For those who have been years removed from schooling, the governments reforms to educational policies are taking effect soon. They’ve added two years to schooling with the new K-12 program. By 2015, school will be starting in August. Grades would be based on letters and not the common A-F scale.
Admittedly, when I heard about KPUP during a meeting with, I thought I just misheard “Kpop” (Korean pop). Apparently, it’s the shorthand to refer to the K-12′ “assessment framework.” And I have several issues with it.
First, let’s address the labels. I think it is misleading to just refer to simply refer to the assessment and evaluation framework. Assessment refers to tracking the students’ progress (formative) and evaluation refers to checking if they have learned (summative).
KPUP actually refers to the various levels of assessment. Unlike before when the combination of quizzes, long tests, and periodic or end-of-term exams were used as the primary component of grades, the framework now takes into account these various levels. Here’s an attempt to a simple explanation but the details can be seen in the DepEd order 73 s. 2012.
- Knowledge (K) – 15% – Checks factual information. Similar to the usual pen-and-paper activities like objective-type quizzes and tests.
- Process (P) – 25% – Checks skills and operations like outlining, expressing, and converting information to other forms.
- Understanding (U) – 30% – Checks big concepts, meanings, and principles through explanations and interpretations.
- Performance/Product (P) – 30% – Checks actual application of learning through projects.
Taking a look a the breakdown, one can see that what used to be the biggest chunk of students’ grades accounts for just 15% and what used to be considered minor activities such as projects now account for 30%. Theoretically, these are quite sound principles since contemporary views on learning say that learning must be applied to what is relevant to the learner’s life.
In addition, “grades” (now called “levels of proficiency”) will be as follows:
- Beginning – 74% and below
- Developing – 75 to 79%
- Approaching Proficiency – 80 to 84%
- Proficient – 85 to 89%
- Advanced – 90% and above
Problems, however, lie in how this whole thing (especially in the context of the problematic K-12 roll-out) is going to be implemented. I don’t believe that all schools (both public and private) have a thorough understanding of the framework including the underpinning theories. In no portion, save for a lonely citation) of the document does it cite which theories and scholarship influenced these guidelines. I can only assume from my own deduction, that it applies or adheres by principles proposed by scholars like Bruner, Piaget, Vygotsky, Wiggins, and McTighe.
Going around and talking to teachers also reinforce my reservations. While the DepEd has provided talks and discussions with schools and teachers, this change in the system requires more than just orientation. It requires a robust transition program – something that I think are left for schools to figure out. Where are the toolkits? The comprehensive guides? The training programs? The follow ups? Hopefully, these materialize soon.
Compound the problem with parents not being educated on these reforms. K-12 is not the system that many of the parents, even the younger ones, grew up in. They have little to no idea about KPUP or the BDAPPA. The shift in mindset where projects now weigh more than exams can be a tough pill to swallow for the generations of parents who considered numbers the basis for their child’s intelligence ergo metric of future success (an utter fallacy in my book).
No matter how flawless we think the plans are, it’s where the rubber meets the road where it counts. If teachers have almost no idea on how to proceed and facilitate all these new policies, then we’d be in bad shape. In the words of the philosopher Mike Tyson, “Everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the face.”
1. The fatal flaw in the K12 program is that it does not actually add two years to our ‘old system’. Only the preK12 kids now in HS and Elem will actually experience two extra years. The K12 program only adds one year because grade level ages were moved down. Filipino math? shortcut? cutting corners again?
2. And then two years of the K12 years will be Senior High School (SHS) composing of ted-voc or college prep. In my book, +1 – 2 = -1. So actually, our K12 kids will be finishing by G10/HS3 what we finished in HS4. Thus, the curriculum is cramped instead of decongested (which was the original idea for adding two years).
3. As a result of moving down grade level ages, we have to teach, i.e. Grade 2 students with Grade 1 subjects (remember, they’re a year younger). Thus, if you are benchmarking yourself internationally, like using foreign Gr1-8 books, whereas before we were competitive (Gr2 student = Gr2 book) now we are not (Gr2 student = Gr1 book).
These are the fatal flaws of the K12 program, and it is arriving in a year or so when those DepEd people realise that students in HS K12 program hasn’t added time to study nor decongested HS topics leading to non-mastery. Same old problem at very expensive experience.
I am an Araling-Panlipunan secondary teacher. I am asking help how to identify what kind of KPUP test Im going to give.
Hello, Nadja. Implementing KPUP is quite tricky. You can always pace when you’d be giving the different levels of assessment during the course of the lesson or semester. For example, you can always hand out knowledge and process activities in regular intervals as enrichment activities while understanding and performance tasks can be given as summative activities.
KPUP is a good guide for measurement, assessment and evaluation. However, it MUST not shrink teachers’ creativity as to the making of performance rubrics as to his/her desired outcome. Self expression of both the teachers and the students be considered and the needs of local scenarios MUST be addressed. Sample rubrics are just preforms of the ideal but not the actual assessment processes.
i just want to ask this question, hope you will answer..what will happen to students who didn’t undergo the senior high school in k to 12, students who graduated in the old curriculum in ched the not k to 12 curriculum, what will happen to them in college say they will study another course after graduating a course for example BSA then they will study again BSIT.what will happen to them if by that time they will enter another course their course (BSIT for ex.) will be 3 years only which means that only the major subjects will be study because the minor subjects are studied in the senior high school.what if they didn’t undergo the k to 12 program,will they be admitted to college quickly or they will first take the senior high school subjets which are pre-requisite to college?
In colleges and universities, they make arrangements with their curriculum to cope with that change you’ve mentioned. For example, in our university there is a transition program for freshmen so, they will not be left behind and will be able to take courses and subjects they want and those necessary. Hope this helps. 🙂
I’m a Grade 8 student in a Private Catholic School . We were fine with K-12. Last year, I was assigned to make an Article about DLP or Dynamic Learning. Program. I proved in my Article that I’m not in favor with it neither are my Classmates. As theyIimplemented DLP this school year, I expected that it won’t turn out good and it didn’t turn out any better. I was also shocked about KPUP. All of us , students and practice teachers , are pissed off with KPUP. Last year , I was the 1st in excellence but because of KPUP , tables turned. BOTTOMLINE ,DLP AND KPUP ARE VERY STRESSING. No good. NAKAKAPRESSURE!
I just want to ask how we are going to make a table of specification using KPUP in the pre-school level…hope u will respond to this question.Thank you.
can you give me types of exams for KPUP?
Hi
What I always see from my daughter’s quizzes are true or false questions, some are classifications.
Examples of true or false:
_____ The middle letter in the word “bed” (picture of a bed) is the letter “o”.
Examples of classifications: the words
bat pan sad man bar can cap cat
are placed inside the box, the student will determine where it should fall under. Will it fall under words with -an, -at, -ar or -ap.
Kpup test and worksheets are designed to let the student’s brain process. My only concern though is in the understanding portion where it could be subjective. Each person have their own process of understanding one thing could have different perceptions especially to a child. the teacher plays an important role in attaining that the goal that all the student should have the same understanding on the lesson given. Malabo diba? dahil sa isang class there are more than 30 students and there is only one teacher.
ay walang reply sa question nyu mam/sir???
hinde din kc nila alam ang sagot hehehe
Some times, I wonder how the teacher determines the grades for understanding portion, which actually takes up 30% of the quotient. How are the questions being delivered to the students so that their brains can process it.
I am a math teacher and it is difficult for me to do test questions during examination. Can you give me a technic for doing this? As well as table of specification.
Sometimes we cannot do our task because of some reason, like the way of management implemented in our school. FOR me it is not good to have a very strict administrator. Although many of my coteacher perform their duties and responsibilities. What can we do for this kind of administrator?
I’m looking for some information about K to 12’s grading system. My son’s failing his PE subject and it looks like their whole class, except for two kids, will need summer classes just for PE.
I find it hard to abide the KPUP in preschool setting. Are there any suggestions there?
hello..
im an education stUdent .i neEd ur help aBout my report..
my report is “Preparing TOS in Makabayan using the 4 levels of asSessment” .i do research about it buT i cant find oN how to pRepare this TOS using the 4 levels of asSessment.
thanks in advance whoever wilL help my coNcern. 🙂
Hello, Jam.
As a future educator, I hope you realize the value of proper writing mechanics.
There are plenty of sample Table of Specifications that you can use as reference. Try Googling them.
Hi Sir Alex. I’m actually in favor of KPUP assessment framework. Assessments about facts and concepts (formative and summative) cannot fully determine whether students have learned something or not. That’s the reason why some students fail. Some learners may do better in performance assessment than in pencil-paper test. And learning is not just about memorizing and understanding concepts, its also about how students apply the knowledge they have learned. Its quite tricky for those teachers who do pencil-paper test as a measuring tool to assess students learning, but hopefully, all of us can work things out.
Just saying 🙂