CXC Examiner May 2012 - Caribbean Examinations Council

The Caribbean ExaminerCPEA TestimonialsCXC NewsP3342Teachers’ Views50india44Students’ Views46Parents’ Views5247Principals’ Views48PTA’s View5649 Officers’ ViewsP58586466Dr Gopeesingh:CXC – Region’sStrongest BondTop Awardees areFuture CaribbeanLeadersVote of ThanksCXC Top Awardees’TNT ExperienceNew Staff LikingCXC’s VisionBusiness Subjects‘Pay’ Dividendsin January SittingTNT Experience !ABOUTTHE COVERThirty-three yearsafter entering theglobal examinationslandscape, CXC’squalificationsare recognised inall corners of theearth. Caribbeanstudents cantherefore use theirCXC qualificationsto matriculate intotertiary educationprogrammes aroundthe world withconfidence.THE CARIBBEAN EXAMINER is a publication of the CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL © (CXC)Editor-In-Chief: Dr Didacus Jules • Editor: Cleveland Sam • Line Editors: Maureen Grazette, CYNDRARAMSUNDAR, Marcelda Auguste and Dr Sandra Robinson Please send your comments to: THE CARIBBEANEXAMINER, CXC, THE GARRISON, ST MICHAEL, BARBADOS Website: www.CXC.org • E-mail: CXCezo@CXC.org • ISSN 2071-9019www.cxc.org MAY 2012 5

The Caribbean ExaminerCXC offered its first examinations in 1979 for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate,CSEC, commonly called CXCs by most people. Thirty-three years later, CXC offers a suite offive qualifications: CAPE, CSEC, CVQ, CCSLC and CPEA. This section looks at each of thequalifications.CAPE®The Post-SecondaryAdvantageBy Cherryl StephensThrough the Caribbean AdvancedProficiency Examination (CAPE), the CaribbeanExaminations Council (CXC) and its stakeholdershave created a post-secondary system thatis seamless, inclusive, democratic, sociallyresponsible, developmentally focused andinternationally recognised.By 1979, the Chairman of Council confirmedthat the Caribbean Secondary EducationCertificate (CSEC) had been successfullylaunched and that the time had come for CXCto lead the region in creating an alternative to theA’ Level examination. This would complete thedismantling of the colonial system of educationin the region. Caribbean education would thenbe owned and controlled from pre-school touniversity, by Caribbean people.By 1988, through an extensive process ofcollaboration between CXC staff, representativesof The University of the West Indies, othertertiary institutions and ministries of education,the central concept of the CAPE framework wasdeveloped.It was clear from the very beginning thatthe Council was not just about to replace oneexamination (Cambridge or London) withanother examination (Caribbean). It was to bea new developmental model which emphasisedpost ‘O’ level certification rather than replicating‘A’ level examinations in the Caribbean. Thesocial, cultural and economic benefits to theregion and its communities were to be substantial.It would give the Caribbean an enormous socialand economic advantage in a knowledge-basedsociety in which a post-secondary educationhad become essential for the vast majority ofindividuals and should be everyone’s birthright.To seize this opportunity would require change;indeed, some significant changes. CXC created anintegrated, student-focused system that offeredstudents a fully integrated, seamless systemthat was accessible, inclusive, affordable, and ofhigh quality. This system afforded students withvaluable academic experience to gain access tomost colleges and universities.The new post-secondary system thatemerged has turned out to be a truly integratedsystem, with strong co-ordination mechanismto avoid unnecessary duplication and to ensureresources are used efficiently. In reality, it isa system that provides the Caribbean with astrategic advantage in the area of post-secondaryeducation.Indeed, the Council was able to break newground on the education landscape of the world.CAPE emerged as a regional examination withfull equivalence in standard to the ‘Advanced’ levelexaminations but was different in philosophy andstructure. It encompassed current arrangementsin sixth forms and articulated with programmesof community colleges and universities acrossthe region. It brought together academic, andtechnical and vocational courses of study withina single system of certification. The targetpopulation for the CAPE included persons whorequired certification for entry to regional andinternational universities, the job market andcertain professions with specific pre-requisites.It catered to mature and part-time students whowished to further their education or acquiremarketable skills, as well as persons seekingto benefit from opportunities for continuingeducation and personal development.CAPE is accessible and flexible and offerscertification for diverse populations with differentdestinations. This means that every Caribbeancitizen has the opportunity to pursue learningin the field of his or her choice, consistent withthe needs and opportunities available within the8 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerCXC in the CloudsCSEC Comes of Age!By 1977 all five panels had preparedsample examinations in the required numberof papers (1 and 2 for English) and with theappropriate weightings for the profiles that hadbeen decided for the subjects. These papers wereused in selected schools as a test run in simulatedexamination conditions and they providedCXC with the opportunity to train the teamsof Chief Examiners, Examiners, and AssistantExaminers in the processes of standardisation,implementing the marking schemes, assessingrates of marking as well as all the administrativetasks of managing, circulating and keepingtrack of batches of scripts that were distributedto tables for marking. CXC had already invitedCambridge to visit and they must have been soimpressed with the CXC model that the paperscoming to the region from Cambridge a fewyears later mirrored the structure and format ofthe CXC papers.The numbers sitting the examinationsin the first year, 1979, were relatively smallcompared with the present. The marking of theEnglish ‘A’ examination, both Basic and Generalproficiencies was accommodated on the thirdfloor of the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, throughan arrangement negotiated by the enterprisingPro-Registrar. In those early years, some schoolsentered their fourth formers for the Basicexamination as a test run, we supposed, and theperformance at Basic was of a very high qualitycompared with later years when schools becamemuch more selective about the proficiency forwhich they enrolled students.So the lady has grown over the years. Somemay say ‘fat’ facetiously, but I would say, seriously,in both stature and sophistication. Thirty fivesubjects are now offered at CSEC compared withthe five in 1979 and now approximately 210,000candidates take English and Mathematicscompared with a little over 44,000 in ’79. In 1998CXC took a bold step to offer subjects for theCaribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination(CAPE) and today 44 Units in 24 subjects areoffered at that level.The sophistication is evident in the easewith which CXC has embraced informationtechnology and has integrated it into the fabric ofher outfit to improve efficiency of administrativeoperations, manage registrations, examinationsetting and all aspects of business. The websiteis a smorgasbord of links that take one to blogs,historical reviews, subject and people profiles,and clicks to the ever pervasive social media thatwoo students to explore and learn.The organisation has certainly come a longway since the 1970s but the rigorous systems thatwere established then for developing syllabusesand creating exam papers still exist and havegiven currency to a brand that is distinctivelyCaribbean yet globally acknowledged.Professor Hazel Simmons-McDonald is a long-servingresource person for CXC. Sheserved on the first English‘A’ Panel and also as ChiefExaminer. She is a memberof the School ExaminationsCommittee and the Sub-Committee of the SchoolExaminations Committee(SUBSEC).www.cxc.org MAY 2012 11

The Caribbean ExaminerCCSLC: A Solid Foundationextensive consultation with education specialists,teachers, parents and other stakeholders.The CCSLC syllabuses, and the programmein general, subscribe to the principle ofCompetency-Based Education Training andAssessment or CBETA. CBETA places emphasison the practical demonstration of competenciesacquired. The CCSLC programme thereforefocuses on mastery of competencies andthe performance of clearly defined tasks.Assessment of competence is not based solely onknowledge, but more importantly on students’actual demonstration of competence. To thisend, teachers are asked to adopt innovativepedagogical approaches to their delivery ofinstruction. Didactic formal instruction toseated passive learners is eschewed in favour ofactivity-oriented, practical-based delivery thatencourages learners’ interaction, discovery anddemonstration of competence.Generic CompetenciesThe CCSLC programme also seeks to providea solid foundation towards the development ofgeneric competencies, considered essential forcoping with life’s challenges. Interwoven amongthe objectives of the programme are topics andcontent that place emphasis on the developmentof competencies that include:• Critical thinking• Problem-solving• Management of emotions• Working in groups• Conflict resolution• Dealing with diversity andchange• Social and citizenship skillsAttitudes and ValuesThe CCSLC programme also seeks toincorporate the attributes of the Ideal CaribbeanPerson as determined and articulated by theCaribbean Education Task Force (CTF) andadopted by the CARICOM Heads of Governmentat their 18 th Summit. The positive attitudesand values as delivered by the programmeare designed to improve learners’ perceptionof self, their relationship with others in theschool community and in society at large. Theseattitudes and values include:• a positive image of self, family,community, region and world;• respect for others irrespectiveof age, class, creed, gender,ethnicity, physical disability ornationality;• a dislike for violence in all itsforms;• a commitment to settle disputesthrough arbitration andreconciliation;• the capacity to understand thatindividual freedom is consonantwith the acceptance of personalresponsibility for one’s ownactions;• commitment to ethical and moralsocieties that recognise equalityof opportunity, freedom ofexpression and association, andthe right to fair judicial process.Subject-Specific CompetenciesSubject-specific competencies, linked to thecore syllabuses developed include:• Oral and written communicationskills• Mathematical literacy• Scientific literacy• Social and citizenship skills and• Foreign language literacyEligibility for the AwardThe CCSLC is awarded jointly by theCaribbean Examinations Council and Ministriesof Education in respective countries. A candidatewill be awarded the CCSLC certificate if he/she,over a period not exceeding five years after thefirst sitting, successfully completes five subjects:two of which are compulsory, namely CCSLCMathematics and English; three other subjectscan be selected from a group or combination ofgroups of subjects which include TVET Level 1programmes, CSEC Business Studies subjects,CSEC Creative and Expressive Arts, programmescertified by other boards, e.g. Royal School ofMusic and City and Guilds, and locally developedand certified enrichment programmes. Theprogramme is therefore very flexible and caters toa wide range of student abilities and interests.Support and TrainingCognizant of the need to provide continuedsupport to teachers delivering the CCSLCprogramme in secondary schools and otherinstitutions throughout the region, the Councilhas embarked on several initiatives designedto better apprise teachers, students and otherstakeholders about all aspects of the CCSLC. Tothis end, officers of the Council have been directlyengaged in facilitating teacher orientationworkshops, teacher training workshops andsite visits, each intended to inform teachersof syllabus content and objectives, suggestedmethodologies for instructional delivery,formative and summative assessment strategiesand recording and reporting requirements.During these visits, officers of CXC performquality assurance checks to ensure compliancewith stated syllabus and assessment requirements,discuss with teachers their responsibilities relatingto delivery of syllabus objectives, formative andsummative assessment, record keeping, and thestorage and reporting of summative assessmentsamples and scores.Gerard Phillip is anAssistant Registrar -Syllabus and CurriculumDevelopment Unit basedat CXC’s Western ZoneOffice in Jamaica. He isa former Panel Memberfor CSEC and CAPE ITsyllabuses.Visual Arts is one of the CSEC Creative Arts subjects which can count towards the CCSLCwww.cxc.org MAY 2012 13

The Caribbean ExaminerThe CVQ: Certifying the Region’s Skilled WorkforceThe students are exposed to the real world ofwork environment as they are transported to thefactory to obtain the practical training. Indeed thispractice can be replicated in any particular sectoras it would provide an opportunity to increase theskills of the workforce in the particular sector andby extension the region, which will not only satisfythe demand for skills but also lead to job creation.The advantage of such a programme extends wellbeyond the secondary school and the partneringindustry, as it will raise the bar for our workforce andcommunicates to other industries looking to grow orexpand. Implementation of the CVQ in partnershipwith industry would serve to maximise the region’sresources and indeed realise the vision of a highlycompetitive, skilled workforce for the region.In addition to alleviating skills shortages,implementation of the CVQ using the CBETapproach can assist in addressing issues related topoor work ethics. In addition to the knowledge andskills criteria, the occupational standards include thecritical employability skills or soft skills essentialfor the world of work. As such, candidates mustdemonstrate the acquisition and application of thesesoft skills before they can be deemed competent.The underlying philosophy employed in CBET isconstructivism. With this approach, facilitators arerequired to design instructional material that willencourage problem solving and critical thinking.As a region we must continue to develop ahighly skilled workforce as we cannot afford to lagbehind. The implementation of the CVQ withinCARICOM is a reform initiative that we muststrive to continually improve and to establish asan equally viable and robust qualification that isrecognised internationally. Within the CaribbeanCommunity, we have been able to establish a uniqueresponse to the pressures of the global environmentvia the CVQ. The onus is now on all stakeholdersto collaborate and ensure the development of thisskilled, certified and competitive workforce.Pauline Whiteman isManager, ProgrammeDevelopment andManagementDepartment, NationalTraining Agency inTrinidad and Tobago.ReferencesCARICOM: Strategies forSurvival, Development andProsperity, 1997.School management andEducational Certification forDevelopment and Accreditationof Key and Basic LabourCompetencies at the UpperSecondary Level, (Project SEDI/AICD/ AE – 183-03), Port ofSpain, Trinidad and Tobago:Hemispheric Project, 2005.Research and DevelopmentDepartment, NTATT: Joint NTA– TTMA Manufacturing SectorProject 2009, 2010.www.cxc.org MAY 2012 15

The Caribbean ExaminerCPEA: Pilot Progressingthe Grenada Ministry of Education at the designatedcentres. These sessions facilitated interactionwith all the Grade VI teachers and provided theopportunity for teachers to showcase some of thework that was completed for the school basedassessment. Generally, most teachers had eithercompleted the required tasks or were workingtowards completion. In a few instances, teacherswho had not started a particular component hadthe opportunity to discuss with the team whatchallenges were being encountered and how thesecould be overcome. A common observation fromthe consultation with teachers was the feeling ofbeing overwhelmed by the numerous tasks required.However, in many cases, it was noted that theteacher had indeed completed what was required,but was demanding extra effort from the pupilsto ensure the production of work of the highestpossible quality.The incorporation of can-do-skills as aregular component of the instructional processand the development of both the pupil and teachertests were areas requiring the most clarification.Although frequent opportunities occurred in theclassroom where pupils demonstrated competencein areas taught, teachers were not aware that suchactivities, as simple as they were, comprised thecan-do-skills. One area of concern by the visitingteams was the absence of record keeping anddocumentation of pupils’ performance. Althoughthe discussions revealed that teachers had givenpupils the opportunity to improve through regularfeedback, this was not reflected in the records keptby the teachers. Secondly, many teachers had to bereminded that all teacher developed tests should bebased on a table of specifications that would serveas a blue print for developing the tests.In spite of the challenges faced, it was evidentthat excellent work is being done in the classroomas revealed by the work produced by the students.Whether it was the detailed book reports, someof which were enhanced by the construction ofcollages, costumes or models of scenes depicted inthe stories; the projects which came alive throughthe charts, pictures and detailed reports or thewriting portfolios that documented the improvedwriting skills of the pupils, the consensus was thatall pupils involved in the CPEA are excited abouttheir learning experiences. Perhaps the greatestgain with respect to pupils was the opportunityto develop tests for their peers, a novel activity inmost schools. However, many of the teachers whoadmitted reluctance to allow their pupils to write testitems were surprised by the quality of the items andthe learning opportunities which emerged.Parental InvolvementOne of the principles on which the CPEAwas developed was the need for greater parentalinvolvement in the work of the school community.The CPEA team is pleased to report that at allconsultations which were planned for the parents,there was standing room only. In the initialMaureen Grazette, Measurement and EvaluationOfficer at CXC, making a point while in a meetingwith teachers at a school in AnguillaAcquiring scientific literacies is one ofthe learning outcomes of the CPEAmeetings, parents were continually remindedto become more involved in the work of theirchildren and by extension the school, through theprovision of resources, expertise and facilitatingstudy at home. Further consultations revealed thatparents had heeded this advice and were generallyeager to report that they in turn had seen increasedinterest in reading, the completion of research andheightened motivation by their children.ConclusionGenerally, the CXC team is satisfied thatthe requirements for the formative assessmentof the programme are being completed. Pupilshave grown through activities such as completingprojects, working with peers, presenting writtenand oral reports and engaging in reflection andself-assessment. While the work of the CXC teamcontinues by addressing the major areas of concernas well as on-going orientation in the pilot andother territories, the team is confident that thepupils currently preparing for examinations havebenefited from a diverse and unique programmewhich has prepared them for entry into the nextphase of education.Benita Byer is aMeasurement andEvaluation Officerin the ExaminationsDevelopment andProduction Divisionand is a member ofthe CPEA projectteam.www.cxc.org MAY 2012 17

The Caribbean ExaminerCXC Examination SystemUnderstandingIn many ways, CXC’s examination system is unique, robust and internationallyacclaimed. This section gives you an insider’s perspective on the system.Continuous AssessmentBy Desmond Broomes, PhDContinuous Assessment: Integrating keyconcepts into a cartesian spaceContinuous assessment is an approach toassessment which enables the teacher to use awide range of methods to gather informationabout learners from a variety of sources. Airasian(1996) having explored the research literature inassessment in the classroom, defined continuousassessment to include about seven criticalfeatures, namely:1. using a variety of assessment toolsranging from a quiz to a project,2. collec ting data, formally andinformally, from different and variedsources,3. spanning the cognitive, affectiveand psychomotor features of thelearners,4. conducting and sustaining teachinglearning-assessmentactivities overan extended period of time,5. mapping the growth and developmentof the persons being assessed,6. using and maintaining a holistic viewof the learner,7. employing formal as well as informalapproaches conducted by externaland internal agents (teachers andexaminers) and complementedby data collected and analysed bythe learners themselves; in orderto enable teachers to understandtheir students as learners, to planand monitor the learners’ academicachievement and to encourage theemergence of high self-concept andself-reliance among learners.Classroom teachers (and their collegetutors) have long assumed that there exists adynamic nexus among positive self-concept andself-reliance and academic achievement. Theassumption has been researched and maintainedby Brookover and associates about three decadesago (Brookover and Lezotte, 1979).Continuous assessment attempts to validatethis assumption as part and parcel of theclassroom environment. Teachers who attendedcourses at a teachers’ college have studied someof these features and have practised at least oneof them in a Caribbean classroom. The challenge,however, is to encourage teachers who work inclassrooms during the second decade of the 21 stcentury to link together four, five or six of thesefeatures that are associated with continuousassessment.Many advantages flow from continuousassessment as conceptualised in this articleand as defined by Airasian (1991). Four salientadvantages endorsed by teachers are:1. Continuous assessment involvesgathering data over a period of time,under a variety of conditions. Thus,it is reasonable to expect that a moreaccurate measure of the learner’scharacteristics will emerge.2. The way the data are collected playsa critical role in diagnosing andremediating the learner’s weaknessesand needs and ensuring that thelearner plays meaningful roles inunderstanding the nature of the“gap” and also in “feeding forward”to defining “what’s next?”3. Continuous assessment spans thelearner’s progress systematicallyand holistically, and enables theclassroom culture to motivate theemergence of certain desirablebehaviours among all students andtheir peers.4. A big advantage of continuousassessment derives from the centralrole of the teacher in a formativeassessment environment.Thinking ‘formative assessment’ as a majorcomponent or expression of what constitutescontinuous assessment encourages teacherparticipation in fusing together teaching,learning and assessment. It also guides teachersin constructing ‘feedback’ as skilful tools inmotivating learners to reach for the next level.For the teacher, the ‘next level’ requires a sensitiveunderstanding of how data may be interpretedand synthesised to define “feed forward” skills.Continuous assessment is integrated withteaching and learning in order to improve whatstudents learn and how they learn and to helpteachers reshape and redirect their teachingprocess, so as to1. give each student more responsibilityfor recognising the “gap” betweenwhat he/she has learnt and thegoals of the lesson as taught by theteacher; and also to define whatactivity the student (and the teacher)should engage next in order to closethe identified gap and go beyond thespecified goals.2. enable the teacher to redirect andreformat the teaching and theguidance by making use of newunderstanding of the nature of thetask and its interactions with thestudents.The assessment is continuous: it occursat various times as part and parcel of teachingand learning. It may occur at the beginningof the lesson, during the lesson, following thelesson. It may occur at the beginning of thetopic, during the presentation of the topic andat the end of the topic. Continuous assessmentas it occurs at various times provides regularand immediate information to the teacher andto the students about the teaching, the learning,and the achieving of the learning objectives andcontent. Most importantly, it allows for teachersand students to engage, within the classroomand among the students who reside in theclassrooms, in performance-based activitiesthat are difficult to assess under summativeassessment environments and artificial frames(as frequently observed in dull classrooms).Continuous assessment undergirds the modelthat emphasises formative assessment coupledwith a sensitive feedback methodology asadvocated in the Caribbean Primary ExitAssessment (CPEA) project launched by CXCin 2011.Most psychometricians extol authenticassessment as one golden way to ensure reliableand valid scores. Authentic assessment is said18 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerUnderstanding Continuous Assessmentto occur when the tasks to be engaged by thestudents are similar to tasks usually encounteredin the real world. Continuous assessment, byits definition and its procedures, stimulates theemergence of authentic assessments within aschool programme.Continuous assessment provides a way ofviewing assessment that integrates at least fiveperspectives of assessment. It emphasises theadvantages of viewing assessment activities as:1. formative along a formativesummativecontinuum of activities2. internal along an internal-externalcontinuum3. informal along an informal-formalcontinuum4. process along a process-productcontinuum, and also5. divergent along a divergentconvergentcontinuum.Brief defining statements of these modesof assessment should serve to convey a sense ofthe size and scope and structure of continuousassessment, as practised by CXC.1. Formative vs. summativeFormative assessment, designed toinform teachers about future teachingand students about future learning.Summative assessment, designedto produce a summary of what thestudent has learnt and can do withina domain usually specified by asyllabus.2. Internal vs. ExternalInternal assessment - where theassessment is done by someonewithin the school setting, usually theclassroom teacher.External assessment, where the tasksare devised and set by persons outsidethe school setting, sometimes by ateacher from another school.3. Informal vs. FormalInformal assessment - where theassessment is conducted most oftenduring the teaching-learning activitiescarried out daily in classrooms.Formal assessment-where theassessment is usually conducted as aset of discrete and highly structureddata-collection tasks; tasks are set tofit given specifications and to be donein a set time.4. Process vs. ProductProcess assessment - where theassessment is focused on what isbeing done in real time and usuallyrequire the presence of an examineror teacher.Product assessment where theassessment is focused on assessingwhat has been produced in the formof concrete, tangible objects to fitgiven criteria.5. Divergent vs. ConvergentDivergent assessment – where theresponses of the learners to tasks areexpected to span a range of answerswhose quality is to be judged by thenature of the analysis and soundnessof opinion. However, the responsesrequire highly trained marking skillsor at least sensible rubrics, flexiblyconstructed.Convergent assessment is aboutassessment which is generally easyto mark, by machines or by persons.Wherever knowledge or mere recallof facts is the primary concern,convergent assessment is valid andrapid.Continuous assessment is a unitary conceptintegrating the activities that are defined bythe three axes associated with the formativesummativecontinuum, informal-formalcontinuum and internal-external continuumactivities (see Figure 1).The space which this miniature symbol(see figure below) attempts to represent is thecartesian space of interest known as continuousassessment. Our senses and everyday experiencesenable us to form easy images of a 3-dimensionalspace. Nevertheless it seems more useful andsatisfying to think of the space of interestspanning as many as five dimensions, namely• Formative - summative• Internal - external• Informal - formal• Process - product• Divergent - convergentContinuous assessment is an on-goingassessment of all pupils throughout a Grade 5 orGrade 6 programme, for example. It involves theschool, teachers, students and teachers’ colleges.Its purposes are:1. a) encouraging studentinvolvement and motivationb) involving parents in the tasksdone by studentsc) encouraging parentalinvolvement at many levels2. a) monitoring and providingfeedback to students on theirprogressb) linking tasks done in school totasks done in homes and thecommunityFIGURE 1: Rectangular axes defining a continuous assessment spacewww.cxc.org MAY 2012 19

The Caribbean ExaminerUnderstanding Continuous Assessment3. helping in shaping the pupils’ futurelearning and career possibilities.Terminal assessment may beconceptualised as assessment thattakes place at the conclusion of aGrade 5 or Grade 6 programme (say).It involves CXC, teachers, students,parents.Concluding statementThe assessment scheme used by CXC at alllevels of examinations make use of School BasedAssessments (SBA). Over the years, the practicehas been well researched and validated by CXCand other examination boards (Broomes 1997,Harlen 2004).At an SBA workshop held in Barbadosduring 2011, Leona Emtage of CXC, havinganalysed the CSEC examination data for astratified sample of six schools over threeconsecutive years, began her presentation byasserting, “ a more complete picture of students’performance is obtained when teachers andstudents are meaningfully engaged in theassessment process” (Emtage, 2011). CXC hasmaintained that the benefits of SBA are thedirect consequences of exploiting formativeassessment methodology within the classroom,and of making a skillful use of feedback. Thisis also the major argument of the extensivework of Black and Wiliam in schools in the UK.(Black and Wiliam, 1998).Continuous assessment as explicated inthis article explored the benefits and advantagesof the key concepts of formative-summativeassessment and also informal-formal, internalexternal,divergent-convergent assessments,and boldly goes beyond the thinking of aspace within which all these key concepts areintegrated and used to initiate the young intothe ways of the “tribe” and to go beyond–deeper,further and higher.Under continuous assessment, asdeveloped in this article, assessment of thehighest standards emerges and is remarkable intwo dynamic ways:First and foremost, it seeks to attainprescribed learning outcomes whose critirialattributes have been communicated clearly andcontext-wise to all learners. (One solution relatesto the authenticity of the task, so to speak).Second, the process of the assessmentaffects the learning process, meta-cognitively,that is, for example, in learning how to learn, inbeing aware of one’s own learning strategies.Under continuous assessment, as describedin this article, those who design tests for useamong primary and secondary students have tobe more than mere crafters of multiple choiceitems even though the items comprehensivelyspan the test domains of interest and the realmsof meaning fit-for-purpose (See Phenix, 1964).Teachers as test designers must assume aresearch-oriented approach in order to coaxfrom the learners useful responses to:• What does the learner perceive?• How does the learner seek meaning?• What prior learning is of most worthto the learner?Continuous assessment is perceived asa unitary phenomenon integrating at leastthree major forms of assessment: formativesummative,informal-formal, and internalexternal– tended to emphasise the pay-offbenefits of achieving shared clarity amonglearners and teachers.Learners need to understand the criteria bywhich, how they learn and what they learn willbe judged as appropriate emerging standards.Teachers need to have a clear grasp of theemerging shape of the process and product oflearning; that is, what does learning look like asit grows and develops?These understandings by learner andteacher are shared and negotiated throughthe dialectical effects of assessment, especiallyformative assessment as conceived by Scrivenway back in 1967 (Scriven, 1967).We now know that this shared clarityassumes sharper dimensions and becomestellingly efficient through peer assessment andself assessment. McDonald, (2004) showed theremarkable transformation that occurred withinCXC classrooms and among CXC learnerswhen self assessment became the principalindependent variable in a teaching-learninghypothesis.Dr DesmondBroomes is one of theleading measurementexperts in theCaribbean. A formerUWI lecturer, DrBroomes is a specialconsultant to CXCon measurement andevaluation matters.ReferencesAirasian Peter (1996). Assessment in theClassroom. New York: McGraw-Hill.Black, Paul and Wiliam, Dylan (1998).Assessment and Classroom learning.Assessment in Education: Principles,Policy and Practice, 5 (11), 7-14.Brookover, W.B. and Lezotte,I.W. (1979). Changes in schoolcharacteristics coincident with changesin student achievement.Broomes, Desmond (1997). Practices,Problems and Potential of School-BasedAssessment – Barbados: CaribbeanExaminations Council.Emtage, Leona (2011) School-basedassessment organised under formativeassessment strategies. Slide showpresented at CXC workshop for Historyteachers. January 2011.Harlen, W. (2004) A systematic reviewof the evidence of the impact onstudents, teachers and the curriculumof the process of using assessment byteachers for summative purposes.Mc Donald, Betty (2004). Selfassessment and academic achievement.Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis. TheUniversity of the West Indies, Cave Hill,Barbados.Phenix, Philip H. (1964) Realmsof Meaning: A Philosophy of theCurriculum for General Education.New York: McGraw-Hill.Scriven, M (1967). The methodologyof evaluation in Tyler, R.W. et al. (eds).Prospectives of Curriculum Evaluation.Chicago; Rand McNally.20 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerCXC Examination SystemThe Caribbean Examinations Council(CXC) has been cited by a number of regionalleaders, policy makers and experts in the fieldof education as one of the significant successstories of the regional integration enterprise. Thepurpose of this article is to share with readers theviews of one “insider” at CXC on aspects of ourassessment policies and procedures that I amconvinced have contributed to CXC’s successto date. I will further suggest that these policiesand procedures play an integral part in the soundpsychometric practices that are the basis of thedevelopment, administration, marking andgrading of CXC’s examinations.The space delimited for this article does notpermit a detailed discussion of all of the featuresof the assessment provided by CXC so I will focuson three that, I believe, have contributed in nosmall measure to the respect that CXC has earnedthroughout the region and further afield. Thesethree features are CXC’s:1. Recognition of the teacher’s central rolein the assessment of students2. Strategy of using a variety of measurementtechniques or approaches to measure avariety of traits, cognitive abilities orskills3. Commitment to listen to the users of itssyllabuses and examinationsThe role of the teacherFrom its inception CXC has recognisedand embraced the classroom teacher as amajor partner in the assessment of candidatesregistering for its examination offerings. It iswidely accepted that CXC has made the term‘school-based assessment’ (SBA) part of theeveryday vocabulary in schools and householdsacross the region. What is not so well known isthat CXC has been a pioneer among examinationboards in this regard, implementing school-basedassessment and recognising its contribution tothe final grade of candidates well in advance ofother boards in the developed and developingcountries.School-based assessment providesclassroom teachers with a voice in 20 to 50 percent of their students’ final grades. Over the years,teachers’ ability to manage SBA has improvedand, while quality assurance continues to be amajor component of the marking activities eachyear, on the whole the consistency and fairnessof teachers’ marking are strong indicators of theprofessionalism and expertise that they bring tothis process.In its more recent initiatives, starting withthe Caribbean Certificate of Secondary LevelCompetence (CCSLC) and even more explicitlywith the Caribbean Primary Exit AssessmentSo, whatISso specialabout theassessmentprovidedby CXCBy Gordon Harewood, PhD(CPEA), CXC has been championing the use offormative assessment (assessment for learning)by classroom teachers. The CPEA is still in thepilot phase but initial data indicate its potentialto re-shape teaching and learning at primaryschool level.SBA gives the teachers (as well as parents)the opportunity to see the strengths andweaknesses of their children, and therefore,become an integral part of the teaching-learningprocess; this is by no means the only opportunityfor teachers to contribute to the CXC assessmentprocess. Practising teachers are also key membersof the panels that create the syllabuses; they writequestions that are used on CXC’s examinations;they provide feedback on our examinations aftereach administration and, of course, they mark theexamination scripts. To be sure, the relationshipis one that is mutually beneficial. CXC’s productsare enhanced by the contributions of the region’sbrightest and best teachers, while the teachersenjoy training and valuable practical experiencein syllabus design and assessment, in particularitem writing, preparation of mark schemesand scoring rubrics and, of course, training inmarking with the guidance of a standardised,carefully constructed mark scheme.Finally, discussion of the teachers’ role inassessment would be incomplete without pointingto the order of merit listing and the predictedgrades provided by teachers for their groups ofstudents writing the examinations. While theteachers’ predicted grades do not contribute tothe overall grades in the same way as the SBAscores do, the use of both predicted grades andSBA scores reflects CXC’s firm conviction that theclassroom teachers who have prepared studentsfor the examination are in the ideal position toassess their students’ achievement in relation tothe syllabuses defined by CXC.The value of the teachers’ order of meritrankings and predicted grades has beendemonstrated year after year in instances wherecandidates are affected by special circumstancesand for valid reasons are unable to completeall the components of the examination. Suchcandidates may be eligible for an assessed gradeand, if this is the case, the predicted grades andranking provided by the teacher are used asquality assurance check points against which theassessed grades may be compared to ensure thatevery candidate has been treated fairly after allthe available data have been taken into account.Using multiple methods to measure avariety of outcomesThe multitrait-multimethod approach(Campbell & Fiske, 1959) has a long anddistinguished history in social sciences researchas a tool for exploring construct validity. Inwww.cxc.org MAY 2012 21

The Caribbean ExaminerSo, what IS so special about the assessment provided by CXC?“What is not so well known is that CXC has been a pioneeramong examination boards in this regard, implementingschool-based assessment and recognising its contribution tothe final grade of candidates well in advance of other boards inthe developed and developing countries.”the context of the CSEC and CAPE assessmentprocedures, CXC uses multiple methods (multiplechoice questions, structured questions, extendedessay questions, oral exercises and SBA tasks) tomeasure a multiplicity of ‘sub-constructs’ (profiledimensions or modules) that make up the largerconstruct – the subject as defined by the CSEC orCAPE syllabus. In analysing examination data,it is thus possible to examine the ‘convergentvalidity’ (that is, the extent to which differentmethods of measuring achievement on thesame profile or module correlate highly amongthemselves) and ‘discriminant validity’ (theextent to which there is a weaker relationshipamong distinct profile dimensions as measuredby the same method). This approach providesCXC with the empirical data needed to assess theconstruct validity of our examinations.From the candidates’ perspective, the useof a variety of question formats provides themwith more than just one response mode todemonstrate what they know and can do. Inthis way, our assessment attempts to cater forthe variety of learning styles and intelligencespresent in the candidate population. Thisyields a more complete and accurate pictureof candidates’ performance, and for CXC, thisapproach provides strong empirical evidenceof the validity of its assessment procedures.Further, these data provide evidence to supportand justify the use of candidates’ performanceon one paper to predict or estimate performanceon another paper, should this become necessary.Again, this is vital evidence that may be used todefine procedures for treating in a fair mannerwith candidates who may be entitled to assessedgrades in accordance with approved criteria andconditions for the award of such grades.Commitment to listen and learnFeedback from teachers on examinationquestion papers has always been an integral partof CXC’s assessment procedures. At each sittingof the May – June examinations, questionnairesare administered to teachers soliciting theircomments on the question papers, while teacherswho are involved in the marking exercise alsoprovide valuable insight into how candidates haveinteracted with the questions they encounteredwhen they wrote the examination. Analysis ofthis feedback serves to inform marking teams’decisions on whether adjustments need tobe made to the mark schemes to ensure thatcandidates’ responses are dealt with in a fair andconsistent manner. This feedback also feeds intothe next round of paper setting, as examinationcommittees strive to continually improve andinnovate in the tasks created each year to measurecandidates’ achievement.It is important to note that the consultativeapproach and CXC’s use of feedback fromstakeholders are also integral aspects of thesyllabus development process. Teachers areincluded among the membership of syllabuspanels who create and revise syllabuses, anddraft syllabuses are always circulated to a widecross section of teachers, curriculum specialists,teacher educators, content experts and othercategories of stakeholders for review prior topublication and implementation.CXC also has available several otherchannels of communication through whichfeedback on its examinations and syllabuses maybe received. The reports of National Committees’are among the more traditional means of hearingfrom the professionals in Ministries of Education,subject associations and other groups in theparticipating territories. National Committeeshave been part and parcel of the examinationsfrom their introduction.In more recent times, however, CXC hasactively sought to open other channels, someface-to-face, such as town hall meetings, studentforums, stakeholders’ seminars, as well as otherswhich exploit up-to-date information andcommunication technology to receive commentsand questions and hear concerns and complaints.CXC now uses these means to provide theprompt, targeted responses which are expectedby teachers and students, especially in the timeperiod leading up to the examinations or tocritical examination-related deadlines. The CXCFacebook page plays a vital role in this regardthroughout the year, while the cry of “Put it on theportal” is one of the frequently used expressionsduring the marking exercises; the portal being theonline channel used by markers to, among otherthings, award (electronic) brickbats or bouquetsto CXC during that activity.ConclusionUltimately, the common goal of the threefeatures discussed is the desire to provideassessment that is not only of high psychometricquality, but that also recognises the importanceof the region’s teachers and students and isresponsive to their concerns. The fact that CXChas been doing this for over three decades and iscontinually seeking ways to do it better is one ofthe recurring themes of the CXC success story.ReferenceCampbell, D.T., & Fiske, D.W. (1959)Convergent and discriminant validationby the multitrait-multimethod matrix.Psychological Bulletin, 56, 81-105.Dr GordonHarewood is theSenior AssistantRegistrar,ExaminationsDevelopmentand ProductionDivision at CXC.www.cxc.org MAY 2012 23

The Caribbean ExaminerCXC Examination SystemCriterion-Referenced Testsas used by CXCBy Anthony Haynes, PhDIntended purposes: Why Use CriterionReferenced Tests (CRT)?Criterion-Referenced Tests (CRTs) wereintroduced and made popular in educational andassessment fields by Popham and Husek (1969)and Glaser (1963). A criterion-referenced testcan be described as one where the candidate’sperformance on the test is compared with anexternal criterion or standard of performancewithout regard to the distribution of scoresachieved by other candidates. In other words itis the performance on or mastery of the criteriathat matters, even if all the candidates obtainthe same score.There are various definitions of CRT butthe one which best describes CXC’s experienceis that given by Glaser and Nitko (1971, p. 653).They defined a CRT as one“..that is deliberately constructed so as toyield measurements that are directly interpretablein terms of specified performance standards....The performance standards are usually specifiedby defining some domain of tasks that thestudent should perform. Representative samplesof tasks from this domain are organised into atest. Measurements are taken and are used tomake a statement about the performance of eachindividual relative to that domain.”From its inception in 1972, CXC adoptedthe CRT model and used this approach when itsfirst examinations were administered in 1979.CRT was implemented since it provided themeans for reporting on students’ achievement inrelation to content, cognitive abilities and skillsthat are clearly defined in syllabuses developed byCXC and readily available to the public.In adopting the CRT model, CXC hasfocused on three main aspects: performancestandards, test development and certificationwhich involves the interpretation of the testscores.Performance Standards: SyllabusesCXC employs a consultative process forsyllabus development. Under the guidance ofsyllabus officers, subject panels prepare syllabusesfor the various subjects examined by CXC.The performance standards for a subject areclearly outlined in the respective syllabus. Therequired content and skills are arranged into units/content areas, profiles and specific objectives.Typically, three papers are administered ondifferent occasions. The various steps to enhancetest validity involve providing syllabuses withobjectives clearly defined, from which specificobjectives are targeted to create a table ofspecifications which is used to plan the test.The selected specific objectives are judged bythe examining committee to be important andrepresentative of the test domain. The test itemsare based on the specific objectives in the table ofspecifications. These items are written to fit thespecific objectives in the table of specifications aswell as the profile dimensions specified by eachobjective. The items are subsequently aligned tothe selected criterion grade levels. The specificobjectives in the syllabus are considered ascriteria to be achieved or skills to be masteredby the candidate. The critical question whichmust be answered to judge the level of masteryis: has a candidate demonstrated a given level ofcompetence, allowing the examiner to state, withsome degree of confidence, that the candidate hasachieved the minimum standard required for aparticular grade?24 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerCriterion-Referenced Tests as used by CXCFrom its inception in 1972, CXC adopted theCRT model and used this approach when itsfirst examinations were administered in 1979.Test Development:Selection of Test ContentThe use of expert judgements is one of theother techniques utilised by CXC in its CRTmodel. The examining committees regard contentvalidity highly and seek to ensure that the testcontent adequately represents the content domainand the items adequately reflect the construct.When setting standards or cut-off scoresfor each grade, the examiners are primarilyconcerned with whether or not candidates havereached established levels of mastery. Theycompare candidates’ performance, not with othercandidates in the group, but with the pre-setstandard judged to be adequate for the award ofparticular grades.They also ensure that the items whichmake up the entire examination consist ofa representative sample of the criterion (orspecific objectives) chosen from the syllabus.This process begins with the development of atable of specifications which shows the relativeweights of each selected objective within eachcell, along with the profile dimension specifiedby each objective. It also outlines the content ofthe test, the number of items, the item formats,the desired psychometric properties of the items,and the item and section arrangement. Using thetest specifications as the blueprint, questions/itemsare written or selected to be adequate exemplarsof the tasks identified and must be important forthe proficiency/level for which the examinationis intended. Although no test can measureeverything of importance, the content is selectedon the basis of its significance in the syllabus ratherthan how well it discriminates among candidates.Based on the judgement of the examiners, someitems are retained in spite of statistics which do notmeet the criteria of traditional norm referencedexaminations, since by discarding items with lowcorrelations with other items or with the total testscore, the examiner “risks making the test lessrepresentative of the defined universe” (Cronbach,1970, p. 458). The examiner’s process of creatinga representative test focuses on identifying thevarious subsections/units of the syllabus that arespecified and then ensuring that the test reflectsthe proportional weightings of each subsection(Cronbach, 1970). The preliminary grade cut-offscores are also specified at the paper developmentstage.Certification:Test Interpretation and ValidationThe validity of the examination is primarilyassured at the test construction/paper settingstage, whereas the reliability (scores) is to beassured at the standardising, marking andgrading stages. CXC’s priority is to ensure thatmarking is fair and that grades are valid andaccurate. The marking is standardised in sucha way that the mark scheme is sufficiently clearand unambiguous to be used by markers workingwith little direct coordination and supervision.There are two aspects to the mark scheme: thefirst is the profile/skill/content area to which thecandidate’s performance is judged and a scaleto which marks are awarded depending on howmuch of the skill the candidate exhibits. Thedifferent criterion performance levels (gradecriteria), which are clearly specified before thetest is constructed, are used as standards forinterpreting candidates’ scores.The absolute descriptive data on a candidate’sperformance is provided in terms of an overallgrade and profile grades to show what thecandidate can or cannot do. After the markingexercise, the preliminary grade cut-off scoreswhich were specified at paper developmentare reviewed. The review takes the form of avalidation process, which occurs during thegrading exercise, when the quality of candidates’performance and scores are compared acrossadjacent years and sittings, and the preliminarycut-off scores may be adjusted. This is donein order to ensure that the objectively definedstandard (that is, level of competence) connotedby each grade is maintained across time. Thisprocess includes the statistical evaluation ofitems/questions and profiles to ascertain thatthey measure what they purport to measure, areappropriate for the test population, minimisethe amount of test error, and are coherent instyle and format.SummaryIn terms of testing procedures, CXChas been with the forerunners in institutingcriterion-referenced testing, SBA and profilingin achievement testing. CXC has adopted CRTfor assessing how well candidates have masteredthe specified content domain and associatedskills. The criterion-referenced approach isregarded by CXC as one of the fairest, mosttransparent systems of assessment, and onethat allows the users of its certificates to makesound inferences about candidates’ mastery ofthe domains tested.ReferencesCronbach, L. J. (1970). Essentials ofPsychological Testing. (3 rd ed.) NewYork: Harper.Glaser, R. & Nitko, A.J. (1971).Measurement in learning andinstruction. In Thorndike, R.,editor, Educational Measurement,Washington, DC: American Council ofEducation, p. 625-70.Glaser, R. (1963). Instructionaltechnology and the measurementof learning outcomes AmericanPsychologist, 18, p. 519-521.Popham, W J & Husek, T. R. (1969).Implications of criterion-referencedmeasurement Journal of EducationalMeasurement, 6, p. 1-9.http://www.cxc.org/examinations/understanding-our-exams: CriterionReference Approach, Retrieved 28March 2012.Dr AnthonyHaynes is aMeasurementand EvaluationOfficer in theExaminationsDevelopmentand ProductionDivision at CXC.www.cxc.org MAY 2012 25

The Caribbean ExaminerCXC Examination SystemTest Developmentin Public Examinations –CXC Stands TallBy John Andor, PhDINTRODUCTIONThe reputation of any public examinationbody hinges on three key pillars: the technicalquality of its examination papers, the structureof its assessment and the sanctity of its testadministration process.The Technical Quality of the ExaminationPapersHere I mean the extent to which the testitems, and by extension the examination papers,possess the two key psychometric propertiesof validity and reliability. Reliability indicesare usually available to the examination boardsthemselves. Their internal systems are designedto generate them. They can be made available onrequest.At the Caribbean Examinations Council(CXC), reliability indices are produced for multiplechoice items and papers, paper components andentire subjects for every examination. CXCboasts of very high reliability indices year afteryear for all its examinations. In furtheranceof its avowed aim of enhancing quality in itsexaminations, an internal recommendation hasbeen made to produce indices to show the extentto which the entire examination (in each subjectand components) for two successive years maponto each other – a form of concurrent validity.This will tell CXC how fair it has been to the twocohorts comparatively using their performancesas a measure. That done, CXC will be able tomake definitive statements on that aspect of itsquality assurance process – I do not know of anyexamination board that produces this information– CXC may be setting the pace.The Structure of the AssessmentBy this I mean the various ways in whichthe examination is designed to capture theoverall learning outcomes of students such thatthe ultimate certification can reflect the extent towhich the assessment mirrors the content domainas laid out in the various syllabuses.The CXC has a unique triangular model.Almost every subject examined at both theCSEC and CAPE levels has a multiple-choicecomponent, a written component and a schoolbasedassessment (SBA) component. With thisstructure, CXC is able to assess a high percentageof the expected learning outcomes in both depthand breadth. Many examination boards, that Iknow of, do not use multiple-choice items fortesting at the advanced level; doing so is a bolddecision and CXC needs to be congratulated fordoing so because it demonstrates an acceptance ofmeasurement experts’ belief that multiple choicecan be used for testing even at the highest level.Until recently, the inclusion of SBA inexternal certification had not been a feature ofmost public examinations. The old GCE ‘O’and ‘A’ levels bequeathed to many developingcountries in Africa by the British did not have SBAcomponents. Even though some of these boardshave now introduced SBAs, they do not come closeto what CXC does in terms of giving guidance andin the training of teachers. Some boards simplyallocate a fixed percentage of the total mark persubject to the teacher (irrespective of subject).On receipt of the scores from schools, statisticalmoderation is used to bring the scores into lineusing the external scores as a moderator.The Sanctity of the Test Administration ProcessTests and test items can be valid and reliable;the assessment structure can be comprehensivebut if the test administration procedure iscompromised, the entire examination isworthless.The key issues in test administration aresecurity, logistics, effective candidate supervision(to avoid examination malpractices) and atransparent marking process.Every public examination body’s worstnightmare is to find out that its papers for anexamination yet to be taken or even in somecases already taken, are out there in the marketor were out there before the examination waswritten verbatim et literatim on a massive scale.This can be damaging to the board’s reputationas reprinting and re-administration is costly. Theusual panacea adopted by the boards in paperleakage situations is to fix new dates for the leakedpapers to be rewritten. There is an undocumentedcost to candidates, whose examination papers havebeen leaked and who have to rewrite, (which noexamination board has ever computed, at leastnot that I know of) in terms of the inconveniencecaused and the psychological trauma thatthese innocent candidates go through. In suchsituations, affected candidates believe that thereplacement papers are more difficult than theoriginal ones. This is especially true for thosewhose expected grades fall below their originalexpectations.In the Caribbean, examination leakage isvery rare compared to sub-Saharan Africa. Forthis, credit must first go to CXC for designingand adhering to security regulations that havemade security breaches a rare occurrence in itsexaminations. What is even more fascinatinghow tightly CXC is able to uphold its securityprocedures across the many separate islands. CXC’sagents in the various participating territories, theLocal Registrars, play a major role in enforcingand monitoring security procedures relating tothe administration of the examinations in theirrespective countries.Credit must also go to stakeholders ineducation in the Caribbean as a whole forupholding high levels of moral discipline.26 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerTest Development in Public ExaminationsElsewhere, parents, teachers and students areknown to go shopping for leaked papers prior tothe start and even during the examinations.Examination leakage (foreknowledge)remains the single most embarrassing headachefor most countries in Africa.TEST DEVELOPMENT AT CXC AND OTHERBOARDS/COUNTRIES COMPAREDFrom the above accounts, it can be seenclearly that CXC stands tall when compared withother boards in Africa and the UK under all threefactors that determine the credibility of publicexamination boards. I say this, not as an act ofpatronage, but out of personal knowledge andexperience that I have acquired over the yearshaving dealt with examination boards in threecontinents dating back to 1981.My interaction with colleague educationists,both within and outside this subregion makesme believe that my observations about CXC arenot frivolous. In fact, I know of an internationalassessment expert who dealt with CXC manyyears ago, and who was only recently contractedto set up a credible examination board in a verybig country in Asia – naturally he will apply someof what he knows CXC does.What many stakeholders do not know is howCXC sets its examination papers as compared toother international boards. This is another crucialarea where comparisons can be made, lessons canbe learnt and best practices adopted.I do not know of any public examinationboard that has ever put its test developmentprocedures out to the public; but in the contextof the quest for transparency and accountabilityin the use of public resources as well as the adventof the information superhighway, nothing can beconsidered a secret anymore; large empires havefallen, the Cold War is over and access to the mosthidden information has become a matter of justa tap on the keyboard. CXC will set the pace inthis disclosure.SO WHO SETS THE EXAMINATION PAPERSFOR PUBLIC EXAMINATION BOARDS?Public examinations that are domain-basedoriginate from content experts who are preferablypeople who have been trained to teach, thosecurrently teaching (although for security reasonsnot the year group for whom the test is meant) orwho have some experience in teaching at the levelfor which the test is meant. Measurement officersof public examination bodies facilitate the papersettingprocess and fine-tune the questions toensure that they meet the psychometric standardsrequired.The single justification for using people withpedagogical training to write test items is thatassessment experts agree that assessment must bealigned to instruction (Gipps 1994, Tucker 2009)and so it stands to reason that teachers who aretrained to deliver classroom instruction and whodeliver this instruction on a daily basis are thosewho should set test items.It must be emphasised that the ability towrite a test item that will suit the learning styleof students is a skill that must be developed andnurtured. No one in my opinion can boast ofthis skill other than teachers who set test itemsin their classrooms to diagnose student learningdifficulties, to evaluate their teaching strategiesand determine student mastery of content.It is widely recognised that teachers arethose who are in the best position to determinethe suitability of psychological measurementinstruments (whether tests or attitudinal scales)meant for pupils who they teach and whoselearning styles they know. It is therefore notstrange that Logan and Medford (2012) submittedtheir questionnaires to classroom teachers toevaluate their suitability for the age range ofchildren in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 in their study.According to Abbas (2008), the newlyestablished Aga Khan University ExaminationsBoard in Pakistan “has several ways to supportteachers and expose them to the demands of thenew style of examination” (n.p.n). These includeconducting one-day workshops for teacherswhere the examination syllabuses are explainedto them; material development workshops to helpteachers focus their teaching, “while workshopson item writing prepare teachers to offer qualityassessments to their students in class”.There is considerable research evidence insupport of the efficacy of the use of assessmentto support teaching and learning. In fact, Gipps(1994) in Rehmani (2003) has suggested that “themajor purpose of assessment is to support theteaching and learning process” (p.2).Tucker (2009), in his paper on howtechnology-enabled assessment data can be usedto improve instruction, has stated that:“These [test] data could then be used to adaptinstruction by creating a better understandingabout students’ knowledge, and their conceptualunderstanding and cognitive development, whichwould lead not only to better assessment butto significant improvements in instruction andlearning (2009 p.2).”Similarly, Bennettt (n.d) in Tucker (2009)“has envisioned testing merged with instruction,which would allow teachers and students touse feedback from testing to adjust teaching toimprove student achievement” (op. cit).What I have tried to do in this section is toadduce research evidence to support the use ofcontent experts, especially those in the classroom,to generate test items. It is a world-wide practicewhich, apart from helping teachers to refine andimprove their teaching, is a fulfillment of therequirement to align assessment to teaching; whatis more, it contributes in no small measure to thedevelopment of teacher professionalism.HOW ARE THE TEST PAPERS IN CXCEXAMINATIONS SET VIS-À-VIS OTHERBOARDS?The ‘bible’ on which domain-dependentpublic examinations are based is the syllabus. Thesyllabus is more or less the contract documentbetween the boards on one hand, and students,teachers, parents and employers on the other.In some jurisdictions, there is a clear distinctionbetween the teaching syllabus which is designedfor teaching in schools by the national educationauthorities and the examination syllabus whichis an extraction from the teaching syllabus of thetestable topics. The use of examination syllabusesconcurrently as teaching syllabuses is not new.Until the early 1980s, most African countrieswhich wrote the London GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ levelsused those syllabuses as their national teachingsyllabuses.Currently, almost all territories in thesubregion use CXC’s syllabuses as their teachingsyllabuses. There is nothing wrong with thispractice, provided that these syllabuses reflectnational and regional aspirations. I havescrutinised CXC documentation and I am morethan convinced that CXC is a driver of educationalassessment excellence in the subregion; theboundaries of its own educational aspirationsand those of the territories are virtually coterminous.This article will not give the details of theprocedure for question paper setting step by step,but an attempt will be made to show how CXC,like any other credible examination bodies, goesthrough all the necessary steps to ensure that itdesigns tests that are not only valid and reliable butalso suitable for the level they are meant to test.In line with internationally accepted practice,CXC identifies content experts with the requiredexperience and gives them the required trainingin test construction. As mentioned elsewhere inthis article, these content experts may be peoplewho are trained to deliver instruction, currentlydelivering instruction (just above the level forwhich the test will be used) or who have for manyyears delivered classroom instruction and are nowretired. With this policy, CXC meets the demandof ensuring that assessment, whether high stakesor low stakes, must be aligned to instruction.The Initial DraftBased on identified criteria and therelevant syllabuses, trained subject expertsare commissioned to write draft examinationquestions and submit for consideration. In somejurisdictions, one person can be commissionedto write a whole paper, the advantage of which isthat the test writer has a holistic view of the entirewww.cxc.org MAY 2012 27

The Caribbean ExaminerCXC Examination Systempaper in terms of balance and difficulty level inits draft stage. The problem with this approach,however, is that it can be very taxing and the papermay be affected by the personal idiosyncrasies ofthat single writer.In other jurisdictions, identified writers arecommissioned to write test items for sectionsof each paper only. The advantages are, firstly,it is less tiresome and secondly, when differentitems for different sections of the paper fromdifferent writers are put together, the completepaper becomes richer because it benefits fromthe perspectives of not just one person. This isCXC’s approach.The Paper-setting MeetingThe next step in the paper-setting processis to bring together a number of content expertsto a roundtable to work on the drafts that havebeen produced. The Chairperson of this team isthe person who has overall responsibility for thequestion paper and is usually designated the ChiefExaminer, appointed beforehand. The job of thissmall group of experts is to use their professionalexpertise to look at each item that will eventuallyconstitute the paper to ensure that it is capable ofteasing out of the candidate the type of behaviouror learning outcome that the learning objectivesstated in the syllabus seek to deliver. In otherwords, the item must fall within the syllabus, relateto a specific measurable skill/objective, be suitablefor the specific age level (Piaget c.1968), and mustnot measure triviality. The item must also satisfygrammatical rules and be free from ambiguity.Essentially, this group of experts moderates theoriginal draft questions to bring them to thelevel appropriate for those they are meant totest; hence in some jurisdictions this meeting iscalled a moderating meeting rather than a papersettingmeeting. It must be emphasised thatpapers can also be set and moderated at one andthe same meeting, (from where the term papersettingmeeting was coined). The disadvantage,however, is that time pressure can lead to qualitybeing sacrificed and/or an incomplete papersettingexercise. The items from this meeting areeventually compiled into a test paper but that isnot the end of the process.The next stage of the process is for the contentexperts also to consider the expected answers tothe questions – which may have typically beendrafted at the time the paper was originally set.These answers to the questions are very importantbecause they are supposed to be used as a commonguide for markers who will be recruited to markcandidate scripts after the test has been taken.Together with the question paper, the agreedanswers to the questions (usually called a markscheme with mark allocations) can be likened to ameasuring instrument such as a ruler (or tape) orscale used to measure length and determine weightrespectively in everyday life. What we are doingactually in testing is measuring student learningoutcomes, hence the title measurement (MED)officers formerly used for designated staff in CXC.The Measurement Officer is the originator and thefacilitator of the entire process from paper settingthrough to marking and grading.Pre- and Peer EditingThe technical quality of a test paper dependson the quality assurance measures to which itis subjected. Mindful of this, therefore, CXCfirst subjects the draft paper to a pre- and peeredit after typesetting. At this stage the entirepaper and its mark scheme are scrutinised by aprofessional in-house editor and then by colleaguemeasurement officers to ensure that they meetpreliminary identified criteria —conform tohouse-style, are free from errors and ambiguity,satisfy the information put out in the syllabus andare appropriate for the level being tested.Experience has shown that this step isextremely useful, as very vital issues that mayhave eluded the compositors and content expertshave in many cases been identified. However,this practice is not universal because it has thesingle disadvantage of expanding the populationthat has foreknowledge (albeit authorised) of thecontents of the paper. In Africa and elsewherewhere question paper leakage is endemic, peerediting is not practised; the subject officer him/herself has the added responsibility of checkingthe word-processed paper.External/Single/Anonymous ModeratorAfter peer edit and amendment, the testpaper is taken through another crucial stage. Thepaper, the mark scheme, the relevant syllabus andother specifications of the paper are forwardedto an independent content expert called themoderator. His/her role is critical and usually his/her identity is not disclosed.The job of the external moderator, which ispart of the quality assurance process, is to considerall the papers that make up the examination of thesubject at the specific level, and based on his/herexpertise and experience submit an independentprofessional opinion on any aspect of the paperin terms of the criteria itemized above. Themoderator is expected to put himself/herself inthe position of the candidate who will be takingthe paper and make any observation that he/shethinks fit. In fact, the moderator is supposed towork through the paper and time him/herself tobe able to comment meaningfully on the adequacyof the time allotted to the paper.The use of the moderator in the paperdevelopment process is a key feature of the UKpublic examination system and was inherited bysome African examining boards. Unfortunately,here too, because of rampant leakages, thisstage has been scrapped to limit the extent offoreknowledge. CXC uses it to positive effect.The Chief Examiner’s ResponseThis is another quality assurance measure.The comments of the moderator are forwarded tothe Chief Examiner for consideration. The ChiefExaminer examines the moderator’s commentsand where he/she agrees, makes any requiredchange and sends the paper back to CXC. Themeasurement officer then continues the qualityassurance process. The Chief Examiner is alsofree to disagree with the moderator; in eithercase reasons must be given and documented. Themeasurement officer then makes the necessaryamendments in the light of the Chief Examiner’sresponses and puts the paper into near finishedform. Examination bodies that do not use themoderator interventions will definitely lose outon the extra quality contribution that this stagemakes to the process.Technical EditingThis is about the last stage of the formalquality assurance process. It is an in-houseactivity. This stage appears unique to CXC in myexperience. Most examination boards do not useit for security reasons but in a society like ourswhere we can boast of staff honesty and loyalty,there appears to be no risk. Here, the completepaper with the marking scheme and the syllabusand other specifications are submitted to twoidentified measurement officers for furtherindependent scrutiny. Their written commentson any aspect of the paper are re-submitted to theofficer concerned, who then looks at the meritsof each comment and decides on what to acceptor reject.Chief Examiner’s Final SignatureBefore the paper is sent to print, the ChiefExaminer is given another opportunity toscrutinise it and give his/her approval by signingit off. Even this is not final. On receipt of thesigned paper from the Chief Examiner, themeasurement officer still has a responsibility tore-check to ensure that the paper is error-freebefore authorising printing.FinalisationThe paper is then finalised and readied forprint. At this point the paper is supposed to be freefrom any form of error as far as humanly possible.Before the paper goes to print however, theHead of Measurement who has overall oversightresponsibility for the quality of every questionpaper also scrutinises it and brings any concernsto the attention of the measurement officer forresolution. In most examination boards in Africa,the Head only has supervisory authority but doesnot see the live papers.28 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerTest Development in Public ExaminationsWithin Print/In-house Quality AssuranceWhen the paper is sent to print, it is broughtback to the measurement officer for qualitychecks before mass production. After refining,advance copies are sent back for scrutiny andwhere necessary, vital remedial action that maybe necessary is taken to ensure that the candidateis not disadvantaged by an error in the final paperduring the examination. Quite clearly, it can beseen from this chronology of activities that thequality assurance process for question paperdevelopment and production at CXC is designedto rival that of any reputable public examinationboard anywhere in the world.CautionIt is important to mention that for purposesof transparency, CXC ensures that all its officerswhose children and relations are registeredcandidates for a particular examination are notgiven access to the subjects, anywhere alongthe line, for which their wards are registered;many other boards do this so as to pre-empt anysuspicion of unfair advantage.PRE-TESTING AND ITEM BANKINGPre-testingThe purpose of pre-testing is to determinein advance the behavior of test items, especiallymultiple-choice items, using a sample of apopulation for whom the test is directed. Gooditems are then selected for the real test. One canthus make more reliable decisions or conclusionsabout the population. It is a very powerful toolused by almost all examination boards worldwide,including CXC. The only difference with theCXC procedure is that, unlike other boards, thetest is administered at a time and to a populationdifferent from what other boards use. Otherboards use the examination year group a few weeksprior to the actual examination. The advantage isthat the sample is a near replica of the populationwhich will eventually be given the final test. CXCmay have its own reasons for its present approachbut I strongly suggest that we look at the merits ofwhat other boards do as stated here. It is emergingthat some boards are beginning to pre-testextended essay items. In my candid opinion, thecost of doing that may far outweigh the benefits.Secondly, it does appear to me that the professionaljudgment of extended essay paper writers has, overthe years, proven quite dependable in ensuringcomparability of paper standards from year toyear, without pretesting.Item-bankingItem-banking in public examinations is aterm used to describe the practice of operatinga reservoir of test items showing each item’s testcharacteristics. Multiple-choice item bankingis widely practised by CXC. This is also doneby almost all reputable examination bodiesworldwide. It has many advantages in terms ofcost savings, ease of test compilation and stabilityof item characteristics. This is a practice whichsome examination boards in Africa need toadopt. So far, they have not done so because thepractice relies partly on the honesty of those whosupervise the final public examination by way ofnot making hidden copies of the paper during thefinal examination, and also by accounting for allcopies sent to the centre. If these requirementsare not met, the integrity of the items may becompromised.CONCLUSIONA test is a series of questions administered tolearners (who may have undergone instruction)under specific, supervised and standard securityconditions. The results of the test are used todetermine the extent to which the learner hasattained mastery in a specified content domain(Obemeatta 1993, verbal communication).A test is therefore a form of psychologicalmeasurement instrument used to measurelearning outcomes. A test can be low stakes, whereits results are used for non-competitive purposessuch as diagnosing learner deficiencies in theclassroom, or high stakes where its results areused for critical decisions such as evaluating theeffectiveness of an educational system, allocatingplaces of higher learning among students,determining teacher pay, policy and promotion,and certifying student learning. Koch and DeLuca(2012) have cited research evidence to suggestthat province-wide assessment in Canada suchas the type undertaken by public examinationbodies like CXC are considered high-stakesbecause the results are used to make decisionsthat significantly impact on students, teachersand institutions. Decisions made on the basis ofhigh-stakes assessments in various countries caninclude grade promotion, admission to highereducation, teacher merit pay and allotment ofresources to schools (p.99).It can be seen from the high stakes natureof public examinations that test developmentprocedures must of necessity be transparent,rigorous and robust to be able to stand stakeholderscrutiny and retain public confidence.What this paper has sought to do is toshow the key signposts of the test developmentprocedure in CXC, pointing out the uniquequality assurance measures that are employedand comparing them to some internationallyaccepted practices.In my opinion, (based on my knowledge andexperience of the operations of public examinationbodies on three continents), CXC stands tallamong recognised international examinationbodies worldwide in terms of its test developmentprocedures.ReferencesDr John Andor is anAssistant Registrarin the ExaminationsDevelopment andProduction Division atCXC Headquarters. AGhanaian, Dr Andor haspreviously been involvedin public examinations inAfrica (1981 to 2001) andin the UK (2004 to 2010).Abbas, N. (2008) Schools and CollegesResponses to the Establishment of aPrivate Examination Board. A Sample ofChange in Behaviour. A paper presentedat the ACEAB International Conference,Pretoria, South Africa.Gipps, C. (1994) Beyond Testing: Towardsa Theory of Educational Assessment.Falmer Press.Koch, M.J. and DeLuca, C. (2012)Rethinking Validation in Complex HighstakesAssessment Contexts. Assessment inEducational Principles, Policy and Practice[on-line] http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2011.604023 Accessed on 29 February2012.Logan, S. and Medford, E. (2012) GenderDifferences in the Strength of AssociationBetween Motivation, Competency Beliefsand Reading Skill Educational ResourceJournal [on-line] http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2011.552242 Accessed on 18March 2012.Piaget, J. (1968) Jean Piaget [on-line]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_PiagetAccessed on 19 March 2012.Rehmani, A. (2003) Impact of PublicExamination System on Teaching andLeaning in Pakistan [on-line] http://www.anttriep.net/Antrep%20jan-june202003.pdf Accessed on 1 March 2012.Tucker, B. (2009) Beyond the Bubble:Technology and the Future of StudentAssessment. Education Sector Reports,Washington D.C.www.cxc.org MAY 2012 29

The Caribbean ExaminerRECOGNITION OF CXC QUALIFICATIONSCaribbean students are among the most mobile in the world; therefore,students need to know that the qualifications they earn from CXC are apassport to enable them to pursue tertiary education anywhere in theworld. This section samples the recognition of CXC’s qualifications by variousinstitutions and documents the testimonials of some past students.ECE on CXCQualificationsBy Melissa GaniereEducational Credential Evaluators, Inc.(ECE) is a private, non-profit credential evaluationagency established in 1980 in the United States.We prepare reports that identify the United States’equivalents of academic qualifications earned inother countries to facilitate educational exchangesand aid in the mobility of students. ECE has beenpreparing evaluation report for students holdingvarious Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)qualifications since its inception.The Caribbean Secondary EducationCertificate (CSEC) is widely considered to bethe equivalent of a US high school diploma.As a recognised examination scheme usedprimarily as an admission tool throughout theCommonwealth Caribbean, CSEC results arealso relied upon for matriculation into highereducation institutions in the United States. CSECresults are viewed as an accurate assessment ofstudent performance and a barometer of futuresuccess in a collegiate setting. Students who havetaken the CSEC tend to have little resistancewhen applying to colleges and universities, whilethose who opt not to sit for the examination mayfind their opportunities for studying abroadsomewhat limited. Generally, it is the CSECresults that are used in calculating the overallsecondary school grade point average.The Caribbean Advanced ProficiencyExaminations (CAPE) are considered by ECEto represent the US equivalent of post-secondarylevel study. Successful CAPE candidates oftentransition into US bachelor’s degree programmeswith significant advanced standing. Becausethe two-year CAPE programme coincides withtwo-year, 60-credit or more, associate degreeprogrammes offered by Caribbean communitycolleges, ECE recommends nine semester hoursof undergraduate credit for each CAPE unitacheived. (A curriculum of seven CAPE units isrequired to earn a CXC Associate Degree).Since CAPE was developed as a regionalreplacement for traditional British Advancedlevel examinations, there is some confusion inthe US surrounding the difference in meaningand purpose of the CAPE Associate Degree andAdvanced Proficiency Diploma (comprised ofsix CAPE units) as they relate to A-Levels. USinstitutions often recommend up to one yearof advanced standing in degree programmesfor A-levels, but as educational structures inCaribbean countries have shifted away from theBritish tradition to be more aligned with a USassociate degree/bachelor’s degree system, upto two years of advanced standing credit maybe considered for the CAPE programme. Aconsistent approach at US universities andcolleges is lacking with respect to where or howto place students with a two-year associate degreeearned at Caribbean community college versus30 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerWhat instituions say about CSEC and CAPEa two-year CAPE associate degree or diploma.It is vital that the CXC continues the effort inspreading the word about CAPE examinations.As registrars and admission personnel becomemore familiar with the CXC examinations andtheir processes, the transferability of studentsis increasing.The reputation of the CXC is one ofprofessionalism, trustworthiness, and rigour.Over time, the availability of certificates andcurricular information has increased dramatically,and the CXC’s website provides a plethora of dataincluding syllabuses and programme details. Thegrading systems appear well developed and aresimple to interpret, while examination recordsare straightforward and easy to read. If questionsarise regarding these aspects, the CXC is quickto clarify.The documentation practices of the CXCare laudable, and instances of fraud or alterationare rarely encountered. This is due in part to thevarious safety features on CXC credentials, alongwith a clear method of document verification.Students are able to have their records sentdirectly from the CXC to overseas institutionsand other third parties as the preferred methodof delivery. We have heard from students thatobtaining certificates from the CXC is a simpleand efficient process. The establishment ofon-line transcript requests provides studentsimmediate access, and pushes the CXC to theforefront of web-based technology. All of theseadvances result in a streamlined transfer processfor many students.It is evident that the CXC remains cognizantof the current trends in education, and seeks toincorporate the most relevant and cutting edgephilosophies in their pedagogical approaches.This can be witnessed in the development ofIT courses at both the CSEC and CAPE levels,along with competency-based assessment inexaminations. The review of course content andstudent learning outcomes is continuous as theCXC strives to ensure they are contributing to theoutput of high caliber students from the region.As the CXC works to establish articulationagreements with various institutions in theUnited States, Canada, and within the Caribbean,the number of students studying outside of theirhome country will inevitably surge. Opportunitiesfor further education are developing both withinthe Caribbean and abroad, while the worthand importance of the CXC is simultaneouslyexpanding. We look forward to welcomingmore and more students to the United States tocontinue their education. ECE’s experience withthe CXC has been overwhelmingly positive, andwe hope to continue to broaden our connectionin the future.Melissa Ganiere isan Evaluator withEducational CredentialEvaluators, Inc. based inWisconsin, USA.www.cxc.org MAY 2012 31

The Caribbean ExaminerRECOGNITION OF CXC QUALIFICATIONSAESon CSECand CAPEAcademic Evaluation Services (AES) is basedin Florida and consequently has a large number ofapplicants from the Caribbean region. Thus, AEShas made it a special priority to keep abreast of thelatest developments in Caribbean education. Ourshared language and historical background and thecommonalities between the US educational systemand that of the Caribbean can make it difficult for a USadmissions counselor to decipher credentials submittedby applicants from the Caribbean. The superficialsimilarities between the two systems – from high schooldiplomas to bachelor degrees, from the use of the A-Fgrading scale on many transcripts to the increasinglycommon US-style associate degrees – mask somesignificant differences, the most prominent of whichare the examinations and credentials offered by theCaribbean Examinations Council (CXC).Our philosophy in evaluation is to hold studentsto the standards expected of them in the educationsystem in which they study. Therefore, the primarycredential that we look for when determiningthe equivalency of US high school graduation isthe Caribbean Examinations Council’s SecondaryEducation Certificate (CSEC), rather than diplomasfrom the high schools attended. We explain on ourevaluation reports that high school diplomas, whilevaluable for entry to the workplace, are not sufficient foruniversity admission in the Caribbean region, and thatsitting for the CSEC – and passing the examinationsat a certain standard – are required for universityadmission.AES goes into great detail on our evaluationreports when the CSEC is submitted. We list eachindividual examination, whether it was passed atthe General, Basic or Technical proficiency level, thegrade received and whether the grade was considered“with credit” (Grades I, II and III) or “without credit”(grades below III). We also specify whether or not theexaminations for English A and Mathematics werepassed with credit, that is Grades I-III, as these gradesare normally required for university admission in theCaribbean. While such details can be time-consuming,we have found that the recipients of our evaluationreports appreciate knowing how we arrive at ourfindings and respect our methodology.Increasingly, students from the Caribbean regionare sitting for the Caribbean Advanced ProficiencyExaminations (CAPE) after successful completionof the CSEC. At AES we encourage holders of theCAPE to order a course-by-course analysis to receivepotential undergraduate transfer credit for theseexaminations. We recommend up to five semesterhours of undergraduate credit for each Unit successfullyachieved on the CAPE, that is, Grades I-V. As with theCSEC, we discuss the CAPE in detail on our evaluationreports to explain our methodology and rationale. Wehave found that the undergraduate transfer credit werecommend for the CAPE is usually honoured by therecipients of our evaluation reports.AES seeks to obtain the most accurate and up-todateinformation available for our credential evaluationresources and for Caribbean students; we have nobetter partner than the CXC. We appreciate the CXC’spresence at international conferences such as NAFSAand make sure our evaluators attend their informativesessions where the latest trends, updates and changes inCaribbean education are discussed. We have also foundthe staff of the CXC to be extremely helpful wheneverwe have need to contact them with general questionsor questions about specific examinations. With thegrowing number of Caribbean students taking theCSEC and CAPE, and with the increasing numbersof Caribbean students pursuing further education inthe US, AES is looking forward to a long and fruitfulpartnership with the CXC.Academic Evaluation Services (AES) is Floridabasedagency which provides US educationalequivalencies and translations services.32 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerWhat instituions say about CSEC and CAPECXC Qualificationsget Recognition in IndiaThe Association of Indian Universities(AIU), the organisation which is the clearinghouse for international qualifications in India hasgranted equivalence to the Caribbean SecondaryEducation Certificate (CSEC) and the CaribbeanAdvanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), thetwo leading qualifications offered by CXC.In a letter to CXC, the Indian HighCommissioner in Trinidad and Tobago conveyedthe news to Dr Didacus Jules, CXC Registrar.The AIU has granted equivalence toCaribbean Secondary Education Certificate(CSEC) with a minimum of five subjects atGrades I and II with Grade 10 examination ofan Indian [examinations] board.With respect to CAPE, the AIU hasaccorded equivalence to CAPE with a minimumof five subjects, with a plus-two stage qualificationof an Indian [examinations] board; this theAIU states, is also the minimum eligibilityrequirement for admission to a bachelor degreeThe NCAA Eligibility Center utilisesCSEC and CAPE qualifications as proof ofupper secondary school graduation. TheNCAA has established guidelines for thelowest passing grade (see NCAA Guide toInternational Academic Standards for AthleticsEligibility). This document can be viewed atwww.ncaapublications.com.Please note the examinations must be takenin the appropriate time frame for the student’scountry. The results of the examinations areused to calculate the grade point average used todetermine NCAA Division I and II grade pointaverage requirements.It is important to note that the NCAAexpects students to present five or more subjectpasses at the general level with at least oneexamination in each of the NCAA core subjectareas (English, mathematics, science, socialscience and a fifth examination in either foreignlanguage, Religious Education, or an additionalexamination from English, mathematics, scienceor social science). Repeated examinations do notcount as an additional exam.We encourage students to take a minimumof two CAPE subjects which may be used tomeet a required core subject examination. Inaddition, the CAPE subjects have an importantrole in determining the NCAA expectedgraduation date.programme at an Indian university.The statement points out that thosecandidates who are successful at CAPEare eligible to join conventional degreeprogrammes at Indian universities; however,candidates who wish to pursue a professionaldegree programme are required to have studiedBiology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics andPhysics at the advance proficiency level.“This is good news for CXC and theCaribbean,” stated Dr Didacus Jules, Registrarof CXC. “It is another statement that assuresus in the region that the qualifications offeredby CXC are of a very high standard and standup to international scrutiny.”Dr Jules added that it now meansthat Caribbean students wishing to study atuniversities in India can pursue their studieswithout much of the red tape they encounteredin the past.NCAA on CSECand CAPE By Mike Donahue, PhDThe following CSEC and CAPEsubjects meet core subject areas:English: Communication Studies,English A, English B, and Literatures inEnglish.Mathematics: AdditionalMathematics, Mathematics, and PureMathematics.Science: Biology, Chemistry,Environmental Science, Human andSocial Biology, Integrated Science, andPhysics.Social Science: Caribbean History,Caribbean Studies, Economics,Geography, History, Law, Social Studies,and Sociology.Additional: French (CAPE or CSEC)Spanish (CAPE or CSEC) and ReligiousEducation.Dr Mike Donahue is the Assistant Directorof International Academic Certification atthe NCAA Eligibility Center in Indiana,USA.The University Of Waterloo, Ontario, Canadahas been in Barbados for almost every fair. Directorof Undergraduate Recruitment, Andre Jardin, saidCaribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination(CAPE) was one of the “strongest systems you coulddo anywhere – it’s actually stronger than our ownCanadian curriculum”.The Nation Newspaper, 8th November 2011“We feel that students who have achievedstrong results in their CAPE Units 1 and 2examinations are well prepared for entry to McGillUniversity, for advanced standing credits andexemptions towards our degree programmes andfor successful studies with us.”Katherine Mayhew,Senior Admissions Officer, McGill University“For each CAPE course, the equivalent of sixcredit hours at Saint Mary’s University is granted”.Dr Paul Dixon, St Mary’s University“We will be pleased to commend CAPEas a higher education entry qualification to UKhigher education institutions and to present itsfull flexibility. Our objective would be to ensurethat CAPE is well understood by the full rangeof admissions tutors so that students with CAPEqualifications will maximise their personal benefitsfrom UK higher education.”UK National Academic RecognitionInformation Centre (NARIC), July 1999“If you are taking CAPE Unit 2 level examsand score Grades I and II on any of the followingsubjects, and you are admitted to AU and joinour global community, you will receive advancedstanding AND credits for UA level classes....We atAU value CAPE and the education that you havereceived at home...”Evelyn Levinson, Director of InternationalAdmissions at American University“CSEC - We have found that these resultsaccurately reflect students’ academic abilitiesand preparation for post-secondary study. SUNYPlattsburgh has been awarding transfer creditfor successful completion of CAPE for severalyears. Students with satisfactory CAPE resultsenter with advanced standing which enablesthem to complete their bachelor’s degrees inthree (3) years. The content of the CAPEs appearsto be comparable in content and intensity tointroductory-level courses in various disciplineswithin our course offerings.”Mrs. Jacqueline “Jackie” Girard Vogl,Assistant Vice President,International Enrollment Management,SUNY Plattsburghwww.cxc.org MAY 2012 33

The Caribbean ExaminerRECOGNITION OF CXC QUALIFICATIONSUS HigherEducationWelcomesCaribbeanStudentsBy Tim WrightThe United States has one of the mostdiverse, decentralised, and prolific educationsystems in the world. With more than 4,500accredited institutions of higher education,there are a plethora of choices, differences, andnuances that contribute to the reputation ofacademic excellence for which US colleges anduniversities are known. For nearly a century, UScolleges and universities have been a safe havenfor international students and scholars and inthe past decade alone, the higher educationcommunity’s interest in attracting internationalstudents has grown enormously.According to the 2011 Open Doors report,published by the Institute of InternationalEducation, there were 723,227 internationalstudents studying in the US during the 2010/11academic year, a 4.7 per cent increase from theprevious year. If you look back to just afterSeptember 2011 when there were 582,996international students in the U.S., this growth isa significant indicator that the US’s is committedto keeping its doors open to internationalstudents. For the past ten years, the number ofstudents from the Caribbean studying in the UShas averaged at approximately 15,000. WhileChina, India and South Korea dominate theinternational student market in the US with 42per cent of the international total, the Caribbeanholds rank as the region that sends more ofits college-aged population to study in the USthan any other region in the world-all of Asiacombined. Admissions offices from US collegesand universities are taking note. With numbersof Caribbean students in the US declining inrecent years (12,821 in 2010/11), dozens ofinstitutions are ramping up their recruitingefforts and traveling to the region, either to visitTABLE 1TOP RECEIVING STATES OFCARIBBEAN STUDENTSFLORIDA 18.8%NEW YORK 15.8%TEXAS 5.3%GEORGIA 4.2%LOUISIANA 4.0%TABLE 2US COLLEAGES ANDUNIVERSITIES ENROLLING 100OR MORE CARIBBEAN STUDENTSBarry UniversityBroward CollegeCUNY Bronx Community CollegeFlorida International UniversityGrambling State UniversityMiami-Dade CollegeNassau Community CollegeNova Southeastern UniversitySUNY Westchester Community CollegeUniversity of FloridaUniversity of South FloridaUniversity of TampaUtah State UniversityWestern Michigan UniversitySOURCE: OPEN DOORS REPORT: 2011individual islands or as part of the annual collegefairs organised by local ministries, secondaryschools or US Embassies.While there is strong student mobilitybetween the region and the US, Caribbeanstudents lack adventure in their geographicand institutional preferences. As a graduate ofRoanoke College, a small liberal arts college in arural area of southwest Virginia, I know firsthandthe value of looking beyond the Ivy League,going to institutions off of your own ‘beatenpath’ and out of your comfort zone. Statisticallyspeaking for the Caribbean, all roads on thatbeaten path lead to Florida and New York (35%of the total) (see Table 1). These are two stateswith outstanding educational institutions, myriadopportunities for many students to live withrelatives or within existing support networks,and a handful of public institutions, especially inFlorida, that offer financial incentives specificallyfor Caribbean students.While that is just fine and dandy, a studentwilling to be more adventurous, to wanderfurther from this standard student mobilitypathway and look for alternative options willlikely be rewarded with a more robust culturalexperience as well as a more lucrative financialaid package. This should be a key strategy for astudent interested in studying in the US but inneed of significant financial assistance: go whereno Caribbean student has gone before.Increasingly, more colleges and universitiesoutside of Florida and New York are recruitingmore actively in the Caribbean and looking toincrease the number of students from this regionon their campuses (See Table 2). The CaribbeanExaminations Council is helping this effort bydoing considerable outreach within the US higher34 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerWhat instituions say about CSEC and CAPEUS Embassy College Fair in Trinidad October 2011education community to make them aware ofthe CSEC, CAPE and Associate Degrees andencourage them to establish admissions policiesto award credit for specific scores on these exams.The CXC currently has credit related articulationagreements with Monroe College, OglethorpeUniversity, SUNY-Plattsburgh, University ofSouth Florida, Johnson and Wales University andBerkeley College (NY). Many other institutionshave published equivalency charts, while othersoffer credit even without articulation agreementsand equivalency charts.With such institutional diversity, geographicbreadth, and price variation, an astute studentwill take the time to research his or her optionsthoroughly before applying. Though many offersimilar academic degrees, athletic options, andextracurricular opportunities, no two collegesor universities are exactly alike. EducationUSA,the US Government’s official source on UShigher education, has a global network of 400advising centers supported by the Departmentof State in 170 countries. These centers provideinterested students with accurate, comprehensiveand current information on the full range ofaccredited colleges and universities in the USand guidance on how to access opportunitiesfor US study. These centers are a great place toget started and more information can be foundonline at www.educationusa.state.gov.Tim Wright is the Regional Director forEducation USA in North & Central Americaand the Caribbean. He can be contacted attwright@educationusa.info.www.cxc.org MAY 2012 35

The Caribbean ExaminerRECOGNITION OF CXC QUALIFICATIONSCreatingNew Leadersin World Healthon the Island ofGrenadaSt. George’s University was founded in 1976 on thetiny island of Grenada in the Caribbean, and is now arecognised leader in global medical education. TheUniversity provides unique cross-cultural and internationallearning experiences to faculty and students from morethan 140 countries, including from all Caribbean nations,producing more than 11,000 business leaders, educators,doctors, veterinarians, and other health care professionalsnow successfully pursuing careers across the world.Success After SuccessIn its 35 years of academic achievement, St.George’s students and graduates have continuallydemonstrated excellence in all measures oftesting.For the School of MedicineAccording to a report in the February 2011Academic Medicine, Grenada has the highest 10-year average pass rate on United States MedicalLicensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1, of anycountry in the Caribbean. In 2010, SGU first-timetakers — from 49 countries—equalled the 92 percent first-time pass rate of students in US andCanadian schools on the United States MedicalLicensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1. In fact,in the same year, SGU’s US and Canadian firsttimetakers had a 94 per cent pass rate.For the School of Veterinary MedicineOver the past five years, St. George’sveterinary students have had a 69 per cent passrate on the Royal College of Veterinary SurgeonsStatutory Membership Examination. Last yearalone, graduates of the School of VeterinaryMedicine had a 100 per cent pass rate, makingup nearly half of the students worldwide whopassed the Examination. In 2011, the Schoolwas granted full accreditation by the AmericanVeterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA)Council on Education, the highest standard ofachievement for veterinary medical educationin the United States.For the Public Health ProgramIn 2010, the US Council on Education forPublic Health accredited St. George’s University’sMaster of Public Health Program, making theUniversity only the fifth non-US institution, andthe only school in the Caribbean region to begranted the coveted distinction. The Universitytrains practitioners to collaborate with fellowpublic health professionals and academiccommunities, while promoting public healthregionally and internationally. Both medicaland veterinary medical students at St. George’sare offered the possibility of earning a dualdegree (MD/MPH or DVM/MPH) and theymay complete public health practica across mostCaribbean islands, in most states across the US,and in countries such as Canada, Botswana,Cambodia, India, Japan, Kenya, Morocco,Pakistan, Switzerland, Tanzania, Uganda, UnitedKingdom, and Zimbabwe.In addition to the MD, DVM, MD/MPH,and DVM/MPH degrees, St. George’s offerspremedical, and preveterinary medical degreesas well as independent and dual graduate degreesin the sciences, public health, and business.Undergraduate degree programs are offeredthrough its School of Arts and Sciences. St.George’s is affiliated with educational institutionsworldwide, including the United States, theUnited Kingdom, Canada, Australia, andIreland.CampusSt. George’s campus is one of the newest inthe world and purpose-built for the programsoffered. Named True Blue, the campus overlooksthe Caribbean Sea and sits on the southwesterncorner of Grenada. Over 65 buildings—includingadministrative, science laboratories, residentialfacilities, a Small Animal Hospital, an adjacentLarge Animal Resource Facility, and a researchinstitute—were constructed as part of a major$250 million expansion. Almost 2,000 studentslive on campus and others live in the surroundingneighborhoods, served by free Universityprovidedbus transportation.The technology infrastructure at theUniversity matches the excellence of the physicalcampus and provides all the benefits of digitaland information advances to aid students in theireducation. The University uses technology toextend its instructional activities throughout allof its global locations, while applying technologyto improve the quality of instruction and servicesdelivered to students both on and off campus.Technology initiatives include web-based toolsenabling students to view schedules, registrationinformation, academic history, schedule, andfinancial information from any computer withInternet access. Sophisticated informationsystems, including campus informationtechnology labs, are deployed throughout theUniversity to enhance instructional support,provide classroom technology, connect studenthousing, and support e-learning.Information on the University isavailable at www.sgu.edu, and throughYouTube, Facebook, and Twitter atSt Georges U. Information aboutSt. George’s of particular interest tostudents from the UK, including videosof enrolled UK students, is also availableon the University website.36 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerRECOGNITION OF CXC QUALIFICATIONSTestimonials of CAPE studentson their preparedness for universitySharlayne WallerHindrances and Benefits of attendingYale College with a CAPE QualificationWhen I beganstudies at collegein New Haven,C on n e c t i c ut ,it s e e med asif every otherexperience paledin comparison.However, I will not deny that I dealt with somedifficult times during my first year. Adapting toa new culture, living away from my home andthe comfort of my family, as well as makingnew friendships in an unfamiliar environment,all became stressful at times, and the stress wascertainly not made less by the fact that I also hadto adapt to a different academic system. Thoughthere were a few problems with placement intothe correct level courses, because I came to Yalewith CAPE grades, these were sorted out in atimely fashion. Once I was in class, for the mostpart, it was smooth-sailing.The level of preparation from CAPE wasmore than adequate for introductory collegelevel courses. For example, after taking CAPEFrench, I was placed into the highest level Frenchgrammar class at Yale, just based on comparisonof the two syllabuses. For chemistry, physics, andbiology, the same was true; based on the contentcovered in CAPE syllabuses, I was able to skipthe first set of introductory courses and gainacceleration credits to take higher level courses.While it is clear that the content of CAPEdid prepare me for college level study abroad,problems arose with placement into courses atYale, because the CAPE were not recognised bythe college. Students who received ‘5’s* on APlevel tests of the American education system,or ‘A’s* in A Level Examinations, were able touse their examination results to automaticallyplace themselves into the higher level courses.However, even though I performed just as well,because of our Caribbean CAPE, I was requiredto sit placement examinations for science andlanguage courses upon arriving at Yale. It wasas if I had not taken and passed advanced levelexaminations at all. This was frustrating, sinceI had put in so much work for those results,but it turned out that the placement tests wereonly a minor setback. The content of the CAPEprepared me well enough, and I was able to passthe tests easily to receive the correct placementlevels.Once in class, I was adequately challenged,and for the most part, I do feel that I was wellprepared by CAPE to take on these challenges.I completed my language requirement withinone semester of being at Yale, since I placed intosuch a high level course. It was also interestingto note that in my science courses, the materialwas similar to what was learned in preparationfor CAPE; the difference being that the topicswere explained using more advanced concepts.The college course syllabuses went much morein depth than did the CAPE syllabuses, asexpected, but it was very beneficial to haveat least encountered some of the topics inorganic chemistry, physics, and biology, thatmy colleagues coming from the Americaneducation system, in some cases, had not evenseen before!In my opinion, taking CAPE positivelyaffected the Yale College experience. Apart fromthe issue that Yale did not recognise the CAPEI sat, and therefore my CAPE grades could notbe used as a tool to exempt me from placementtests, all worked out well regarding my academicsituation in college. I did not encounter manyproblems with comprehension of concepts andtopics in class, and I received acceleration creditsfor taking the higher level courses in which Iwas placed. Moreover, I was sometimes evenat an advantage, compared to my Americancolleagues. I do hope, though, that our Caribbeanexaminations soon become more recognised incolleges in the US, and in other areas of the world,so that Caribbean students will be able to makefull use of their CAPE results.Sharlayne Waller, a former student of CampionCollege in Jamaica, won the Regional TopAward for the Most Outstanding Performancein Natural Sciences at CAPE in 2010. She willgraduate from Yale in 2014.*equivalent to Grade I in CAPE38 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerJENNISA NANDOOThe Rigour of CAPE paid off at LSECAPE Students’ TestimonialsAdmittedly, afterthe hype of beingadmitted to sucha prestigiousinstitution likethe LSE to studyInternationalRelations haddied down, Iwas assaulted by an attack of nerves and panic,wondering if my secondary school education,and in particular, my CAPE preparation,would leave me at a gross disadvantage to otherstudents coming from different institutionalbackgrounds. Indeed, the LSE, which boastsstudents from more than 150 countries, takes inthe crème de la crème of students from differentinternationally recognised examinations such asthe International Baccalaureat, A-Levels, SATsand French Baccalaureat. As CAPE was generallya more recent examination system, I could nothelp but feel intimidated by my new peers, evenbefore classes had actually begun!However, on my first meeting with myacademic advisor who is a lecturer at the LSE, myfears were greatly alleviated when he remarkedthat he had looked through my academic recordand was quite impressed with my achievements.I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that if a topnotchlecturer who deals with so many studentsfrom so many different academic backgroundscould be impressed by my CAPE qualifications,then maybe I wasn’t on such a bad footing afterall vis-à-vis my future classmates.Yet it was truly in the classroom that myfears were firmly laid to rest. I realised that CAPEwas more than just an examination, that CAPEis a system, designed to encourage studentsto function at maximum efficiency, givingmaximum results. In my French and Spanishclasses, I found that the rigorous teaching andtraining that I had received in Sixth Form andthe demands of the CAPE Foreign Languagesyllabi meant that I easily outperformed myclassmates in many areas, or even matched thestandards of those who had spent a substantialamount of time in France or Spain, or who wereeven French or Spanish by nationality. Clearly,this was no small feat.Even in my other courses where a sharp,critical mind was required to analyse the worldaround us, and the changing lands CAPEof international relations, I found that theknowledge of History that I had gained fromCAPE greatly aided my understanding andappreciation of course materials. What I hadthought was an overloaded syllabus when Iwas in Sixth Form, turned out to be a blessingin disguise, especially as in my first year at theLSE, I had to take a history course which coveredtopics that I had already mastered in my CAPEexaminations. Furthermore, the countless hoursspent in researching and preparing IAs for myforeign language subjects, for History and forCaribbean and Communication Studies madea huge difference to my research ethic whenconducting obligatory research assignmentsof my own at the LSE. Special mention mustbe made of my History IA and the researchmethods classes of Caribbean Studies whichhave truly proven to be worth their weight ingold. The communicative skills taught in theCommunication Studies syllabus also provedimmensely helpful as I delivered my obligatoryclass presentations, receiving consistently highmarks for my presentation style and content.Lastly, it is an undeniable fact that to surviveand succeed at CAPE, one has to master timemanagement and this taught me invaluablelessons which continue up to today to affectmy time at the LSE. I learnt how to manage myacademic priorities, with my social and extracurricularlife and I have adapted these lessonsto my survival in London. Indeed, CAPE taughtme how to cope successfully with a challengingenvironment, and a challenging environmentcertainly characterises what I found myself upagainst when I commenced my studies at theLSE. In fact, this is a lesson for life especiallyas the world of work becomes more and morecompetitive and demanding.Given these life-long lessons that I acquiredduring CAPE, I realised on reflection that I wasnever at a disadvantage to the other students atthe LSE. In fact, I was just as good, or even betterin some respects, and for this I am truly grateful.There is nothing sweeter than being confident inone’s knowledge and in one’s ability to do one’swork well. The rigours of CAPE helped me tostand secure in this confidence in a world ofacademic elite, where it is an accepted ethos thathard work truly pays off. Now, as I am aboutto leave the hallowed halls of LSE, I know for afact, that had I not mastered the strategies andknowledge imparted by the CAPE system, thenI would not have been able to survive the past 3years. Therefore, it is to this system that I owe asubstantial part of my gratitude.Jennisa Nandoo won the Regional Top Awardfor the Most Outstanding Performance inModern Languages in 2008. She is a formerstudent of Naparima Girls’ High School,Trinidad and Tobago. Jennisa is graduating fromLSE in 2012.www.cxc.org MAY 2012 39

The Caribbean ExaminerOjeda VanterpoolFully equipped by CAPE for Queen MaryCAPE Students’ TestimonialsI never regrettedthe day I pursuedstudies at theCAPE level. Inretrospect, I havebenefitted inseveral ways, notthe least of whichis equippingme with the matriculation requirements forpursuing law at one of the most highly esteemedand competitive institutions of higher learningin the UK – Queen Mary University of London.CAPE has afforded me a learning experiencethat allowed for a smooth induction into studiesoutside my familiar environment. As a resultof CAPE’s recognition, I never felt any lessthan the student coming from a metropolitancountry. Yes, I was on par, and I would dare say,ahead in many respects.My exposure to CAPE has grounded mein a wealth of knowledge in several fields and Ihave been cultured to work hard. As such, I havedeveloped multiple skills that have placed me ina strong position to excel. At Queen Mary, theCAPE experience resonates as a daily reminderto think critically, research extensively, andanalyse deeply. Queen Mary has demanded thesame values that CAPE engendered in me: hardwork, discipline and a positive attitude. WhileI was not without challenges, it must be knownthat the CAPE experience allowed me to tacklethem confidently.CXC has touched my life through its CAPEprogramme. Now I am armed to touch lives inthe practical world of work. Thank you CXC,for a remarkable learning experience.Ojeda Vanterpool is a former student of theAlbena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School inAnguilla. Ojeda won the Eric Williams CAPEHistory Prize in 2009 for the best performancein CAPE History.Ivan LeonceTop Awardee Gets Chancellor’s Scholar Designation at UBCThe strength of theCaribbean AdvancedP r o f i c i e n c yE x a m i n a t i o n(CAPE) continuesto be validatedby educationalinstitutions around the world. One of thelatest stories starts in Maraval, Trinidad andTobago and reaches thousands of miles away inVancouver, British Columbia in Canada.Ivan Leonce, of St Mary’s College inTrinidad and Tobago completed his CAPEprogramme in May/June 2011 and applied toUniversity of British Columbia, (UBC). WhenIvan received his acceptance letter in mid March2012 he was delighted by the news, but he wasalso surprised by one paragraph in the letter.“In recognition of your outstandingacademic achievement, UBC designates youas a Chancellor’s Scholar,” the acceptance letterstated in part.Ivan immediately went to facebook tospread the good news to the world.“Just got a letter from UBC (Universityof British Columbia),” he posted.“Apparently my CAPE grades translate to +95%in the Canadian system, so I have one of thehighest admissions averages of the enteringyear and was selected as one of the “Chancellor’sScholars” for 2012!”The post immediately evoked scores ofcongratulatory notes and ‘likes’ on Ivan’s facebook page. Of course the question of whatChancellor’s Scholar means also followed. Toanswer that question we went to UBC’s website.“UBC is proud to recognise the outstandingacademic achievements of high-school andpost-secondary students by designating selectstudents as Chancellor’s Scholars,” the websitestated. The Chancellor’s Scholar designationis awarded each year on a competitive basis tostudents entering UBC.”“As a Chancellor’s Scholar, your outstandingachievements will be recognised with a notationthat will appear on your academic record andyour official UBC transcript,” the websitefurther stated.According to The Ubyssey onlinenewspaper, the university introduced theChancellor’s Scholar Award to take effect fromSeptember 2012 for applicants with an averageof 95 per cent or higher. Ivan is therefore oneof the first recipients of this prestigious award.He will join an exclusive group of students,approximately 15 per cent of the in-comingundergraduate population.The newspaper quotes Associate VicePresident and Registrar of UBC EnrolmentServices James Ridge, as saying that the 95 percent cut-off ensures that the award is selective.“At 90 [per cent], just about everybody whogets into Sciences would get the award. [But]95 and up, that really is an extraordinaryaccomplishment in high school, and we want torecognise that.”Ivan is no ordinary student. In December2011, he received the Regional Top Award forOutstanding Performance in EnvironmentalScience in the 2011 May/June CAPE from CXCat a ceremony hosted at the Hyatt Regency Portof Spain. He achieved Grade I in eight Units– Biology Units 1 and 2, Caribbean Studies,Communication Studies, EnvironmentalScience Units 1 and 2 and Geography Units 1and 2. With these impressive grades Ivan will beexempted from all first year Biology courses andwill also receive credits for the CAPE courses.Passionate about things environmental,Ivan plans to pursue a career in this field inthe future. He will use his first year at UBCto decide which direction to go - Geography,Environmental Science, Biology or NaturalResource Conservation.CXC congratulates Ivan and wishes him all thebest in his endeavours.www.cxc.org MAY 2012 41

The Caribbean ExaminerCaribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) TESTIMONIALSCPEA TEACHERS’VIEWSThe Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) is being piloted in Anguillaand Grenada this year (see article on page 16). Students, teachers, principals,parents and officers from the Ministries of Education have been working withCXC to implement the CPEA. The Caribbean Examiner presents the views ofsome persons who are involved in the programme in the two terrories.Valley Primary School – AnguillaDesiree Richardson (Grade 6 Teacher)I am an advocate for the CPEAprogramme. The CPEA programmehas so many aspects where the studenthas opportunities to develop his or herinterpersonal and intrapersonal skills throughvarious individual presentations and teamworkexercises.The programme allows students to reviewwork as a collection rather than in isolation.Pupils are given the opportunity to see growth/progress in their performance when items areviewed as a collection of work.Pupils are also given the opportunityto have a critical eye on work presented bytheir classmates. This practice is an extremelygood technique as it forces the students tofully grasp the concepts and have a clearTeachers in Anguilla working in a group during CPEA trainingunderstanding of what is expected in order forthem to critique another’s work. Having thisunderstanding and knowledge, pupils are thenbetter able to produce a higher standard ofwork for themselves.Initially, the programme can seemto be a lot of work, but when strategies areimplemented to incorporate in the dailyclassroom work it is not an overwhelmingexperience for the students. All content forthe programme is what is already taught inclass so the different assessment requirementsare easily attained once strategically givenand spaced out rather than given all at once.It is additional observation and assessment,which translate into more work for the teacher,however with organisation and proactiveness itcan be achieved within the time frame stipulated.The programme for me is especiallyimportant because it requires our children todo presentations. It helps and allows them todevelop their public speaking skills throughthe various presentations. This aspect of theprogramme is very beneficial as our childrenhave a great need for improvement in publicspeaking. It also taps into their creative thinkingthrough the various types of writings and theirpersonal response to a book they have read. Iappreciate the programme and do hope thatonce fully implemented the required resources,continued training and assistance will be given toensure that students, parents and teachers benefitfrom the programme as it was designed andintended to do.Alwyn Alison Primary School – AnguillaOlivia Lake (Grade 6 Teacher)As educators, I believe, it is always ourintention to motivate and challenge ourstudents to go beyond what we think that theyare capable of. I believe this is one of the goalsof the CPEA, and I welcome the challenge.However, it has been quite overwhelmingfor me for several reasons:Book reports were a new concept to mystudents. I recommend starting this from asearly as Grade 3.Story writing (although compulsory) wasa daunting task because of the several timesstudents had to correct their assignments. Mymiddle and lower achievers especially, becamerather frustrated after having to re-write thesame story three or four times.In everything, the first year or two isusually a challenge. I support the idea of theCPEA, but because of some of my challenges,I would propose that this not only be doneat Grades 5 and 6, but at Grade 4. This way,students will have two years exposure and byyear 3 it will be much easier on students andteachers.42 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerCaribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) TESTIMONIALSCPEA STUDENTS’VIEWSADRIAN T. HAZELL PRIMARY SCHOOL – AnguillaMavis C. Fleming-Drakes (Principal)My interpretation of the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment(CPEA) is that it assesses literacies. It is a required assessment thatfocuses on a set of literacies common to the primary school curriculain the region. These literacies are necessary for students to achieve athigher levels of education.These literacies are inclusive of mathematic, language, civic andscientific literacies. The CPEA focuses on the assessment of literaciesand not individual subjects. It is used to define literacies achieved orstandards reached.I am hoping that this process will provide the foundations fortransitioning to a sound secondary education.It also provides multiple measures which tap different aspects of apupil’s knowledge, skills and abilities that are obtained under a varietyof conditions from a variety of sources. These assessments, formativeand summative, are in joint collaboration with teachers, pupils, parentsand CXC.My hope is that the students, teachers and parents can have abetter picture of the students’ academic knowledge, skills and abilities.The involvement of all stakeholders is essential to the betterment of ourstudents.Adrian T. Hazell Primary SchoolDenecia Connor (Grade 6)The CPEA is too much work because the portfolios take too muchtime. The repeated writing gets boring. After the long and tiring work,then we have to study again for the test including Test of Standards.Adrian T. Hazell Primary SchoolOrlisha Hawley (Grade 6)I feel that CPEA is too much work but to get to pass through the6th Grade to high school, I have to study hard. In a way, I feel happybecause I think I am going to pass. I am so frightened about this exam,portfolio grades. I am trying to keep up with the assignments and stayfocus on what I need to do to make a high score.Adrian T. Hazell Primary SchoolKeivel Richardson (Grade 6)My opinion of the CPEA process is that it is a lot of work. It ishard to complete the requirements. The Education department shouldlessen the work load especially with Test of Standards. I feel we shouldonly do one thing (assessment). CPEA helps us to check our work withour class students, teacher and our parents. The principal also looksover our portfolio. She makes sure that we do all our work.Adrian T. Hazell Primary SchoolKhalik Richardson (Grade 6)The CPEA is a programme that is quite interesting. It is a lot ofwork, but I think that if I study and work hard I will pass.Adrian T. Hazell Primary SchoolAva Carty (Grade 6)My opinion of the CPEA porfolios is that it is a great thing. I likethat you get to work on projects, grade ourselves and our classmates.The projects can be interesting. The thing that bothers me most is thefact that I still have to study for Test of Standards. I have no timeto study for Test of Standard because I spend so much time with theportfolio and getting all the materials and writing needed for theportfolio. I like that we have to discuss each area of our assignmentwith our teacher and that my parent has to work with me and talkabout the assignments. The end of term test, the Test of Standards andthe CPEA assessments are too much for us in one year.The CPEA promotes students’ active involvement in their learning44 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerCPEA TestimonialsCPEA PRINCIPALS’VIEWSOrealia Kelly Primary School – AnguillaJasmine A Hodge-Thomas (Principal)From my perspective, the pilot of the Caribbean Primary ExitAssessment (Pilot) produces a ‘snapshot’ view of pupils’ achievement.The programme incorporates day to day, continuous assessment basedon the students’ ability to fulfill learning intentions. The engagementof pupils in a variety of course work activities namely, book reports,can-do-test, pupils’ tests and group projects is very essential and timely.Additionally, while students experience some measure of success at everylevel of assessment, they are still made aware of ways in which they couldimprove. The ultimate goal of this process is the achievement of themastery level. The learning is therefore more meaningful to pupils.More importantly, teachers, pupils and parents share in theprocesses. Teachers are more conscious of providing explicit feedback.Pupils know where success was achieved and where improvement couldbe made. Parents function in a supportive role as they assist theirchildren by listening to them read, collecting materials and engagingin dialogue with the teacher.The idea of familiarising the senior classes with the variedassessment tools is very appropriate. This will ensure sustainability ofthe CPEA. Furthermore, the rich data describe more adequately thestrengths and potential areas of improvement of the pupils. Hence,provision for further learning is guided by the outcomes.Vivien Vanterpool Primary – AnguillaTracelyn Hamilton (Principal)“In today’s world of the modern educator, the teacher isexpected to take full responsibility for the students’ education andtherefore, if the student has not learnt the teacher has not taught.” Notsurprisingly, however, Lavare Henry, a teacher of Computer Science atCampion College in Jamaica, does not share this philosophy and as aprimary school principal, neither do I. I, too, believe that it must be ashared responsibility.The most recent offering of the Caribbean ExaminationsCouncil (CXC) – the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA)provides a system of assessment which requires a reorganisation ofthe school community and redefines the roles of all stakeholders –school administrators, teachers, parents and the students themselves.This system definitely caters for that desired shared responsibility.The CPEA model incorporates assessment for learning whichdemands that the teacher provides regular feedback to the students.This ongoing assessment ensures improvement of the students’performance. From my perspective, the benefits gained as a resultof utilising this model far outnumber the challenges some teachersmay be experiencing. For the students and teachers, there is no newcurriculum to cause confusion or frustration. Subject integrationbecomes easier to manage and there are more opportunities forteacher-student interactions as they establish goals and devisestrategies for achieving these goals. As students are engaged in thevarious projects, their skills of research, investigation and oral andwritten presentation improve. The cooperative sharing, listening andclear communicating of ideas promote good team spirit. The modelalso ensures the involvement of parents as critical players in thelearning process.This system of assessment encompasses the whole child andtargets the various learning styles of the students. Indeed, because ofthis, no child should be left behind.Paula Etienne, (L) Principal of Valley Primary School listening as Rashica David, (R) Grade 6teacher speaking about the progress of her CPEA students“From my perspective, thebenefits gained as a resultof utilising this model faroutnumber the challenges someteachers may be experiencing.”www.cxc.org MAY 2012 47

The Caribbean ExaminerCPEA TestimonialsCPEA OFFICERS’VIEWSThe Ministry of Education is supportive of the efforts toestablish the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA).With the involvement of CXC in this process, the Ministry isassured that every effort will be made to ensure the quality andintegrity of the certification provided, as CXC certification is already a well establishedbenchmark for educational success in the Caribbean. In our view, the CPEA providesanother means of measuring education quality across the region and is a useful toolfor improving teaching practice. Additionally, we are especially pleased that theCPEA involves the assessment of students over time and therefore is a fairer form ofassessment and a better measure of a student’s abilities than a single examination. This,we believe, is one of its most beneficial features.Our Ministry is pleased with the support we have received from CXC in the pilotphase of the CPEA. We have had several visits from CXC officials to conduct training,inspections and give support and feedback. The response from teachers, students andparents to the CPEA has also been encouraging. They appear excited about it and thenew perspective it brings to the teaching and learning process. We are hopeful thatthe implementation of the CPEA will result in improvements in student performance.Ministry of Education – AnguillaChanelle Petty-BarrettPermanent SecretaryMinistry of Education – AnguillaVeda HarriganEducation Officer Primary, Pre-PrimaryThe CPEA which is being piloted inAnguilla commenced with a visit frompersonnel from CXC. During the visit aworkshop was held for Officers, Principalsand Grade 6 teachers. In addition, meetingswere also held with parents from the variousschools. From the onset parents from otherschools who were not participating in thepilot project were interested in gatheringinformation about CPEA and voiced theirdissatisfaction in their non-involvement in thepilot. This indicates their deep interest in theirchildren’s performance in their exam and theirplacement in ALHCS. Parents’ enthusiasm,assistance and support were also evident intheir attendance to the Science Fair where theyopenly stated that their children were gettingmarks for CPEA. The island needs a renewedinterest in education which an external examcan bring with it.CPEA provides the students with a widerange of competencies and prepares them forthe CSEC, which involves not only the finalexam, but projects and SBAs. The teacherhas to employ several strategies to enable thestudents to obtain these competencies. TheCPEA experience can only help to widen theteacher’s knowledge of the curriculum theyteach. Students are at an advantage in that theycan score marks from the school based projectsin addition to the marks they score in theexamination. Monitoring of the schools/classesprovided the Officers with the opportunity tovisit the classroom more often and having adetailed view of what teachers were doing inpreparation for the exam.The results of the CPEA are eagerlyanticipated by all stakeholders. Whatever theMinistry’s decision in the final analysis, it wasa worthwhile experience which will force theDOE to rethink how the Test of Standards iscurrently done if it is continued in the future.“From the onset parentsfrom other schools whowere not participatingin the pilot project wereinterested in gatheringinformation aboutCPEA and voiced theirdissatisfaction in theirnon-involvement in thepilot. This indicatestheir deep interestin their children’sperformance in theirexam...”www.cxc.org MAY 2012 49

The Caribbean ExaminerCXC NEWSBiology, Information Technology, IntegratedScience, Mathematics, Mechanical EngineeringTechnology, Office Administration, Physics,Spanish and Technical Drawing. He also achievedGrade II in English B and Social Studies andGrade III in Visual Arts.Mrs Nadia Hollingsworth, Principal ofQueen’s College received the prize for the CSECSchool of the Year.All the CSEC awardees were presentedwith a cash prize, a plaque, dictionary with CDROM from Longman/Pearson and an offer letterof a full scholarship from The University of theWest Indies.Presentation College, SF RepeatsFor the first time, a student from the sameschool has won the Dennis Irvine Award for theMost Outstanding Performance in CAPE in twoconsecutive years.Kerry Singh of Presentation College, SanFernando, Trinidad and Tobago followed in thefootsteps of Nicholas Sammy in 2010 to top theawardees in CAPE.Kerry walked home with a hand-fullof awards: Dennis Irvine Award for MostOutstanding Candidate O verall; MostOutstanding Performance in Mathematics;and Most Outstanding Performance in NaturalSciences.The Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)-bound student achieved Grade I in 12Units, all with As in the Module grades. Heachieved Grade I in Applied Mathematics Units 1and 2, Biology Units 1 and 2, Caribbean Studies,Chemistry Units 1 and 2, Communication Studies,Physics Units 1 and 2 and Pure MathematicsUnits 1 and 2.Kerry led a parade of Trinidadian students,who, like in previous years won most of the CAPEawards. Once again, a student from LakshmiGirls’ Hindu School received the award for theMost Outstanding Performance in BusinessStudies. Shalini Singh achieved Grade I in eightUnits, all with A on the Module grade. TheseUnits are Accounting Units 1 and 2, CaribbeanStudies, Communication Studies, EconomicsUnits 1 and 2 and Management of BusinessUnits 1 and 2. This is the third consecutive yeara student from Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu School iswinning this award.Shalini is currently working as a researchanalyst with a financial firm in Trinidad andTobago and hopes to go to the United Kingdomin the fall to study Law.Shastri Ram of Presentation College,Chaguanas received the award for the MostOutstanding Candidate in Technical Studies.Shastri achieved Grade I in 10 Units – AppliedMathematics Units 1 and 2, CaribbeanJamaican Connection – Kemar Williams (L) and Jodessi Thompson (R), the two Regional Top Award winners for Visual Arts,pose with Donovan Lym, father of Jonathan Lym, winner of the CAPE Regional Award for Outstanding Performance in ICTMr Pulandar Kandhi, CXC Deputy Chairman, presents prizesto Jonas Sanchez of Belize, CSEC Regional Top Award winnerfor Most Outstanding Performance in Technical/VocationalEducationStudies, Communication Studies, GeometricalEngineering Drawing Units 1 and 2, PhysicsUnits 1 and 2 and Pure Mathematics Units 1and 2.Shastri is currently a Project Engineer Internat the National Infrastructure DevelopmentCompany. He has been accepted to CarnegieMellon University in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania,where he will major in Electrical Engineering andminor in Robotics. He plans to pursue a careerin robotics in the future.Ivan Leonce of St Mary’s College won theaward for the Most Outstanding Candidatein Environmental Science. Ivan, who will beattending the University of British Columbiain the fall, achieved Grade I in eight Units –Biology Units 1 and 2, Caribbean Studies,Communication Studies, Environmental ScienceUnits 1 and 2 and Geography Units 1 and 2.With his impressive CAPE qualifications, Ivanhas been accepted to UBC with the Chancellor’sScholar designation.Currently employed as Data Analysis Internat Coastal Dynamics Limited in Trinidad andTobago, Ivan hopes to pursue a career in the areaof conservation/environmental science.Celeste Dass of St Joseph’s Convent, SanFernando copped the award for the MostOutstanding Performance in Humanities. Celesteachieved Grade I in seven Units – CaribbeanStudies, Communication Studies, History Unit 2,Literatures in English Units 1 and 2 and SociologyUnits 1 and 2. Celeste also achieved Grade II inHistory Unit 1.Celeste is currently a student at UWI, St.Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobagopursuing a BSc in Psychology.Samantha Khan of St Augustine Girls’ HighSchool was the winner of the award for the MostOutstanding Performance in Modern Languages.Samantha achieved Grade I in eight Units withall As in the Module grades. She achieved GradeI in Caribbean Studies, Communication Studies,French Units 1 and 2, Literatures in English Units1 and 2 and Spanish Units 1 and 2.Samantha will be attending Kings Collegein London from September to pursue a degree inLiberal Arts. She hopes to specialise in Englishand one day become an author.54 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerFuture Caribbean LeadersCampion College holds on to ICT awardLike Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu School has donefor the Business Studies award, Campion College,Jamaica has also ‘owned’ the award for the MostOutstanding Candidate in Information andCommunication Technology for the last threeconsecutive years. This time around JonathanLym was the recipient. Jonathan achieved Grade Iin 10 Units – Caribbean Studies, Chemistry Units1 and 2, Communication Studies, ComputerScience Units 1 and 2, Physics Units 1 and 2 andPure Mathematics Unit 1 and 2. Jonathan’s fatherDonavan Lym was on hand to receive the awardfor his son. Jonathan is a student at Universityof Pennsylvania where he is pursuing a degreein Chemical Engineering.Mr Errol Jaikeransingh Principal ofPresentation College, San Fernando receivedthe plaque for CAPE School of the Year for thesecond consecutive year.The CAPE awardees received prize money,a plaque and life-skills books from Longman/Pearson.Dr the Honourable Tim Gopeesingh,Minister of Education in Trinidad andTobago presents prizes to Celeste Dass ofTrinidad and Tobago, CAPE Regional TopAward winner for the Most OutstandingPerformance in Humanitieswww.cxc.org MAY 2012 55

The Caribbean ExaminerVote of Thankswe formed special bonds – beyond the ‘old schooltie’ – that I am sure will last our lifetimes or if youshare my tradition, several lifetimes!I want to say how appreciative we are tothe CXC staff and chaperones on site that madeour wonderful vacation so hassle free. I expungefrom my mind all thoughts previously held thatyou were just out to torture me with tricky examquestions!I extend thanks to all our parents whosacrificed so much that we can be here today.I thank my father for teaching me his sutraor maxim: “I hear, and I forget. I see, and Iremember. I do, and I understand.” And inthat spirit, I thank my mother for making meunderstand the meaning of love.I would now like to thank Dr Didacus Jules,Professor E. Nigel Harris and Dr the HonorableTim Gopeesingh for their beautifully craftedspeeches which were both inspirational andinformative.I ask to be excused, if perchance, I forgot tothank someone or anyone who extended helpor kindness on this occasion or over the pastweek.And I have saved the best for last. To myfellow awardees, we have formed such closeties in this short time that parting will indeedbe “sweet sorrow”. But we have strengthenedthe bonds that make us the “Caribbean people”,bonds, which our politicians seem determinedto cast asunder.I offer them (and myself) some words ofadvice from the wit and wisdom of Mark Twain,one of my favourite writers:“Twenty years from now you will be moredisappointed by the things that you didn’tdo than by the ones you did do. So throw offthe bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour.Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.Dream. Discover.”And, from the “Desiderata” I offer thiscertainty: “And whatever your labours andaspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keeppeace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgeryand broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.”Thank You.www.cxc.org MAY 2012 57

The Caribbean ExaminerCXC NEWSCXC Top Awardees’TNT experienceSamantha KhanThe call came around nine in themorning. I can’t remember much of what Iwas doing, only that I thought it was strangefor my former high school to be contacting meat that hour of the day. My mother answeredthe phone and within a few seconds her eyeswidened, shooting me a meaningful glance. Icould tell from her tone that it was good news.But calling this particular bit of news “good”might be one of the biggest understatementsthat I have ever made. Good? Maybe.Fantastic? Closer. Life-changing? Definitely.The feeling of being named one of CXC’stop awardees is almost indescribable. It wasa mixture of shock, excitement, joy, extremeaccomplishment and even a little confusion. Ifelt certain that they had made a mistake. It wasonly when we, the awardees, were all gatheredaround the dining table at the Hyatt RegencyHotel did I really understand that it was nota mistake. We fell into such warm chatter,getting to know each other as we laughed aboutnothing at all, and it was clear that we werealways meant to be friends. Thus began one ofthe most memorable weeks of my life.The days were spent on an action-packedofficial schedule and the nights trying to evadesleep as long as humanly possible. We metboth the President and Minister of Education(events that only occur in the land of dreams),visited many historical sites and experiencedthe culture of Trinidad and Tobago like neverbefore. Each moment was exciting, enrichingand almost surreal. We spent our bus rideslaughing, singing and generally making noiseas we tried to get as much as we could outof every second with each other. Sometimesthough, we were completely silent when atlast we gave in to the fatigue dragging at oureyelids and said, “Ok, let’s sleep now so we canwake tonight.” And wake we did. Every night,without fail, we gathered in a different room58 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org

The Caribbean ExaminerAwardees waiting in the departure lounge in Trinidadon their way to TobagoAre we there yet?and made some more noise, interacting likelong-lost siblings, finding things in commonwith each other that we didn’t know one couldhave in common with another person.The top awardees programme succeededin giving us insight into the behind-the-sceneswork of CXC and strengthening our conceptof the importance of inter-regional ties. Itsurprised us with a wonderful reward for ourdiligence and let us know just how much thatdiligence is valued, inspiring us to continueto be dedicated to our education. Most ofall, it helped a band of unique young peopleto meet each other, forming bonds that willundoubtedly last beyond a lifetime.River ProvidenceWhether we like it or not, from young,expectations are thrust upon us by all around us.Go to school, try your hardest, get a job, try yourhardest, live well, and try your hardest. How onedeals with these demands is yet another thingall together. Truthfully, sometimes it’s easier toaccept these demands, other times, not to try atall. I’ve tried hard though, in my life, to do what’sbest for me and to be satisfied with my best.Therefore, it is, for want of a better, ‘wicked’ whenyour best can be the best. It is almost unbelievablethat you could accomplish so much for all yourhard work and be recognised for your efforts.For my sister and I, our trip to Trinidad andTobago was a celebration of our effort. We sawthis trip as a celebration of all of our efforts, allthe late nights studying, the gallons of coffee wedrank and the days we went to school lookinglike zombies. Had we any expectations of ourtime to come? Not really, but I suppose thatis what the draw was after we got through theinitial shock of it all. It was a chance to experiencesomething new, in a new place with new people,the awardees, who, in just four days, we grew tolove so much that it seemed that we had beenfriends forever.Looking back on our time in Trinidad andTobago, although every aspect was wonderful,it would be the camaraderie that we valued themost. The chance to meet and get to know suchwonderful people, the awardees, our wonderfulsixth form tour guides all across sweet Trinidadand Tobago and our caretakers on the trip.However, the chance to meet such brilliant,intelligent people such as the awardees, withwhom we shared so much in common, from allacross our beautiful region, embodied exactlywhat it means to be West Indian, whether theywere, from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago,Guyana or even as far away as Belize. Weembodied our region through our love of cricket,our many accents, our musical styles, our foods,how we ate them, through our favourite types ofliterature, our favourite authors and our manytraditions. Sharing and learning with so manywith whom we had so much in common, was anamazing and freeing experience.Trinidad and Tobago left us with momentsthat will last forever. From our first day exploringbig, beautiful Port-of-Spain, that seemed tovibrate with an energy that, if you listened closelyyou could hear the air hum, to meeting so manyinteresting people, so ready to share stories thatremind you of people back home and seeing thedaily grind, the daily struggle of people to live,that was almost comforting for me. I experiencedthe vibrant personalities of Trinidadians and thelovely calm, cheerfulness of Tobagonians, andmost of all, being with people you like, respectand care about. We will always remember ourdays in Trinidad and Tobago with our friends,eating lots, playing Mao and sleeping in thecorridors of the Hyatt. We can barely wait forthe reunion.www.cxc.org MAY 2012 59

The Caribbean ExaminerShastri RamI clearly remember the day I receivedword that I topped the Caribbean in TechnicalStudies for CAPE 2011. Mere words cannotdescribe the joy and excitement that surgedthrough me as I read the first paragraph ofthe letter. As I continued, I read that I had theopportunity to attend a week of fun activitieswith the other awardees at the Hyatt RegencyHotel in Trinidad. My exhilaration knew nobounds. From that moment I began countingdown, week by week, day by day, hour by hourtill the night before. I could barely sleep withthe anticipation of the week ahead.As I entered the hotel’s restaurant, twelvecheery yet inquisitive faces greeted me. I satand introduced myself. I scanned all theirfaces. So these are my fellow awardees withwhom I will be spending a week. Will theybe friendly? Can we get along? Will there becompetition among us? Will we be able tounderstand each other? Do I have a roommate?That means I have to share a room! I havenever shared a room with a stranger! Howwill that be possible? All these questions anda million more raced through my mind at thesame time. Little did I know that this would bethe most amazing week of my life.We all began chatting at the table. Ilearned that along with my fellow countrymen,there were representatives from Guyana, Belize,St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica.We barely knew each other but sitting there itwas amazingly easy to strike up a conversation.The table became so lively, laughter and chatterechoed through the room. Everyone had theirown uniqueness to add to the dynamism ofthe conversation. It was truly a spectacle tobehold. Here are total strangers about to spenda week together, yet we seem to have knowneach other for years. Then it dawned upon me.The wealth of this week lay not in the activitiesand the dignitary visits, but in the people withwhom I am about to share it.The first night was spent jibbing to thesweet melodies of soca and dancehall at a ‘SocaParty’ in Shalini’s room. Everyone shared theirown taste in music and we enjoyed it all. Wesang, made jokes, told stories, laughed andthen nearly fell asleep on each other. It was anamazing first night. The nightly parties becameour norm. Each night someone else would hosta party. It made the perfect end to a busy day.Our second day together was spent inTobago where we visited the Tobago House ofAssembly and met with its Chief Secretary, theHonourable Orville London. The remainderof the day was spent touring Tobago. Over thenext fewdays wetouredTrinidadand met withsome of itsmost influentialpeople. Mostvivid in my mindwere our meetingswith the Presidentof The Republic, HisExcellency ProfessorGeorge MaxwellRichards and theMinister of Education,Dr the Honourable TimGopeesingh. The majorityof the citizens of Trinidadand Tobago never get to meetsuch individuals in person, yet here we wereshaking hands with them and sitting down tohave meaningful discussions. It certainly was ahumbling experience.Though I am a citizen of Trinidad andTobago and I have been to almost everypart of it, I was equally as enthused as myforeign friends to visit our sites of attraction. Ibecame the unofficial tour guide and they allturned to me to ask questions about differentaspects of the country. I felt a sense of pridebeing able to showcase my country to suchan esteemed group of people. Yet there werenew experiences for me as well. I learnt IndianClassical Dance and thoroughly enjoyed it. Themost memorable occasion must be our tripto West Mall and Movie Towne. It could nothave been a more fun packed evening, withshopping, arcade, photo-booths and a movie totop it all off. Most definitely it would not havebeen that enjoyable if it were not for friendswith whom I shared it.Throughout the week we grew closer andcloser to each other. Our conversations weremore in depth and thought provoking. Wegrew accustomed to each other’s personalityand each person formed a unique relationshipwith one another. I tried to learn abouteveryone. It astonished me that everyonewas so different yet alike in so many ways.Everyone had an amazing story behind theirsuccess. For example Jonas from Belize didseventeen subjects and Anuradha from Guyanagot all ones in all of her fourteen subjects.Statistics such as these left me speechless. Yeteveryone was so humble and easy to interactwith. No one claimed to be greater than eachother. We all shared similar success stories.Each of us had a goal to work towards andSay cheese!Double take!Twin sisters, RiverProvidence andStephanie from StVincent and theGrenadines withShalini Singh ofTrinidad andTobago at a mallwe pursuedthat with all thedetermination it took. It isthe common thread by which wewere bound and learning of each other’spath to success fortified it.Nowhere else could more exquisite mindsand personalities have been brought together.Over the week we had amazing moments offun and laughter. We sang, played games, tooktons of photos and videos, ate, danced andlooked at movies together. Never a momentspent without each other and not a single oneof those moments regretted. It still astoundsme that such similar people like me exist. Ohhow I wish I knew them sooner!But alas, it could not last forever as ourweek drew to an end. The final gala event wasthe Awards Ceremony itself. It was superblyorganised and delightfully showcased allof Trinidad and Tobago’s cultures. We allreceived our awards and took pictures with thedignitaries. Yet through it all a heavy shadowloomed over. This was the grand finale. Thatwas the last night we would spend with eachother. That night we all sat in the hallway of ourfloor reminiscing about the past week. Withheavy hearts we signed each other’s books andexchanged contact information. We reveledin the fact that we all became best friends ina week. We formed relationships that wouldcertainly last a lifetime.Parting was a bittersweet affair. Sadnessfilled us and tears welled up in our eyes. Wehad our own lives to get back to and continueon our paths to success. Yet we all lookedforward to the future, one where we will rise toall challenges and become tomorrow’s leaders,one where, even though we are hundreds ofmiles apart, we will be able to keep in contactwith each other through modern technology.I am happy to say the present in both sense ofthe word, had now become our future. Thankyou CXC.www.cxc.org MAY 2012 61

The Caribbean ExaminerNew Staff at CXCMrs DeborahCurrency-HunteHuman ResourcesBusiness PartnerMrs DeborahCurrency-Huntejoined the staffof the CaribbeanE x a m i n a t i o n sC o u n c i l o n 9January 2012 in thecapacity of HumanResources Business Partner in the HR Division.Among her credentials, Deborah possessesa Masters of Science (MSc.) in Human ResourceManagement from the University of Surrey, UKand an Executive Diploma in Human ResourceManagement, from the UWI, Cave Hill Schoolof Management.Prior to joining CXC Deborah was SeniorHuman Resource Associate and Consultant atPricewaterhouseCoopers and served as EthicsOfficer on the East Caribbean firm’s Ethics andBusiness Conduct Committee for the past eightyears.She is currently Vice President of theHuman Resources Management Association ofBarbados Inc. (HRMAB Inc.) as well as a standingboard member of the National Human ResourceDevelopment Advisory Council which operateswithin the Ministry of Education and HumanResource Development.When asked to describe her time at CXC sofar, she smiled, sighed and then said, “It has beena significant challenge and it is very different fromthe other places where I have worked.”The major differences are the fact that CXCis a unionised environment and the structure ofthe organisation.“Normally in an organisation when there arefinancial challenges and a recession as we are innow, training is one of the first things that getscut,” the HR professional observed, “but at CXCit is different. CXC supports training for staff andpushes you to get training to take you to the nextlevel – world class.”“I like the outlook of the organisation andits leader, the Registrar,” Mrs Currency-Huntequipped. “He inspires me.”One of Deborah’s projects since joining CXCwas the National Initiative for Service Excellence100 Improvements in 100 Days. She said workingon the project has assisted her with fast-trackingimprovements in the different divisions as wellas helping in building relationships with othermembers of staff much faster. “The initiative hasadded a lot of value to my work relationships.”Mrs Sheree DeslandesAssistant Registrar, Corporate ServicesWestern Zone Office (WZO)Mrs Sheree Deslandes has been promoted to the post of AssistantRegistrar, Corporate Services at CXC’s Western Zone Office (WZO)in Jamaica with effect from 1 November 2011. Sheree joined theWestern Zone Office on 8 July 2002, as Accounting Officer, in theAdministration Unit, where she supervised the Accounts Unit. Shereeis a Chartered Accountant and has among her credentials an MBA inBanking and Finance from the Mona School of Business, as well asa BSc in Accounting and Management Studies from The Universityof the West Indies, Mona Campus. She also holds a Certificate inForensic Accounting and Fraud Prevention and a Certificate in International Financial ReportingStandards. As the Assistant Registrar-Corporate Services, Sheree is responsible for Finance and OfficeManagement Unit at WZO.www.cxc.org MAY 2012 65

The Caribbean ExaminerCXC NEWSBusiness Subjects‘Pay’ Dividends inJanuary SittingPerformance improved on seven of the 13 subjects and declined onsix subjects in the 2012 January Caribbean Secondary EducationCertificate (CSEC) examinations. However, overall performancedeclined slightly by four per cent. This year, 45 per cent of entriesachieved Grades I–III, compared with 49 per cent in 2011.BusinessPrinciples of Accounts was the subject withthe greatest improvement in performance. Thisyear 63 per cent of entries achieved Grades I toIII, compared with 37 per cent in 2011, a 26 percent increase. The Subject Awards Committeeattributed the improvement to a number ofstrategies implemented by the ExaminingCommittee. These included the presentationof questions in a variety of ways: work sheets,charts and tables.Office Administration produced the bestoverall result with 88 per cent of entries achievingGrades I-III, compared with 71 per cent in 2011.The other business subject examined in January,Principles of Business, also saw improvedperformance with 71 per cent of entries achievingacceptable grades compared with 62 per centlast year.There was a 17 per cent improvement inperformance in Information Technology thisyear when compared with 2011. Forty-eight percent of entries achieved Grades I-III comparedwith 31 per cent last year. The improvement hasbeen attributed to better performance in Profile3 (Problem Solving and Programming), whichhas been an area of weakness in previous years.Performance on this profile improved by 20percentage points; from 13 per cent of entriesobtaining acceptable grades in 2011 to 33 percent this year.Improved performances were recorded inMathematics and Physics. Forty per cent of entriesachieved acceptable grades in Mathematicscompared with 37 per cent last year; while forPhysics 53 per cent of entries achieved acceptablegrades compared with 49 per cent last year.This year performance on Spanish climbedback to the 2010 levels after a dip in 2011. Sixtynineper cent of entries achieved Grades I-III,compared with 60 per cent last year.EnglishThe most significant decline in performancewas in English B, which was being offered for thesecond time in January this year. Last year whenthe subject was offered for the first time at theJanuary sitting a very satisfactory 61 per cent ofentries achieved Grades I-III. However, this yearthat percentage dropped to 32.Two major issues affected the performanceon English B. There was a very high absentee rateand some students appeared to have preparedfor the examination using the incorrect texts forSection 1, (Drama). As a result, those candidateswere unable to respond to any of the fourquestions in the Drama Section.“Questions on Section 1 are text-specificand the January 2012 examination were set onthe texts Merchant of Venice and Fences. Thosecandidates who had prepared using the June2012 texts A Midsummer Night’s Dream and OldStory Time were therefore unable to answer anyquestion in this section”, the English B SubjectAwards Committee reported to the Final AwardsCommittee. The Subject Awards Committeenoted that of the 805 candidates who wrote theexamination, 140 of them did not respond toany question in Section 1. “This difference had anegative impact on candidates’ performance onProfile 1 (Drama).”Performance also declined on English A,from 54 per cent of entries achieving acceptablegrades in 2011 to 43 per cent this year. Thepercentage of candidates achieving grades at thehigher end of the scale declined as well: Five percent achieved Grade I this year compared withnine per cent last year.“A decline in the quality of responsewas evident in Question 2, the narrativecomprehension passage, and Question 4, theshort story, based on a picture stimulus”, theSubject Awards Committee reported. TheCommittee also recommended that teachers helpcandidates master the comprehension of literarydevices and develop effective reading skills.Social Studies saw a 21 per cent decline inperformance compared with 2011; from 70 percent to 49 per cent. Performance on all threepapers declined, but significantly on Paper 02.On Paper 01, 68 per cent of entries achievedGrades I –III compared with 84 per cent in 2011;on Paper 02, 32 per cent compared with 62 percent in 2011 and for Paper 03, it was 50 per centcompared with 52 per cent last year.Additionally, performance declined onProfile 1 (Knowledge and Comprehension) onall three papers. The Subject Awards Committeeattributed this general decline in performance atthe January sitting to “unpreparedness as seen inthe lack of understanding of fundamental SocialStudies concepts, the failure to expand responsesto questions which asked for explanations,description and reasons for suggestions.”EntriesThis year candidate entries increased butsubject entries declined. Twenty-seven thousand,seven hundred and sixty candidates registered forthe 13 subjects offered. This was a slight increaseover the 27, 349 who registered in 2011. Subjectentries declined from 76, 870 last year to 64,366this year.The January sitting continues to attract theregion’s mature population. More than 50 percent or over 14,000 candidates were in the 19years and over age group, while another 3000 fellwithin the age group of 18 to 19 years.Mathematics was the most subscribedsubject with 18,402 entries, followed by EnglishA with 15,474; Social Studies 6,157 and Humanand Social Biology 4,639 entries.66 MAY 2012 www.cxc.org