Learners with severe disabilities are assessed differently from the others in the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
According to the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec), learners with visual, hearing, physical impairment and mild conditions follow the normal curriculum called the age-based pathway.
However, learners with intellectual and severe disabilities follow what is called the stage-based pathway, says Knec Research, Innovation and Educational Assessment Resource Centre Deputy Director Anne Ngatia.
Ngatia said the stage-based pathway has four levels just like the normal curriculum.
The first is called the foundational level.
Ngatia said learners are placed at this level depending on the severity of their disability.
"At foundational level, the entry level, teachers are making sure that this learners have basic hygiene and communication skills. If a learner has already developed that, maybe from home or anywhere else, then they are placed in the next level which is intermediate," Ngatia said.
Age is not really a factor for the stage-based learners as one can be 15 years and still not have acquired communication, numeracy and hygiene skills.
"We tend not to talk of their age because you find that they are there because of their disabilities until they acquire skills prescribed for that level," she said.
In terms of assessments, the Knec official said the learners are assessed when they are ready and not on a planned schedule like the normal curriculum.
The two curriculums can not be compared as the age-based learners are moving on a regulated programme from year to year, while the stage-based learners are progressing individually depending on the skills acquired.
"We don't programme stage-based learners that they must sit for assessments at the end of the term or year. We allow them to sit when they are ready. They don't move en masse. The teachers will present those who are ready," she said.
Considering the nature of their disabilities, Ngatia said Knec decided to make their assessments performance-based.
She said this cadre of learners has no written assessment.
"This means that they perform a task as the teacher observes and marks. They can be told to demonstrate some aspects of hygiene or they are identifying their own clothes. We call it performance or practical-based assessment," Ngatia said.
She said the teacher uses a score guide as they observe the learner to grade their performance.
Just like the age-based/normal pathway, Ngatia said the stage-based pathway will also have formative and summative assessments which will be combined for grading.
But with the stage-based pathway, she said the summative tests are done once a learner is ready to exit that particular learning stage.
At the foundational level, this cadre of learner will sit for the Kenya Foundational Level Education Assessment as the summative test once ready to proceed to the next level.
The second level is called the intermediate level which has seven learning areas in the formative/school assessment.
At this second level the learner will sit for the Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment once ready to proceed to the next level.
The third level is the Pre-vocational level.
"This level is predominantly skill-based because the learners here are introduced to pre-requisite skills in various vocational areas to enable them identify their abilities in a given field," Ngatia said.
"They begin to do beading, practicals related to woodwork and such. They are being introduced to various vocations so they may identify their interests."
Once a learner is ready to proceed to the last level, they sit for the summative Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment.
The Knec official said the feedback from each of the assessments helps to determine progression to the next level.
"But for this particular level (pre-vocational), the stage-based learner can proceed to the world of work. This is because there are those that can never go beyond this level. But for those who can, they can go to the highest level which is the vocational level," Ngatia said.
On whether this learner can go to the university, Ngatia said it is unlikely because of the nature of the kind of school work they have done.
"Our framework shows that they will move into the world of work because if they have to go to the university, then they must have acquired the pre-requisite skills, the written paperwork which they were not doing. They were doing more of practical skills," she said.
The final level is called the Vocational Level where the learners will sit for the Kenya Vocational Level Education Assessment once they specialise in a skill they had interest in.
Further, Knec said the assessments will be differentiated to cater for the different needs of the learners.
Thus, the assessment tools and strategies are different as per the needs of the learners.
For instance, the assessment for learners with motor disabilities will involve tasks requiring limited manipulation and movement.
The assessment for learners with visual impairment will major on tasks that require manipulation.
For those with hearing impairment the assessment will capitalise on the use of senses of sight, hard of hearing skills and sign language.
Autistic, deafblind and learners with multiple disabilities' assessment will major on performance-based tasks.
While gifted and talented learners will have assessments that come with complex tasks that are more demanding.
Knec has also modified the assessment for special needs learners under the age-based pathway undertaking the normal curriculum.
For learners with visual impairment, Knec said it has presented reading material in braille as well as giving the learners additional time in their assessments.
The learners will also be trained to adapt to some tasks.
For learners with low vision, Knec said their assessment material will be presented in enlarged font.
Learners with hearing impairment will have their assessments in a language adapted to suit them. Knec will also assess them using the Kenya Sign Language.
Physically disabled learners will be provided with support as per functional assessment report as well as getting additional time.
The learners will also get physical assistance in tasks that require manipulation such as practical papers.
They will also be assessed in ability to adapt to some tasks.
