULD be SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Feedback SHOULD also be constructive and meaningful aim at improving learning. In this regard, teachers WILL:

• Schedule feedback systematically, within the assessment process to inform teachers, parents, guardians and other stakeholders on performance levels, learners’ acquisition of competencies and values. This SHALL be reflected in the SYR assessment sheets, SBA reports, assessment tools such as projects, rubrics, portfolios and performance tasks score sheets.
• Informal feedback give spontaneously over the phone or physical conversation and during instruction as learners perform tasks, classwork or assignments. This will require the teacher to build rapport with learners, to encourage, coach or guide them.

Marking of Assessments

• KNEC WILL train teachers in the competency-based assessments, interpretation and use of scoring guides or rubrics to score learners’ work.
• KNEC WILL provide the same assessment criteria to all teachers across the country. This will be achieved by making available identical scoring guides to teachers for marking the SBA.

      (ii)  Teachers will score the learners as guided by the scoring guide.

  Validation of Assessment Results in Junior Secondary

• KNEC will anchor all assessments for any Grade on the KICD curriculum designs for that grade.
• Subject officers will develop Tables of Specification, which will be used to weigh content from the designs and the various cognitive levels from taxonomies. This will ensure that the assessment tool is balanced in content and in cognitive levels.

Specific Roles and Responsibilities in Assessment of the JSE and Pre-vocational Level Curricula 

KNEC will engage stakeholder to effectively conduct meaningful assessment at JSS and Pre- vocational level. The following are identified to play key roles:

• KNEC SHALL develop standardised formative and summative assessment tools, policies and guidelines related to the conduct of assessments and reporting of learners’ performance, registration of learners for assessments and maintaining assessment data.
• Learners WILL undertake assessment by adhering to all the guidelines provided.
• Parents and guardians SHALL offer the necessary support to the learners and collaborate with the teacher and other stakeholders to ensure successful conduct of assessment.
• Principals SHALL support and guide teachers, learners and parents in assessment processes and enforce adherence to the laid down assessment regulations in the school.
• Teachers SHALL ensure that all learners undertake the assessment as expected and report the learners’ achievements effectively.
• MoE SHALL provide policy direction and quality assure all the processes related to the assessment.
• KICD SHALL be responsible for providing and reviewing the curriculum for quality instruction and improvement of curriculum delivery.
• Sub-County Directors and TSC SHALL be responsible for evaluating and reporting on the work of teachers and on the progress of instruction and assuring the quality and standards of instruction, learning and assessment in schools.
• CSOs SHALL be responsible for conducting action research within their zones to resolve pedagogical and assessment challenges as well as offering professional support to school heads and teachers. This will include providing continual advice on instruction and assessment techniques, appropriate textbooks, lesson demonstrations and the challenges observed during assessments.

Learner Support Programmes in Junior Secondary-JSS

Junior Secondary Integrated Science Curriculum