PBS Concept Answer 1. What is PBS?

Answer : PBS is a holistic form of assessment which assesses the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains encompassing intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical aspects. Thus PBS is in tandem with the Primary School Standard Curriculum as well as the National Education Philosophy.PBS covers both academic and non-academic fields.PBS is carried out continuously in schools by teachers during the teaching and learning process.There are 4 components in the PBS: (i) Central Assessment (ii) School Assessment (iii) Assessment of Sports and Co-curricular activities (iv) Psychometric Assessment 2. Is the PBS concept new? Answer : No, the PBS concept is not new. Homework, quizzes, question and answer sessions are all examples of PBS activities. However, there are two new features in the improved PBS. Firstly the concept of Standard Referenced Assessment in which learners achievements are measured against a Performance Standard which determines what learners are expected to achieve. Secondly is the introduction of SPPBS or PBS Management System which will make it easier for teachers to record and store data concerning learners achievement. 3. Why is PBS being introduced now? Answer : PBS is being introduced as part of the National Transformation Program to produce worldclass human capital. 4. When will PBS be implemented? Answer : PBS began in Year One 2011 and will result in the refurbished UPSR in 2016. PBS will be carried out in Form One from 2012 and PMR beginning 2014 will be entirely school-based. 5. What is the difference between PBS and the present assessment? Answer : PBS is more holistic and emphasizes all aspects including physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual. The present assessment focuses on learners achievement through examination results. PBS assesses both the learning outcome as well as the learning process. Therefore both formative and summative assessment which encompass assessment for learning and assessment of learning are employed. Presently the focus is mainly on assessment of learning at the end of the learning process which is largely summative in nature.In an effort to make the present assessment better, Standard Referenced Assessment is introduced to track the growth and development of each pupil through his/her performance. In the process it is possible to find out what each pupil know (tahu), understand (faham) and can apply (boleh buat) or have mastered what has been learnt based on the Performance Standards which is mapped from the Standard Curriculum.Furthermore, Standard Referenced Assessment does not compare a pupils achievement with his/her peers instead it reports each pupils growth and development by comparing his/her performance against a statement of standards.PBS gives autonomy and due recognition to teachers to carry out formative and summative school-based assessment at their discretion. In this manner teachers integrity and credibility will be enhanced. Teachers are most suitable to assess their pupils because they :

- Can continuously monitor their pupils growth - Can provide constructive feedback to help improve pupils learning abilities - Better understand the context and environment most conducive to assess pupils - Appraise and provide feedback based on the Performance Standards

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What is Performance Standard? Answer : Performance Standard is a set of statements detailing the achievement and mastery of an individual within a certain discipline, in a specific period of study based on an identified benchmark. The Performance Standard will help inform the appraiser on the best and most suitable way to assess individuals fairly in a focused manner based on the predetermined set of standards.

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What is the quality assurance of PBS? Answer : Quality assurance of the PBS is determined through:- Mentoring - Standardization - Monitoring - DetectionMentoring is the process of assisting, facilitating and guiding teachers to carry out PBS according to the correct procedures and principles of PBS.Monitoring ensures that the correct procedures have been adhered to ensure the reliability and credibility of the assessment outcome.Standardization ensures uniformity of scores with reference to the Performance Standards based on the rubrics of an assignment.

Detection is the process that evaluates the strength, weaknesses and effectiveness of assessment tool us ed to carry out PBS.

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How will parents obtain feedback on their childs performance? Answer : A descriptive and formative report can be generated using the SPPBS whenever needed. The system also acts as a life-time data base and stores all information pertaining to pupils progress from Year 1 to Form 5.

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What value is the assessment result to pupils? Answer : Feedback based on the Performance Standards can help students identify his/her strength and weaknesses, common errors made and areas that need more attention as well as steps to take in order to improve.Constructive and meaningful feedback can help pupils focus on their learning progress. Hence pupils will be more motivated to work harder and perform better in the future.

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What is the impact of PBS on UPSR and PMR? Answer : UPSR and PMR are still important modes of assessment, however they will no longer be deemed as high stake events since PBS is a continuous process and also more holistic.

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How reliable are assessment results conducted by teachers? Answer : Assessment scores produced by teachers are reliable because they:- Can continuously monitor their pupils growth - Can provide constructive feedback to help improve pupils learning abilities - Better understand the context and environment most conducive to assess pupils - Appraise and provide feedback based on the Performance Standards

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Are teachers ready for PBS? Answer : All teachers are qualified and trained in teacher education. In addition they are given refresher courses to help them manage the PBS.