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Strengthening Marking and Moderation Practices in NCEA

Aubhilesh Singh | HOD Day

Mentoring for Consistency

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Ensuring results align with NZQA expectations and maintain institutional reputation.

Strengthening teacher professional practice through deep engagement with standards.

Guaranteeing fairness for every student, regardless of which class they are in.

Why This Matters

Credibility

Pedagogy

Equity

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Focus group

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  • New-to-NCEA teachers
  • Provisionally Registered Teachers (PRTs)
  • Inconsistent graders

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The Problem We See

What is actually going wrong?

  • Over-awarding Merit/Excellence (leniency)
  • Under-awarding (lack of confidence)
  • Misinterpretation of schedule language (β€œclear”, β€œsufficient”, β€œconvincing”)
  • Task vs Standard confusion
  • Lack of shared understanding across teachers

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πŸ‘‰ Inconsistency is not a teacher issue β€” it is a systems and mentoring issue.

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Root Cause Analysis

Why does inconsistency happen?

πŸ‘‰ Shift:

  • Limited exposure to:
  • Exemplar scripts
  • Boundary decisions (A/M, M/E)
  • Weak pre-moderation conversations
  • β€œMarking in isolation”
  • Lack of structured mentoring for PRTs
  • Over-reliance on gut feeling instead of evidence

From β€œI think this is Merit” β†’ β€œThe evidence shows this meets Merit because…”

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What's available on PΕ«take.

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Do not edit

How to change the design

When do you usually complete the moderation cover sheet?

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Do not edit

How to change the design

Scenario: You have finished marking and entered grades.

You now complete the cover sheet.

πŸ‘‰What is the risk of doing it at this stage?

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Scenario

You have finished marking and entered grades.οΏ½ You now complete the cover sheet.

πŸ‘‰ What is the risk of doing it at this stage?

Implications:

Late completion = retrospective justification

Limited impact on assessor judgement

Missed opportunity for alignment

Best Practice

  • Start during pre-moderation
  • Add evidence during co-marking
  • Finalise after panel moderation

πŸ‘‰ The cover sheet should show how judgement improved, not just what was done.

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Mentoring in Practice (What Works)

High-impact mentoring moves

  • Co-marking (side-by-side marking)
  • Think-aloud marking by experienced teacher
  • Anchor scripts (A/M/E boundary samples)
  • Weekly 20-min moderation check-ins
  • Use of probing questions:
  • β€œWhat evidence shows this meets the standard?”
  • β€œWhat is missing for the next grade?”

πŸ‘‰ Focus:

Build judgement, not just compliance

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  • Unpack the standard and marking schedule
  • Clarify expectations at Achieved, Merit, Excellence
  • Review exemplar responses

Pre-Moderation (Before Teaching)

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Before teaching

Student

T1

T 2

T3

T4

T5

T6

T7

A

M

A

M

M

M

A

M

B

M

E

E

M

M

M

M

C

A

M

A

N

M

M

M

D

M

A

A

A

A

N

M

E

M

M

M

M

A

N

A

F

A

A

A

A

A

N

A

1.2 Strengthening Assessor Judgement

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Co-Marking (Start of Marking)

  • Mark 3–5 scripts together
  • Align judgement before marking independently

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Panel Moderation (Power Move)

πŸ‘‰ Outcome:

  • Shared understanding of standards
  • Greater consistency across classes, reduced variability
  • Shared language
  • Stronger department alignment

Moving beyond individual marking

  • 2–3 teachers review same scripts together
  • Focus on boundary scripts
  • Structured discussion:
    • What grade?
    • Why?
    • What evidence?

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HOD Verification

  • Check consistency across classes
  • Identify patterns of leniency or harshness
  • Publish grades only when alignment is clear

Result Analysis - here

Identify at risk students

****Extremely Important - reflection***

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External Moderation Reflection

  • Review NZQA moderator feedback
  • Identify areas of concern
  • Adjust teaching, tasks, and marking practices

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Non-Negotiables

  • No marking in isolation
  • All teachers participate in moderation
  • Boundary scripts must be discussed
  • Judgements must be evidence-based
  • HOD signs off only after consistency is confirmed

Core Principle

Consistency comes from shared professional judgement.

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Unpack standard & exemplars before teaching.

Align judgements early on 3-5 samples.

Verify boundary scripts across classes.

Audit results against NZQA feedback.

The Moderation Lifecycle

Pre-Moderation

Co-Marking

Panel Review

External Reflection

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Schedule a 20-min "Moderation Pulse" every week to discuss 2 boundary scripts.

Publish grades ONLY when departmental alignment is confirmed and verified.

Next Steps for Mentors

Weekly Pulses

Pre-Moderation/ Cover Sheet

When to publish Grades

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Mentoring for Consistency: Strengthening our Professional Judgement

Aubhilesh Singh | thank you for your commitment to excellence.

Questions?