TARMIIfp Progress Quarterly Report FY 2012 (July - September 2012)

The project focuses on improving teaching and assessment practices in South Africa, specifically in the Foundation Phase, through the development and implementation of the Teacher Assessment Resources for Monitoring and Improving Instruction in the Foundation Phase (TARMII-fp) project. The TARMII-fp project aims to improve teaching and assessment practices through the use of a fully developed TARMII-fp with literacy Home Language assessment items for grades 1, 2, and 3. The project also seeks to assess the impact of TARMII-fp on teacher classroom assessment practices and on learner achievement in literacy. The project's objectives include obtaining district and provincial education buy-in and approval, developing literacy assessment items, and developing TARMII-fp software. During the reporting period, the HSRC team worked extensively on the project, conducting planning activities, including budgeting, work planning, and monitoring and evaluation planning. The team also traveled to various provinces to present the project to senior district officials, discuss selection of schools, and set up provincial steering committees. In Limpopo Province, the team secured an appointment with the Vhembe district office and received a letter of permission to carry out the project. In North West Province, the team had a meeting with the Executive District Manager and other officials, who committed to supporting and partnering with the HSRC during the life of the project. The development of literacy assessment items involved mapping existing English Home Language assessment activities of grades 1, 2, and 3 to the CAPS and developing new additional English HL assessment items/activities. The process of identifying potential item writers/developers posed challenges, as some individuals did not have Foundation Phase experience or were already engaged in other work. The HSRC research team decided to use Foundation Phase teachers to map existing assessment items to the CAPS and to develop new CAPS-aligned items. The development of TARMII-fp software involved designing the interface, which would include remote data collection and a multi-language interface. The team also discussed the type of media clips to be included in the software and the graphic design appearance of the interface. A separate interface for TARMII-fp was designed, rather than duplicating the existing TARMII. The project's progress was hindered by challenges in developing the assessment items, including the lack of Foundation Phase experience among potential writers and the high cost of hiring external developers. The HSRC research team decided to use Foundation Phase teachers to develop the assessment items, which has resulted in a draft of the assessment activities for the Listening and Speaking component for grades 1, 2, and 3. The project's implementation is ongoing, with the HSRC team continuing to work on developing the assessment items and software. The project's success will depend on the effective implementation of the TARMII-fp system and the adoption of the new assessment practices by teachers and schools.