Two achievement standards have been reviewed and modified. You need to look for Version 3 of the L1 standard AS90203 Examine population patterns, processes and issues AND the L2 standard AS 90333 Explain disparities within and between countries.
Check the Assessment Specifications carefully, and look for revised specifications for all standards after the end of March, particularly for AS 90333.
ISSUES RELATED TO THE ASSESSMENT OF AS90333 IN 2007
Concerns about the 2006 results for this standard have been noted by the National Assessment Facilitator, Steve Bargh. He spoke to the teachers who attended the NCEA workshops in Hamilton and Rotorua at the beginning of March.
Martin Newton, SSA geography for the Auckland region, has provided the following statement as further clarification.
"Several people have asked questions about AS90333 (2.3 Disparities) for 2007 :.
I have had a discussion with Steve Bargh the Geography National Assessment Facilitator from NZQA to get clarification.
The issue has been that the reviewed and latest version (version 3) of AS90333 clearly states that “This achievement standard involves the explanation of disparities in development within or between countries” (no change there from version 2!) but this or option is carried through in each of the Achievement Criteria for version 3.
Explanatory note 2 of version 3 of this standard has also been altered to make it clear that candidates will be able to achieve merit and excellence as well as achieved by answering about either disparities between countries OR disparities within countries. This is a small but significant change to the standard that was made in response to teacher concern about the huge amount of content coverage required to prepare candidates for answering about disparities both within and between countries under previous versions of the standard.
However the assessment spec for the 2007 AS90333 external exam suggests that both between and within still have to be taught – the spec looks to be out of sync with version 3 of the standard.
Steve Bargh acknowledged this point and concern as valid. The intent he agreed was that achieved, merit and excellence can be gained through answering about either disparities between or through answering about disparities within countries. This was the intent when the standard was reviewed and rewritten for version 3.
Steve will now liase with the examiner and a revised set of specs will be published for this this end of year external AS90333 (ASAP I hope!) making it explicit that A/M/E can be gained via two pathways - through answers that refer only to disparities between countries or through answers that refer only to disparities within countries.
How the examiner assesses to allow for the dual paths will be a decision for the examiner. Two sets of questions? - but that’s just speculating.One thing that I would be wary of, is that the standard version 3 remains ‘plural’ - “..... disparities within or between countries” and explan note 2 states that ‘at least two countries outside NZ .....” The examiner could ask questions (this is my thinking anyway!) about disparities within countries that ask for examples from two countries (eg. Explain why disparities in development occurs within countries, refer to two countries you have studied to support your answer) - I guess what I am saying is that it could be unwise to focus on a single country only in the disparities theme and think this would be OK for assessment purposes.
The revised assessment spec may help here but it remains the standard that should set the parameters."
