Swan View SHS has high expectations of our Year 11 & 12 (Senior School) student body. The aim of the assessment policy is to encourage students to take responsibility for their learning and to achieve success. It is our aim to allow staff, students and parents to work together in order to allow students maximum opportunities to successfully complete their assessment program.
Assessment procedures must therefore be fair, valid, reliable and inclusive.
Definitions: The policy refers to
WACE courses, Endorsed Programs and Units of Competency (UoC) within
Certificate courses. Any statement using the term course will refer to
all of the above.
Assessment Guidelines
- Senior School student assessment has guidelines set by the Curriculum Council. Adherence to these parameters is mandatory.
- A course outline and clear assessment guidelines/scheme of assessment must be provided to students at the commencement of the learning program.
Student Responsibilities
- Maintain a good record of attendance, conduct and progress.
- Complete and submit all assessment tasks described in the course overview and scheme of assessment by the due date.
- Initiate contact with teachers concerning absence from class, missed assessments, extension requests and other issues pertaining to assessment. This contact must be made prior to the due date of any assessments.
- Maintain a folio of evidence for each course studied and to make it available whenever it is required.
Teacher Responsibilities
- Develop a teaching/learning program that adheres to current Curriculum Council guidelines, to be submitted to the Senior School Deputy Principal by the end of Week 4 Term One.
- Courses in stages 1-3 across English, Mathematics, Science and Society & Environment will consist of a minimum of 75% in class invigilated assessments.
- Courses in all other learning areas, across stages 1 -3 will consist of a significant proportion of in class invigilated assessments, as deemed appropriate and logistically viable by the HOLA of each department.
- Provide students with an overview and assessment guidelines and scheme of assessment at the commencement of the course for the entire course. Place the tasks and weightings on the Reporting to Parents program by Week 2 Term one.
- Ensure that assessments are fair, valid and reliable.
- Maintain accurate records of student achievement and assessment through the marks book function of the Reporting to Parents facility and meet school and external timeframes for assessment and reporting.
- Provide a WACE course mark and grade at the end of each semester, for courses delivered either concurrently or sequentially.
- Provide a Curriculum Council mark (including a practical and written mark if necessary), exam mark and grade at the end of each course.
- Inform students and parents of academic progress as appropriate, including failure to submit or complete a task on time. Initial contact to be made by letter and recorded on SIS; subsequent contact to be made by telephone and recorded on SIS.
- Complete an assessment task prior to week 3 of term 1 to determine student course suitability.
- Inform parents, via Head of Learning Area, at least once a term of any student who is deemed unlikely to achieve a grade C or better.
- In consultation with their managers, teachers will be flexible in the assessment requirements with students on alternative / flexible programs and provide modified programs and take prior work into consideration, if the student transfers part of the way into the course or requires a modified assessment program
Absence from Class / Missed Work
(a) General
Where a student can provide a medical certificate for extended absences it may be possible to modify the assessment program.
(b) Specially Scheduled Assessment Tasks
- Absence from a specially scheduled assessment task (including tests, examinations, practical tasks, performances, expeditions etc) must be accompanied by an acceptable explanation (eg. medical certificate) in order for the student to complete that assessment task or a similar task and gain credit.
- Note: for certain courses expeditions are compulsory and non completion will result in a ‘fail’ in that course.
- Where possible, advance notification of absence is required.
- In cases where a student is unable to attend school to complete a specially scheduled assessment task, and where appropriate supervision can be provided and assured, the student may be given permission to complete that task in an alternative venue and time.
(c) Failure to Submit or Complete Work
- When an assessment task has not been submitted by the due date, the teacher will notify parents.
- In cases where work is not completed on time teachers will make their judgement on the evidence available at the deadline.
- Students attempting Units of Competency working towards a certificate course, will be given two opportunities per assessment to demonstrate each competency. Any student who fails to demonstrate a competency twice must negotiate with their teacher, by providing a satisfactory reason, for any further opportunities. Failure to do so or complete the competency will put that student at risk of not completing the full qualification.
Changing Subjects/Course
- The assessment profile will be adjusted, for a student entering late into a course, so as not to disadvantage the student.
- All course changes are dependent on the ability of the school to provide for the change and must have parental support. All applications to change courses must be submitted to the Deputy Principal in writing.
- Course (s) changes must be completed by the end of Week Four of the course. (unless in exceptional cases)
- Where a student changes school and/or course during a school year, credit for the completion of work in the same course will be negotiated upon the student and/or previous school supplying appropriate evidence.
Extensions / Late work
This relates to tasks that are done over a period of time (both in or out of class time) and will have due dates for both drafts and final completion clearly stated. They are usually extended pieces of work or assignments that have a number of components to them.
- In cases where work is not submitted on time teachers will make their judgement on the evidence that is already available by the deadline (this will include all drafts submitted previously)
- Students will be required to submit draft work before the final due date for assessments for the purpose of receiving effective feedback on work completed to date.
- If there is no evidence available a penalty of 10% per school day late, will be applied for non-valid reasons for late submission and 100% for four or more days late. Thi does not apply to students with a valid extension.
- Any extensions granted must be recorded in the teacher’s records.
- A student may apply to the class teacher for an extension to the due date for an assignment. NB: This must be applied for prior to the due date.
- Extensions may be given in consultation with the Head of Learning Area, at the discretion of a teacher in cases of valid reasons, eg factors beyond the control of the student have resulted in the late submission of work. Extensions will not be granted for holidays being taken during term time.
Cheating, Collusion and Plagiarism
Students shown to have cheated in assessment work or in examinations will not receive credit for that task.
- Collusion is when a student submits work that is not his or her own for assessment.
- Plagiarism is when a student uses someone else’s words or ideas without acknowledging that they have done so. That is, work is essentially copied.
- If work that is not the original product of that student is submitted for assessment, a mark of zero will be awarded and parents will be informed.
Examinations
- All WACE courses that lead to stage 2 or 3 in year 12 will be examined in Semester One and Two in both Year 11 and Year 12.
- When attending examinations, students must adhere to the regulations that pertain to that examination, which will be issued with the examination timetable. School exams will use the same procedures and rules as the WACE exams.
- Infringement will result in an appropriate penalty, as detailed in the examination regulations.
- If a student does not attend an examination through sickness, a medical certificate must be provided. If practical and in consultation with the Senior School Deputy students may be permitted to sit the exam (or similar) at another time. If this is not possible or there is an extended absence, their school assessment mark will be based on the remaining completed work.
- A student who does not supply appropriate evidence, i.e. medical certificate, will be awarded zero for the examination and no further opportunity will be provided to sit the examination.
Awarding of “U”
- A “U” is awarded to a student who has not had an opportunity to complete the assessment program and there is insufficient evidence to make an on-balanced judgement of all the outcomes. A “U” cannot be awarded to Year 12 students in Semester 2.
- Parents must be immediately informed in writing when a “U” is likely to be awarded.
- Staff must negotiate with Head of Learning Area if any student is to be awarded a ‘U’.
Students with Special Needs
The school will ensure that students with special needs are catered for in an appropriate way and in accordance with Curriculum Council guidelines.
Reporting and Parental Communication
Students will be kept informed of their progress throughout enrolment in a course.
Teachers will notify Head of Learning Area immediately and a Letter of Concern will be sent to parents when it is identified that the student is at risk of:
- not completing the course or assessment tasks and receiving a “U”.
- Achieving a D or E grade.
- In certificate courses were a student has not completed a Unit of Competency and is therefore at risk of not completing the full qualification.
Appeals
Students and/or parents who wish to discuss an assessment result should in the first instance address their concerns to the class teacher. The teacher will give additional feedback and explanation of the marking process. If a satisfactory resolution is not achieved, concerns regarding assessments will be directed to the Head of Learning Area. The HoLA may consult with the Senior School Deputy Principal.
