The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) has stepped up effort to solve issues with its score uploading portal.
Knec has been under attack and criticism by a section of primary school teachers over a system that is unresponsive and numb.
Knec has also been criticized for slow and delayed response.
However the examiner has come out to put its house in order after numerous claims of a poor system that is slow and unable to take scores.
Most primary school teachers said the system currently only allows Classes 5,6 and 7 scores to be uploaded without error but will not allow for Grades 1,2 and 3.
The teachers claim the system will show a server error whenever one uploads scores for the lower grades.
Knec has assured teachers that its working tirelessly to have the system on its feet.
“Following numerous concerns from teachers over uploading of LCBE assessment scores, our ICT team have picked up the issues and are working on them to have a smooth score uploading process,” Knec said.
However Knec did not give specific date when the system will be working fine.
The assessments which targeted Grades 1,2,3 and Classes 5,6,7 began on 18th January and came to an end on 22nd January 2021.
The examiner said the overarching aim of the envisaged assessments is to inform on possible learning gaps among the learners during the long closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and suggest interventions to be put in place to address the gaps as learners progress through their second and third terms of their academic year.
Schools are required to submit the learners scores through an online portal provided by the examiner.
Knec had said uploading of the Learners’ scores will take place from 25th January to 19th February 2021.
However teachers are optimistic that Knec will extend the deadline for submitting scores online following system hitch.
The examiner said the Learners’ scores should be keyed online directly onto the LCBE portal.
Previously during submission of Grade 4 and Class 8 scores Knec had allowed offline method of uploading scores where schools would fill an excel file with scores before uploading it on the portal.
Knec had also allowed schools to email the duly filled excel file through an email address it had issued to schools.
This is not the case with the current assessment for non candidate classes.
This is not the first time schools are getting challenges in submitting LCBE assessment scores.
During the submission of Grade 4 and Class 8 scores teachers had lamented of a slow system in taking scores which prompted Knec to devise a simpler method for getting the scores.
“It has come to the attention of KNEC that the uploading exercise has been faced with challenges, which have slowed the process of uploading,” Knec CEO Mercy Karogo had said through a circular.
To make things simple for schools Knec said schools which may have challenges in uploading scores should attach a dully filled excel file downloaded from the KNEC system, and send to the KNEC email address lcbe@knec.ac.ke.
It said file shall be processed within two (2) weeks and feedback shall be given.
Schools which faced challenges while uploading the scores were told to contact their Sub county Directors of Education or contact KNEC directly through the following numbers :
a) 0715477646
b) 0772069891
The Council said it has provided ample time for schools to upload the scores as a measure of reducing congestion on the platform;
Sub County Directors of Education were advised to use the CP2 credentials to log onto the LCBE portal and add new schools if any.
Newly registered schools were asked to use the School Code as their Username and password to log onto the LCBE portal.
Standard 7 were assessed in all the KCPE subjects.
Standard 5 and 6 were assessed in English, Kiswahili, Mathematics and Science;
Grades 1 to 3 were assessed in Fundamental Literacy and Numeracy (English Activities, Kiswahili Activities and Mathematics Activities).
For all subjects/learning areas, assessment items were drawn from previous classes/grades and Term 1 of the current class/grade.
KNEC FULL GUIDELINES ON HOW TO UPLOAD ASSESSMENT SCORE
1.0. INTRODUCTION
Learning Continuity in Basic Education Assessment (LCBE) Portal is a web-based system for managing the online delivery of assessment tools, registration of learners and uploading of assessment outcomes\scores by schools.
1.1 Accessing the LCBE portal: URL
Schools shall access the LCBE Portal using the web address: lcbe.knec.ac.ke or through the KNEC website/KNEC-Portal by clicking on the link, LCBE Portal
1.2 LOGIN page
Schools shall login using their KCPE\MLP user name and password
1. Click on Enter Username and Enter Password to key in the username and password respectively.
2. Click the login button to access the school home page.
2.0. HOME PAGE
Upon successful login, the window below with menu items shall open for schools to access various functions in the system.
2.1. Instructions on Conduct of Assessment
This is the first menu item containing all instructions on the conduct of the assessments.
1. Click on the button ‘Instructions on Conduct‘ to open the below window
2. Select and Click on the ‘View‘ or ‘Download‘ button to view and/or download the general or grade/standard/level specific instruction
2.2. Assessment Materials/Tools
This is the second menu item providing access to the assessment materials
2.2.1. Steps for downloading Assessment Materials/Tools
1. Click on the button ‘Assessment Materials/Tools‘ to open the below window with links to assessment tool categorized by grade/standard/level.
2. Select and click on the ‘Download Assessment Tools‘ button for the specific Grade/Standard /Level to open the window below and to download specific assessment materials/ tools
3. Select the appropriate tools for learners in your schools and Click on the ‘Download‘ button to save the assessment tool.
3.0. REGISTRATION OF LEARNERS
Schools shall have the option of registering learners Offline (recommended) or Online for each Grade/Standard/Level. Registration data for Grade 4 and Standard 8 is already preloaded in the system, hence schools shall only be allowed to edit for Grade 4. No amendment is allowed for Standard 8 learners.
Each registered learner shall be assigned a Unique Assessment Number upon online registration. Those registered offline will ONLY acquire the assessment number when the dully filled registration form/ file are successfully uploaded in the system.
3.1. To Register learners Offline/ Online
1. Click on the ‘Learner Registration‘ button to access the learner registration interface for the various Grades/Standards/Levels as shown below:
2. Select and click on the ‘Register‘ button for the Grade/Standard/Level of learners you want to register to open the window as shown in figure 7.
3. Select the preferred registration mode: Offline (Recommended) or Online.
3.1.1. To Register Learners Offline
1. Click on the ‘Learner Registration‘ button to access the learner registration interface for the various Grades/Standards/Levels.
2. Click on the ‘Register‘ button for the specific Grade/Standard/Level to view the window below then choose the Offline Registration mode to register learners offline in the specific Grade/Standard/Level
3. Click on the ‘Download‘ button under the Offline Registration to download and save the template for capturing the learners’ registration details offline, see the sample below.
4. Click on the ‘Enable Editing‘ button to activate the downloaded template (optional).
5. Key in learners registration details offline as per the school register. Upon filling all the learner’s registration details in the form, save the file.
6. Go back to LCBE Portal, log in, and move back to the registration page offline option.
7. Click on the ‘Browse‘ button to attach the dully filled file, that you have saved in step 5 above.
8. Click on the ‘Upload Excel Document‘ button to submit / post the file. Upon successful submission, learners will be randomly assigned Unique Assessment Numbers.
Duly filled uploaded registation form/ file shall be replaced automatically if uploaded for a second time or subsequent times.
Schools may View or Edit the uploaded Learners registration details online by clicking ‘View/Edit‘ button. Missing/ additional learners for the uploaded Grade/Standard/Level may be added online.
3.1.2 To Register Learners Online
1. Click on the ‘Register‘ button under the online registration as highlighted in the figure below.
2. Capture/key in each learner’s registration details as required in the specific Grade/ Standard/ Level then click on the ‘Save‘ button to submit each record. See figure 10 below.
3. Click on the ‘Edit‘ button for the specific learner to amend wrongly captured registration details then click on the ‘Save‘ button to update the changes/ record.
4.0. CAPTURING LEARNER’S OUTCOME/SCORE
Select the fourth menu item ‘Assessment Outcomes/Scores‘ to open the window below
4.1. To capture Learners’ Outcomes/ Scores Offline
1. Click on the ‘Download‘ button on the offline panel as shown below to download the Offline Outcomes/Scores capture template for the specific Grade/Standard/Level.
2. Open the saved file to capture scores for learners in the specific Grade/Standard/Level accordingly, sample shown below
3. Once done, go back online and click on the ‘Upload Excel Document‘ button to submit/ post the dully filled file for the learners outcomes/score.
You may click on the ‘View/Edit Outcomes‘ button to view uploaded assessment outcomes/scores. Tick (√) the check box for a specific learner to enable capturing of missing or editing wrongly captured outcomes/ scores.
Duly filled uploaded captured outcomes/scores shall be replaced automatically if uploaded for a second time or more times.
4.2. To capture Learners’ Outcomes/ Scores Online
1. Click on the ‘Capture Outcomes‘ button from the online panel as highlighted below
2. The below window below opens for capture of the specific Grade/Standard/Level Outcome/Score.
3. Tick (√) the check box for the specific learner to activate the fields for capturing outcomes/scores and click the ‘Update‘ button to save/post.
4. To edit, click on ‘View/Edit Outcomes‘ button to view posted assessment outcomes/scores.
5. Tick (√) the check box for a specific learner to enable capturing of missing or editing wrongly captured outcomes/ scores.
6. .Edit as required.
7. Click the ‘Update‘ button to save/post edited outcomes/scores.
NB: Select “A” for the specific learning area where the learners in Grade 1 to 4, Foundation and Intermediate are absent.
Select “A” for the specific subject where the learners in Standard 5 to 8 are absent. Once the learner is declared absent, the field for the specific subject shall be disabled. In case of a wrong selection, unselect the “A” and Tick (√) the check box to activate the fields for capturing the scores.
5.0. LCBE REPORTS
Schools shall access various reports for the Grade/Standard/Level and also for each learner where need be.
To view available reports e.g. Nominal Roll, click on the Reports button, select and click on view report button.
Selected reports shall be generated for the school to download in their preferred formats to save or print.
6.0. LCBE QUESTIONNAIRES
Schools shall access questionnaires for head teachers and learners by clicking the specific questionnaires buttons e.g. Head Teacher Questionnaire and Learner Questionnaire buttons.
The questioners will be activated for the teachers and learners to provide required feedback online.
THE END
