School Based Assessment Portfolio Guideline 2008

UMnyango WezeMfundo Lefapha la Thuto

Department of Education Departement van Onderwys

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GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

DANCE

SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT

PORTFOLIO

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School Based Assessment Portfolio Guideline 2008

GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

DANCE

CONTENTS

1. What is a portfolio?

2. Purpose

3. Assessment in Grade 12

4. Content for Portfolios

5. Programme of Assessment in Grade 12

6. Learner Evidence Portfolio

7. Teacher Evidence Portfolio

8. Evaluating Portfolios

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School Based Assessment Portfolio Guideline 2008

1. What is a portfolio?
A portfolio is a collection of a learner’s work and is determined by the Subject
Assessment Guidelines (SAG).

A variety of items are organised in a certain format which will then form the learner’s
portfolio. It should be freely available in the classroom, so that the learners can work
on it whenever they find it necessary to do so. Items, which can be included in such
a portfolio, include investigation tasks, simulation tasks, small projects, tests and
examinations, which are collected over a period of time and which serve a specific
purpose.

Portfolios are also defined as an ongoing systematic collection of products which

represent milestones in the learner’s journey towards excellence. This collection
includes items, which represent the whole terrain, and also shows how the learner’s
journey has progressed towards a specific aim.

The collection of portfolio items and from different components of the curriculum
makes the portfolio an instrument for documentation and analysis, serving as a
summary of the learner’s progress throughout the year.

Portfolios enable the teacher to find out more about the learner as an individual, but
the learners also find out more about themselves. It is a report on the learner’s
progress, as well as a report of that which the learner perceives to be important.

Arter and Spandel summarise the main characteristics of portfolios when they
describe it as follows: “A portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that tells
the story of the student’s efforts, progress or achievement in given area(s). This
collection must include student participation in selection of portfolio content, the
guidelines for selection, the criteria for judging merit and evidence of student self-
reflection.”

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School Based Assessment Portfolio Guideline 2008

It is thus emphasised that a portfolio is an arrangement of the characteristics of

authentic assessment.

It makes continuous assessment possible and includes a rich variety of items as

evidence of that which the students know and can do. The content of portfolios can
be created within realistic contents. In addition, it can also be a reflection of the
process of product development. It provides an excellent opportunity to transform
assessment into a learning experience. Think of the portfolio as a mechanism
whereby a story is told – a story that will communicate something about the learner to
the reader.

2. Purpose
The primary reasons for using portfolios as one type of authentic assessment tool
include:
• assessing learner’s accomplishment of learning outcomes
• assessing the quality of learner’s sustained work
• allowing learners to turn their own special interests and abilities into a show-case
• encouraging the development of qualities such as pride in quality workmanship,
ability to self-evaluate, and ability to accomplish meaningful tasks
• providing a collection of work learners may use in the future for college or
university application and job seeking
• documenting improvement of learners’ work

3. Assessment in Grade 12
In Grade 12, assessment consists of two components: a Programme of Assessment
which makes up 25% of the total mark for DANCE (CASS) and external assessment
which makes up the remaining 75% (EXAMINATION). The Programme of
Assessment for DANCE comprises seven tasks which are internally assessed. The
external assessment component comprises two components: a Practical Assessment
Task and one written theory paper.

Together the Programme of Assessment and the external assessment component

make up the annual assessment plan for Grade 12.

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School Based Assessment Portfolio Guideline 2008

The following diagram shows the annual assessment plan for DANCE:

Annual assessment plan for DANCE, Grade 12

ASSESSMENT COMPONENTS
PROGRAMME OF ASSESSMENT EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT
(25%) (75%)
100 marks 300 marks
~2 tests EXAMINATION
~2 exams (midyear and trial) 150 marks 150 marks
Theory paper Practical examination Theory examination
Performance (LO1,2&4) LO 1&2 LO 1-3
~3 integrated performance tasks

4. Content for portfolios

The content for portfolios for DANCE is guided by the programme of assessment as
stipulated in the Subject Assessment Guidelines (SAG).

The portfolio comprises:

• Two tests (first and third term)
• Two written examinations (midyear and trial)
• Three practical tasks (one per term in terms 1,2 and 3)
9 Task 1: Integrated performance: Indigenous Dance (50 marks)
Preparation: Project on the chosen Dance ( 200 words or more)
Performance: Performance of the chosen Dance.
9 Task 2: Integrated performance: Improvisation or choreography (50
marks)
Preparation: Written synopsis for the improvised/choreographed piece. (100 words)
Performance: Performance of the improvisation/choreography.
9 Task 3: Integrated performance: Major dance form (50 marks)
SOLO OR GROUP PERFORMANCE
Preparation: Evidence of preparation.
Performance: Performance of the chosen dance.

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School Based Assessment Portfolio Guideline 2008

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School Based Assessment Portfolio Guideline 2008

5. Programme of Assessment in Grade 12

5.1 Tests
Two of the assessment tasks should be tests written under controlled
conditions at a specified time. A test should last at least 60 minutes and
count a minimum of 50 marks. Tests should include music theory, history,
and healthcare.

5.2 Integrated Performance Tasks

The integrated performance tasks include both preparatory work and a
performance based on this preparation.

It is suggested that learners keep a source book/ workbook for Dance Studies
in which to record all written preparation, both informal and formal, for
assessment purposes.

The performance can take place in a controlled environment (such as a studio

or a classroom) or in a real-life environment (such as a public performance).
The learner demonstrates the integration of dance knowledge, skills and
values into a single performance.

5.3 Examinations
The mid-year and trial examinations for Grade 12 should consist of a
written paper and a performance examination and will count 300 marks.
The suggested duration of the paper is 3 hours.

See the Subject Assessment Guidelines for an outline of the Grade 12

examination paper.

6. Learner Evidence portfolio

The learners’ portfolio should be well planned, organised and presented in a neat
manner, for example, a file. It should include the following:
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School Based Assessment Portfolio Guideline 2008

• a contents page;
• a continuous moderation report;
• a declaration by the learner;
• a summary of marks;
• the assessment tasks

7. Teacher Evidence portfolio

It is required from the Department of Education that a teacher’s portfolio should

accompany the learners’ portfolios. This portfolio should include the following:
• a contents page;
• the formal Programme of Assessment;
• the requirements of each of the assessment tasks (e.g. practical tasks, tests
and examination papers);
• the tools used for assessment for each task (e.g. memorandums, checklists,
rubrics); and
• record sheets for each class (working mark sheets).

8. Evaluating portfolios

Periodic evaluation of portfolios should be conducted at a time predetermined by the

teacher and his learners. Logical times for evaluation would be at the conclusion of a
project, the end of a programme or unit, term or academic year.

The teacher must make sure that every assessment task is marked and captured.
Marks on the teacher’s record sheets must correspond with the marks in the learners’
portfolios.
Moderation of the assessment tasks should take place at three levels during the year.

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School Based Assessment Portfolio Guideline 2008

LEVEL MODERATION REQUIREMENTS

School The Programme of Assessment should be submitted to the subject
head and School Management Team before the start of the academic
year for moderation purposes. Each task which is to be used as part of
the Programme of Assessment should be submitted to the subject
head for moderation before learners attempt the task. Teacher
portfolios and evidence of learner performance should be moderated
twice a year by the head of the subject or her/his delegate.
Cluster/ Teacher portfolios and a sample of evidence of learner performance
district/ region must be moderated twice during the first three terms.
Provincial/ Teacher portfolios and a sample of evidence of learner performance
national must be moderated once a year.

THE MAJOR DANCE FORMS

THE PRACTICAL PART LO 1 2 AND 4
The Dance forms or are to be selected from the following table:

DANCE FORM
African Dance
Ballroom Dancing
Classical Ballet
Contemporary Dance
Folk Dance
Greek Dance
Indian Dance
Jazz
Latin American
Spanish Dance
Tap Dance

Written and compiled by Theresa Prinsloo (GDE)

Co-writers: Nigel Hannah and Pinto Ferreira