I. Overview
A. Introduction/Background
The National Achievement Test (NAT) is a locally-made standardized test given annually in March to assess the competency level of both the public and private school students. This is designed to determine the learners’ achievement level, their strengths and weaknesses/knowledge and skills in five key subject areas: Mathematics, English, Filipino, Science, and HEKASI for grade school and Mathematics, English, Science, Filipino, and Araling Panlipunan for high school. The test is administered by the Department of Education’s National Education Testing and Research Center (NETRC). The results are intended to guide the Department of Education in its efforts towards the improvement of the quality of education in public schools and to provide appropriate interventions for the students. A score of 75% and up indicates mastery of the subject and 50% to less than 75%, near mastery; while a score of below 50% indicates low mastery or no mastery at all.
B. History
The National Achievement Test (NAT) was used to be called the National Elementary Achievement Test (NEAT) for grade school level and the National Secondary Achievement Test (NSAT) for the high school level. Both the NEAT and NSAT were precursors of the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), an examination administered to gauge the competency of students entering college. The NCEE was abolished in 1994 through the Executive Order no.632 by the Education Secretary Raul Roco who stated that all high school students should be able to enter college and be given a chance of a better career in the future. It was replaced by NEAT and NSAT.
When the Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS) was officially converted into the Department of Education (DepED), NEAT and NSAT were also abolished and replaced by the National Achievement Test (NAT). Both the public and private elementary and secondary schools take this exam. Many years back NAT result was part in the final grade of the second year test takers but it was also eliminated. This school year 2010-2011, there are schools, through sampling, where the second year test takers do composition writing in English and Filipino.
C. The Target Clienteles of the NAT
This test is given to:
Grade 3 – public schools only
Grade 6 – both public and private schools
Second year high school – both public and private schools
D. Coverage of NAT and the Test Items It Comprises
TEST | NAT G3 | NAT G6 | NAT Y2 |
Subject Area Coverage | 1. Science | 1. Science | 1. Science |
2. Mathematics | 2. Mathematics | 2. Mathematics | |
3. English | 3. English | 3. English | |
4. Filipino | 4. Filipino | 4. Filipino | |
5. HEKASI | 5. Araling Panlipunan | ||
Number of Items Per Subject | 20 | 40 | 60 |
Total Number of Items | 120 | 200 | 300 |
E. Features that Characterize the NAT
v A multiple-choice test
v A sampling of competencies intended for the whole year coverage
v A standardized test with mostly moderately difficult items
v Anchored on Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives/Dimensions
v High-Ordered Thinking Skills (HOTS)
v The performance of an examinee is compared to the performance of
a national populace
a national populace
v The rating is expressed in percentage score or percent of correct
responses
responses
F. Rationale of DepED in Administering the NAT in Grade III, Grade Six, and Second Year
The NAT, which is a system-based assessment, was specifically designed to gauge learning outcomes across target levels in identified periods of basic education. In particular, it spans from mid assessment of elementary education which falls on the third grade, and then to a terminal exit assessment which falls on the sixth grade. The test results in NAT-Grade Six can likewise serve as measurement of incoming first year students’ readiness for high school.
On the other hand, the NAT for Second Year High School
G. How the NAT Scores Are Reported and Interpreted To Each Examinee
The SCORE comprises the Percentage of Correct Responses (PCR) per learning competency by subject area. The PCR is interpreted using the Achievement Level Descriptive Equivalent below.
Achievement Level
Percentage | Descriptive Equivalent |
96% - 100% | Mastered |
86% - 95% | Closely Approximating Mastery |
66% - 85% | Moving Towards Mastery |
35% - 65% | Average Mastery |
16% - 34% | Low Mastery |
5% - 15% | Very Low Mastery |
0% - 4% | Absolutely No Mastery |
H. Is There A Passing Score in the NAT?
The NAT has no passing grade or score. It uses the Mean Percentage Score (MPS) to indicate the percentage of correctly answered items in a test. For instance, a 50 MPS would mean that an examinee correctly answered 20 of a 40-item subject area test. The computation of grades in school, however, is done very differently from NAT (Refer to DepED Order No. 70, s. 2003, “Revised Grading System for Elementary and Secondary Schools; www,deped.gov.ph).
I. Does an MPS below 75 Mean that the Examinee Failed the Test?
An MPS below 75 does not mean that pupils/students who took the test failed it. For instance, a 66 MPS in the total test would mean that the examinees were “moving towards mastery.” The NAT uses a seven-descriptive equivalent of Achievement Level based on the normal curve wherein an MPS pf 75 and above is the national target.
J. How is NAT Administered?
A Chief Examiner is assigned to administer the test, in which case a school principal who is not the school principal in that particular school. It is he/she who receives all the NAT test materials the day before the scheduled test and is accountable in the retrieval of these materials after the test. In case there are 5 or more testing rooms, a Room Supervisor is assigned, usually a head teacher, to monitor the conduct of the test administration in a testing center. He/She also checks the room examiners adhere to instructions in the Examiners Handbook and assists the Chief Examiner in the counting of Test Booklets per pack, the Answer Sheets, and the ETRE’s. The Room Examiners, teachers from other schools, are the ones who does the administration of the NAT in the testing room. They are responsible for the smooth administration of the test in the rooms where they are assigned. They assist the examinees in accomplishing the name grid and other pertinent personal information about himself/herself and other related information. They follow strictly the Examiner’s Handbook during test administration.
K. Persons Involved in the NAT Administration
Testing Staff shall be done by the Schools Division Superintendent and shall include the following:
Ø Room examiners – teachers coming from another school district (NAT Grades 3 & 6) within the Division (NAT Yr 2).
Ø Room Supervisors – teachers coming from another school other than those schools where room examiners will be assigned.
Ø Chief Examiners are school heads of another public school
Ø School Testing Coordinators – teachers or head teachers who will stay in their respective schools.
L. Expenses Incurred in the NAT Administration
The government has spent millions for the materials and administration of NAT.
The government has spent millions for the materials and administration of NAT.
M. Assessment of School Performance
Since School Year 2002-2003, the test has been given to Grade 3, Grade 6, and 2nd year high school students. From 2004-2006, the NAT was also given to high school seniors under the direction of Secretary Edilberto De Jesus as a special measure to further aid in the assessment of school performance.
The schools of Eastern Visayas and CARAGA made it to the top 2 for school years 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 while the schools of ARMM, NCR and Western Visayas were in the bottom 3. Science was found to be the lowest competence for both elementary and high school students. There was general deterioration seen in the results from school years 2004 to 2006 but by 2008 an improvement was seen, especially in the subject of Science, with the number of students found to have low mastery of each subject consistently decreasing (http://wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title).
“From 2006-2009, the percentage increase of 21.36 percent was achieved. This only indicates a steady improvement in primary education in the country’s public school system,” noted DepEd Secretary Lapus. .
2009 NAT scores showed some improvement over the previous year’s results. From 64.81% mean percentage score in 2008, it now increased to 66.33% in 2009.
This improvement could be credited to the various DepEd Programs like Teacher Mentoring Program, Every-Child –A-Reader-Program, Adopt-A-School-Program, the project TURN for literacy and the intensive reviews conducted in every schools as ordered by the Regional Directors through the Schools Division Superintendent .
However, though, an average score of 66.33% can not be a huge cause for celebration, as this Mean Percentage Score (MPS) is still off the passing grade of 75%.
The NAT 2010 also revealed an increase of MPS but still has not reached the passing grade of 75%. In Misamis Oriental for instance, a few secondary schools were assessed Poor in the NAT result while most of them obtained Very Poor in assessment. It also revealed that Araling Panlipunan was the subject that obtained the lowest competence.
II. Argument
1. NAT is a good instrument in measuring students’ strengths and weaknesses in particular subject and particular skills.
2. NAT is a good instrument in measuring students’ achievement levels, how well they have performed.
2. NAT is a good instrument in measuring students’ achievement levels, how well they have performed.
3. NAT provides every subject teachers identify which competencies need more time for discussion to achieve the students’ mastery level.
4. NAT results help the school head and the teachers undertake some measures in addressing the students learning needs.
4. NAT results help the school head and the teachers undertake some measures in addressing the students learning needs.
5. NAT allows all teachers to be serious in their teaching.
6. NAT allows every learner to identify which competencies in every subject areas have been mastered, nearly mastered, or not mastered.
7. The result of NAT can be a good way of improving the present education system.
8. NAT allows students to be responsible of their own academic performance by studying harder.
9. It serves to measure the teaching performance of the teachers.
10. The NAT results guide the decision makers in formulating policies relative to the progression and promotion of students especially in the public schools.
11. The results of the NAT will help DepED higher officials to formulate appropriate interventions aimed at improving the education system.
12. NAT results provide information which schools are performing better and which are not. So, teachers from poor performing schools can be given special trainings/seminars to help enhance their competency level in terms of the domains, strands, and indicators of the National Competency Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS).
III. Conclusion
There have been criticisms about the National Achievement Test (NAT). The Federation of Association of Private Schools and Administration (FAPSA) criticizes and lobbies for the abolition of the program. The conduct of the test, according to the group, paves the way for ingenious access to leakage. Some have observed that cheating happened during the test administration, thus teaching the students to be dishonest. This further affect the validity of the test. Some students might have gathered information from the previous test takers that answer were given and so they may not try their best to enhance their skills during the NAT review because, anyway, answers will be given during the test. On the other hand, teachers may not sincerely conduct NAT reviews because students will be provided with the answers, anyway. Millions spent by the government could be spent for other programs that can benefit the students, others suggested.
The criticisms and observations cited above may convinced people to favor the abolition of NAT but I say, YES, to the continuance of this assessment of learning. If NAT will be eliminated, in what other way will we know the extent of students' learning? How shall we know whether or not teaching has been effective? How shall we improve the students' achievement if there is no assessment?
Others may suggest for another assessment to be constructed but it is still an assessment, so why should NAT be changed? NAT has been used for many years and surely its validity and reliability have been tested. The results of the past years NAT might not have yielded scores which everybody hopes for, that is, the 75% passing score set by DepED, but these had helped in measuring the students' competency level. These had aided in improving the NAT items. Further, the results have serve as a challenge to the teachers and school heads to undertake measures to improve their students' performance. The teachers, on the other hand, have been motivated to improve their competency level.
Whether we like it or not, assessment and evaluation are essential components of teaching and learning. In the educational process, assessment and evaluation have profound and well establish link to student performance.
The abolition of National Achievement Test (NAT) is not the answer. Close monitoring of the supervisors from DepED Division and Regional Offices to all the Testing Centers should be done during the test administration. To prevent leakage to happen, there should be Division Testing Coordinators in every school who shall bring the NAT Materials to their school assignment. Each must safeguard the confidentiality of the test materials by supervising closely the administration of the test. This may require the involvement of many people but with faith and commitment this is possible.
10. The NAT results guide the decision makers in formulating policies relative to the progression and promotion of students especially in the public schools.
11. The results of the NAT will help DepED higher officials to formulate appropriate interventions aimed at improving the education system.
12. NAT results provide information which schools are performing better and which are not. So, teachers from poor performing schools can be given special trainings/seminars to help enhance their competency level in terms of the domains, strands, and indicators of the National Competency Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS).
III. Conclusion
There have been criticisms about the National Achievement Test (NAT). The Federation of Association of Private Schools and Administration (FAPSA) criticizes and lobbies for the abolition of the program. The conduct of the test, according to the group, paves the way for ingenious access to leakage. Some have observed that cheating happened during the test administration, thus teaching the students to be dishonest. This further affect the validity of the test. Some students might have gathered information from the previous test takers that answer were given and so they may not try their best to enhance their skills during the NAT review because, anyway, answers will be given during the test. On the other hand, teachers may not sincerely conduct NAT reviews because students will be provided with the answers, anyway. Millions spent by the government could be spent for other programs that can benefit the students, others suggested.
The criticisms and observations cited above may convinced people to favor the abolition of NAT but I say, YES, to the continuance of this assessment of learning. If NAT will be eliminated, in what other way will we know the extent of students' learning? How shall we know whether or not teaching has been effective? How shall we improve the students' achievement if there is no assessment?
Others may suggest for another assessment to be constructed but it is still an assessment, so why should NAT be changed? NAT has been used for many years and surely its validity and reliability have been tested. The results of the past years NAT might not have yielded scores which everybody hopes for, that is, the 75% passing score set by DepED, but these had helped in measuring the students' competency level. These had aided in improving the NAT items. Further, the results have serve as a challenge to the teachers and school heads to undertake measures to improve their students' performance. The teachers, on the other hand, have been motivated to improve their competency level.
Whether we like it or not, assessment and evaluation are essential components of teaching and learning. In the educational process, assessment and evaluation have profound and well establish link to student performance.
The abolition of National Achievement Test (NAT) is not the answer. Close monitoring of the supervisors from DepED Division and Regional Offices to all the Testing Centers should be done during the test administration. To prevent leakage to happen, there should be Division Testing Coordinators in every school who shall bring the NAT Materials to their school assignment. Each must safeguard the confidentiality of the test materials by supervising closely the administration of the test. This may require the involvement of many people but with faith and commitment this is possible.
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