THE EVALUATION SYSTEMS IN THE SCHOOL LEAVING EXAMINATIONS OF STATE,CBSE,AND ICSC BOARDS

INTRODUCTION

                              Assessment refers to collecting information on the progress of learners’ learning using a variety of procedures, and evaluation refers to making judgments on the basis of the information collected. Primary enrolment rates in India are now close to universal. However, despite progress, attendance and retention rates are not close to universal, secondary enrolment rates and learning achievement levels are not satisfactory. Teaching for successful learning cannot occur without high quality assessment. Assessment, therefore, needs to be integrated with the process of teaching and learning. Assessment needs to be designed in such a manner that it becomes a powerful means of influencing the quality of what teachers teach and what learners learn.

In the Indian education system, the present trend in evaluation lays too much emphasis on scholastic aspects, ignoring co-scholastic ones. Memorization of facts is given precedence over abilities and skills involving higher mental operations such as problem solving and creative thinking. In effect, the real potential of the student is not assessed.

 The story of India‘s educational achievements is one of mixed success. On the down side, India has 22 per cent of the world‘s population but 46 per cent of the world‘s illiterates, and is home to a high proportion of the world‘s out-of-school children and youth (Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, March 2007).

On the positive side, it has made encouraging recent progress in raising schooling participation. While the base line of India‘s education pyramid may be weak, it has emerged as an important player in the worldwide information technology revolution on the back of remarkable numbers of well-educated computing and other graduates.

 Evaluation and assessment

According to Dr Kirti Kapur (21 Jul 08/IST 11:05) [2], Evaluation is the systematic determination of merit, worth and significance of something or someone and assessment is the process of gathering and analyzing specific information as part of an evaluation process. In the context of school education, evaluation stands for a structured process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting students‘ progress and achievement both in curricular and non-curricular areas. It involves taking into consideration factors like the content,

classroom processes and the growth of individual learners along with the appropriateness of the evaluation procedures. Assessment is also a means to provide constant feedback to the learner to make the course effective.

Assessment for improving learning in schools in India

Assessment which promotes learning is characterized by the fact that:

1. It is embedded in a view of teaching and learning of which it is an essential part;

2. It involves sharing learning goals with pupils;

3. It aims to help pupils to know and to recognize the standards they are aiming for;

4. It involves pupils in self-assessment;

5. It provides feedback which leads to pupils recognizing their next steps and how to take them; and

6. It is underpinned by confidence that every student can improve. It involves both teacher and pupils reviewing and reflecting on assessment data. (Assessment Reform Groups, 1999)

Portfolios which have long been a standard form of assessment can be defined as ―a purposeful collection of a student‘s works that exhibits to the student (and/ or others) the student‘s efforts, progress, or achievement in a given area‖ (Northwest Evaluation Association, 1991: 4, cited in Wolcott, 1998)

 Assessment in secondary School level of education

Secondary education

The National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986, has provided for environmental awareness, science and technology education, and for the introduction of traditional elements such as Yoga into the Indian secondary school systemSecondary education covers children between the ages of 14–18 which covers 88.5 million children according to the Census, 2001. However, enrolment figures show that only 31 million of these children were attending schools in 2001–02, which means that two-third of the population remained out of school

A significant feature of India's secondary school system is the emphasis on inclusion of the disadvantaged sections of the society. Professionals from established institutes are often called upon to support vocational training. Another feature of India's secondary school system is its emphasis on profession-based vocational training to help students attain skills for finding a vocation of his/her choosingA significant new feature has been the extension of SSA to secondary education in the form of the Madhyamik Shiksha AbhiyanA list of Boards and Councils is given in Table – 8.

A special Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) programme was started in 1974 with a focus on primary education But which was converted into Inclusive Education at the Secondary Stage Another notable special programme, the Kendriya Vidyalaya project, was started for the employees of the central government of India, who are distributed throughout the country. The government started the Kendriya Vidyalaya project in 1965 to provide uniform education in institutions following the same syllabus at the same pace regardless of the location to which the employee's family has been transferred.

A multilingual web portal on Primary Education is available with rich multimedia content for children with forums for discussion on Educational issues. India Development Gateway is a nationwide initiative that seeks to facilitate rural empowerment through the provision of responsive information, products and services in local languages.

Important extracts from the council regulations for ICSE examinations with regards to internal assessment

―If no marks, or the letters ‗AB‘ appear in the column entitled ‗Total Marks‘ against a candidate‘s name the result of the subject will be shown as ‗Absent‘ when the results of the examination as a whole are issued irrespective of whether or not the candidate appeared and obtained a result in the written paper‖. Thus, if the projects are not submitted on or before the last date as per school directive the student will be treated as absent as in the case of any external paper for which the student does not appear. The Marks for internal assessment for such cases will be entered AB in keeping with the guidelines of the Council.

Internal assessment for class IX & X based on CISCE guidelines

In the column of the mark sheet(s) entitled ‗Total Marks‘ the results of each candidate in SUPW should be given in terms of a grade, namely A, B, C, D or E based on the five point scale as follows:

Five point grading system based on council of ISCE guidelines  Grade               Standards
A                    Very Good
B                    Good
C                     Fair
D                     Satisfactory
E                     Unsatisfactory

ICSE Marking Scheme:
The marking scheme of ICSE - Class 10 is given below:
Group1 is Compulsory for all Students may select any 2 subjects from group 2 and any 1 subject from group 3.

For obtaining ICSE certificate, one has to appear for 7 subjects, out of which pass marks will have to be obtained in 5 subjects. Pass marks for each subject is 35%.

HOW CBSE’S GRADING SYSTEM WORK

 All students have been awarded grades, not marks The practice of declaring  Compartment/Fail has been discontinued The result of candidates is now declared in two cate¬gories: Eligible for qualifying certificate (QUAL) and Eligible for improvement of performance (EIOP) All candidates, even if they have failed in all subjects will now have five chances to improve their performance without having to repeat a year.

 THE NEW ORDER 
With Board exams being made optional from the academic year 2010-11, a new system of evaluation – Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) – based on grades has been approved. It comprises formative and summative assessment of the student to be done over two terms – first and second -during the year-long academic calendar.

Summative Assessment: Based on the term-end examination
There will be two evaluations each in the first and second terms. The first term-end exam will carry 20 marks. The second term-end exam will carry 40 marks.

Formative Assessment: To evaluate and grade class work, homework, assignment and project work  there will be one term-end exam for each term. Each evaluation will carry 10 marks apiece.

EVALUATION 
Students of class IX and X will be evaluated on a 9-point grading system. Each grade, given on the basis of both formative and summative assessments, will correspond to a range of marks as indicated below: 

MARKS RANGE                          GRADE                                             GRADE POINT

  91-100                                            A1                                                                   10.0

  81 -90                                             A2                                                                     9.0

  71 -80                                             B1                                                                     8.0

  61-70                                              B2                                                                     7.0

  51 -60                                             C1                                                                     6.0

  41 -50                                             C2                                                                     5.0

  33-40                                               D                                                                      4.0

 21-32                                             E1

 00-20                                             E2

In Indian society education plays a very important role. A person is judged by the education he/she has. As India is known for the diversity in its culture a lot of diversity can also be found in the INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM.

In India many number of boards co exist in the education system. Each board has its own criteria to judge students' capabilities. Some board judge student on behalf of knowledge whereas the other board judge student by applying new system for marking etc.
 
The different board which are there in India are CBSE, ICSE, RAJ board, SSC board and many more state boards. The different marking Schemes are:

1. Grading System
2. Best of 5 System
3. Percentage System
4. Percentile System

 
Grading system consists of the marking scheme in which students are given grade depending upon the marks they have obtained in the examinations. Similarly the other system also evaluates the student performance in exams but they provide percentage of the marks obtain in the exams or they do cumulative grading system.

The basic difference comes in the new system like Best Of Five. In this system a student is allowed to give exams of 5-6 subjects depending upon the board but the ultimate fate of student is decided on the basis of the marks scored in the five subjects only.

Use of so many marking schemes puts student in dilemma. The student is unable to understand the advantage or disadvantage of the above system till the results are declared.

Following the US model, the implementation of the grading system is to bring in more practical education than the current theoretical method.

Awarding of grades has a number of advantages over awarding of numerical marks. It considerably reduces examiner's changing moods while assessing one student after the other. It also takes care of imperfection of tools used for assessment. Statistical research in assessment techniques indicates that there is a possibility of variation of scores awarded to individuals to the extent of 5% to 15%. Putting students of similar potential in same grades automatically takes care of all the shortcomings in assessment techniques. Lastly, it will reduce undesired and unsound comparison of small difference of marks.

Some feel that the Indian education system has taken a step forward towards reviving the education system with the introduction of grading system in session 2009-10. It will help in reducing the pressure on students during exams.

As per reports, every day more than 17 students aged between 15-25 years commit suicide in India due to non-performance in the examination or an entrance test. Watching young children of the country succumbing to the undue pressure of scoring high marks is horrifying. 

Further, this often causes health hazard such as fatigue, body aches, eye weakness, stress and in more severe cases, depression.

Thus, the implementation of a grading system and abolition of board exams is really a boon for students.

Students will be evaluated on a 9-point grading system, which will diminish the difference between a student scoring 99% and one scoring 91%. Both students will get the A+ grade. To make the grading system a success, parents and teachers need to acknowledge children's special assets and encourage them to pursue that.

 Central board of secondary education (CBSE) new grading and assessment system

The Central Board of Secondary Education is shortly going to introduce its new grading and assessment system. The system will be helpful to schools to get rid of rote learning. The following are the details of this system.

The academic session

Each academic session in Class IX and X will comprise two terms and students will have two term-end exams called summative assessments. The CBSE provides a question bank to schools, from which they then prepare their question papers for the term-end exam and evaluate papers internally. Continuous evaluation will take place through formative assessment and will comprise class work, homework, oral questions and quizzes, projects and assignments. ―There are four formative assessments in one academic session carrying 40 per cent weightage‖.

A continuous process

Continuous and comprehensive evaluation will not only take into account the academic performance of a child but also focus on scholastic and co-scholastic activities. Scholastic areas would include work experience, art education, general knowledge and computer science. The bigger challenge would be grading students on thinking and emotional skills, attitude towards teachers, schoolmates and public property. The development in the creative skills like debate, creative writing, recitation, drawing etc. is also assessed.

The grading system

The marks given in exams will be replaced by grades. Although Class X students will have a Board exam this year, they will be graded and not marked. (See box above). However, a student can find out his/her percentile, but it will not be recorded on the report card.

Exam-on-demand

The CBSE will conduct an exam on-demand for Class X students who want to sit for a Class X final exam. According to formal HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, the test can be taken and the student will be given a CBSE certificate in case he/she wants to go to another school or join pre-university. The student can choose from a number of dates on which the exam will be held. The pattern will be the same as in SAT. Online and offline exams will be available and the question paper will be different for each student.

Moving out of system

In states where the CBSE schools run up to class X, students who have to enter pre-university can ask the board for marks. For instance, in Maharashtra, many CBSE students prefer to opt for pre-university after Class X since it makes it easier for them to get admission into undergraduate courses. If a student wants to switch to the state board system, the system will provide the original marks in terms of numbers.

Cumulative grade point average (CGPA): a new system in CBSE schools

Following reservations expressed by various schools over the Class XI admissions from this session, CBSE is planning a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) system to help schools.

Under the system, average grades obtained by students in each subject will be considered while allocating them different streams in Class XI.

With grades replacing marks from this year in Class X, schools are uncertain about the admission criteria to be followed for Class XI. Schools believe that grades will make allocation of streams in Class XI difficult as a large number of students will have the same grade.

With CBSE planning to introduce the CGPA system, schools can heave a sigh of relief. CBSE chairperson Vineet Joshi said, ―We will come up with detailed guidelines for schools by March end. Our guidelines will clarify how to break a tie. It is a pilot test and we hope it will work well.‖

The CBSE will soon be issuing an advisory to all affiliated schools. Up until last year, schools would allocate streams to students based on pre-Board results or on the basis of a test that they would conduct after Class X. The CBSE will award grades on a nine-point scale to ―indicate subject-wise performance‖. Students scoring A1 grade will be given 9 points, a student getting grade A2 will get 8 points and so on.

R K Sharma, principal of Ahlcon Public School, said―Schools can calculate average grade points in all subjects. For admission in the Science stream, a school can take the average of grade points in Mathematics, Science and English.

Centre for assessment, evaluation and research (CAER) in CBSE

CBSE has decided to establish a Centre to develop international capabilities and resources for its Schools and Teachers. The Centre will establish best practices in school-based assessment, entrance examinations, conduct research into policies and programmes that can improve teaching quality and strengthen student learning. These policy programmes might include adapting, developing assessments and related resources, defining assessment frameworks, professional learning, teacher evaluation, professional recruitment amongst many other issues.

The Centre will create research capability and assessment resources of international quality. Through diagnostic testing it will establish a system to provide input to CBSE regarding student learning as well as providing professional development and leadership training. The Centre will also conduct research into policies and programmes that can improve student learning and teaching quality.

The Centre will be developed using a three-year phased approach and it is expected that it will be a well-established self-sustaining institute by the end of this period. Resources created or research undertaken in any work of the institute will use as a foundation the National Curriculum Framework of NCERT and the CCE guidelines.

C C E grading system of CBSE

The new order

With Board exams being made optional from the academic year 2010-11, a new system of evaluation – Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) – based on grades has been approved. It comprises formative and summative assessment of the student to be done over two terms – first and second - during the year-long academic calendar.

 Summative Assessment and Formative Assessment

Summative Assessment: Based on the term-end examination	Formative Assessment: To evaluate and grade class work, homework, assignment and project work
1) There will be two evaluations each in the	1) There will be one term-end exam for each
first and second terms. 2) Each evaluation will carry 10 marks apiece.	term. 2) The first term-end exam will carry 20 marks. 3) The second term-end exam will carry 40 marks.

How CBSE‘S new grading system will work

1. All students will be awarded grades, not marks.

2. The practice of declaring Compartment/Fail has been discontinued.

3. The result of candidates is now declared in two categories: Eligible for qualifying certificate (QUAL) and Eligible for improvement of performance (EIOP).

4. All candidates, even if they have failed in all subjects will now have five chances to improve their performance without having to repeat a year.

Evaluation

Students of class IX and X will be evaluated on a 9-point grading system. Each grade, given on the basis of both formative and summative assessments, will correspond to a range of marks as indicated below:

New Grading System of CBSE MARKS

The nine point grading scale for measuring Scholastic achievements is reproduced below: - 

Marks Range	Grade	Grade point
91-100	A1	10.0
81-90	A2	9.0
71-80	B1	8.0
61-70	B2	7.0
51-60	C1	6.0
41-50	C2	5.0
33-40	D	4.0
21-32	E1	C
00-20	E2	C

Points to Remember:

(i) Assessment of theory/practical papers in external subjects shall be in numerical scores. In addition to numerical scores, the Board shall indicate grades in the mark sheets issued to the candidates in case of subjects of external examinations. In case of internal assessment subjects, only grades shall be shown.

(ii) Subjects of internal examination in Class X the assessment shall be made on a five point scale i.e. A, B, C, and D & E.

(iii) The grades shall be derived from scores in case of subjects of external examination. In case of subjects of internal assessment, they shall be awarded by the schools.

(iv) The qualifying marks in each subject of external examination shall be 33%. However at Senior School Certificate Examination, in a subject involving practical work, a candidate must obtain 33% marks  

in the theory and 33% marks in the practical separately in addition to 33% marks in aggregate, in order to qualify in that subject.

Important:

(a) In case of a tie, all the students getting the same score will get the same grade. If the number of students at a score point needs to be divided into two segments, the smaller segment will go with the larger.

(b) Method of grading will be used in subjects where the number of candidates who have passed is more than 500.

(c) In respect of subjects where total number of candidates passing in a subject is less than 500, the grading would be adopted on the pattern of grading and distribution in other similar subjects.

Kerala Secondary Education Examination Board
KSEB 10th class examinations were successfully laid down as per the scheduled time table. Approximately 5 lakh students have participated for academic examinations of 10th class / SSLC (Secondary School Leaving Certificate) Examinations 2016 in the state of Kerala. The Examinations were conducted at various affiliated schools of KSEB Board.The students have prepared well for the examinations and given their best to score high marks in the board examinations of SSLC. All the students are now anxiously searching on the internet to know the Kerala 10th Class Results Date 2016. As per the latest updates from Kerala News channels and news papers the Kerala SSLC class results are to be announced shortly. The KSEB Board continually announces the 10th class results in the month of May. According to information we got, the Kerala Board is going to announce the results in 3rd week of May (Tentatively). Thus students wait for couple of more days to know the definite date. When the board reveals the official results date we will be intimating the most recent updates here. Students can check the result, marks and grade from the official portal of UP Board, www.keralaresults.nic.in. The KSEB Board is going to display the marks scored in each subject, grade obtained by the candidates can other information. Students aspiring to check their results can visit the official website often for more information.
From 2005 Grading System which is being introduced to replace the mark and rank system followed hitherto. The grading system has several dimensions. It has been described as a major initiative of the State Government in the area of general education. The system followed for decades has been one of awarding marks and categorising students on the basis of their performance in the SSLC examination.

Candidates securing more than 80 per cent marks were considered a privileged lot, for they came under the `Distinction' category. Those scoring 60 per cent and above were placed in the `First Class' and students with marks in the 50 to 59 per cent range, in the `Second Class'. All the others declared to have passed the examination were in the `Third Class' category. And then there were the less fortunate students for whom the SSLC mark list would bear the `Failed' seal. However, out of over five lakh candidates who used to appear for the SSLC examination year after year, only a handful hogged the limelight; the ones securing the top ranks stealing the show.

There had been highly intense competition for securing the first three slots and in most cases, the difference between the first and second or the second and third rank would be just one or two marks.

The system of ranking was believed to cause a lot of tension for the students and undue anxiety for their parents and school authorities. Losing a position at the top by a narrow margin of one or two marks would be the most disastrous event ever to happen in the life of a 15-year-old child.

With schools competing among each other for maximum ranks and 100 per cent pass, the result of the SSLC examination used to have an aura around it. However, the competition, especially among the private schools, most often exceeded all limits on account of the fact that the result of the SSLC examination was the prime factor that contributed to the prestige of the institution.

The anxiety, the agony and the ecstasy are all gone this time, with the introduction of the grading system. The method of ranking the candidates has been done away with and more importantly, the system of classifying them as `passed' or `failed' will no more be there.

Instead, there will be nine grades by which all those who had appeared in the SSLC examination will be covered. Those securing 90 to 100 per cent marks in a particular subject will be awarded the `A+' grade and students scoring 30 to 39 per cent, the `D+', grade. Then there are the D and E grades for those who score still less marks. Only those who secure `D+' and above grades in all the 13 papers will be eligible for higher studies.

CONCLUSION

In a rapidly changing world, the education system in India is re-shaping and refreshing itself day by day. The most sensitive part of curriculum change is change in the Assessment and Evaluation system. For quality assurance and for maintaining public confidence, links with authorities like International Assessments for Indian Schools and distinguished foreign institutions are thought to be vital. The Government of the Republic of India through the Ministry of Human Resource Development is the controlling authority of the assessment systems and procedures. The Educational Boards and Councils in different states and union territories are applying their own strategies to assess and evaluate the learners keeping a similarity with the standard and norms as used in CBSE, ICSE and State. A number of national levels Councils NCTE, IMC, AICTE, NCERT etc. are also directly involved in this system. It seems that assessment will continue to be a contentious issue and Indian students will continue to take part in the national and international tests. The key factor for the system and the educational institutions is to establish equilibrium between measuring and assessing achievements and the practical consequences on the teaching -learning process. Because the educated members of the élite society are no longer of the opinion that the learners should be accessed through global standard norms and criteria, some Universities and Academic Institutions of national and international reputation are introducing their own admission tests.

REFERENCE

(1)    APJEM

Arth Praband􀅚: A Journal of Economics and Management

Vol.2 Issue 2 February 2013, ISSN 2278‐0629

Pinnacle Research Journals 23

http://www.pinnaclejournals.com

STUDENT ASSESSMENT SYSTEM AT SECONDARY LEVEL –

A CRITIQUE

DR. PURNA PRABHAKAR NANDAMURI*; DR. K. V. RAO**

(2)   SSLC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.html

(3)   Kerala State Education Board - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.html

(4)   Educational assessment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.html