CAPS
INFORMATION
2012 – 2014 AND BEYOND
CAPS Info day, 20 May 2011
CAPS
National
Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement
Grades R-12
Introduction:
To change or not to change: That is not the question.
The decisions have been made, the changes have been
proclaimed, but not yet gazetted and the documents still
have to be printed.
The Question is:
What are we going to do with the changes? We know
that any change, even a change for the better, is always
accompanied by possible drawbacks and discomforts,
but we also know that change brings opportunity.
However I would urge you, if we/you really don’t
understand, then, maybe …
“The only way to make sense out of change is to
plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
(Alan Watts).
Acronyms:
GET
General Education and Training
(Grades R – 9: 10 years, each year separately)
FET
Further Education and Training
(Grades 10 – 12: 3 years)
NCS
National Curriculum Statement
SBA
School-based assessment
(also known as CASS – Continuous assessment)
CAPS
Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement
NPPPPR National Policy Pertaining to the Programme
and Promotion Requirements of the National
Curriculum Statement Grades R – 12
LOLT
Language of Learning and Teaching
Implementation dates:
2012: Grades R – 3 and Gr 10
2013: Grades 4 – 9 and Gr 11
2014: Grade 12
Previously (many documents):
Subject and Learning Area Statements (NCS, RNCS),
Learning Programme Guidelines (LPG), Subject
Assessment Guidelines (SAG), Teachers Guides (TG),
etc, etc.
National policy on assessment and qualifications
(Protocol on assessment)
Now (only 2 documents):
1. National Curriculum and Assessment Policy
Statements Grades R-12 (CAPS)
2. National Policy Pertaining to the Programme and
Promotion Requirements of the National Curriculum
Statement Grades R – 12 (NPPPPR)
Previously
Learning Areas
Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Assessment Standards
Now
Subjects
Topics; Skills
Content Areas; Knowledge areas
General Content Area; Concepts
Specific Content focus
GET: Grades R – 3
Previously
Learning Areas:
Literacy
Numeracy
Life Skills
Now
Subjects:
Home Language
First Additional Language
Mathematics
Life Skills
Beginning knowledge
Arts & Craft
Physical Education
Health Education
GET: Grades 4 – 6
Previously
Learning Areas:
Languages (2)
Mathematics
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Technology
Economic and Management Sciences
Life Orientation
Arts and Culture
GET: Grades 4 – 6 (continuous)
Now
Subjects:
Home Language
First Additional Language
Mathematics
Natural Sciences and Technology
Social Sciences
Life Skills
Creative Arts
Physical Education
Religion Studies
Non-official language?
GET: Grades 7 – 9
Previously
Learning Areas:
Language HL (1)
Language FAL (2)
Mathematics
Natural Sciences
Life Orientation
Social Sciences
Technology
Arts & Culture
Economic and Management Sciences
GET: Grades 7 – 9 (continuous)
Now
Subjects:
Home Language
First Additional Language
Mathematics
Natural Sciences
Life Orientation
Social Sciences
Technology
Creative Arts (Gr 7: 4 art forms, Gr 8 – 9: 2 Art forms)
Economic and Management Sciences
Non-official language?
FET: Grades 10 – 12
Previously
Learning Areas:
Language HL (1)
Language FAL (2)
Mathematics/Mathematical Literacy
Life Orientation
Subject 1
Subject 2
Subject 3
FET: Grades 10 – 12 (continuous)
Now
Subjects:
Home Language
First Additional Language
Mathematics/Mathematical Literacy
Life Orientation
Subject 1
Subject 2
Subject 3
Scale of Achievement
Previously: Grades R - 6 (Different)
ACHIEVEMENT
LEVEL
4
3
2
1
ACHIEVEMENT
DESCRIPTION
Outstanding/
Excellent
Achievement
Satisfactory
Achievement
Partial
Achievement
Not Achieved
MARKS %
70 – 100
50 – 69
35 – 49
0 – 34
Scale of Achievement
Now: Grades R - 12
ACHIEVEMENT
LEVEL
ACHIEVEMENT
DESCRIPTION
MARKS %
7
Outstanding Achievement
80 – 100
6
Meritorious Achievement
70 – 79
5
4
3
2
1
Substantial Achievement
Adequate Achievement
Moderate Achievement
Elementary Achievement
Not Achieved
60 – 69
50 – 59
40 – 49
30 – 39
0 – 29
Time on task:
Grade
CAPS
(hours per week)
Previously
(hours per week)
Difference
R, 1 & 2
23
22.5
+ 30 min
3
25
25
No diff
4–7
27.5
26.5
+ 1 hour
8–9
27.5
27.5
No diff
10 - 12
27.5
27.5
No diff
Structure of Documents
Section 1:
General information
(All documents are the same)
Section 2:
Content overview
(Defining the subject)
Section 3:
Content outline
(What is to be taught?)
Skills, Content and strategies
Section 4:
Assessment
SBA vs Final Exam
Grade
SBA
Final Exam
R–3
100%
0%
4–6
75%
25%
7–9
40%
60%
10 - 12
25%
75%
Minimum requirements for SBA:
Mathematics: Grades 4 - 6
Tests
6
Exam
1
Ass. Tasks
3
Total
10
 2 tests in each Term 1 & Term
3
 1 test in each Term 2 & Term 4
A midyear/half-yearly
examination in the second term
 1 Assignment
 1 Investigation; and
 1 Project
(spread in the first three terms)
To be completed before the final
examination
60%
25%
15%
100%
Minimum requirements for SBA:
Natural Sciences, Grades 4 – 6: (67%) and Technology (33%)
Tests
2
 1 test in each Term 1 & Term 3
19%
Exam
1
14%
Projects
2
A midyear/half-yearly exam in the
second term
 1 project in each Term 2 & Term 4
Translation
Tasks
Activity
2
 1 translation task each Term 1 & 3
9%
Practical
task
Total
2
10%
“translate” information, e.g. graph to table
4
10
 1 activity each Term 1, Term 2,
Term 3 & Term 4
 1 practical task each Term 1 &
Term 3
To be completed before the final Exam
20%
28%
100%
Minimum requirements for SBA:
Social Studies, Grades 4 - 6: Geography (50%) and History (50%)
Tests or
tasks
Examinati
ons
Project
4
Total
6
1
1
 1 test/task in each Term 1,
70%
Term 2, Term 3 & Term 4
A midyear/half-yearly
20%
examination in the second term
 1 project in Term 2 or Term3 10%
To be completed before the final 100%
examination
Minimum requirements for SBA:
Life Skills, Grades 4 - 6 (Final exam included)
Tests
1
 1 test in Term 2
30
Examinations
1
 1 examination in Term 4
30
Assignment/
Case Study
Project
1
 1 assignment/Case study in Term 1
30
1
 1 project in Term 3
30
PET (Physical
Ed Task)
CAT (Creative
Arts Task)
Total
4
 1 PET in each Term 1, Term 2, Term
3 & Term 4
 1 CAT in each Term 1, Term 2, Term
3 & Term 4
120
4
12
160
400
Remarks:
Mid-year exams weighting is different
(e.g. Math: 25%, NS: 14% and SS: 20%)
It makes Report cards difficult and complex.
Minimum requirements for SBA:
Technology (Grades 7 – 9)
Mini-PAT’s
4
Class Tests
3
Total
7
 1 Mini-PAT in each Term 1, Term 2,
Term 3 & Term 4
(Term 4: 100% of SBA)
 1 test in each Term 1, Term 2 and
Term 3
To be completed before the final
examination
Mini-PAT: A short Practical Assessment Task
70
30%
100%
Remarks: Mid-year exams only in HL, FAL, Maths, NS
and SS.
Weighting is different (e.g. Math: 25% and
NS: 13%) - It makes Report cards difficult and
complex
End-of-the-year exam:
Creative Arts (Gr 7): No written exam;
Practical exam = 60%
Creative Arts (Gr 8 & 9): Written exam = 20%;
Practical exam = 40%
Life Orientation: Exam = 80 marks out of 400.
Minimum requirements for SBA:
Home language, Grade 10
Task 1: Oral
1

Term 1: Listening Comprehension
10
Task 2: Writing
1

Term 1: Essay
50
Task 3:
Transactional
1

Term 1: Longer transactional text (30);
Shorter (20)
50
Task 4: Test 1
1

Term 1: Lang (30); Comp (30); Sum (10); Lit (30)
100
Task 5: Oral
1

Term 2: Prepared & unprepared
20
Task 6: Literature
1

Term 2: Literature
25
Task 7: Midyear Ex
1

Term 2: Paper 1 (70), 2 (80) & 3 (100)
250
Task 8: Writing
1

Term 3: Essay
50
Task 9: Oral
1

Term 3: Prepared & unprepared
20
Task 10: Test 2
1

Term 3: Lang (30); Comp (30); Sum (10); Lit (30)
100
Task 11: Literature
1

Term 4: Literature
25
Total
12
To be completed before the final examination
700 ÷ 7
Minimum requirements for SBA:
Mathematics, Grades 10 - 11
Tests
2  1 tests in each Term 1 & Term 3
30%
Project/
Investigation/
Assignment
Examinations
4  1 project per year, Assignment or
investigation in every other Term
40%
1 A midyear/half-yearly examination in
the second term
7 To be completed before the final
examination
30%
Total
100%
Minimum requirements for SBA:
Mathematics, Grade 12
Tests
1  1 test in Term 1
15%
Project/
Investigation
Assignments
1  1 project per year
10%
3  1 assignment in each Term 1,
Term 2 & Term 3
1 A midyear/half-yearly examination in
the second term
1 A trial examination in the third term
30%
7 To be completed before the final
examination
100%
Examinations
Trial
Examination
Total
20%
25%
Programme of Assessment:
Teacher:
Annual formal Programme of Assessment
School Management Team (SMT): School assessment
plan in each grade
Mathematics (Gr 4 – 6), weighting:
Content area
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Numbers, Operations
and Relations
Patterns, Functions
and Algebra
Space and Shape
(Geometry)
Measurement
Data Handling
(Statistics)
40%
35%
30%
15%
15%
20%
25%
25%
25%
10%
10%
10%
15%
10%
15%
100%
100%
100%
Cognitive levels:
Mathematics, Grades 4 - 6
Knowledge:
Routine procedure
Complex procedure
Problem solving
25%
45%
20%
10%
EMS, Grades 7 - 9
Knowledge/remembering
Understanding, applying
Analysing, evaluating, creating
30%
40%
30%
Draft Promotion Policy
Grade R
Subjects (3)
Time/week:
23 h
One official language 6
HL level and LOLT
(One official language (4)
FAL level)
Mathematics
7
Life Skills
6
Report with achievement descriptors
Promotion
Guidelines
With Cohort
HL ≥ 50%
Maths ≥
40%
Draft Promotion Policy
Grades 1 – 3
Subjects (4)
Time/week:
Promotion
23 h, 25 h (Gr 3)
One official language 6
With
HL level and LOLT
Cohort
One official language 4 (5)
FAL level
Mathematics
7
Life Skills
6 (7)
Report with achievement descriptors
Guidelines
HL ≥ 50% or
FAL ≥ 40%
and
Maths ≥
40%
Draft Promotion Policy
Grades 4 – 6
Subjects (7: 6 +1)
One official language
HL level (LOLT)
One official language
FAL level (or LOLT)
Mathematics
Natural Sciences & Tech
Time/week: 27.5 h Promotion
6
With Cohort
Guidelines
HL ≥ 50%
5
FAL ≥ 40%
6
3.5
Life Skills
3
Maths ≥ 40%
Any 2 other
subjects ≥
40%
May fail 1
subject
Social Sciences
Non-official language
4
?
Report with percentages
Non off lang: Not for
promotion
Draft Promotion Policy
Grades 7 – 9
Subjects (10: 9 +1)
One official language
HL level (LOLT)
One official language
FAL level (or LOLT)
Mathematics
Natural Sciences
Life Orientation
Social Sciences
Technology
Time/week: 27.5 h
5
Promotion
HL ≥ 50%
4
FAL ≥ 40% or FAL ≥ 30% if
LOLT
Maths ≥ 40%
Any 3 other subjects ≥ 40%
Any 2 other subjects ≥ 30%
May fail 1 subject
Arts & Culture
2
EMS
Non-official language
2
? Non off lang: Not for promotion
4.5
3
2
3
2
Report with percentages
Draft Promotion Policy
Grades 10 – 12
Subjects (7)
One official language
HL level (LOLT)
One official language
FAL level (or LOLT)
Mathematics
Life Orientation
Time/week: 27.5 h Promotion
4.5
HL ≥ 40%
Subject 1
4
Subject 2
Subject 3
4
4
4.5
Any 2 other subjects ≥ 40%
4.5
2
Any 2 other subjects ≥ 30%
May fail 1 subject with proviso that
SBA completed in this subject
Condonation in one (1) subject,
max 2% to obtain pass at 30% or
40%
Report with percentages
See also (In booklet):
Typical Time-tables
Spiritual formation/Christian values (ACSI)
Where to get help
E-mail
BE CREATIVE, MAKE IT FUN AND REMEMBER:
“PLUNGE INTO IT, MOVE WITH IT, AND JOIN THE DANCE.”
ENJOY!!