How Knec administers CBC tests to learners with special needs

How Knec administers CBC tests to learners with special needs

How Knec administers CBC tests to learners with special needs

There are two ways to implement the Competency Based Curriculum for learners with Special Needs: an age-based pathway and a stage-based pathway.

The Kenya National Examination Council states that learners with moderate conditions, hearing, vision, or physical impairments follow the age-based pathway, which is comparable to the standard curriculum of 2-6-3-3.

Conversely, the stage-based pathway is intended for learners with severe and intellectual disabilities, according to Anne Ngatia, deputy director of the Knec Research Innovation and Educational Assessment Resource Center.

According to her, the stage-based way follows the standard curriculum’s four levels.

The foundational level is the first.

According to Ngatia, learners are categorized at this level based on how severe their disabilities are.

“At the foundational, or entry-level, level, teachers ensure that students possess fundamental communication and hygiene skills. A student gets advanced to the intermediate level if they have previously attained that, whether at home or somewhere else, according to Ngatia.

Age is not really a factor for the stage-based learners as one can be 15 years and still not have acquired communication, numeracy and hygiene skills.  

“We tend not to talk of their age because you find that they are there because of their disabilities until they acquire skills prescribed for that level,” she said.

In terms of assessments, the Knec official said the learners are assessed  when they are ready and not on a planned schedule like the normal curriculum.

The two curriculums can not be compared as the age-based learners are moving on a regulated programme from year to year, while the stage-based learners are progressing individually depending on the skills acquired. 

“We don’t programme stage-based learners that they must sit for assessments at the end of the term or year. We allow them to sit when they are ready. They don’t move en masse. The teachers will present those who are ready,” she said. 

Considering the nature of their disabilities, Ngatia said Knec decided to make their assessments performance-based. 

She said this cadre of learners has no written assessment. 

“This means that they perform a task as the teacher observes and marks. They can be told to demonstrate some aspects of hygiene or they are identifying their own clothes. We call it performance or practical-based assessment,” Ngatia said. 

She said the teacher uses a score guide as they observe the learner to grade their performance. 

Just like the age-based/normal pathway, Ngatia said the stage-based pathway will also have formative and summative assessments which will be combined for grading. 

But with the stage-based pathway, she said the summative tests are done once a learner is ready to exit that particular learning stage. 

At the foundational level, this cadre of learner will  sit for the Kenya Foundational Level Education Assessment as the summative test once ready to proceed to the next level. 

Seven learning areas are covered in the formative/school assessment at the second level, which is known as the intermediate level.

When they are prepared to move on to the next level, learners at this second level will take the Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment.

Pre-vocational level is level three.

“This level is predominantly skill-based because the learners here are introduced to pre-requisite skills in various vocational areas to enable them identify their abilities in a given field,” Ngatia said. 

“They begin to do beading, practicals related to woodwork and such. They are being introduced to various vocations so they may identify their interests.” 

Once a learner is ready to proceed to the last level, they sit for the summative Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment. 

The Knec official said the feedback from each of the assessments helps to determine progression to the next level. 

“But for this particular level (pre-vocational), the stage-based learner can proceed to the world of work. This is because there are those that can never go beyond this level. But for those who can, they can go to the highest level which is the vocational level,” Ngatia said. 

Ngatia stated that given the type of schoolwork this student has completed, it is unlikely that they will be able to attend a university.

As they will need to complete written papers and other prerequisite skills if they are required to attend university, our framework indicates that they will enter the workforce. They were using more hands-on training,” she remarked.

Once a learner has specialized in a skill that piques their interest, they advance to the Vocational Level, where they will take the Kenya Vocational Level Education Assessment.

Knec added that in order to meet the various needs of the students, the assessments will be differentiated.

As a result, different evaluation techniques and instruments are used depending on the needs of the students.

For example, the evaluation process for students with motor impairments will include activities that call for restricted movement and manipulation.

The focus of the examination for students with visual impairments will be manipulation-intensive tasks.

The evaluation will make full use of the senses of sight, hard of hearing abilities, and sign language for individuals with hearing impairments.

Autistic, deafblind and learners with multiple disabilities’ assessment will major on performance-based tasks. 

While gifted and talented learners will have assessments that come with complex tasks that are more demanding. 

Knec has also modified the assessment for special needs learners under the age-based pathway undertaking the normal curriculum.  

For learners with visual impairment, Knec said it has presented reading material in braille as well as giving the learners additional time in their assessments. 

Additionally, the students will receive training in task adaptation.

Knec stated that the evaluation materials will be offered in an expanded font for students with low eyesight.

Assessments for students with hearing impairments will be given in a language that is appropriate for them. Additionally, Knec will evaluate them in Kenya Sign Language.

Students with physical disabilities will receive additional time in addition to support as outlined in the functional assessment report.

For manipulative assignments like practical papers, the students will also receive hands-on guidance.

Additionally, their capacity to adjust to various jobs will be evaluated.

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