Qatar Senior School Certificate for Independent Schools

The Evaluation Institute provided details of the Qatar Senior School Certificate (QSSC) for independent schools at a press conference held on 29 March, 2007. Speaking at the conference were the Evaluation Institute Director Adel Al Sayed and Assistant Director Dr. Hamda Al-Sulaiti.

Mr. Adel Al Sayed began the conference by praising the work of the QSSC Unit and acknowledging the media for their major role in promoting awareness and understanding of this important initiative. “Following a decision made by the SEC Executive Committee, chaired by HH Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Misnad, the Evaluation Institute has developed a new senior certificate which incorporates both internal school and external test information for grade 12 independent school students” said Mr. Al Sayed. “The tests associated with the QSSC will be undertaken in late May 2007.”

The QSSC Unit is overseeing all tasks associated with the QSSC. Already members of the unit have held many meetings with key stakeholders including students, principals, parents, school operators and teachers in order to provide information, clarify matters, address concerns and allay anxieties that might arise when any new system is introduced for the first time. Meetings have also been undertaken with members of school board trustees and senior university officials from Qatar University and the universities and colleges based in Qatar.

The new system has been designed to reflect the best of educational and assessment practices. It recognizes the importance of school-based learning and assessment but is designed to ensure that students are treated fairly and comparably. Moreover, it reflects the key pillars of Qatar’s educational reform: allowing for educational variety and school autonomy whilst ensuring sound accountability.

Evaluation Institute Assistant Director, Dr. Hamda Al-Sulaiti confirmed that the certification is an important milestone in the life of the students as it helps them in considering their future plans and career path. She urged the media to continue playing an influential and crucial role informing and assuring both students and their parents of about the QSSC and the tests associated with it. She stressed the importance of safeguarding students’ interests in this process, and indicated that, for this year, about 950 students from six schools will be involved in the QSSC process. She noted that the Evaluation Institute first became involved in establishing the new certification system last December and since then has made tremendous progress in developing it to its present stage.

Dr. Al Sulaiti explained the principles of the new system and how it takes consideration of both external and internal assessments whilst allowing each school to continue with its own assessment system. She also acknowledged the important role of teachers in providing a sound and productive education environment in which students are encouraged to be active learners and critical thinkers throughout their years of schooling. She emphasized that schools are also responsible for providing a rich and versatile education system based on the main principles of the reform and guided by the national curriculum standards. She said that each school will design and offer its own quality education program

Dr. Sulaiti provided an overview on the main strength of the new certification system as being able to provide comprehensive information on the student’s performance during high school. The QSSC will highlight performance in the four focal areas of Arabic, English, mathematics and science in which national curriculum standards have been established. In addition it will provide information on all the students’ studies in grade 12 as well as identify special school accomplishments of a non-academic nature. The QSSCs will provide comprehensive and rounded profiles of the students’ achievements. At the same time, the QSSC will be fair and provide an understanding of the students’ performance in relation to other students. This will provide a full picture of the student’s achievements which can be used for whatever pathway the student chooses to follow on completing secondary school: whether it be university studies, further education, training or employment

“The QSSC certificate will provide basic identifying information about the students and their school” said Dr. Al Sulaiti, “and importantly it will be recognized as an official national certificate and be authorized and signed by the SEC Secretary-General.”

The QSSC comprises four main components: an overall indicator of academic performance the Qatar Overall Senior School Score (QOSSS); scale scores in each of the four focal curriculum areas, termed the Senior Schooling Scores in Arabic, English, mathematics, and science; a full listing of all school areas of study referred to as the Senior School Subject Assessment (SSSAs); and additional school accomplishments (ASAs) of the student’s relevant non-academic school-related accomplishments. The last two components come directly from each school, whereas the first two components come from a careful and proper combination of school assessment information and information from externally devised and administered senior tests.

Dr. Al Sulaiti added that the Senior Tests (STs) for Arabic, English, Mathematics, and Science are designed so that students will have fair and reasonable opportunity to demonstrate their learning during the twelfth grade.

The STs comprise some questions in the easy range, with the majority being of moderate difficulty and some quite challenging questions. Other than Arabic, the STs will be in the English language but Arabic translations of the Science and Mathematics STs will be provided for student reference. STs contain both multiple-choice and short-answer formats and students will have ample time to answer all questions. These types of tests are familiar to the students as they are similar in design to tests administered in previous years and which the students may have undertaken at school.

As indicated, the STs play important parts in determining students QOSSS and the four senior schooling scores. The former will be an important basic indicator used for by universities and colleges in considering accepting students. It provides a measure of the student’s ability to successfully undertake tertiary studies. The universities and colleges may also further consider a student’s Arabic, English, mathematics and science senior scores and their performance in selected school subjects when making finer differentiations as to which students would be best suited to the different courses offered.

Dr Sulaiti gave information on the school assessments and the additional special accomplishments. She said the basic school assessment will be provided by the school itself and will consist of the name of the subjects studied, the marks obtained by the student and descriptions of the scoring scheme(s) used. This will cover all subjects studied, both compulsory and optional ones, and where appropriate would indicate whether the studies were at the advanced or foundation level(s). Thus, for example, this could include subjects such as drama, Arabic language, religious studies, general science, mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, English language, home economics, physics, computer, critical thinking, or whatever particular subjects were taken by the student. Collectively this information will provide a full and clear picture on the students’ grade 12 studies. As for the ASA, Dr. Sulaiti said that these are special achievements such as school representations, participating in the school governance, leadership activities, social services, charity work, art achievements, and sports achievements inside and outside the school of some significance. These achievements will be described and printed in the school certificate. Such information is important in providing a balanced picture and is often taken into account by employers and international universities when making selection decisions. It is important that schools be seen as organizations which also value and develop non-academic outcomes and social achievements, and reporting the ASAs encourages this.

Finally, Dr. Sulaiti said that the QSSC Unit is currently working on preparing brochures and informational materials that explain the nature and uses of the certificate. These will include materials for students, parents, teachers and school administrators. Apart from printed materials and press information about the QSSC, information will also be available through the SEC’s website. All material will be available in both Arabic and English.

When asked how common external tests impact on the principle of school, Dr. Hamda said: “The tests do not evaluate the specific content of the curriculum but assess the accumulated basic skills and abilities of the student that have been acquired during their studies. These skills and abilities are derived from exposure to the curriculum standards and are not dependent upon the learning of specific facts or content”. “The tests are used as external measures that ensure fairness, objectivity and comparability across students and schools and do not impact on each school’s independence.”