Using examination and assessment scores as an aspect of instructional leadership in the school

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to pursue the idea that part of the dilemma school managers, as instructional leaders and teachers, experience in improving teaching and learning in the school is the inability to interpret examinations and assessment results in a meaningful way. The researcher is of the opinion that instructional leadership in the school is closely linked to the analysis and meaningful interpretation of examination and assessment results at school and provincial level on a continuous basis. The term ‘data’ in this context refers to the broad array of information on student skills and knowledge typically available to schools and often (typically) not administered, not analysed and not seen as benchmarks to gauge students’ readiness for high stakes exams, especially at the exit (Grade 12) level. The researcher did a comprehensive document analysis from a purposeful sample of the systemic processes followed during the resulting of the National Senior Certificate (Grade 12) examinations with specific reference to the extraction of and reporting on data typically drawn from one subject in a large-scale national examination and its possible meaningfulness to improve instructional leadership. This data sample was then provided to a specimen school, randomly selected from a group of schools in Gauteng performing below 40% in Grade 12 over the past three years. The purpose was to establish the extent to which school managers, as instructional leaders in these schools, understand the value of analysing examination and assessment scores as a means to improve teaching and learning in the school. These observations and responses were encapsulated in the discussion and informed the recommendations. The Grade 12 examination process provides comprehensive statistical data to individual schools on their performance in relation to the various subjects and how it compares with other schools in the same province. However, such data must be presented in a useful format that encourages teachers to engage with the educational messages in the data. This data only becomes useful information, which can truly inform improvements in teaching and learning, when it encourages and supports professional reflection on practice. I am of the opinion that by making instructional leaders and teachers more ‘data-wise’ as Bialecki, Johnson and Thorpe (2002:11) advocate, the use of examination and assessment scores (data) as an aspect of instructional leadership in the school will not only improve teaching and learning in the school but will also ensure equity of standards across schools and districts in the province.