PEP mock test provides opportunity to raise higher order skills: Green

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Floyd Green, says the results of the Grade 5 pilot Performance Task test, have provided a baseline of where students are in terms of the higher-order skills essential for secondary school and for the necessary corrective interventions to be undertaken.

“We have sent individual profiles to every single teacher in the classroom. They can now take that profile, work with that student and raise the higher-order skills. The reality is that they would be better off than if we just turned a blind eye to it,” he said.

Green was responding to questions posed by Member of Parliament for Central Kingston, Rev. Ronald Thwaites, regarding the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

He noted that the mock test, which was administered in June 2018, assessed students’ ability to strategically think and to do extended thinking.

“The pilot Performance Task only represents 20 per cent of the total evaluation of the overall examination and cannot be used to determine the students’ overall performance,” Green said.

A total of 37,539 students sat the mock test. The results showed that 12,003 achieved mastery in Language Arts and 22,759 nearly met the standard. In Mathematics, 1,379 students met the standard, while 17,568 nearly met the standard. Additionally, 585 students met the standard in Science and 14,126 nearly met the standard. In Social Studies, 2,861 met the standard while 19,464 nearly met the standard.

Green told the Lower House that, overall, the results corroborate with the marks at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level in these subject areas where the students’ level of comprehension and application, in the sciences especially, is generally weak.

He noted that measures are being put in place to provide additional support to teachers and students.

A PEP website and application (app) have been developed, which provide easily accessible information for students, parents and teachers. The website and app will allow for publishers to promote their materials and also for teachers and parents to provide feedback to the Ministry.

It includes the National Standards Curriculum (NSC), of which PEP is a component, and other related material, including sample items and links to other educational services. These have been available to the public as at October 5, 2018.