Secondary Education FAIE Annual State Conference Kurt Baumbach, Academic Evaluation Services, Inc. Caribbean Countries

Secondary Education 2018 FAIE Annual State Conference Kurt Baumbach, Academic Evaluation Services, Inc. Caribbean Countries

Secondary Education - Caribbean Countries

Caribbean Diversity - Haiti Population: 10.8 million Languages: French Haitian Creole (kreyòl ayisyen) GDP per capita (nominal / PPP): $719 / $1,819

Caribbean Diversity - Dominican Republic Population: 10.6 million Language: Spanish GDP per capita (nominal / PPP): $7,543 / $17,096

Caribbean Diversity - Jamaica Population: 2.8 million Language: English GDP per capita (nominal / PPP): $5,117 / $9,297

Caribbean Diversity - Trinidad and Tobago Population: 1.3 million Language: English GDP per capita (nominal / PPP): $15,838 / $32,520

Caribbean Region - Definition

Caribbean Region - territories of other countries

Caribbean Region - territories of other countries United States: Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands

Caribbean Region - territories of other countries Netherlands: Aruba Bonaire Curacao Saba* St. Eustatius St. Maarten*

Caribbean Region - territories of other countries France: Martinique Guadeloupe St. Martin St. Barthelemy

Caribbean Region - Cuba

Caribbean Region - British Pattern Anguilla* Antigua and Barbuda Barbados Belize British Virgin Islands* Cayman Islands* Dominica Grenada Guyana Jamaica Montserrat* St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands*

Caribbean Region - British Pattern Language of instruction: English Primary education: 6 years Secondary education: 5 years external examinations are held after 11 years of primary/secondary education Examinations: currently: Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate / CSEC formerly: General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level / O-Levels

Caribbean Region - British Pattern Key points on British Pattern countries: school-issued diplomas do not represent the equivalent of U.S. high school graduation successful completion of external examinations does represent the equivalent of U.S. high school graduation

Caribbean Region - British Pattern Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) The CXC was established in 1972 to replace the U.K.-based examining bodies who held O-Level examinations in the Caribbean The first Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations were held in 1979 in five subjects: Mathematics, English, Caribbean History, Integrated Science, and Geography Examinations are offered in January for re-sit or private candidates and in May-June for in-school or private candidates

Caribbean Region - British Pattern Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Three proficiency levels: Basic (last administered in 2009) General Technical Basic proficiency examinations had ½ the weight of General/Technical Currently, a total of 33 subjects are offered 28 at the General level 5 at the Technical level

Caribbean Region - British Pattern Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) A minimum of 4 subject passes at the General or Technical level are required, including English A, for university admission A pass in Mathematics is also required for almost all university programs Individual programs may require more passes and/or passes in specific subjects; for example, an engineering program may require 6 passes including Chemistry and Physics

Caribbean Region - British Pattern Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Grade scale on the CSEC before 1998: Grades I, II, and III were considered passing grades with credit Grade IV was considered a passing grade without credit Grade V was considered a failing grade only subjects passed with credit considered for university admission

Caribbean Region - British Pattern Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Grade scale on the CSEC starting May/June 1998: Grades I, II, III, and IV are considered passing grades Grades V and VI are considered failing grades the concept of credit passes is phased out

Caribbean Region - CSEC before 1998

Caribbean Region - CSEC starting 1998

Caribbean Region - school-issued documents

Caribbean Region - CXC website

Caribbean Region - Bahamas Language of instruction: English Primary education: 6 years Lower-secondary education: 3 years Upper-secondary education: 3 years (formerly 2 years) external examinations are held after 12 years of primary/secondary education Examinations: currently: Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education / BGCSE formerly: General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level / O-Levels

Caribbean Region - Bahamas Key points on the Bahamas: school-issued diplomas do not represent the equivalent of U.S. high school graduation successful completion of external examinations does represent the equivalent of U.S. high school graduation

Caribbean Region - Bahamas Examining bodies Before 1993, various U.K. examining boards held examinations for the O-Levels after eleven years of education In 1993, the Ministry of Education introduced the Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education / BGCSE in coordination with the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate Upper-secondary education was extended by one year for a total of 12 years of overall education The Ministry also holds Bahamas Junior Certificate examinations after 9 th grade

Caribbean Region - Bahamas Grading scales BGCSE and O-Levels have the same grading scale Scale is A to G, where grades A-B-C receive credit and grades D-E-F-G are passing grades that do not receive credit A minimum of four subject passes with credit, including English, are required for university admission As in the British Pattern countries, individual programs may require more credit passes and/or credit passes in specific subjects

Caribbean Region - Bahamas

Caribbean Region - Haiti Language of instruction: French (Haitian Creole generally spoken) Primary education: 6 years Lower-secondary education: 3 years Upper-secondary education: 4 years

Caribbean Region - Haiti Key points on Haiti: Through 2016, successful passing of two state examinations was required for university admission Diplôme d Études Secondaires, Première Partie - section Rhéto (Diploma of Secondary Education, First Part - section Rheto[ric]) at the end of 12 th grade Diplôme d Études Secondaires, Deuxième Partie - section Philo (Diploma of Secondary Education, Second Part - section Philo[sophy]) at the end of 13 th grade

Caribbean Region - Haiti Key points on Haiti: 2007 reforms, first implemented as a pilot program in 2011, Rhéto and Philo were replaced by a new credential Known officially as the nouveau baccalauréat (new baccalaureate), baccalauréat permanent (permanent baccalaureate), or baccalauréat unique (single baccalaureate) In practice, some of the new credentials are still using the Diplôme d Études Secondaires, Deuxième Partie terminology It is not clear at this time when/if the new terminology will appear on students documents

Caribbean Region - Haiti 70-100% - A 60-69% - B 50-59% - C Secondary Grading Scale in Haiti: Minimum passing grade is 50%; however, if the overall grade average is above 50%, individual subjects with grades below 50% may be considered passed

Caribbean Region - Haiti (traditional 1 st part)

Caribbean Region - Haiti (traditional 2 nd part)

Caribbean Region Haiti (reformed)

Caribbean Region - Haiti

Caribbean Region - Dominican Republic Language of instruction: Spanish Basic education (1 st cycle): 4 years Basic education (2 nd cycle): 4 years Secondary education (1 st cycle): 2 years Secondary education (2 nd cycle): 2 years

Caribbean Region - Dominican Republic Key points on the Dominican Republic: school-issued diplomas do not represent the equivalent of U.S. high school graduation government-issued Bachillerato (Baccalaureate) diplomas do represent the equivalent of U.S. high school graduation

Caribbean Region - Dominican Republic Key points on the Dominican Republic: the first cycle of secondary education is known as tronco común (common core) the second cycle consists of three modalidades (tracks) general / académica (general / academic) artística (artistic) técnico profesional (professional-technical) all three modalidades lead to the Bachillerato and all three are valid for university admission

Caribbean Region - Dominican Republic Secondary Grading Scale in the Dominican Republic: Unlike the diplomas, transcripts are school-issued and the grade scale may vary. Most common: 90-100% - Excelente (Excellent) - A 80-89% - Muy Bueno (Very Good) - B 70-79% - Bueno (Good) - C below 70% - Deficiente (Deficient) - F

Caribbean Region - Dominican Republic

Caribbean Region - side-by-side comparisons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 British Pattern primary secondary Bahamas primary lower-secondary upper-secondary Haiti primary lower-secondary upper-secondary Dominican Republic basic 1 st cycle basic 2 nd cycle secondary 1 st cycle secondary 2 nd cycle

Caribbean Region - similarities and contrasts?

Thank you! 2018 FAIE Annual State Conference Kurt Baumbach, Academic Evaluation Services, Inc. kurtbaumbach@aes-edu.org