General Education A Level of General Secondary Education 3

1
General Education (A)Level of General Secondary
Education (3)

• Ministry of Education and Science
• 2004

2
Number of students in grades 10 12 in general
education institutions
Data source LR Central Board of Statistics, 2003
3
Norms for establishing classes

• MoES has set the minimum and maximum number of
  students in a class (group) in a general basic
  education programme
• in towns - 22 to 34 students
• in other places - 15 to 34 students

MoES Instruction No.313 of May 5, 2000
4
Number of general education institutions as to
the number of students in the school year of
2002/03 (without private and special education
institutions)
Data source LR Central Board of Statistics, 2003
5
The goals of general secondary education (grades
10 12) (1)

•  
• to foster the development of students positively
  critical and socially active attitude
•  
• to facilitate students understanding of the
  rights and duties of a Latvian citizen

From Regulation No.463 On National Standards of
General Secondary Education of December 5, 2000
issued by the Cabinet of Ministers
6
The goals of general secondary education (grades
10 12) (2)

• to provide for the acquisition of knowledge and
  skills, which establish the foundations for
  further education
• to develop students skills of independent
  learning, developing, motivating for lifelong
  learning and informed career choice

From Regulation No.463 On National Standards of
General Secondary Education of December 5, 2000
issued by the Cabinet of Ministers
7
Organization of education process (1)

• the state and municipality shall provide for the
  acquisition of general secondary education within
  the time period of 3 years free of charge
• school year starts September 1 and finishes at
  the end of May
• school year consists of two semesters
• the length of a school year
• in grades 10 11 35 weeks
• in grade 12 38 weeks (out of them a 2 week exam
  period)

Articles 35 and 35, Law On General Education
8
Organization of education process (2)

• holidays
• 1 week in autumn
• 2 weeks during Christmas time
• 1 week in spring
• the length of a lesson
• in grades 10 12 40 45 minutes
• the maximum weekly study lead of a student is 36
  hours

Articles 35 and 35, Law On General Education
9
Areas of activities of the Ministry of Education
and Science for providing quality assurance in
general secondary education (1)

• developing national curriculum, by facilitating
• the integration of children with special needs in
  general education mainstream schools
• the integration of ethnic minorities and gradual
  acquisition of the state language
• introducing the principle of education programme
  implementation
• introducing the system of subject standards and
  upgrading curriculum

10
Areas of activities of the Ministry of Education
and Science for providing quality assurance in
general secondary education (2)

• upgrading the assessment system of learning
  achievements
• establishing a single education quality
  evaluation system, merging the centralized
  examinations with entrance examinations of higher
  education institutions
• computerizing education system
• introducing an internationally comparable system
  of education indicators

11
Developing National Standards of General
Secondary Education

• National Standards of General Secondary Education
  stipulate common requirements for curriculum
  implementation
• (Regulation No.463 On National Standards of
  Genera Secondary Education of December 5, 2000
  issued by the Cabinet of Ministers)
• in 2001, the transition process from choosing
  optional subjects to choosing education programme
  of a specific profile has completed
• in 2003, the upgrading of curriculum for general
  secondary education has commenced

12
Programmes of education (1)

• is a document which sets
• - objectives and aims of the education programme
• - requirements concerning the previous education
  
• - contents of education
• - a plan for implementing the education
  programme
• - criteria and procedure for assessing the
  acquired education
• - estimates and justification of human,
  financial and material resources required for the
  implementation of the education programme

Articles 17 and 18, Law On General Education
13
Programmes of education (2)

• the programmes of general education shall be
  developed by their implementers in compliance
  with the Regulation No.463 On National Standards
  of General Secondary Education of December 5,
  2000 issued by the Cabinet of Ministers
• programmes of education shall be licensed and
  accredited

Articles 17 and 18, Law On General Education
14
Programmes of general secondary education

• a programme of general secondary education can be
  merged together with
• an education programme for ethnic minorities,
  including the native language of ethnic minority,
  as well as learning content related to the
  identity of ethnic minority and their integration
  in the society of Latvia
• a programme of special education for students
  with special needs

Article 38, Law On Education, Part 2 of Article
42, Law On General Education, From Regulation
No.463 On National Standards of General
Secondary Education of December 5, 2000 issued
by the Cabinet of Ministers
15
Profiles of general secondary education programmes

• 4 educational profiles are offered at the level
  of general education
• comprehensive profile
• humanities and social profile
• mathematics, natural sciences and engineering
  profile
• vocational profile
• compulsory and optional subjects shall be studied
  in all the profiles of general education
  programmes

Article 42, Law On General Education, From
Regulation No.463 On National Standards of
General Secondary Education of December 5, 2000
issued by the Cabinet of Ministers
16
Profiles of general secondary education programmes
In all the profiles the following subjects shall
be studied physics, chemistry, biology or
natural sciences, geography, music or history of
culture
17
The total number of licensed programmes of
general secondary education in 2002 and 2003

• 74 implemented in full time schools
• 14 implemented in night (part time) secondary
  schools
• 13 implemented in the form of extramural
  education

Data source MoES General Education Licensing
Commission, 2003
18
Number of grade 12 students (in ) acquiring
languages in the school year of 2002/03
Statistical data of ISVD, 2003
not including the number of students acquiring
Russian as their native language
19
Assessment system of students learning
achievements (1)

• a single assessment system, introduced in 1992,
  is based on a 10 point assessment scale and
  non-grading assessment system or descriptive
  assessment
• the assessment system has been established in
  order to enable to assess
• the scope, quality and level of the acquired
  learning content
• the acquisition of supplementary/ complementary
  information, initiative, independent learning
• cooperation and communication skills
• the dynamics of leaning achievements

20
Assessment system of students learning
achievements (2)

• Grades 10 12
• a 10-point assessment scale
• in separate subjects (Health Education) there is
  the complete/ incomplete designation
• In different subjects project work or scientific
  research activities are organized for
  strengthening, enhancing and applying the
  acquired knowledge and skills an individual or
  group work of students in relation to the
  curriculum to be acquired

From Regulation No.463 On National Standards of
General Secondary Education of December 5, 2000
issued by the Cabinet of Ministers
21
Meaning of the points in the 10-point assessment
scale
From Regulation No.463 On National Standards of
General Secondary Education of December 5, 2000
issued by the Cabinet of Ministers
22
Assessment system of students learning
achievements (3)

• Purpose for introducing this system
  international recognition of the education
  provided in Latvia and the comparability of
  students achievements
• in the course of teaching/ learning process and
  at the end of it students achievements are
  assessed by teachers
• diagnostic and/ or final tests can be organized
  on school level

23
Assessment system of students learning
achievements (4)

• the content and procedure for 19 national
  assessments - 3 tests, 1 examination, 15
  centralized examinations are devised for the
  level of general secondary education on national
  level
• in 2004, the gradual introduction of centralized
  examinations at the end of general secondary
  education will be completed, and in the result of
  this, beginning from 2004, the enrolment in the
  study programmes of higher education institutions
  will be organized in the form of a competition,
  on the basis of the results of centralized
  examinations

24
Documents of education showing learning
achievements (1)

• the learning achievements in secondary education
  are shown in a school-report in each grade, at
  the end of semester
• the students of grade 12, having received an
  assessment in all the subjects set by the general
  secondary education programme and state
  examinations, receive a certificate of general
  secondary education and an achievement sheet

Article 48, Law On General Education, normative
documents of MoES
25
Documents of education showing learning
achievements (2)

• at the end of general secondary education (grade
  12) a student receives a school-report (statement
  of achievements) only if he/ she
• has not got an assessment for a subject for the
  whole year
• has not got an assessment in a state examination
• has received an assessment of less that 4 points
  in more than two national tests or subjects for
  the whole year

26
National tests

• At the end of grade 12 students shall take
• tests in applied informatics, mathematics,
  sports
• compulsory examinations determined nationally in
  the first foreign language, Latvian language and
  literature in the schools of Latvian language of
  instruction or in Latvian language and literature
  in the schools of ethnic minorities
• an examination in the subject chosen by the
  respective education institution
• two examinations in the subjects chosen by the
  student

From Regulation No.463 On National Standards of
General Secondary Education of December 5, 2000
issued by the Cabinet of Ministers
27
The plan for introducing centralized examinations
at the end of general secondary education level
Information from Curriculum Development and
Examination Centre
28
Students choices for continuing their education
in the school year of 2002/03
Data source LR Central Board of Statistics, 2003
29
The breakdown of students, who have completed
general secondary education programmes, in
further education in 2002
Information source LR Central Board of
Statistics, 2003
30
The breakdown of students in higher education
specialization fields (according to ISCED97
classification)
Data source LR Central Board of Statistics, 2003