Definition & Requirements of CCE

Dave was writing a research paper on the different kinds of evaluation used in schools to measure student achievement and learning when he came across the system of continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE). He learned that CCE was a system of evaluation which was mandated in India to measure every aspect of the child's development through the school years. The goal of CCE, Dave learned, was 2-fold:

Reduce workload on students by giving them the opportunity to take a number of smaller tests throughout the year instead of one or two tests that cover a larger part of the syllabus

Grade students not only on academic criteria but on different overall skills and abilities including public speaking, teamwork, behavior, and more so that students are given the opportunity to excel at one skill or another

Dave was curious to learn about the requirements of CCE and his studies took him to the Right to Education Act in India, which mandates free and compulsory education for children between the ages of 6 and 14 under the Indian constitution. The old pattern of education had only one test at the end of the academic year and students were measured on the learning of subject matter content alone. The new CCE system, Dave learned, focused on the overall development of the student and helped identify the strengths of each student in different areas and motivating and encouraging the students in their area of interest. CCE was implemented as a requirement in all schools that followed the Central Board of Secondary Education system in India and for students in the sixth through tenth grade.

Advantages & Challenges of CCE

Dave learned that if implemented correctly, both the student and the teacher would benefit from CCE. The teacher can provide learning experiences that help students meet their educational requirements dynamically, based on the student's past performances. Dave thought that CCE could be compared to a doctor who treats a patient, evaluates the patient frequently, and modifies the treatment based on how the patient reacts to the treatment.

Dave realized that even though CCE can be a creative process, it can also be challenging for the teacher. The teacher has to be able to accurately diagnose student weaknesses and also diagnose the effectiveness of his or her teaching. The teacher then has to evolve teaching strategies so that the students respond positively and show gains in learning. This is all the more challenging because the teacher has to meet the varying and unique needs of each student and can't always provide a collective solution to the class as a whole.

Continuous Evaluation in CCE

As Dave continued in his research study he learned more about how the continuous assessment was implemented in CCE. Continuous assessments in CCE, Dave learned, were not about simply making students take assessments or evaluation tests more frequently. Continuous assessments could involve both formal and informal testing. However, it often did not even require formal testing. Instead, it was used during the course of teaching to enhance learning and help students who had difficulty understanding the content.

As an example of continuous evaluation from one of his readings, Dave learned the example of a teacher as she was teaching students about how to differentiate between the North and South Poles of a magnet. After providing a few examples, the teacher then presents the students with a novel situation where they have to think independently and identify the North and South Poles with only a thread and a bar magnet. The teacher is able to evaluate the students on their understanding and give the students the opportunity to help each other and learn from each other, thereby applying different teaching strategies to help develop problem-solving skills.

In the old method of teaching, Dave reflected, the teacher would not be evaluating the students' understanding as they learn, thus missing valuable opportunities to provide deeper learning strategies for students depending on their needs.