KITUI TEACHERS’ TRAINING COLLEGE,

P.O. Box 1427-90200,

KITUI.
Email: [email protected]/[email protected]

Educational Assessment.
A. Meaning of terms used in educational assessment
1. Assessment
This is the purposeful and systematic process of gathering information from multiple sources
to make decisions on what knowledge, skills and values learners have acquired, what they can
do and what they need to learn.
Purpose of assessment
 provide feedback on acquisition of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to self, teacher,
parents/guardians and other relevant stakeholders
 help the teacher improve instructional strategies and approaches
 highlight gaps in the provision of resources that support implementation of curriculum
 inform parents/guardians on learner’s educational needs for support/appropriate
intervention
 encourage learners to develop skills of self and peer assessment and to be responsible for
their own learning
3. Test
A test refers to a tool or instrument for measuring a learner’s level of acquisition of the targeted
learning outcomes. A test can comprise of one or more than one task, all measuring various
aspects or attributes.
4. Examination
Examination is a battery of tests put together for measuring learner’s acquisition of the targeted
learning outcomes in various learning areas or subjects. KCPE, KPSEA, KILEA, KEYA,
KFLEA and KCSE are examples of Examinations.
5. Measurement
Educational measurement is the science and practice of obtaining information about
characteristics of learners, such as their knowledge, skills, abilities and interests.
It includes administration and scoring of tests, scale construction, validation and
standardization and application of statistical techniques in the interpretation of obtained
measure or test results.

Page 1 of 55
 6. Evaluation
Evaluation is a purposeful collection of information, scoring, analysing, and interpreting it to
give meaning or assign value judgment to it. The evaluation findings will inform various
decisions such as the performance levels of learners, effectiveness of the pedagogical
approaches used in teaching and learning process and transition policies among other policy
interventions.
7. CBA
A systematic process of determining the learner’s ability to apply acquired knowledge, skills,
values and attitudes to successfully perform a task. In this context, the assessment refers to the
process of determining the ability of the teacher trainee to apply acquired knowledge, skills,
values and attitudes to successfully perform a specific task. Teacher trainers are required to
apply suitable assessment techniques to assess the teacher trainees and also equip trainees with
the required competencies to carry-out assessment.

PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT
The principles of assessment define the desired qualities that assessment should possess to
make it assess effectively. The following are some principles of assessment; Validity,
Objectivity, Reliability, Efficiency, Fairness, Flexibility, Accessibility, Practicability,
Authenticity, Sufficiency, Currency and Collaboration.
1. Objectivity
 An assessment is said to be objective if it is free from personal bias in the interpretation
of its scope as well as the scoring of the responses. Bias may also arise because of an
unbalanced representation of experiences which are only familiar to some sections of
the cohort.
 Bias may also be attributed to unbalanced coverage of the content (in the curriculum
design) and/or experiences. For instance, if items in an examination were exclusively
based on urban experience, then the examination would be biased in favour of
candidates with urban experience.
 To avoid such bias, clear guidelines should be set in evaluating a test. There should be
a unified scoring guide for assessors to use while scoring. Besides, teachers/assessors
should be effectively coordinated before undertaking the scoring/ marking
exercise. This will ensure fairness, accuracy and objectivity of the process.
 An item is objective if different subject experts select the same alternative as the correct
answer. In this sense, objectivity is not related to the content of the question, which may
be subjective. In the following situations, the item is not objective:

Page 2 of 55
 Experts do not agree on the correct answer. In this case, it is usually best to discard the
item, as it is unlikely that they can be repaired.
 There are several correct alternatives.
 The correct answer is not listed amongst the alternatives.
 A student is asked for an opinion. Questions like ‘What do you think about…’ or ‘What
would you do if…’ can never be objective, and every answer is correct.
2. Validity
 Validity refers to the accuracy with which an assessment/test measures what it is
intended to measure.
The following are some factors that may adversely affect the validity of a test:
1. Unclear instructions which could make the learners unable to understand how to
respond to certain tasks;
2. Vocabulary beyond the level of the learners.
3. Inappropriate sentence structure;
4. Ambiguous statements in the task;
5. Subjective scoring of test items;
6. Length of the test (too long or too short test items);
7. Unconducive test environment (noisy, spacing, inadequate lighting, aeration).
Types of validity
1. Predictive validity – a test has predictive validity if it predicts future performance.
2. Content validity – a test has content validity if the items in the test constitute a
representative sample of the total course content to be tested.
3. Face validity – refers to the test appearance in line with the approved format and
structure of the test paper.
Construct Validity- refers to the ability of the test measure the concept that it intends to
measure?
3. Reliability
 This refers to the extent to which an assessment would consistently produce similar
results if the same test were re-administered to the same or similar cohort of learners
under similar conditions. The following are some factors that could adversely affect the
reliability of an assessment:
1. Ambiguous test items. This can be avoided if the assessment items are precise.

Page 3 of 55
 2. The absence of a standard marking scheme/ scoring guide. A detailed marking scheme/
scoring guide greatly improves the reliability of scores.
 An assessment may be reliable but not valid. This is because it may yield consistent
scores, but these scores may not represent what was intended to be measured. An
assessment with high validity has to be reliable.
Testing for reliability
 Test-retest reliability: measures the consistency of results when you repeat the same
task on the same sample at a different point in time;
 Interrater reliability (also called inter-observer reliability) that measures the degree
of agreement between different raters assessing the same task;
 Equivalent forms reliability: measures the correlation between two equivalent
versions of a task
 Internal consistency reliability: assesses the correlation between multiple items in a
test that are intended to measure the same construct
4. Practicability
It deals with ease of administration; time required for completion; the length of the test; cost
of the test; ease of scoring etc.
5. Equity and Fairness
The principle of equity and fairness requires that the assessment developer makes a
deliberate effort to ensure that the assessment does not give undue advantage to any group
of learners and that the assessment items contain an appropriate balance in relation to
aspects like gender, religion, culture or socio-economic factors.
6. Accessibility
 Accessibility is the extent to which an assessment task and its constituent items is
presented in a manner that accommodates all learners who are eligible to take the
assessment.
 Accessibility is enhanced through adaptation of test items (large print and braille) at
development stage as well as modification of the assessment environment during the
administration.

7. Flexibility

Page 4 of 55
  Flexibility entails the use of varied approaches and methods to collect evidence of
acquisition of knowledge skills and attitudes. Assessment should therefore be
responsive to the needs and environment of the learner.
 Such assessment approaches as performance tasks, oral tasks, written tests, multiple
choice questions, and an integrated approach may be used to ensure learners are
provided with equal opportunities to demonstrate what they know and can do.

9. Authenticity
 Authenticity is the extent to which assessment tasks relate to real-life experiences.
Authenticity is seen when learners demonstrate their deep understanding by solving
real-life challenges.
 In a test, authenticity may be achieved in the following ways:
1. providing room for learners to display understanding of concepts in varied and
familiar languages/forms
2. providing familiar contexts and scenarios
3. relating the concepts learnt to meaningful, relevant real-life contexts
4. thematic organization and presentation of tasks/items.
10. Currency
The assessment tasks developed should take into consideration of the current
competencies, values, 21st century skills and PCIs. Learners should easily identify with
the demands and requirements in the tasks.
11. Simplicity
An assessment should be written in a clear, correct and simple language. It is important
to keep the method of testing as simple as possible.
11. Discriminating power
A good assessment should discriminate between high and low achievers. The test
should have a balance of items cutting across the cognitive levels with varied levels of
difficulty.
12. Washback Effect
(Brown & Abeywickrama, 2010), this principle reflects how tests influence both
teaching and learning. According to this principle, a good assessment should:
a) positively influences what and how teachers teach and how students learn
b) inform learners’ preparedness for future assessments
c) give learners feedback data to evaluate their future achievement

Page 5 of 55
 d) An assessment possesses comparability when scores resulting from its use can be
interpreted in terms of a common base.
13. Fairness
The activity considers the individual learners need ad and provides reasonable adjustments if
needed.
Fairness aims at ensuring that assessment practices are not biased and are equitable for all
learners. This principle has a significant impact on the way assessments are designed,
implemented, and evaluated. By adhering to this principle, facilitators can promote equal
opportunities for all learners and ensure that assessments accurately reflect their knowledge
and abilities.
Fairness requires that assessments do not discriminate against any learner based on factors such
as race, gender, disability, religion, or socio-economic background. It emphasises the
importance of providing equal opportunities for all individuals to demonstrate their knowledge
and skills.
ASSESSMENT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
The following steps are useful in the development of quality assessment tasks:
1. Selection of strands, sub-strands and specific learning outcomes from the respective
curriculum design.
2. Select an appropriate assessment tool such as written tests, oral tests, checklist,
assessment rubrics etc.
3. Develop the tasks as per the table of specifications.
4. Provide all necessary information or instructions needed to enable the learner to tackle
the questions.
5. Arrange items in a logical order.
6. Ensure that every question has a response.
7. Develop a comprehensive marking scheme/ scoring guide.
8. Tasks/questions should target the average learner.
9. Use preferred standard units, abbreviations and terminologies.
10. Allocate adequate time for each item and the entire test paper.
11. Do not set tricky questions.
Difference between traditional assessment methods and CBA.
 The shift from knowledge based assessment (traditional assessment) to Competency Based
Assessment was brought about by the curriculum reforms that introduced the Competency
Based Curriculum (CBC) in education.
 This shift has embraced both Formative and Summative assessments approaches
 provides continuous feedback that is used to improve instruction learning
 Facilitate the acquisition of the desired competencies.

Page 6 of 55
 The traditional knowledge based assessment primarily focused on summative assessment
which was a one-off rigid assessment that determined the knowledge achieved by a trainee
at the end of a course.
B. Types of Assessments
Types of assessment used in learning:
1. Formative assessment
2. Summative assessment

Summative assessment
• Also known as assessment of learning
• It is looking at assessment information at the end of the teaching and learning process.
• Used to rank learners achievement level against a strand.
• Involves standardized tests.

Disadvantages of summative assessment

• Can demotivate individual - learners who don’t do well.
• Can be disruptive for the class –stressful for learners.
• Not always the perfect gauge learner’s understanding.
• Learners underperform due to a poorly made assessment.
• No time to address learner’s weaknesses in some schools.

Benefits of summative assessment

• Gauge learners understanding.
• Used in academic records.
• Helps to identify weak areas in learners.
• Accelerates individuals who already mastered the material.
• Helps to assess how well you teach (how well you present type of instruction).

Formative assessment
a) Diagnostic assessment
b) Assessment for learning
c) Assessment as learning

Diagnostic assessment
✓ Also known as pre-assessment
✓ It is done at the beginning of the learning process or before learners are exposed to
learning experiences.
✓ Used to check the prior knowledge of the learner hence helping the teacher to have
knowledge of where to start facilitating learning.

Assessment as learning

Page 7 of 55
 Occurs when learners reflect and monitor their progress to inform future learning.
Examples
Ipsative
Self-assessment
Peer assessment
Ipsative – the practice of determining learner’s progress based on their previous work.
Self-assessment
Takes place learners reflect and monitor their progress to inform future learning.

Advantages of self-assessment
▪ Check understanding;
Can show what learners know as opposed to what they think they know. As a teacher
you can use the gaps to help make better progress.
▪ Encourages learners to critically reflect on their own learning progress and
performances
▪ Encourages learners to be more responsible for their own learning.
▪ Helps learners to develop their judgmental skills.
▪ There is no peer pressure when learners assess/evaluate themselves.
▪ Helps learners to become autonomous learners.
▪ Helps learners to be more aware of their strengths and areas they need to improve on.
Disadvantages of self-assessment
▪ Self-assessment can be subjective because the learners may not be sincere and may even
over evaluate their own performance.
▪ Time consuming for the learners.
▪ Learners may not be familiar with assessment criteria.
Peer assessment
It allows learners to assess each other’s performance. It can be extremely valuable in helping
learners to learn from each other by listening, analyzing and problem solving. It gives the
learners opportunity to encounter diversity in different ways, critique and judge and ultimately
leaners learn how to be responsible for their own learning.
Advantages
▪ Encourages learners to critically reflect on each other’s work.
▪ Encourage learners to be involved in the assessment process.
▪ Help learner to develop their judgmental skills as they assess the work of other group
members.
▪ More feedback can be generated by learners compared to one or two teachers.
▪ Reduces the time and workload of marking for teachers.
▪ Discourages the problem of free riders because learners tend to put extra effort to perform
better in front of their peers.
▪ Maintains the fairness of assessment because everyone has the charge to assess each other
▪ Learners learn from each other’s work.
▪ Learners learn to critique, evaluate and apply other generic skill during the process.

Page 8 of 55
 Disadvantages
▪ Peer pressure and friendship can influence the reliability of grades given by learners.
▪ Learners may have a tendency to give everyone the same mark (example there may be
collusion in return for good grades).
▪ Learners are not experienced in assessing each other.
▪ Learners may cheat in collaboration for group work/assignments.
▪ Fairness may not be maintained because extroverted learners can usually be marked higher
and introverted learners get marked down.
Assessment for learning

Assessments for learning provide you with a clear snapshot of student learning and
understanding as you teach -- allowing you to adjust everything from your classroom
management strategies to your lesson plans as you go.

Assessments for learning should always be ongoing and actionable. When you’re creating
assessments, keep these key questions in mind:

• What do students still need to know?

• What did students take away from the lesson?
• Did students find this lesson too easy? Too difficult?
• Did my teaching strategies reach students effectively?
• What are students most commonly misunderstanding?
• What did I most want students to learn from this lesson? Did I succeed?

Common types of assessment for learning include formative assessments and diagnostic
assessments.

Assessment of Core Competencies and Core Values

Introduction

21st-century skills are also referred to as transversal skills, soft skills, or competencies. These
are competencies critical for an individual to survive and live successively in the current digital
and rapidly evolving global economy. They are a set of intellectual, personal, social, and
emotional proficiencies that all learners should develop to engage in deep and lifelong learning.
The competencies comprise knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes. Out of the many 21st-
century skills, Kenya has summarized and adopted seven skills which are referred to as the
core competencies in the Basic Education Curriculum Framework.

The seven core competencies include:

1. Communication and Collaboration

2. Critical thinking and Problem-Solving
3. Creativity and imagination
4. Citizenship

Page 9 of 55
5. Self-Efficacy
6. Digital literacy
7. Learning to learn.

Reasons why 21st-century skills are important for today’s learners.

1. Anticipate and be ready to cope with the rapid technological and economically changing
world.
2. To enhance healthy social interactions and relationships by appropriately interpreting other
people’s perspectives.
3. To be able to access, organize and share information efficiently.
4. Communicate and listen effectively with respect.
5. To cooperate effectively by behaving and working well with others.
6. To be able to think critically and solve real-life challenges and problems.
7. To be compassionate and portray a good character.
8. To promote creativity and encourage innovation.

Core competencies

Communication and Collaboration

Communication

Communication is the process of transferring information from a sender to a recipient verbally

or nonverbally.

There are four skills of communication:

a) Listening:

This is the receiving, retaining, and processing of information or ideas.

Indicators of listening

A learner who is actively listening demonstrates the following:

1. Listens without interrupting.
2. Recalls instructions.
3. Asks questions for clarity.
4. Retells what was heard.
5. Records important information.
6. Maintains eye contact.
7. Maintains appropriate posture and body language.
8. Tells the purpose of communication.
9. Summaries and paraphrases of what was heard.
10. Understands the speaker’s influence through the tone and language.
11. Listens critically and compares different perspectives.

Page 10 of 55
12. Listens critically and justifies the different perspectives.
13. Identifies bias in conversations.
14. Listens and challenges perspectives.
15. Listens and evaluates different perspectives.

b) Speaking or signing:
This is the oral/signed transmission of information or ideas from a sender to a recipient.

Indicators of Speaking
A learner who has speaking skills demonstrate the following:

1. Speaks clearly to a known person.

2. Speaks clearly to small groups of known persons.
3. Speaks clearly to individuals or small groups of unknown people.
4. Makes points in a logical order.
5. Thinks about what the audience already knows.
6. Uses appropriate language.
7. Uses appropriate tone, expression, and gestures.
8. Speaks engagingly.
9. Speaks engagingly using facts and examples.
10. Speaks engagingly using visual aids.
11. Speaks adaptively by changing language, tone, and expression.
12. Plans for different responses from listeners.
13. Can change the content of speech depending on listener/s responses.
14. Influences listeners by changing the structure of points, examples, and facts.
15. Influences by articulating a compelling vision.

c) Reading:

This is the process of looking at a series of written symbols and getting meaning from them or
a cognitive process that involves decoding symbols to arrive at meaning.

A learner who has reading skills demonstrates the following:

1. Summarizing the main ideas contained in a text.

2. Interpreting the text.
3. Highlight and underline the main points as one reads the text.
4. Associating what is read with real-life experiences.
5. Incorporates more than one sense such as read aloud or read and write.
6. Identifying common themes in a text chapter
7. Recalling what was read.
8. Sharing with others what was read.
9. Responding to questions from read text.
10. Comprehends what is read.
11. Detects the overall tone and intent of the text.

Page 11 of 55
12. Expresses pleasure from reading.

d) Writing:

It is the process of using symbols (letters of the alphabet, punctuation, and spaces) to
communicate thoughts and ideas in a readable form or it is a technical skill used to
communicate through written words. Technical skills include grammar, vocabulary, spelling,
sentence construction, structure, accuracy, clarity and persuasiveness.

Indicators of Writing Skills

A learner with writing skills demonstrates the following:

1. Uses correct spelling, grammar, and mechanics of writing.
2. Writes legibly.
3. Putting information, story or ideas in a readable form using pen and paper.
4. Making drafts and editing written work.
5. Effectively communicating ideas in writing.
6. Expresses own feelings and opinions in written format.
7. Use of appropriate descriptive text.
8. Use of persuasive text.
9. Uses appropriate vocabulary in writing.
10. Coherent, focused, and well-flowing written work.

Collaboration

Collaboration is the process whereby two or more people work together to realize shared goals.

Indicators of collaboration

A learner who is collaborating with others demonstrates the following:

1. Works positively with others.

2. Behaves appropriately when working with others.
3. Keeps time and is reliable to the team.
4. Takes responsibility to complete assigned tasks.
5. Supports teammates to complete tasks.
6. Understands and respects diversity.
7. Contributes to group decision-making.
8. Values and recognizes others’ contributions.
9. Encourages others to contribute.
10. Avoids creating unhelpful conflicts.
11. Helps to resolve unhelpful conflicts.
12. Builds positive relationships beyond the immediate team.
13. Reflects on the progress of the team and suggests improvement.
14. Evaluates the successes and failures of the team and share the lessons learned.
15. Evaluates the strengths, and weaknesses of the team and support them accordingly.

Page 12 of 55
16. Supports the team by bringing external experts and relationships.

Critical Thinking and Problem-solving.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned
judgment and be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.
Problem-solving is a set of skills that helps one to identify the problem, propose solutions,
choose the best and implement them.
Indicators of Critical and Problem-solving
A learner who has critical thinking and problem-solving skills demonstrates the following:
1. Follows instructions to complete tasks.
2. Seeks help to complete tasks.
3. Explains a problem to someone for advice.
4. Finds information required to complete a task.
5. Explores different possible solutions to solve a problem.
6. Explores the pros and cons of the possible solutions to a problem.
7. Identifies when there is no simple solution to a complex problem.
8. Research to understand complex problems.
9. Creates solution to a problem by generating alternatives.
10. Analyses the causes and effects of the complex problems.
11. Analyzes complex problems by using logical reasoning.
12. Analyze complex problems by creating and testing hypothesis.
13. Creates and implements strategic plans to solve complex problems.
14. Evaluates the ability of the implemented strategic plans to solve a problem.
15. Learns from evaluating the strategic plans by refining/improving them.
Imagination\and Creativity
Imagination is the ability to form a mental picture of something that one has not seen or
experienced or the action of forming new ideas, images, and concepts of external objects not
present to the senses.\or the ability of the mind to be creative or the act of thinking about
something and being able to see it in the mind
Creativity is the ability to think about a task or a problem in a new or different way or ability
to use imagination to develop new ideas.
Indicators of Imagination and Creativity
A learner who has the skills of imagination and creativity demonstrates the following:

1. Imagines different situations.

2. Imagines different ideas and can tell about them.
3. Brings the imagination to life in different ways.
4. Generates ideas when given a clear brief.
5. Generates ideas to improve something.
6. Combines different concepts to generate ideas.

Page 13 of 55
7. Uses creativity when working.
8. Applies creativity in real-life situations.
9. Uses mind maps to develop ideas.
10. Questions self to develop ideas.
11. Considers different perspectives to develop ideas.
12. Innovates effectively when working in a group.
13. Uses varied experiences and stimuli to innovate.
14. Supports others to innovate by sharing tools.
15. Supports others to innovate by evaluating the right creative tools for different situations.
16. Coaches others to be more creative.
Citizenship
Citizenship is the ability to work individually or with other people to make positive differences
in the society in which they live locally, nationally, and globally.
A learner who has the skill of citizenship demonstrates the following:

1. Recognizes own feelings about something.

2. Explains one’s feelings about something.
3. Recognizes others’ feelings about something.
4. Fairly divides up tasks with others.
5. Manages time and shares resources to complete tasks.
6. Manages group discussions to reach shared decisions.
7. Manages disagreements to reach shared solutions.
8. Recognizes own strengths and weaknesses as a leader.
9. Recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of others in team.
10. Allocates roles according to the strengths and weaknesses of the members.
11. Supports others through mentorship, coaching and motivation.
12. Is conscious of own leadership and its effects on others.
13. Builds on own strengths and mitigates on own weakness.
14. Adapts own approach depending on the situation.

Self-efficacy

Self-efficacy is the ability to use tactics and strategies to overcome setbacks and achieve goals.
Self-efficacy is a person’s belief about his or her capabilities to persistently perform tasks or
assignments that can change and transform one's own life for the better.

Indicators of Self-efficacy

A learner who has the skill of self-efficacy demonstrates the following:

1. Can tell when feeling positive or negative.

2. Can tell when others feel positive or negative.
3. Keeps trying when something goes wrong.
4. Stays calm when soothing goes wrong.

Page 14 of 55
5. Thinks about what happens when something goes wrong.
6. Helps cheer others up when something goes wrong.
7. Encourages others to keep trying too when something goes wrong.
8. Looks for opportunities in difficult situations.
9. Looks for opportunities in difficult situations and shares with others.
10. Adapts plans to opportunities in difficult situations.
11. Creates plans to use opportunities in difficult situations.
12. Identifies risks and gains in opportunities.
13. Makes plans to manage the risks and gains in opportunities.
14. Manages my responses to support others to stay positive.
15. Helps others to see opportunities to stay positive.
16. Helps others to see opportunities and set plans to achieve them.

Digital Literacy:
This is the ability and skill to use both cognitive and technical skills to find, evaluate, utilize,
share, create content and communicate using digital devices and the internet.
Indicators of Digital Literacy
A learner who has the skill of digital literacy demonstrates the following:
1. Finds and reads online content independently.
2. Knowledgeable about the basics of digital devices
3. Able to use digital devices in day-to-day life.
4. Able to use digital skills to work better and express creativity.
5. Uses technology to effectively communicate, share and collaborate with other people in the
technical environment.
6. Can use technology to gather information and research.
7. Able to protect privacy online effectively when online.
8. Can operate and use digital platforms in a socially responsible way.
9. Has a positive mindset about the use of technology.
10. Aware of ICT's role in society and the impact it has.
11. Familiar and comfortable with modern technologies all the time.
12. Informed on appropriate and common digital technologies.
13. Seamlessly, confidently, and creatively uses technology to increase effectiveness and
efficiency.

Learning to Learn Is the ability to pursue and persist in learning by setting clear, tangible
goals and devising a robust plan to achieve them.

Indicators of learning to learn.

A learner who has the skill of learning to learn demonstrates the following:

1. Recognizes when something is very difficult.

2. Is aware of what doing well is about.

Page 15 of 55
3. Works with care and attention to detail.
4. Works with pride when succeeding.
5. Works with a positive approach to new challenges
6. Sets own goals.
7. Sets goals informed by what is needed.
8. Orders and prioritizes tasks to achieve the goals.
9. Secures the right resources to achieve the goals.
10. Plans and involves others in the best way to achieve the goals.
11. Creates plans informed by own skill and that of others.
12. Creates plans that include clear targets to make tangible progress.
13. Creates plans that are informed by external views including constructive criticism.
14. Develops long-term strategies that take into account strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats.
15. Develops long-term strategies that use regular milestones that keep everything on track.
16. Develops long-term strategies that include feedback loops to support flexibility and
adaptability.

ASSESSMENT OF CORE VALUES

What do you mean when you talk of values?
These are principles, qualities, beliefs or standards that guide an individual on how to respond
or behave in a given circumstance or situation.
The assessment of core values will facilitate the achievement of the CBA vision of developing
an ethical citizen.
Assessment of the core values should take place throughout the learning process as learners
participate in various learning experiences in and out of the classroom.
The CBC curriculum has outlined the following 8 core values that will be addressed in the
curriculum:
1. unity
2. integrity
3. love
4. respect
5. patriotism
6. social justice
7. peace
8. responsibility.

1. Unity
Unity is the ability to live together harmoniously regardless of social, cultural, racial, religious,
economic and political differences.
Unity refers to the degree to which members work together cohesively towards a common goal.
Unity in a group is essential for achieving success, accomplishing great things and overcoming

Page 16 of 55
any obstacles. The indicators of unity can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a group,
identify areas for improvement and improve cohesion, productivity, and overall performance.
Indicators of unity
A learner who has the value of Unity demonstrates the following observable behaviours:
1. The group members treat each other with respect and trust each other's intentions, opinions,
and abilities.
2. They comfortably share ideas, opinions and listen to each other and value each other's
contributions.
3. Members are cohesive, have a sense of belonging and they feel part of a team and share a
common identity.
4. They have open and effective communication and share information, opinions, and
feedback.
5. Members work together effectively, share skills, knowledge, resources, ideas and support
each other to achieve goals.
6. Team members align with the objectives and understand the importance of individual
contributions to achieve the goals.
7. Members are positive, optimistic, and supportive of each other, which creates a positive
work environment.
8. Members have a cheerful outlook towards each other and the work and celebrate successes
of each other and learn from failures together.
9. Members address and resolve conflicts in a constructive manner, which helps to maintain
the team's cohesiveness.
10. Members are accountable for their commitments and strive to meet expectations, take
ownership of their success and failure, and take responsibility for their actions and
outcomes.
11. Members celebrate their achievements and successes, which helps to build morale and
motivate the team.
12. Members are flexible and adaptable to changes in their environment and are willing to take
on new challenges.

2. Integrity
Integrity refers to the ability to know, defend and do what is right always. It entails doing the
right thing even when you have the opportunity to do the wrong thing.
Integrity is the quality of being honest, ethical and having strong moral principles by
demonstrating responsibility, accountability, openness, empathy, and courage. It refers to the
consistency between one's values, actions, and words. It is important for building trust,
credibility, and respect with others. The indicators of integrity can be used to evaluate an
individual's character and moral compass.
Indicators of integrity in an individual
A learner who has Integrity demonstrates the following observable behaviors:
1. Honesty: The individual is truthful and transparent in their interactions with others. They
do not lie or mislead others, and they own up to their mistakes and shortcomings.
2. Ethical behaviour: The individual adheres to a strong sense of ethics and moral principles,
even when it is difficult or unpopular to do so.

Page 17 of 55
3. Trustworthiness: The individual is dependable and reliable. Others can count on them to
follow through on their commitments and promises.
4. Consistency: The individual's behaviour and actions are consistent with their values and
principles. They do not act differently in different situations or around different people.
5. Responsibility: The individual takes responsibility for their actions and their impact on
others. They do not blame others for their mistakes or shortcomings.
6. Respect: The individual respects others' opinions, beliefs, and values, even if they do not
agree with them.
7. Accountability: The individual holds themselves accountable for their actions and
decisions. They do not try to shift the blame onto others or make excuses for their
behaviour.
8. Openness: The individual is open to feedback and constructive criticism. They are willing
to learn from others and admit when they do not know something.
9. Empathy: The individual is empathetic towards others and considers their feelings and
perspectives when making decisions or taking actions.
10. Courage: The individual has the courage to do the right thing, even when it is difficult or
unpopular. They stand up for their values and principles, even in the face of adversity.
3. Love
Love is a complex and multifaceted emotion that involves feelings of deep affection,
attachment, and care for someone or something. It can manifest in many different ways,
including romantic love, familial love, love for friends, or love for hobbies and passions. Love
often involves a desire to support, protect, and provide for the person or thing that is loved, and
can involve sacrifice, compromise, and vulnerability. Ultimately, love is a fundamental aspect
of human experience that can bring joy, fulfillment, meaning to our lives and deeper
connections.
The indicators of love can be used to evaluate the presence and depth of love in a relationship
or situation.
Indicators of love
Patriotism is a complex concept that can manifest itself in many different ways.
1. Provides emotional support and encourages others during challenging times.
2. Provides physical touch by hugging, holding hands, or any other form of physical contact
that expresses affection.
3. Gives verbal expressions such as "I love you" or expresses words of affirmation and
appreciation. This involves open and honest communication, which fosters understanding
and connection.
4. Portrays acts of service such as doing things for someone else or helping them with
activities.
5. Gives thoughtful gifts such as flowers or a personalized item.
6. Spends quality time together engaging in activities that both individuals enjoy.
7. Can Sacrifice by putting others needs before their own, even if it requires personal sacrifice
or a long-term commitment to someone or something.
8. Demonstrates empathy by understanding and sharing the feelings of another person, even
if it's difficult or uncomfortable.
9. Shows respect by appreciating someone else's opinions, beliefs, and boundaries.

Page 18 of 55
10. Forgive others and move past mistakes and hurtful actions.
11. Shows compassion through a strong desire to help and support others, especially in times
of need.
12. Portrays a deep sense of trust and reliability between individuals.
13. Shows a sense of gratitude and appreciation for the people and things that bring joy and
happiness.
14. Demonstrates personal and relational growth, as individuals learn to be vulnerable,
empathetic, and compassionate towards others.

4. Respect
Respect is having positive regard towards self and others without prejudice. Respect is a
fundamental aspect of positive social interactions and relationships which can be applied in a
variety of contexts, from personal relationships to professional interactions. Respect is a
complex concept and can manifest itself in many different ways. By showing respect towards
others, we can build stronger, more positive relationships and create a more harmonious and
peaceful society. The indicators of respect can be used to evaluate the presence and depth of
respect in a relationship or situation.
Indicators of respect
A learner who has the value of respect demonstrates the following observable behaviors
1. Listens to others without interrupting or judging them, and showing genuine interest in
what they have to say.
2. Maintains eye contact, nodding in agreement, and using body language that conveys
interest and openness.
3. Uses polite and courteous language, such as "please" and "thank you," and showing
consideration for others.
4. Empathetic, puts self in someone else's shoes and tries to understand their perspective and
feelings.
5. Accepts others for who they are, without trying to change or judge them.
6. Honest, truthful and straightforward with others, even if it's difficult or uncomfortable.
7. Trustworthy demonstrated by reliability and dependability and commitments.
8. Consider others' needs and feelings, and take steps to accommodate them whenever
possible.
9. Avoids violence, physical or verbal aggression towards others and finds peaceful solutions
to conflicts.
10. Treats others as equals, without discriminating against them based on their race, gender,
age, or other factors.
11. Recognizes the inherent worth and value of others, regardless of their differences or
shortcomings.
12. Treat others with dignity not humiliating or degrading them.
13. Open-minded and receptive to different perspectives and ideas, even if they are different
from your own.
14. Accepts others for who they are, without trying to change them or judge them.

5. Patriotism

Page 19 of 55
Patriotism refers to loyalty, love and devotion for one’s country or nation. A patriotic
individual is proud of their country, readily and competently performs their duties as a citizen.
Patriotism involves a deep sense of love and devotion to one's country manifested itself in
many different ways and contributing to a more positive and cohesive national identity. It
generally involves a strong sense of pride, loyalty, service, and responsibility towards one's
country.
The indicators of patriotism can be used to evaluate the presence and depth of patriotism in a
person or a society.
Indicators of Patriotism
A learner who has the value of Patriotism demonstrates the following observable behaviors
1. Displays national symbols such as flying the national flag, wearing patriotic clothing, or
displaying patriotic symbols and slogans.
2. Participates in civic activities including voting in elections, attending public meetings, or
volunteering for community service projects.
3. Supports the military personnel, donates to military charities, or advocates for better
support for veterans.
4. Promotes a sense of unity and cohesion among different groups within the country and
works to bridge divides and promote understanding and cooperation.
5. Respects national traditions and culture, participates in cultural events and festivals,
promotes national traditions and heritage, and respects the country's historical legacy.
6. Respects national laws and institutions such as the country's legal system, obeys laws, and
supports its functions and leaders.
7. Advocates for national interests such as supporting policies that promote the country's
interests, both domestically and internationally.
8. Defends the country, may serve in the military or other defense-related organizations, or
support the country's defense efforts in other ways.
9. Celebrates national achievements in various fields, such as sports, culture, and science.
10. Expresses love and pride for the country through various means, such as art, music,
literature, or public speeches.
11. Shows a sense of loyalty to their country and are willing to defend it against all threats,
both internal and external.
12. Understands the importance of a strong and united country and are committed to work
together with their fellow citizens towards this goal.
13. Ready to take risks and make sacrifices for the greater good of their country, even if it
means putting themselves in harm's way.
14. Appreciates that loyalty and pride comes with responsibility, and commitment to fulfill
duties as citizens of their country.
15. Committed to promote inclusivity and unity across these differences.

6. Social Justice
Social justice refers to fair treatment of one another and promotion of equity. Social justice
refers to the idea of fairness and equality in society, where everyone is treated equally
regardless of their race, gender, religion, socio -economic status, or other characteristics. It

Page 20 of 55
involves creating a just and equitable society, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and
reach their full potential.
The indicators of social justice can be used to evaluate the presence and depth of social justice
in a society or community and can serve as a guide for individuals and organizations working
towards a more just and equitable world.
Indicators of Social Justice
A learner who has the value of social justice demonstrates the following observable
behaviours.
1. Provides equal opportunities in all sectors including access to education, healthcare,
employment, and housing regardless of an individual's race, gender, religion, or
socioeconomic status.
2. Fairly distributes resources such as food, water, and shelter as well as access to other
resources such as transport, technology, and social services.
3. Supports policies and practices that prevent discrimination based on an individual's
identity, race, gender, sexuality, religion, or disability.
4. Promotes diversity and inclusion, such as affirmative action, diversity training, and
cultural competency programs.
5. Protects the human rights of individuals, including the right to life, liberty, and security.
6. Restores harm caused by wrongdoing, such as community service or reparations for
historical injustices.
7. Participates in decision-making processes that affect their lives, such as town hall meetings,
public forums, and community-led initiatives.
8. Participates in grassroots movements and advocacy efforts that seek to bring attention to
social injustices and work towards positive change.
9. Advocates for economic justice, addresses economic inequality and promotes economic
opportunities for all individuals, such as fair labour practices, minimum wage laws, and
progressive taxation.
10. Promotes environmental sustainability and addresses environmental inequalities, such as
clean energy initiatives and pollution reduction measures in marginalized communities.
11. Empowers individuals and communities to speak up for their rights and to work towards
positive change in their own lives and in society.
12. Promotes solidarity among individuals and groups who share common struggles and aims
to create a sense of community and support for marginalized groups.
13. Seeks to hold individuals, organizations, and institutions accountable for their actions and
to promote transparency and fairness in decision-making processes.
14. Transforms society by addressing systemic issues and promoting structural changes that
promote fairness, equality, and justice for all.

7. Peace
Is a state of tranquility & harmony with oneself & among people? The Value of peace enables
an individual to remain calm always regardless of the circumstances around them. Peace is a
state of calm and tranquility that is free from conflict, violence, and disruption. It is central to
creating a peaceful and harmonious society, where individuals live and work together in a spirit

Page 21 of 55
of cooperation and mutual respect. It implies a state of harmony and cooperation among
individuals and groups.
The indicators of peace can be used to evaluate the presence and depth of peace in a society or
community and can serve as a guide for individuals and organizations working towards a more
peaceful and harmonious world.
Indicators of peace
An individual who has the value of peace demonstrates the following observable behaviors
1. Provides basic human needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare, and protection from
threats such as terrorism, natural disasters, and disease.
2. Recognizes and appreciates cultural diversity, and the promotion of cross-cultural
communication and understanding.
3. Portrays effective conflict resolution mechanisms, such as mediation and arbitration that
help to resolve disputes peacefully.
4. Protects individual rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech, religion, and
expression.
5. Employs peacebuilding initiatives such as peace education, non-violent communication,
and interfaith dialogue.
6. Portrays harmony and unity where people can live and work together in a spirit of
cooperation and mutual respect.
7. Promotes nonviolence and the peaceful resolution of conflicts and refraining from the use
of physical force or aggression.
8. Encourages tolerance and respect for diversity, where individuals can live together despite
their differences in race, ethnicity, religion, or culture.
9. Shows compassion and empathy, where individuals are motivated to help others and work
towards the common good.
10. Promotes forgiveness and reconciliation, where individuals can move beyond past
grievances and work towards a positive future.
11. Embraces trust and mutual understanding, where individuals can rely on each other and
work towards shared goals.
12. Encourages cooperation and collaboration, where individuals work together to solve
problems and promote common goals.
13. Promotes justice and fairness, where individuals are treated equitably and with respect for
their rights and dignity.
14. Promotes sustainable and responsible use of resources, where individuals work towards a
more sustainable future for themselves and future generations.

8. Responsibility
Responsibility is the state of being answerable, or accountable for something within one's
power, control, or management.
This is the obligation of an individual to perform the duty or task assigned to him.
The indicators of responsibility help individuals and organizations evaluate the presence and
depth of responsible behaviour and guide them towards developing a sense of responsibility.
Indicators of responsibility

Page 22 of 55
A learner who has the value of responsibility demonstrates the following observable behaviors
1. Truthful and transparent in all interactions and can be relied on to follow through on
commitments and obligations.
2. Demonstrates leadership by taking on roles to guide and support others and conducts self
in a professional manner, adhering to ethical standards.
3. Follow established guidelines and rules, whether they are formal or informal and fulfill
basic obligations such as attending meetings or completing assigned tasks.
4. Dedicated to achieving goals and objectives and fulfill expectations, even when faced with
challenges.
5. Efficiently manages time within established timelines and delivers work at a satisfactory
level.
6. Builds positive relationships with colleagues, customers, and stakeholders and works
effectively with others and seeks out new opportunities for growth and development
7. Effectively communicates with others to clarify responsibilities and expectations.
8. Utilizes resources effectively to fulfill responsibilities.
9. Generates new ideas, approaches and continues to learn to improve performance and
adjusts to changing circumstances to navigate new situations. .
10. Volunteer and participate in community activities to fulfill social responsibilities.
11. Recognizes Problems and challenges that arise and takes ownership of finding solutions
and seeks feedback from others to improve performance.
12. Takes initiative to identify areas for improvement without being asked or prompted.
13. Mentors and coaches others to help them fulfill their responsibilities.
14. Creates meaningful impact and makes a significant difference in the organization or
community through responsible actions.

COMPETENCY BASED ASSESSMENT TOOLS.

Assessment tools are instruments used to collect information on competencies (knowledge,
Skills, values and attitudes) acquired by a learner during or after a learning session or period.
The tools will address formative assessment in the classroom and should be used in real life set
up to measure performance.
Assessment tools are used for the following reasons;
i. To determine acquisition of targeted knowledge, skills and attitudes by a learner.
ii. To determine the level of acquired competencies.
iii. To inform improvements on instruction strategies.
iv. To offer relevant and appropriate interventions.
v. To provide feedback to the learner and other stake holders.
In Competency Based Assessment, different assessment tools are used to address different
assessment conditions and learning styles of the learners.
These tools are:
i. Written tests ii. Oral and aural assessment

Page 23 of 55
 iii. Assessment rubrics viii. Portfolio
iv. Projects ix. Learners profiles
v. Observation schedules x. Questionnaires
vi. Rating scales xi. Anecdotal records
vii. Checklists xii. Journals

1.0 WRITTEN TESTS

A written test is a piece of work which involves writing rather than doing something
practically or giving spoken answers. It is designed to elicit evidence from the learner on their
acquisition of learning outcomes and competencies such as creative thinking, problem
solving, communication and collaboration.
Types of written assessments
1.1 Multiple choice items/questions
Multiple choice items consist of the:
1-stem, which identifies the question or problem.
2-Alternatives:
I -key which is the correct response to the question.
II - distractors which are the incorrect responses.
Item Stem:
Grade Five IRE learners were given an assignment to find out teachings of surah Al-
Kauthar from their parents and write their responses in their exercise books.
The Grade Five learners can apply the teachings what they learnt by
Response Alternatives: A. fasting during Ramadhan
B. praying to Allah and praising Him
C. speaking the truth
D. loving their parents and obeying them.
1.2 True-false
In True or False items, a statement is presented, and the learner indicates whether the
statement is true or false. There are only two possible responses for each item, and the
learner chooses between them.
True-false questions are well suited for testing learners’ recall or comprehension skills.
Learners can respond to many questions, cover a lot of content, in a fairly short of time.
Example: White and Blue Niles merge at Cairo, the capital city of Egypt.
True or False?
1.3 Matching
A matching item consists of two columns: one column of stems or problems to be
answered, and another column of responses from which the answers are to be chosen.
The column of stems is traditionally placed on the left and the column of responses is
placed on the right.
Example: match the minerals given with the area where each is mined

Page 24 of 55
 Petroleum Athi River
Diatomite Magadi
Soda Ash Lokichar
Limestone Kariandusi

1.4 Completion or Fill in the blank

A completion item requires the student to answer a question or to finish an incomplete
statement by filling in a blank with the correct word or phrase. For example.
Example: Completion items are faster to answer than ____________ items because
there are no alternatives to consider.

1.5 Essay
Essay items are questions that require the student to supply and develop the correct
answer. They usually consist of a small number of questions to which the student is
expected to recall and organize knowledge in logical, integrated answers.

Example:
You have been invited as a resource person in a neighbouring primary school for the
Pastoral Programme of Instruction lesson to discuss the Pre-Islamic era in the History
of Islam.
Describe five social conditions that prevailed in Pre-Islamic Arabia that you will share
with the learners. (10 marks)

2.0 ORAL AND AURAL ASSESSMENTS

Oral is a direct speaking assessment (the teacher asks questions verbally). It is aimed at finding
out a learner’s skills of speaking and listening
Aural assessment is a listening task (usually pre-recorded and played to the learner). It is aimed
at assessing the learner’s skills in listening.
In oral assessments, questions are posed verbally while in Aural Assessment, questions are
usually pre-recorded and played to the learner. Speaking skills are assessed in Oral Assessment
while listening skills are targeted by Aural Assessment.
For instance, while assessing Oral skills of a learner in languages, the teacher may prepare
questions that are posed orally to the learners individually. Learners respond to the questions
orally.
In Aural Assessment, the teacher may record a piece, then play it to the learners who are
supposed to give responses to questions from the passage. Responses can be given orally or
in written form.
2.1Examples of National assessments where Oral and Aural assessments are
administered.

Page 25 of 55
 ORAL AURAL
KCSE
French French
German German
Arabic Arabic
Music Music
KSL
DTE
French French
German German
Arabic Arabic
Music Music

3.0 ASSESSMENT RUBRICS

An assessment rubric is a set of criteria used for assessing learner’s performance in a
task.
It consists of a criteria, descriptor and performance levels.
3.1 Steps in creating A Rubric
1. Identify what is to be assessed.
Identify the subject intended Learning Outcomes
Align the assessment tasks with the intended Learning Outcomes and learning activities
2. Select an appropriate type of rubric.
3. Identify the performance Criteria for assessing the work.- (What is to be assessed)
List all the possible criteria you might want students to demonstrate in the
assignment.

Important to note
a. What are the learning outcomes of this unit?
b. Which learning outcomes will be listed in the rubric?
c. Which skills are essential at competent or proficiency levels for the task or
assignment to be complete?

4. Identify the levels of performance

Examples
Exceeding – Meeting – Approaching – Below
Exemplary - Excellent - Acceptable - Unacceptable
Superior - Good - Fair - Needs work

Page 26 of 55
 5. Describe each level of performance
Define the performance quality of the ideal assessment for each criteria, one at a time.
Begin with the level of the scale that defines the quality of performance that you want
all students to achieve.
3.2 TYPES OF RUBRICS
There are two types of rubrics; analytic and holistic rubric.

• The analytic rubric breaks down the content or task into two parts and assesses each
separately.
• The holistic rubric assesses the overall performance on a task as a single entity.

3.2.1 SAMPLE ANALYTIC RUBRIC FOR GRADE 4 SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY

level Exceeds Meets expectation Approaches Below

Criteria expectation (4) (3) expectation (2) expectation (1)
Ability to Consistently Identifies Identifies some Identify parts
identify the identifies parts of parts of the parts of the some of the
external parts of the digestive digestive digestive digestive system
a digestive system with assistance
system
Ability to Consistently Describes functions Describes Describes
describe the describes functions of parts of a functions of some functions of some
functions of of parts of a digestive system parts of a parts of the
parts of a digestive system digestive system digestive system
digestive system with assistance

3.2.2 SAMPLE HOLISTIC RUBRIC FOR GRADE 4 SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY

Level Exceeds Meets Approaches Below

Criteria expectation (4) expectation (3) expectation (2) expectation (1)
Ability to identify Consistently Identifies Identifies some Identify some
the external parts identifies parts of parts of the parts of the parts of the
of a digestive the digestive digestive and digestive and digestive system
system and system correctly accurately describes their and describe their
describing their and accurately describes their functions functions with
functions describes their functions assistance
functions

Page 27 of 55
3.3 Using Rubrics Effectively

• Share rubrics with learner before giving the task.

• Have learners evaluate their own work or each other’s work using the rubrics.

• Use the rubrics as the basis for feedback.

• Assess learners based on the rubrics.
Effective Rubrics
The following questions can help determine if the rubric is effective:
1. Are the characteristics of each performance level clear? Will students be able to self-assess
by having the descriptors? Will the descriptors give students enough information to know
what they need to improve?

2. Does the rubric adequately reflect the range of levels at which students may actually
perform given tasks?

3. Does the rubric reflect what needs to be achieved from the Learning Outcomes?

4. Are all criteria equally important, or is one variable stronger than the others?

5. Is the language used descriptive for students to determine what is being measured in both
qualitative and quantitative methods?

SAMPLE ASSESSMENT SHEET

Criteria and Ability to Ability to
level identify the describe
external parts functions of
of a digestive parts of a
system digestive
Learner’s name system
4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 Teachers
comments
1. Tabitha Juma
2. Yohana Tessy
3. Abdi Ahmed
4. Regina Dave
5. Kababa Johnny
6. Kamami Jose

4.0 PROJECTS

Page 28 of 55
 A project is a set of activities implemented within a set timeframe with a clear start and
end time. It should have a clearly stated purpose and set of objectives.
Projects can be assessed using observation schedules, rating scales, checklists, journals
or portfolio.
When learners undertake the tasks assigned in groups within a given time, they tend to
internalize the concepts more and appreciate the learning process.
4.1 EXAMPLE OF A PROJECT FOR GRADE 4 LEARNERS IN SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
In groups, learners are guided to make a simple air pollution detector using a clean
white piece of cloth for a period of one week.
Projects can be used for learning purposes, problem solving or for income generation.
When learners undertake the tasks assigned in groups within a given time, they tend to
internalize the concepts more and appreciate the learning process.

5.0 Observation Schedule

It is a schedule outlining characteristics and behaviour that learners show during the
performance of specific tasks individually or as a group.

5.1 Benefits of using an Observation schedule

i- It gives the teacher an opportunity to share learning expectations with students in
advance.
ii- It encourages learners to self-monitor and self-evaluate themselves.
iii- It guides teaching and learning by focusing on the desired learning outcomes.

Page 29 of 55
 5.2 Sample Observation Schedule for ILA (Grade 3

School:
Learner’s name: Date of Assessment:
Teacher’s name:
L. Area: Religious Studies Strand: Moral Sub-Strand: painting: Love and care for neighbours
Teachings
Core Competency Critical thinking and Problem solving.
Core values Love, Responsibility
Task Learners to collect some items that can be offered to the needy and
less fortunate within the local community.
Indicators of Love exhibited by the learner.
• Learner portrays a caring attitude.
• Learner respects others opinions.
• Learner keeps promises.
• Learner puts interest of others before own.

Observations
1. Learner shows a caring attitude by sharing items with other learners who could not afford to get anything to
offer to the needy
2. Learner respects other learner’s opinions in discussions on how to distribute the items
Teacher’s comment:
Learner is respectful, loving and responsible

Learner’s signature: Date: Teacher’s signature Date:

Page 30 of 55
6.0 RATING SCALES
Rating scales state the criteria and provide three or four response selections to describe
the quality or frequency of learner’s work.
The degree or frequency of occurrence of competencies displayed by the learner is
indicated by the teacher.
Some descriptive terms that indicate degree or frequency of occurrence are:
1. Always – Usually – Sometimes – Never
2. Very satisfactory – Satisfactory – Unsatisfactory
3. Strongly agree – Agree – disagree – Strongly disagree
4. Excellent – Very good - Good – Fair
5. Very Satisfied – Satisfied – Dissatisfied - Very Dissatisfied.
6.1 Sample Rating scale

Criteria Assessed Always Usually Sometimes Never

4 3 2 1

Selects appropriate tool

Uses the tool appropriately

Uses the tool safely

Comments on the learner’s performance

Learner’s signature ____________________________ Date ___________________

Teacher’s Name ___________________ Signature____________ Date ___________

7.0 CHECKLIST
A checklist contains a list of characteristics of a learner’s behaviour and requires a
teacher to carefully observe and tick the competencies (knowledge, skills, values and
attitudes) portrayed.
The teacher and the learner may thereafter make a summary and draw conclusions from
the portrayed behaviour.
They offer a Yes/No, True/False format in relation to a learner demonstrating a specific
criteria.

Page 31 of 55
7.2 Sample Checklist
Name____________________________________ Assessment No: ________________
School____________________________________ Grade _________________________
Strand: Foods and Nutrition Sub- Strand: Cooking food
FRYING AN EGG

S.N Criteria Descriptors TICK Learner’s Teacher’s

Score comment
1 Preparing (i) Appropriately prepares the 2
the working area (2 √
working marks)
area.
2 Lighting (i) Correctly and safely lights √ 3
the source the fire. (3
of fire marks)
3 Frying (i) Places the frying pan on the √ 1
the egg fire. (3
marks)
(ii) Washes the egg and breaks √ 1 Wash the
it on a plate/bowl sprinkling egg
some salt on it. (3 marks)
(iii) Slides the egg carefully on √ 1
the pan. (2
marks)
(iv) Fries the egg until it √ 1
becomes firm
(2 marks)
(v) Once it is ready, removes it √ 1
from the sauce pan. (1
mark)
3 Serving (i) Removes and serves the √ 3
the fried food in a clean plate or
egg bowl
(3
marks)
4 Clearing (i) Responsibly and safely puts off 1 Observe
and the fire. (2 √ safety
tidying up marks)

Page 32 of 55
 the (ii) Responsibly tides up the 2
working working area. √
area: (2 marks)
(iii) Cleans, dries and stores √ 2 Dry
utensils used and cooking utensils
equipment. (3
marks)
(iv) Appropriately disposes used 0
water. (1 marks)

TOTAL SCORE 25

Teacher’s general comment on the learner’s performance:

___________________________________________________________________________
Teacher’s Name
_____________________________________________________________________
Signature___________________________________________________________________
Date of assessment__________

8.0 PORTFOLIO
A portfolio is a purposeful collection of learner’s work that shows the effort, progress
and mastery of specified learning outcomes or competencies.
8.1 Types of portfolio

• Showcase or Presentation Portfolio: Sstudents include work completed or work near

the end of their program.
• Working portfolio, Process or Learning Portfolio: Shows the wwork in progress.
• Assessment Portfolio: Used for Accountability.

9.0 LEARNER’S PROFILE

This is a summary of the teacher’s opinion on a learner’s mastery of competencies.

It enables the teacher to understand the competencies developed by the learner and
challenges which the learner may be experiencing.
The teachers to constructs a learner’s profile using information obtained from
observation schedules, checklists, learner’s journal and portfolio.
9.1 SAMPLE LEARNER PROFILE FOR GRADE 4 AGRICULTURE

Leaner’s Name: …………………………………………………………………………

Grade: …………………………………………………………………………………..
Teacher: …………………………………………………………………………………
Learning area/Subject: ………………………………………………………………..

Page 33 of 55
Strand: ………………………………………………………………………………….
Learning outcome……………………………………………………………………….

Criteria Learner’s strength Learner’s weakness Learner’s preference/interests

Identification Excellent knowledge Challenges in sharing Talented in sketching and colouring

of plants of names of plants information about different plants
plants with peers
Appreciation of Very confident in Has challenges in Loves gardening and enjoys
plants caring for plants. observing safety when hands-on activities
handling thorny plants

10.0 QUESTIONNAIRES
A questionnaire consists of a list of questions on various aspects of a learner’s situation
or issues.

• The learner gives an honest opinion or views provided.

• The questions are either open-ended or closed.
• The questionnaire can be administered by the teacher before, during or after
• The learning process.

Sample questionnaire on Matter in Science and Technology

School name Baraka Primary School

Learner name John Okoth
Gender Male
Learning Area Science and Technology
Grade 4
Strand 4.0 Matter
Sub-Strand 4.2 Properties of Matter (4.2.1- Floating and Sinking)
Date of assessment 22nd March 2023
Teacher’s name Mr Juma

1. Tick (√ ) whether the following statement about floating and sinking is true or false
An objects that stay on the surface of water is referred to as a floater

True
False

Page 34 of 55
 For each of the following statements, tick (√) appropriately
2. All small objects float on water
True
False
3. All floaters can be used to make boats
True
False
During the activity, were you given a chance to carry out the experiment?
Yes
No

4. If your answer in 4 is No, what was the reason?

……………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Teacher’s general remarks/comments (strength, areas which require improvements and
recommendations)
………………………………………………………………………………………
11.0 Journal
It entails the learner keeping a record of their personal feelings, thoughts, experiences and
activities on a daily basis.
The teacher can provide support based on the learners experiences.

School Kitui primary school.

Learner’s name Roseline Kaseo

Grade 4

Date of entry 12th Oct 2021

Description of event Creating Value gradation strip using digital software.

Drawing Still life composition of a cup and a thermos flask then
shading using Smudge technique.

What did I learn How to use a computer to draw value gradations and drawing still life
composition of overlapping objects.

Learner’s feelings Drawing is difficult.

Some of my friends also do not like drawing.
My friend Peter will help me in drawing.

Page 35 of 55
 I will also ask my teacher to help me learn more about drawing still
life composition.

Feedback from Some of my friends did not like my drawing.

other learners

Teacher’s comment

Teacher’s Name

12.0 ANECDOTAL
This is an account of a significant event in a learner’s life as it happens or immediately after in
form of behaviour, skills and attitudes. The event may be described using reports, photos,
drawings etc.
It provides the teacher with a collection of narratives that can be used to showcase a learner’s
progress.
SAMPLE ANECDOTAL RECORD
School: Mwathi Primary School
Learner’s Name: Pendo Caleb Grade: 6
Observation Date: 3/5/2023 Observation Time: 11.45 AM
Description of the incident/event
Pendo Caleb and Joy were connecting electric circuits in the laboratory. Joy mocked Pendo
about his inability to connect a simple electric circuit. Pendo felt bad about this and kicked Joy
out of the group and for the first time Pendo successfully connected the circuit and Joy
congratulated him.
Description of location/Setting
Connecting simple parallel circuit consisting of 4 bulbs, 3 cells, 2 switches, a voltmeter and
anammeter in the science Laboratory.
Teacher Comments:

Page 36 of 55
It was encouraging to see Pendo connect the circuit for the first time. He should be accorded
more opportunity to help him build on his confidence in connection of circuit. However, he
should control his tempers when challenged.
Teacher’s Name: __________________ Signature: ____________________

Portfolio assessment
 Portfolio assessment is a method of assessment often used in academic and professional
fields, where an individual’s ability, progress, and achievement are evaluated
through review of a pre-selected collection of work
 It may consist of various forms of work samples like projects, reports, examinations,
observations, or other forms of evidence that reflect a person’s competency or growth over
time.
 It provides a cumulative and comprehensive view of an individual’s achievements, rather
than focusing on isolated performances or individual test scores.
 It supports inter-disciplinary learning and promotes self-directed learning opportunities,
helping individuals become independent, self-reflective learners.
PRINCIPLES OF PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

 Collection of evidence from various sources and across different periods, demonstrating
the breadth and depth of an individual’s ability or progress.
 Organization and presentation of the collected works in a manner that enables easy and
meaningful review.
 Evaluating the portfolio, usually by multiple reviewers, to ensure fairness and objectivity.
Reviews may be based on established criteria or rubrics, or sometimes on relative progress
and development.
 Reflection, which is facilitated through the portfolio’s structure, encouraging the individual
to reflect on their learning progress and areas of improvement.

TYPES OF PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

Assessment Portfolio

 Also known as evaluative portfolio.

 Contains work that has been evaluated according to set standards or criteria.
 It demonstrate a student’s ability to meet specific learning standards.
 It often contain rubrics, test results, student reflections, teacher’s notes, and graded
assignments.

Showcase Portfolio

 Represents the best work of a student.

 The student to select their most outstanding work, hence demonstrating their highest level
of learning and achievement.

Page 37 of 55
 It can contain final drafts of assignments, projects, or any piece of work that the student is
particularly proud of.
 The purpose of a showcase portfolio is to provide a sense of accomplishment and to display
one’s best abilities.

Working portfolio

 Also known as Process portfolios or Learning Portfolio

 It documents the learning process of a student.
 It focuses on the learning journey and the progress made.
 It may include drafts, revisions, mistakes, feedback, and reflections indicating how the
student has overcome difficulties and improved over time.
 It allows for an accurate tracking of a student’s learning progression and the process of
knowledge development over a period of time.

Benefits and Challenges of Portfolio Assessment

Allows for a comprehensive evaluation

 Portfolio assessment allows for a comprehensive evaluation of one’s skills, knowledge,

and performance, rather than focusing solely on a single task or test result.
 This holistic approach can more accurately reflect an individual’s learning.

Encourages self-assessment and reflection

 Portfolio assessment encourages self-assessment and reflection, promoting personal

responsibility for one’s learning and development.
 Learners actively engage in collecting, selecting, and analyzing their work, receiving
feedback, and setting future goals.
 The process enhances their critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Offers flexibility

 Portfolio assessment is especially beneficial in settings where diverse skills and

competencies need to be evaluated.
 It offers flexibility, as different kinds of evidence can be included depending on the specific
skills or abilities one wants to showcase.

Provides a tangible record

 Portfolio assessment provides a tangible record that can be utilized for future learning or
performance evaluation purposes.
 One can always refer back to it whenever needed for some useful purposes.

Challenges of Portfolio Assessment

Page 38 of 55
 It requires substantial time and effort -Managing and maintaining a portfolio, particularly
a physical one, can be time-consuming for both the evaluator and the individual being
assessed.
 Subjectivity of assessment- Given that portfolio includes a wide range of work, it can be
difficult to standardize criteria and benchmarks for evaluation. Consequently, it may lead
to inconsistences and bias during the review process.
 May have issues with validity and reliability of the assessment - For example, in academic
settings, unless closely monitored, students might submit work that was not solely theirs,
casting doubt on the authenticity of the portfolio.

Page 39 of 55
 Pertinent and Contemporary Issue
1. Citizenship Peace education, integrity, ethnic and racial relations, social cohesion,
patriotism and good governance, human rights and responsibilities, child’s
rights, child care and protection, gender issues in education.
2. Health Education HIV and AIDS Education, alcohol and drug abuse prevention, life style
diseases, personal hygiene, preventive health, common communicable and
chronic diseases.

3. Life Skills and Values Life skills, values, moral education and human sexuality, etiquette.
Education
4. Education for Environmental education, disaster risk reduction, safety and security
Sustainable Development education (small arms, human trafficking), financial literacy, poverty
(ECD) eradication, countering terrorism, extreme violence and radicalization.
5. Non-Formal Guidance services, career guidance, counselling services, peer education,
Programs mentorship, learning to live together, clubs and societies, sports and games.
6. Community Service Service learning and community involvement, parental empowerment and
Learning and Parental engagement.
Engagement

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT
Types of assessment
Assessment is a process of gathering evidence on what each learner knows,
understands and can do.

1. Formative Assessment: Administered during instruction.

− Assessment as learning - involves self and peer reflection to monitor learner’s
own progress.
− Assessment for learning - is designed and administered before and during
learning e.g. a classroom assessment, SBAs
2. Summative Assessment: - Assessment of learning is administered at the end of
the learning cycle or course e.g. a national assessment such as KPSEA/KILEA,
KCSE, and KCPE.
WHAT IS AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT?
• A form of Assessment in which learners are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate
meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills.
• Authentic assessment is where students thoughtfully apply their acquired skills to a new
situation or environment.

Page 40 of 55
• Assessments are authentic if they are realistic, require judgement and innovation and assess
students' ability to effectively use their knowledge or skills to complete a task.
Example
The actual driving test is an authentic assessment while a written test on driving is traditional
assessment. Driving demonstrates what a student can do with the acquired knowledge.
Tools for authentic assessment

• Observation schedules
• Checklists
• Rating scales
• Rubrics
• Questionnaires
• Projects
• Journals or diaries
• Learner’s profiles
• Anecdotal records
• Written tests
Benefits of authentic assessment
• Uses tasks that’s reflect real life experiences;
• Focuses on high order thinking skills;
• Requires active performance to demonstrate understanding;
• Involve interesting and engaging assessment;
• teachers and the learner collaborate in determining the assessment;
• ensures success for every child (focuses on progress rather than identifying weakness);
• encourages the integration of learning and assessment;

Characteristics of Authentic Assessment

1. Requires use many skills.

2. Promotes critical thinking and problem solving.
3. Caters for individual needs of learners (differentiated learning).
4. Involves planning, doing, revising and reflecting.
5. Provides opportunity for peer collaboration.
6. Encourages self and peer assessment.
7. Can be performance, written, or oral/aural assessments completed individually, in pairs, or
in groups.
8. Focus is on the competences.
9. Learner centred.

Page 41 of 55
10. Flexible and provides multiple ways of constructing products or performances as evidence of
learning.
11. Requires well defined standards and criteria to achieve reliability and validity.
12. Focuses on both the process and the product.
13. Provides multiple avenues for learners to demonstrate what they have learnt.

Differences between Traditional and Authentic Assessments

Traditional Assessment Authentic Assessment

Requires learners to demonstrate knowledge by Requires learners to demonstrate proficiency by

selecting a response to written tests performing meaningful tasks that require
application of what was learned.
Measures the learners knowledge of the content Measures the learners ability to apply
knowledge of the content in meaningful ways
(real life situations)
Provides a teacher with a summary of what the Provides teachers with a more complete picture
learner knows (knowledge) of what the learners know and what they can do
with what they know (apply knowledge)
Learners are required to recall knowledge that Learners can construct new knowledge out of
has been taught what has been taught
Provides limited ways for learners to Provides multiple avenues for learners to
demonstrate what they have learned demonstrate what they have learned
Focus is on the content Focus is on the competences

Hides the test Task and scoring rubric are provided to the
learner in advance

Rigid and fixed Flexible and provides multiple acceptable ways

of constructing products or performances as
evidences of learning

Standardized, valid and reliable Requires well defined criteria/rubrics and

standards to achieve reliability and validity

Focuses more on the product Focuses on both the process and the product

Why Authentic Assessment?

1. Uses tasks that reflect real life experiences
2. Focuses on high order thinking skills

Page 42 of 55
3. Requires active performance to demonstrate understanding
4. Involve interesting and engaging assessment tasks
5. Teacher and the learner collaborate in determining the assessment
6. Ensures success for every learner.
7. Encourages the integration of learning and assessment
What is an Authentic Task?
• It is an activity given to learners to assess their ability to apply knowledge and skills to
solve real world problems or challenges.

• Authentic tasks should be context-based, in form of pictures or descriptions to create

scenarios.

Types of Authentic Tasks

(i) Constructed-Response Tasks

• Takes the format of a written test.

• Learners are expected to give responses which show mastery of the knowledge and skills
learnt.
Example
A Grade 4 learner has been asked to make a shopping list for a birthday party.
Write two parts that would be included in the shopping list.
(ii) Creating a product.

• Learners use knowledge and skills learnt to create a new or improved product.
• It involves application of knowledge and skills to solve real-life problems e.g.
- Writing poems and compositions.
- Projects and Art exhibitions.
(iii) Performance Tasks

• Learners demonstrate capability by performing tasks that require application of knowledge

and skills acquired e.g.
- Conducting an experiment/ practical.

Page 43 of 55
 - Music, dance or drama
- Oral/aural presentations
DEVELOPING AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT
Step1 Develop the Standards
Step2 Develop the Authentic Task
Step3 Determine the Criteria
Step 4 Develop a Scoring Guide/Rubric
STEP 1: Develop the Standards

• Standards are statements of what learners can do.

• They are derived from specific learning outcomes.

• They should be observable and measurable.
Example Kiswahili
KISWAHILI-KIWANGO TARAJIWA CHA KUTATHMINIA

STEP 2: Develop the Authentic Task

• Decide on the concepts or skills to be assessed and how the learners will demonstrate their
knowledge and skills.
• Design tasks that will demonstrate that a learner can meet the set standards.

Page 44 of 55
• The task should be able to assess the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes.
• The task should focus on specific learning outcomes, core competencies and values.

• The task should have a context.

STEP 3: Determine the Criteria
Criteria: Describes knowledge, skills and attitudes that one is looking for. For instance, role
playing shopping activities involving giving balance using real or improvised money (Grade
4 Mathematics: Measurement - Money).
Standard: A learner can participate in a shopping activity involving money.
Task: Visit a corner shop in your class and carry out a shopping activity involving balance.
Criteria for scoring the shopping activity

• Selection of the items within the budget from the shop.

• Giving the correct amount of money for the items

• Receiving and confirming the items bought

• Receiving and confirming the correct balance
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD CRITERION

• Should be clearly stated.

• Should be aligned to the standard.

• Should be brief.
• Should be free of ambiguity.
STEP 4: Develop a Scoring Guide

• How well did the learner perform? To answer this question, develop a Scoring Guide/
Rubric.

• Decide on the appropriate scoring guide for use e.g. analytic/ holistic rubric, marking
scheme, observation schedule, check list etc.

• Descriptors should be clear to identify individual learner’s level of performance.

• When rubrics are used, the levels of performance and the descriptors should discriminate
learners according to their abilities.

• The scoring guide should provide for alternative responses, without biasness.

Page 45 of 55
 Analytic Rubric
Breaks down content or task being assessed into parts and assesses each part separately.
WRITING SKILLS

Criteria Exceeding Meeting Expectation Approaching Below Expectation

Expectation (3) Expectation (1)
(4) (2)

Grammar Very good Ease of expression with Several grammatical There are many
command English a few grammatical errors in tense, errors in almost
grammar; no errors; Sentences may subject verb every sentence;
grammatical errors; lack variety, but agreement and communication is
uses a variety of structures are used sentence structures; so hindered that one
sentence structures correctly. some mother tongue can only guess what
pleasantly. interference but this is being said.
does not hinder
communication.

Mechanics Excellent and Good use of punctuation, There are moderate There are many
of writing appropriate use of a spelling and errors of errors throughout in
variety of capitalization. There are punctuation, spelling the use of
punctuation marks, a few errors, but they do and capitalization. punctuation,
there are no not impede reading. But some errors can spelling and
spelling errors and impede meaning. capitalization which
capitalization is confuse the reader
applied correctly.

Holistic Rubric
it assesses overall performance on a task as a single entity.
It scores the overall competencies of the learner without assessing each criteria separately.

Page 46 of 55
Vocabulary Almost free of errors Few errors of Frequent errors of Many errors of
and of subject-verb subject-verb subject verb agreement, subject-verb
Organization agreement, very good agreement that do not range of vocabulary is agreement, most
choice of words, and impede limited and there is no structures are
wide range of communication, attempt to vary incorrect
vocabulary and use of Selection of expressions. Vocabulary repeated
varied expressions. vocabulary is Attempts to provide a and communication
Exhibits an appropriate to the logical sequence, there is difficult.
exceptionally clear context. is some sense of Exhibits no sense of
sense of unity and Exhibits a logical beginning, middle and order and provided a
order throughout, there sequence, there is a ending and some series of separate
is a clear sense of sense of unity and smooth transition sentences and
beginning, middle and order, there is a sense between ideas. disconnected ideas
ending and makes of beginning, middle and it is difficult to
smooth transition and ending and follow.
between ideas. makes smooth
transition between
ideas.

Grade 4 ENGLISH
STRAND: Writing
SUB-STRAND: Creative Writing: Narrative composition.
Assessment model: Scenario Based
Specific Learning Outcome
• By the end of the sub strand, the learner should be able to organise thoughts fluently, clearly
and precisely in a coherent paragraph for self-expression.
Standard
The learner can organize thoughts clearly and precisely in a coherent paragraph for self-
expression.
SAMPLE AUTHENTIC TASK FOR ENGLISH
Context:
Meso, a Grade 4 learner, stopped a vehicle and asked for a lift to school. On arrival at
school, Meso narrated the events to the class. The class teacher, Mr. Abdi the cautioned
the class on dangers of asking for help from strangers.

Page 47 of 55
 Assessment task:
Learners to imagine of the scenario given above and write two paragraphs on what could
have happened to Meso if the driver was not a person of good character.
Scoring Guide
The teacher to score the learners based on the standard and the criteria developed.
The teacher to use the scoring guide to score the learner’s work.
Scoring areas:
Teacher to check on how ideas are organized logically, coherently and clearly in
paragraphs.

ASSESSMENT RUBRICS
Definition: a set of criteria used for assessing a particular type of work or performance and
provides a more details to a single grade or mark

Components of a rubric

1. Descriptors – these precisely articulate what is expected of the individual learner or a group
in a task and
2. Levels of performance – determines the degree of performance which has been met and will
provide for consistent and objective assessment and better feedback to learners. These levels
inform the learners what they are expected to do.
3. Criteria – identifies the trait, feature or dimension which is to be measured and include a
definition and example to clarify the meaning of each attribute being assessed. Each
assignment or performance will determine the number of criteria to be scored.
4. Scores - make up the system of numbers or values used to rate each criterion and often are
combined with levels of performance. They can be 4,3,2,1

Types of rubrics
1) Analytic rubrics – it is a type of a rubric that breaks down contents or tasks being assessed
into parts and assesses each part separately. Due to its nature of breaking content, it provides
clear detailed feedback.
Sample analytic rubric for grade 4 science and technology

Page 48 of 55
 level Exceeds Meets expectation Approaches Below
Criteria expectation (4) (3) expectation (2) expectation (1)
Identifying the Consistently Identifies Identifies some Identify parts
external parts of identifies parts of parts of the parts of the some of the
a digestive the digestive digestive digestive digestive system
system system with assistance
Describing Consistently Describes functions Describes Describes
functions of describes functions of parts of a functions of some functions of some
parts of a of parts of a digestive system parts of a parts of the
digestive system digestive system digestive system digestive system
with assistance

2) Holistic rubrics – it is a rubric that assesses overall performance on a task as single entity. It
scores the overall competency of the learner without assessing each separately.
Sample holistic rubric for grade 4 science and technology

Level Exceeds Meets Approaches Below

Criteria expectation (4) expectation (3) expectation (2) expectation (1)
Ability to identify Consistently Identifies Identifies some Identify some
the external parts identifies parts of parts of the parts of the parts of the
of a digestive the digestive digestive and digestive and digestive system
system and system correctly accurately describes their and describe their
describing their and accurately describes their functions functions with
functions describes their functions assistance
functions
Using Rubrics Effectively

• Share rubrics with learner before giving the task.

• Have learners evaluate their own work or each other’s work using the rubrics.
• Use the rubrics as the basis for feedback.

• Assess learners based on the rubrics.

Effective Rubrics
The following questions can help determine if the rubric is effective:
1) Are the characteristics of each performance level clear? Will students be able to self-assess by
having the descriptors? Will the descriptors give students enough information to know what
they need to improve?
2) Does the rubric adequately reflect the range of levels at which students may actually perform
given tasks?

Page 49 of 55
3) Does the rubric reflect what needs to be achieved from the Learning Outcomes?
4) Are all criteria equally important, or is one variable stronger than the others?
5) Is the language used descriptive for students to determine what is being measured in both
qualitative and quantitative methods?

SAMPLE ASSESSMENT SHEET

Criteria and Identifying Describing
level the external functions of
parts of a parts of a
digestive digestive
system system
Learner’s name 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 Teachers
comments
1. Tabitha Juma
2. Yohana Tessy
3. Abdi Ahmed
4. Regina Dave
5. Kababa Johnny
6. Kamami Jose

Benefits of rubrics

• Provide an overview 0f leaners achievement;

• Motivate learners to reach the standard specified;
• Give learners control of their own learning;
• Give formative feedback;
• Easier for the teacher to share with learners and parents about certain strengths and
weaknesses;
• Guide learners on areas that requires improvement ;
• Make scoring easy and faster.

Using rubric effectively

Rubrics can be used effectively in the following ways:

a) Share rubrics with learners before giving the task;

b) Have learners evaluate their own work using the rubrics;
c) Have learners evaluate each other’s work using the rubric;

Page 50 of 55
 d) Use the rubric as a basis for feedback discussions with learner(s) while their work is
developing and when their work is completed;
e) Involve learners in revising and improving the rubric;
f) Grade learner based on rubrics.

NB – for effective use of the rubric one need to internalize and interpret the various
descriptors and criteria to place the learners in in their respective competence levels.

PORTFOLIO
Meaning of portfolio

Portfolio is a purposeful collection of learner’s work that shows their effort, progress and
mastery of a specified learning outcome or competency. It provides the evidence learning
progress and achievement or mastery. A portfolio is one the assessment tools used in
educational assessment.

Portfolios can be kept in the following ways:

− Storage box
− Box files
− Baskets
− Folders
− Ring binders

Types of portfolio

✓ Working portfolio
✓ Show case portfolio
✓ Assessment portfolio

Working portfolio

This is a collection of work in progress as well as finished samples of work (product). It contained
work that can be later selected for showcase and portfolios. It contains collection of work guided
by learning areas, learning outcomes and core competencies to be developed. It also contains
learner’s work that reflects his/her areas of interest.

Functions of working portfolio:

Page 51 of 55
 a) Development of one or more product/performances (tracking);
b) Goals-setting;
c) Growth or change over time – earlier and later work samples;
d) Reflection of progress on set goals;
e) Strengths and weakness.

Showcase portfolio

It shows/displays the best work of the learner. It is created by a learner to showcase their best
qualities to an audience (teachers, peers, parents etc.). The content that goes into this type of
portfolio is purely selected by a learner in line with their interests.

Functions of a showcase portfolio.

a) Accomplishments;
b) Samples of best work for employment or college admission;
c) Learner’s perception of favourite, best or most important work.

Assessment portfolio.

This type of portfolio is used to document mastery of skills or competencies in a particular

learning area. The content in this type of portfolio is guided by the competencies specified in the
curricular.

It is used to:

a) Show achievement for grading purposes;

b) Document progress towards standards;
c) Place learners appropriately.

STAGES OF DEVOLOPING A PORTFOLIO

Stage 1: Planning

The purpose is to show learners progress, achievement or mastery of competencies and

learning interest or talent.

Factors to consider when planning:

• Type of portfolio – working, showcase or assessment

• Audience – the consumers of the portfolio (teachers, parents, school administration,
KNEC, MoE);

Page 52 of 55
 • Design of storage – storage box files, baskets, digital devices (E-portfolio), manila
envelopes, folders display books, ring files, drawing , pieces fabric cartons or files.

Stage 2: communication

The teacher should communicate to the learners, head-teacher, other teachers and
parents on their roles in the development of a portfolio.

Stage 3: collection of work samples

Learners should be guided by the teacher on how to assemble meaningful work that reflect their
own progress and mastery of competencies. The collection of work should be guided by:

▪ Purpose of portfolio
▪ Specified learning outcomes and competencies
▪ Evaluation criteria
▪ Personal goals

Stage 4: selection of work samples

This is the decision-making where the learners selects the work to be added to the portfolio and
how it should be arranged. The selection is guided by the type and the purpose of portfolio.
Learners should be guided and encouraged to select the best of their work.

Stage 5: reflection

Every learner should make a self-assessment comment on the work selected for addition to a
portfolio. The reflection statement can be:

✓ Learners work on their own learning

✓ Strengths and areas of improvement (weaknesses)
✓ Progress on the specified competency

Learners should be guided by the following questions as they reflect on their work:

a) What did I learn from it?

b) What did I do well?
c) Why did I choose this item? (based on the assessment criteria)
d) What do I do to improve on the item?
e) How do I feel about my performance?
f) What are the problematic areas?

Page 53 of 55
Stage 6: feedback

The work selected for addition into a portfolio should contain feedback from peers, parents and
or teachers.

Features of a good portfolio

1. Cover page

This includes one or two paragraphs that show personal goals and experiences of the learner. It
also include the learner’s personal details such as Name, Grades, school, gender and age.

2. Table of content

This shows what is contained in the portfolio. The content can be organized based on learning
areas, tasks or competencies.

3. Entries

This includes Core and optional items. Core items are required for learners to facilitate decision
making during assessment. Core items provide evidence of performance on the specified learning
outcomes or competencies. On the other hand, optional items are the items of the learner’s
choice.

4. Dates
All entries must have date(s) to provide proof of growth over time.
5. Drafts
These include initial and revised/corrected version of learner’s aural/oral and
written/constructed products.
6. Reflection
This should be on the level of performance, progress and feeling about learners own work.

Management of Portfolios in Classroom Assessments.

The teacher should:

1) Go over portfolio with learners at a regular intervals to ensure that the selected pieces
address the learning outcomes.
2) Ensure limited number of entries for practical reasons. Focus should be on quality and not
quality.

Page 54 of 55
3) Involve the learners in the organizing the portfolio by completing checklists of the
assignments done and including the dates on all entries.
4) Organize for the storage of the learner’s portfolios which should be easily accessible.
5) Colour code portfolios for each class to facilitate their retrieval.
6) Ensure that storage holders for the portfolio are made from locally available and accessible
materials such as manila envelopes, folders files baskets or cartons.

Parental Engagement in Portfolio

There should be a planned program engagement in portfolio assessment,

The parents should be informed about.

i. Portfolio assessment,
ii. participation in about portfolios open day meetings,
iii. provision support for their child effort and interest,
iv. provision of feedback to their child.

Importance of Portfolio Assessment

✓ Assessment is integrated in teaching and learning process.

✓ Instructional goals are set at the beginning and are both clear to the teacher and the learner.
✓ Provide a clear profile of learners in terms of abilities and interests.
✓ Enable learner to show quality work which is done without pressure and constraints of time
in collaboration with others.
✓ Allows demonstration of wide range of competencies.
✓ It shows the learners effort to promote and develop i.e.it demonstrates progress over time.
✓ It gives learners opportunity to reflect on their work

Page 55 of 55