ERIC ED377208: Diploma Examinations Program. 1992-93 School Year. Annual Report.

66 Pages·1994·1.7 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
TM 022 365
ED 377 208
Diploma Examinations Program. 1992-93 School Year.
TITLE
Annual Report.
Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Student
INSTITUTION
Evaluation Branch.
ISBN-0-7732-1157-8
REPORT NO
PUB DATE
94
NOTE
66p.
Alberta Education, Student Evaluation Branch, 11160
AVAILABLE FROM
Jasper Ave., Edmonton, Alberta, T5K OL2, Canada.
Evaluative/Feasibility (142)
PUB TYPE
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Academic Achievement; Annual Reports; English; Ethnic
DESCRIPTORS
Groups; Foreign Countries; French; Grade 12;
*Graduation Requirements; High School Graduates; High
Schools; *High School Students; Mathematics;
Sciences; Sex Differences; Social Studies;
*Standards; *State Programs; *Testing Programs;
Writing (Composition)
*Alberta; *Alberta Grade Twelve Diploma Examinations;
IDENTIFIERS
Canada
ABSTRACT
This annual report presents data for the entire
province of Alberta (Canada) for the 1992-93 school year, combining
the January, June, and August examinations. Results are also
summarized by gender, population subgroup, and achievement-over-time.
The Grade 12 Diploma Examinations Program, established in 1984, has
to certify the level of individual student
three main purposes:
(1)
to ensure that
achievement in selected grade-12 courses;
(2)
province-wide standards of achievement are maintained; and (3)
to
report individual and group results. Eight grade-12 courses in
English, French, social studies, mathematics, and the sciences have
Diploma examinations. In 1992-93 the number of students taking
examinations continued to increase. Over 90% achieved the acceptable
standard in each course except for the mathematics course. Over 20%
of science students achieved the standard of excellence. Graduating
students spell quite well, but have problems with syntax and
semantics. Results are summarized in 29 tables and 33 figures. Four
appendixes describe the examination development process, test
interpretation, and distribution of marks, and contain the report
questionnaire. (SLD)
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1992-93 School Year
Annual
Report
Diploma Examinations Program
Alban
Students
First!
Student Evaluation
EDUCATION
Alberta Education Cataloguing in Publication Data
Alberta. Alberta Education. Student Evaluation.
Annual report: diploma examinations program: 1992-93 school year
ISBN 0-7732-1157-8
1. Educational tests and measurementsAlberta.
L Title.
II. Title: Diploma examinations program: 1992-93 school year.
LB3060.285 C2 A333 1993
371.262
This document was written primarily for:
Students
Teachers
.
Administrators
Parents
General Public
Others (Specify)
Researchers
School Principals and Teachers The Alberta Teachers' Association
Alberta
Distribution: Superintendents of Schools
General Public upon Request.
School Boards Association
Alberta Education
Copyright 1994, the Crown in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Education, Alberta Education, Student
Evaluation Branch, 11160 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T5K 0L2. All rights reserved. Additional copies may be
obtained from the Student Evaluation Branch, 427-0010.
Message from the Director
ix
Grade 12 Diploma Examinations Program
Section 1:
1
Summary of Results
Section 2:
3
Results by Gender
Section 3:
9
Results for Population Subgroups
Section 4:
13
Special Study: Conventions of Language
Section 5:
23
Section 6: Achievement-Over-Time Studies
29
Examiners' Annual Summary Statements
Section 7:
English 30
31
English 33
33
Social Studies 30
35
Francais 30
37
38
Mathematics 30
39
Biology 30
Chemistry 30
41
43
___ Physics 30
Appendix A: Diploma Examination Development Process
45
Appendix B: Guidelines for Interpreting and Using the Results of the Diploma Examinations
49
Appendix C: Percentage Distribution of Marks in Diploma Examination Courses
53
Diploma Examinations Program: Annual Report Questionnaire
end page
iii
List of Figures
Section 2
Percentage of Students Achieving Standards
Figure 2-1
(Final Course Mark), 1992-93 School Year
3
Number of Students Writing Diploma Examinations in Each Course
Figure 2-2
1990-91, 1991-92, and 1992-93 School Years
4
Average Number of Different Diploma Examinati )ns Written by
Figure 2-3
Students in Each Course, 1992-93 School Year
5
English 30 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for Final Course Mark, Three School Years
Figure 2-4
5
English 30 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for School, Examination, and
Figure 2-5
Final Course Marks, 1992-93 School Year
5
English 33 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for Final Course Mark, Three School Years
Figure 2-6
6
English 33 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for School, Examination, and
Figure 2-7
Final Course Marks, 1992-93 School Year
6
Social Studies 30 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for Final Course Mark, Three School Years
Figure 2-8
6
Social Studies 30 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for School, Examination, and
Figure 2-9
Final Course Marks, 1992-93 School Year
6
Francais 30 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for Final Course Mark, Three School Years
Figure 2-10
6
Francais 30 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for School, Examination, and
Figure 2-11
Final Course Marks, 1992-93 School Year
6
Mathematics 30 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for Final Course Marl, Three School Years
Figure 2-12
7
Mathematics 30 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for School, Examination, and
Figure 2-13
Final Course Marks, 1992-93 School Year
7
Biology 30 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for Final Course Mark, Three School Years
Figure 2-14
7
Biology 30 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for School, Examination, and
Figure 2-15
Final Course Marks, 1992-93 School Year
7
C, and F for Final Course Mark, Three School Years
Chemistry 30 Distribution of A.
Figure 2-16
7
Chemistry 30 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for School, Examination, and
Figure 2-17
Final Course Marks, 1992-93 School Year
7
Physics 30 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for Final Course Mark, Three School Years
Figure 2-18
8
Physics 30 Distribution of A, B, C, and F for School, Examination, and
Figure 2-19
Final Course Marks, 1992-93 School Year
8
iv
Section 3
Ratio of Males to Females Writing Diploma Examinations, 1992-93 School Year
9
Figure 3-1
Percentage of Students Achieving Standards by Gender
Figure 3-2
(Final Course Mark), 1992-93 School Year
10
Section 5
25
Average Number of Errors per Essay by Category
Figure 5-1
Section 7
Distribution of English 30 Diploma Examination Marks, 1992-93 School Year
31
Figure 7-1
33
Distribution of English 33 Diploma Examination Marks, 1992-93 School Year
Figure 7-2
35
Distribution of Social Studies 30 Diploma Examination Marks, 1992-93 School Year
Figure 7-3
38
Distribution of Mathematics 30 Diploma Examination Marks, 1992-93 School 'fear
Figure 7-4
40
Distribution of Biology 30 Diploma Examination Marks, 1992-93 School Year
Figure 7-5
Distribution of Chemistry 30 Diploma Examination Marks, 1992-93 School Year
41
Figure 7-6
43
Distribution of Physics 30 Diploma Examination Marks, 1992-93 School Year
Figure 7-7
7
List of Tables
Section 2
Correlation of Diploma Examination Marks and School-Awarded Marks by Course,
Table 2-1
1992-93 School Year
8
Section 3
Provincial Percentage Distribution of A, B, C, and F, Average, and
Table 3-1
Standard Deviation of Scores, 1992-93 School Year
11
Section 4
English 30 Status of Students Writing
Table 4-1
14
English 30 Diploma Examination Marks for Population Subgroups
Table 4-2
14
English 30 School-Awarded Marks for Population Subgroups
Table 4-3
14
Table 4-4
English 33 Status of Students Writing
15
Table 4-5
English 33 Diploma Examination Marks for Population Subgroups
15
Table 4-6 English 33 School-Awarded Marks for. Population Subgroups
15
Social Studies 30 Status of Students Writing
Table 4-7
16
Social Studies 30 Diploma Examination Marks for Population Subgroups
Table 4-8
16
Social Studies 30 School-Awarded Marks for Population Su. 3roups
Table 4-9
16
Table 4-10 Mathematics 30 Status of Students Writing
17
Mathematics 30 Diploma Examination Marks for Population Subgroups
Table 4-11
17
Mathematics 30 School-Awarded Marks for Population Subgroups
Table 4-12
17
Biology 30 Status of Students Writing
Table 4-13
18
Biology 30 Diploma Examination Marks for Population Subgroups
Table 4-14
18
Biology 30 School-Awarded Marks for Population Subgroups
Table 4-15
18
Chemistry 30 Status of Students Writing
Table 4-16
19
Chemistry 30 Diploma Examination Marks for Population Subgroups
Table 4-17
19
Chemistry 30 School-Awarded Marks for Population Subgroups
Table 4-18
19
Physics 30 Status of Students Writing
Table 4-19
20
Physics 30 Diploma Examination Marks for Population Subgroups
Table 4-20
20
Physics 30 School-Awarded Marks for Population Subgroups
20
Table 4-21
vi
Section 5
Most Frequent Errors in Conventions of Language in "Satisfactory"
Table 5-1
27
English 30 Diploma Exam Essays
Section 6
'umber of Students Writing the Anchor Tests
29
Table 6-1
Equated Average Percentage on the Machine-Scored Component
Table 6-2
30
of the Diploma Examinations
Section 7
English 30 Four-Year Comparison of Selected Population and
Table 7-1
32
Performance Indicators
English 33 Four-Year Comparison of Selected Population and
Table 7-2
34
Performance Indicators
Social Studies 30 Four-Year Comparison of Selected Population and
Table 7-3
36
Performance Indicators
Biology 30 Three-Year Comparison of Percent of Biology Population
Table 7-4
39
Who Also Took Selected Subject
40
Biology 30 Performance of Selected Subpopulations 1991-93
Table 7-5
42
Chemistry 30 Performance of Selected Subpopulations 1990-93
Table 7-6
Physics 30 Comparison of Diploma Examination Results,
Table 7-7
43
January and June 1993
Message from the Director
This year's special study reports
Many teachers worked with us
English 30 students' application
during the 1992-93 school year,
of conventions of language.
assisting in exam development,
Results of the study are reported
field testing, marking, and the
in Section 5. The study
administration of the diploma
confirms that English 30
exams. Superintendents, high
graduating students can spell
school principals, and other
quite well. The kinds of
school personnel have also
problems in expression that
helped make the Diploma
emerged relate to syntax and
Examinations Program
semantics. The study suggests a
effective. I appreciate their
need for students to encounter
commitment, and I want to
more examples of language
thank them for the support and
used well, precisely, and
assistance they have provided.
correctly.
Our annual report combines the
I hope that you will find this
January, June, and August
report useful, and I welcome
results for diploma exam
any comments and questions
courses. The graphs, tables,
that may arise. Please feel free
and text describe student
to call or write to me, or contact
performance for the whole
any of the Student Evaluation
school year. As before, we
staff. You can also send
present data for three
feedback by completing the
consecutive years for each
questionnaire, which is included
diploma exam course. Some
at the end of the report. We are
other features of the previous
committed to communicating
report are repeated, including
the achievement results of our
the separate presentation of
graduating students clearly and
school marks, exam marks, and
in ways that encourage
final marks for each course, and
improvements in education.
results by gender.
Our data show that in the
1992-93 school year, the
number of students writing
diploma exams continued to
increase. Final marks in the
ran
Horvath, Director
diploma exam courses showed
.
that over 90% of our students
achieved the acceptable
standard in each course except
Mathematics 30. In the science
courses, over 20% of students
also achieved the standard of
excellence.
10