Assessment Policy and Examination Rules

Overview of the PMACS Assessment Policy Handbook:

Responsibilities and Requirements

In the education partnership between students and the Peter Moyes Anglican Community School, both share major responsibilities and requirements. Students must be fully aware of the expectations that the School places on them and the School must provide detailed information relevant to its students’ progress. This Handbook sets out those responsibilities in the assessment process. Assessment policies and examination rules and requirements are based on those set by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA).

Valid

The content of courses in Years 7 to 12 is based on syllabus design by SCSA. It sets out the mandated curriculum, guiding principles for teaching, learning and assessment and support for teachers in their assessment and reporting of student achievement. The distribution of marks provides a valid and reliable ranking of candidate achievement in the course based on judging standards.

Educative

Performance in SCSA courses provides information to students about their achievement which provides information to teachers about standards and assist them with curriculum planning.

Explicit

SCSA assessment tasks, moderation procedures and marking keys are representative of course content and standards.

Fair

Curriculum support materials are available to assist teachers to implement the Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline. The Disability Standards for Education 2005 developed under the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992, provides the same rights to candidates with disabilities.

Comprehensive

Curriculum design draws on a range and balance of item types suited to all courses.

The Purpose of Assessment

Assessments must be fair, valid, reliable, educative, explicit and comprehensive.

The completion of assessments assists teachers and the School to:

• monitor the progress of each child;

• provide feedback to students on their progress;

• adjust current learning programmes;

• develop future learning programmes;

• report student achievement to parents; and

• plan and maintain whole-school reporting and accountability.

Information Provided to Students

All schools must follow the mandated guidelines provided by SCSA. A Course Outline, including task deadlines and Assessment Outlines must be provided to students at the start of the learning programme.

Copies of Course and Assessment Outlines are provided to all students and located on SEQTA. This allows students and their parents to access these important documents both at School and home.

Teachers will provide the following programme information at the start of the School year or semester:

• the Syllabus;

• the PMACS Assessment Policy;

• the Course Outline, including the content, sequence and timing of content; and

• the Assessment Outline.

An assessment Outline must include the following assessment information in the course:

• the type/format;

• the weighting;

• the description of the task;

• an indication of the content covered;

• outcomes or syllabus points; and

• approximate timing in terms of which week in the semester or year

In each course, assessment tasks occur during the semester or year, including semester examinations. Most tasks are completed in-class. Tasks completed out-of-class must provide evidence that it is the student’s own work. In most cases, students will be required to complete a validation in-class task to acknowledge the efficacy of the students out of class preparatory work.

Each assessment provides required evidence of student achievement and progress, the combination of which is used by the teacher to assign a Grade at the completion of the course.

The course requirements for each assessment task will be clearly described in writing; specifically, what the student needs to do, often indicating the steps involved for extend tasks. Where appropriate, the criteria against which the task will be marked or rated will also be provided, usually on SEQTA.

It is a teacher’s responsibility to manage the Assessment Outline. It is the student’s responsibility to provide evidence of achievement by the published timeline. Parents will be notified in cases where concern for their child’s progress emerges.

Students in Year 11 and Year 12 are encouraged to access the syllabus and other sample documents, such as sample examinations for each Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) course online at www.scsa.wa.edu.au

Modification of the Assessment Outline

When a student’s personal circumstances limit their capacity to complete a particular assessment task the teacher, under direction of the Head of Learning Diversity and with guidance from the relevant Head of Department, the student and parent, as well as any others involved, may discuss a modification to the task and/or a variation to the submission date. The

teacher will consider fairness for all students when making decisions about an adjustment of timelines of a particular student.

Changed circumstances during teaching of a course requiring an adjustment to any or part of the Assessment Outline, the teacher will provide an updated copy, indicating the changes.

Students Requiring Special Consideration

The School will ensure for students with special educational needs are catered in an appropriate way, in accordance with SCSA guidelines. The guidelines for disability adjustment for timed assessments and special provisions are available on the SCSA website at: https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/assessment/examinations/special-provisions

It is the responsibility of the parent to provide a current (within 18 months) professional diagnosis of their child’s special education needs to ensure that the School provides those provisions for their child and that there is a history of this provision to satisfy SCSA requirements for students in Year 11 and year 12.

Student Responsibilities for Assessment Tasks

It is the student’s responsibility to comply with the expectations of assessment completion protocols.

At Peter Moyes, it is stipulated that a student who is absent from class for five lessons or more per term, or 80% of the school year, is deemed to be “at risk” of not competing the course requirements.

Students have the responsibility to:

• attempt to the best of their ability all in-class assessment tasks on the scheduled date and submit all out-of-class assessment tasks before each deadline;

• maintain an assessment file or a folio of evidence for each course studied and to make it available whenever required. Completed assessments will be kept secure by the teacher, unless otherwise specified by the teacher;

• maintain a good record of attendance, class conduct and academic progress; and

• initiate contact with teachers concerning an upcoming absence from class, missed in-class assessment tasks, extension requests of the due date for out-of-class assessment tasks and any other issues pertaining to assessment completion

Any requests for extensions are to be received by the teacher prior to the due date and are to be in writing and must be signed by their parent. Absences without medical documentation must be deemed as acceptable to the School. Extended in term family holidays are not deemed an acceptable reason for absence.

Teacher Responsibilities for Assessment Tasks

It is the responsibility of a teacher to comply with standards set by SCSA. A teacher must:

• develop a teaching and learning programme that meets the SCSA syllabus requirements for each course;

• provide students with access to a Course Outline and Assessment Outline at the start of each year;

• ensure that assessments are fair, valid, reliable educative, explicit and comprehensive;

• provide students with timely assessment feedback and guidance;

• maintain accurate records of student achievement and assessment;

• meet School and external timelines for assessment and reporting;

• inform students and parents of academic progress via SEQTA; and

• follow the School Assessment Policy regarding penalties that will be imposed on a student’s work which is handed in late and/or is of poor quality.

Assessment Policy

The Peter Moyes Anglican Community School secondary Assessment Policy is located on the School’s portal. It is clearly displayed in all classrooms and discussed with students at the start of each school year. It is incumbent on the student to know and understand the Assessment Policy. Please see Appendix 1: The Secondary Assessment Policy Years 7 to 12

Deadlines for Submission of Assessment Task and Classwork

The due date for every assessment will be clearly indicated on each assessment task. The time does not need to be stated; instead, it is to be assumed that the start of the lesson is the time that the assessment or class work is due on the given due date, unless an alternative time is stated.

The assessment task is to be handed to the teacher at the start of the lesson for that subject on the stated due date. Work that is not handed in at the start of the lesson; but instead, is handed in later that lesson or later that same day will be deemed to be late. It is therefore considered to be handed in on the next day after the due date. The penalty for work being one day late will be applied when work is handed in on the due date, but later than the start of the lesson.

On some occasions, a teacher may indicate in writing on the assessment task, that the due time is later that day. The latest time therefore that work can be handed in when this is stated is at 3.05 pm. Assessment tasks handed in later than 3.05 pm on these occasions will be deemed to have missed the deadline. Tasks on these occasions will be handed in the next day and the appropriate penalty will be applied.

There will be some circumstances when extensions may be granted. When an extension has been granted, the assessment will be due no later than 8.05 am on the revised date.

Completion of a Course Unit

In Year 11 and Year 12, a Grade is assigned for each Course Unit or pair of Course Units completed. In Years 7 to 10, a Grade is assigned for each subject completed. The student must compete the School’s structured teaching and learning programme within the given timeframe. Students are required to submit all assessment task for marking by the due date.

If an assessment task cannot be submitted directly to the teacher, it is to be submitted to the Head of Department.

Unless there is a reason that is acceptable to the School, failure to attend class for a scheduled in-class assessment task or submit on time an out-of-class assessment task, will result in penalties being applied. This may result in the student receiving a Grade lower than expected at the end of the teaching programme.

Where a student is likely to experience difficulty meeting a deadline, they must discuss the matter with the teacher and/or Head of Department at the earliest opportunity before the due date.

Penalties for Late Submission of an Assessment Task

For any late submission for an in-class or out-of-class assessment task for which the student does not provide a reason acceptable to the School, the following penalties apply:

Any work that is not submitted on time will receive a:

• 25% reduction in the mark if submitted one day late;

• 50% reduction in the mark if submitted two days late;

• mark of zero after two days late; or

• mark of zero if not submitted.

In summary:

25% 25% of the total marks available if one day late 50% 50% of the total marks available if two days late 100% 100% of the total marks available if more than two days late or not submitted

Whilst students are encouraged to complete assessments on their device and upload them to SEQTA, they should be aware that computer and/or printer failure is not accepted as a reason for non-completion or non-submission of assessments. Students should therefore back up their work regularly in three different places. They should also provide evidence of ongoing work, such as drafts to ensure validation of the work being their own.

Students may be required to submit part or all of their out-of-class assessment tasks electronically, via the Turnitin plagiarism platform, unless advised otherwise. Work must be submitted via Turnitin before the required time.

Following an absence, an out-of-class assessment task needs to be submitted on the first day of return to School by the student, irrespective whether the student has that class on the day of return to School. The student must find the teacher and/or Head of Department to submit the task before the commencement of the day’s lessons.

For any missed in-class assessment task, where the student does not provide a reason which is acceptable to the School, the following penalty of a mark of zero will be recorded for that assessment task

If a student does not submit an assessment task or attend a scheduled in-class assessment task, the teacher or Head of Department will contact the parent to discuss the potential risk of their child not completing the Course Unit or subject successfully.

Acceptable Reasons for Non-Submission or NonCompletion of Assessment Tasks

Wherever possible, advanced notification of an absence from School is required. The penalty for non-submission or non-completion will be waived if the student provides a reason acceptable to the School. This includes:

• Sickness, injury or significant personal circumstances for part or all of the period of the out-of-class assessment task that prevents completion and submission.

• Sickness, injury or significant personal circumstances prevents a student attending on the day that an in-class assessment task is scheduled.

A parent must notify Student Reception if their child is unable to complete an in-class assessment by 8.05 am of that day. Upon return to School, the student who has missed the assessment must present to their teacher a relevant medical certificate or a note to their teacher which is acceptable to the School. They will sit the assessment at their earliest opportunity and their mark will be recorded without penalty.

In circumstances where a long-term injury or illness which is supported by medical documentation prevents attendance at School, the teacher and Head of Department will adjust the assessment/s due dates for the student. This may mean the creation of an alternative assessment task, if in the opinion of the teacher, the original assessment has been compromised.

In some cases, the task/s may be removed from the Assessment Outline where a professional judgement of the achievement of the student can be made based on the remaining tasks.

In extreme and rare circumstances, it may be that the Associate Principal, in conjunction with the Head of Department, uses a process to estimate the student’s mark for the assessment task/s based on the student’s marks in similar assessment tasks or re-weight the student ‘s marks for other tasks, if there is sufficient evidence to assign a Grade.

In situations of prolonged absence from School, where the student is unable to attend due to injury or illness, the School will endeavour to provide additional support to the student’s learning programme to that which is provided on SEQTA

Unacceptable Reasons for Non-Submission or NonCompletion of Assessment Tasks

Events that can be rescheduled are not a valid reason for non-completion or non-submission of an assessment task. Completing the assessment on the scheduled date must be a priority.

Family holidays during the term are considered to not be considered a valid reason for noncompletion or non-submission of an assessment task.

Only in exceptional circumstances will the Associate Principal approve the development of a revised Assessment Outline for a student. The Outline must demonstrate the way in which the missed lesson time will be compensated and any modifications to the Assessment Outline for each course

Extensions are not available for students unless they are supported by a specific medical certificate or an acceptable reason from the parent of the student seeking the extension.

Requests to Change a Course Unit or Subject

Electives in Year 8 and Year 9 are Semester-long subjects. In this situation, changes are not accepted unless made under the approval of the Associate Principal in conjunction with the relevant Heads of Department.

Electives in Year 10 are Year-long subjects. For this reason, changes are only made in exceptional circumstances. A Year 10 student who wishes to change their Elective must do so before the end of Week 4 in Term 1.

The only exception to this ruling is in the case of Year 10 Accelerated Indonesian or Mathematics Methods. A student may reselect another Elective on advice and approval from the relevant Head of Department.

Year 11 or Year 12 changes to a Course Unit must be made in the light of ensuring that there is sufficient teaching and learning timefor the student to complete the content and Assessment Outline. Approval of changes will be made by the Associate Principal, in conjunction with the relevant Heads of Department. Changes can only be made where resources and class sizes are available. Changes requested by students must have parental approval.

Year 11 deadlines of changes in Course Units may occur:

• at the start of the year, preferably by Week 4 of Term 1 until Week 8 of Term 1 at the latest;

• at the conclusion of Mid-Year Examinations; and

• at the conclusion of the End of Year Examinations

Where additional work or assessment tasks are required, the teacher will develop an individualised Course Outline demonstrating the extra work to be completed and the modifications to the Assessment Outline. The revised Outline will be provided to the student.

In some cases, a student on a General Pathway will be required to be at school during the Mid-Year and End of Year WACE examinations to ensure that all Certificate work is completed to ensure Secondary Graduation.

Year 12 deadlines for Course changes can only be made up until Week 4 of Term 1, after which no enrolment into Courses may be made. Withdrawals of course Units occur at specific times during the year and are different for Written and Practical Courses

Required Changes to Courses and Pathways in Year 11

Students not passing ATAR Pathway courses will be required to switch to General Pathway courses. This may take place at some time up until Week 8 Term 1, or at the conclusion of Mid-Year or End of Year Examinations. The decision to make the changes will be taken after discussion with the student, the Heads of Department, the Associate Principal, in conjunction with the student’s parents.

The reason for the move is to ensure that the student has the best educational outcomes for the final two years of secondary schooling to permit a variety of future options for success after leaving Year 12.

The School has many years of experience in ascertaining if the demonstrated aptitude and the current marks of a student will provide that student with the most likely success in their post-secondary destinations. In all cases, the School takes its decision with great responsibility, sensitivity and supportive care.

Transfer of a Student from Another School

Where a Year 11 or Year 12 student changes school mid-way through a semester in the School year, credit for the completion of work in the same course will be given when the student and the previous school supplies appropriate evidence.

It is the responsibility of any student who transfers into a class from the same course at another school to provide the School with the details of all competed assessment tasks. The Associate Principal will contact the previous school to determine the part of the syllabus and assessment tasks that have been completed and the marks awarded for these tasks.

The Head of Department will determine how the marks of assessment tasks at the previous school will be used, if at all. It may be that additional work and/or assessment tasks may be required to be completed by the student

The student will be provided with the Assessment and Course Outlines of what is required.

Students who transfer into PMACS at the start of Semester 2 will already have had their Semester 1 course work credited by SCSA.

Rules of Conduct for Assessment Tasks

All work in each individual assessment task must be the work of the student. Penalties apply if the student is deemed to have cheated, colluded or plagiarised in their assessment task in any way and will not have that work accepted as valid evidence of their achievement

Cheating is when the student engages in a dishonest act to gain an unfair advantage.

Collusion is when a student submits work that in not their own work in its entirety as it has been created in secret cooperation between two or more students.

Plagiarism is when a student uses or copies someone else’s words or ideas without acknowledging that they have done so and presents this work as their own.

It is not acceptable for a student to submit work that is prepared or substantively contributed to by another person or directly from an AI search engine. The student is not to use identical, paraphrased, summarised work of another person. Work that is seen to be identical, copied or downloaded from the internet or similar material to a published work that is not referenced or footnoted will be deemed as not being the students own work.

In all instances where it is suspected that the student has cheated, colluded or plagiarised, the teacher will investigate the matter, and in conjunction with the Head of Department will issue a penalty if the student is found to have submitted work that is not truly their own work. Students may be required to submit another task to complete course requirements, but no mark or Grade will be given for that work.

Students who allow their work to be copied will also be penalised. Each case will be considered individually; however, as a general rule, students can expect to have at least 50% of their marks deducted if they allow their work to be copied or share it with other students. The parents of the offending students will be informed of the penalty and any further disciplinary action.

Where there is more than one class taking the same course, in their own interests students must not discuss the nature of the questions with the students from the other classes until after all classes have completed the task. Discussion of the questions will be treated as collusion and the students will be penalised.

Students are reminded that they should provide work that has only been prepared by them, use their own words in research and reference and acknowledge sources in the correct manner.

Summary of the Penalties for Cheating, Collusion and Plagiarism

Action Penalty

Cheating Students who have been found to cheat during a task will be awarded a mark of zero for that assessment.

Collusion If students share work and then pass it as their own, the student who has copied the work will be given a mark of zero. The student who has shared their work with another will have at least a 50% penalty applied to the mark of that task.

Plagiarism If plagiarism is scattered throughout the Assessment Task, a mark of zero will be awarded. If plagiarism is in one section of an articulated Assessment Task, a mark of zero will be awarded for that section of the task.

Please refer to Appendix 2 for detailed information about the PMACS Academic Integrity and Referencing Guide.

Possession of Unauthorised Materials in the Assessment or Examination Room

During an in-class assessment or an examination, it is important for students to ensure that any materials related to the task or examination is not on their person, but instead secured in their locker. If material is taken into the room, it should be handed to the supervising teacher before commencement of the assessment or examination.

Where the unauthorised material relevant to the assessment is found to be in the possession of the student, cancellation of all of the assessment mark will be applied. This applies to possession of notes written on paper, the body, clothing or authorised materials, such as a ruler. Penalties will be incurred whether or not the material was utilised in the task or examination

In 2021 watches were listed as an unauthorised item by SCSA. No student is permitted to take a watch into any WACE examination room, written or practical, unless they have an approved special examination arrangement. Therefore, the School will abide by these stipulations during internal PMACS examinations.

Mobile phones, smart watches of any kind, CAS calculator (other than used for Mathematics tasks and examinations) and any other kind of wireless-enabled technology device are considered unauthorised material.

Students with special provisions related to diabetes may be allowed to bring in their mobile phone to the assessment or examination room. In these situations, the student must have the phone on silent, keep it out of reach but visible for their diabetes reading.

Summary of Penalties for Possession of Unauthorised Materials

Unauthorised Material Penalty

Material or markings that are relevant to the task or examination

Students found to be in possession of material will incur a loss of 100% of the mark of the task or examination

Material or markings that are irrelevant to the task or examination

Use of Calculators

Students found to be in possession of material will incur a loss of 5% of the mark of the task or examination

Students in Year 11 and Year 12 should ensure that they only use calculators which are approved for each particular course. SCSA provides a list of approved calculators for each written examination. Front covers of all WACE examinations list the approved and authorised calculators permitted. It is the responsibility of the student to know which type of calculator is approved.

Please refer to ‘materials required/recommended for written examinations’ in the Student Information Handbook Part I for further information:

https://scsa.wa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/652107/Year_12_Handbook_Part_1_202 1.PDF

Examinations

Examinations at PMACS include a Written paper and/or a Practical (Performance) Examination for a course or subject. Examinations are held at the end of each semester for Year 11 and Year 12. Year 10 students have a Mathematics, English, Science, Humanities & Social Sciences (MESH) course examination given to Year 10 students at the end of each semester. Year 9 students have a MESH examination at the end of the year.

Examinations range in duration from one hour to three hours, depending on the Year group and course. The examination timetable and copy of the examination rules and regulations will

be issued to students at least three weeks before the commencement of the examination period and will be available on the School’s portal.

When attending examinations, students must adhere to the regulations for that examination. The outline of regulations is found in Appendix 3: PMACS Examination Rules and Requirements. Non-compliance with the rules and/or regulations will result in an appropriate penalty.

As with all assessments, examinations must be:

Valid

The ATAR course examination is based on a representative sampling of the ATAR course syllabus. The distribution of examination marks provides a valid and reliable ranking of candidate achievement in the course, as well as a high degree of discrimination for the purpose of university admissions and selection of award recipients.

Educative

Performance in ATAR course examinations provides information to students about their achievement in an ATAR course which assists them in making decisions about post-school pathways. ATAR course examinations also provide information to teachers about course standards and assist them with curriculum planning.

Explicit

ATAR course examination items and marking keys are representative of course content and standards.

Fair

The number, length and complexity of ATAR course examination items are appropriate to the duration of the examination. The difficulty range of items is sufficiently large to enable fine discrimination among candidates. The Disability Standards for Education 2005 developed under the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992, provides the same rights to candidates with disabilities as to other candidates. ATAR course examination items, format and layout are prepared to enable access for all candidates.

Comprehensive

ATAR course examinations draw on a range and balance of item types suited to the course.

The School follows the examination rules and regulations as stipulated by SCSA and students and parents are required to be familiar with these. They are detailed in the Student Information Handbook: Part II located at: https://scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/year-12-information

Students must attend scheduled examinations. In exceptional circumstances, alternative arrangements may be negotiated through Associate Principal before the examination date. Participating in family holidays will not be accepted as an exceptional circumstance.

Summary of Examinations

Year Group Examination Periods

12 Externally Set Task for General Pathway students during Term 2

Mid-Year ATAR Pathway Examination in Term 2

Mock ATAR Pathway Examinations at the end of Term 3 – may include the holiday break and start of Term 4

External ATAR Pathway WACE Written Examinations in November, with Practical (Performance) Examinations in the Term 3 holiday

11 Mid-Year ATAR Pathway Examination during Term 2

End of Year ATAR Pathway Examination in Term 3

10 End of Semester 1 Examination in Term 2

End of Year Examination in Term 4

9 End of Year Examination in Term 4

External WACE Examinations

The School is an Examination Centre for the WACE Written Examinations in November each year. All our students sit their Written Examinations at PMACS, this includes students granted with special provisions

This also means that students from many other schools sit their WACE Examinations at PMACS.

Practical WACE Examinations take place during the holidays at the end of Term 3, including Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. The venues for these examinations include schools and sporting venues from all over the metropolitan area.

During Term 3, when it is made available, students download their Personalised WACE Timetable from the SCSA Student Portal. If the student is enrolled in a course with an examinable Practical (Performance) component, their Personalised Practical Timetable includes a detailed map of the location of the venue for the Practical Examination.

It should be noted that the dates, time and venue are FINAL; no changes can be made for any WACE examination.

It is essential that students enrolled in ATAR pathway courses sit the external ATAR course examination. Students who do not sit the ATAR course examination will not have a course mark or Grade recorded on their WASSA, nor will they receive an ATAR course Report. For ATAR courses with Practical components, students must complete both the written and practical examinations. By not sitting an external examination will place that student at risk of not graduating due incompletion of the Year 12 WACE requirements and non-compliance with the breadth of study requirements.

Year 11 and Year 12 ATAR Breadth of Study Requirements

Students must complete at least one pair of Year 12 units from each of List A and List B courses. For this requirement, completion of a pair of units means that the student has received a Grade for this pair of units, and for Year 12 ATAR courses, has sat the ATAR course Examination.

For Year 11 and Year 12 ATAR courses in List A and List B, please refer to Appendix 4

SCSA Student Portal

The student portal is a space for Year 12 students to check and access personal information that relates to their WACE. It can be accessed at: https://studentportal.scsa.wa.edu.au

Students need to visit the portal to:

• check their personal details;

• check their enrolments;

• complete the Student Declaration and Permission;

• download a copy of their approved special examination arrangements;

• download a copy of the Physical Education Studies practical examination information –sport to be examined and skill level;

• download a copy of the Personalised practical examination timetable which states the date, time, venue and location of each practical examination;

• download a copy of the Personalised written examination timetable which states the date, time and location for each written examination;

• check their results;

• download a copy of the sickness/misadventure form; and

• download their folio of achievement (WASSA, WACE, ATAR course reports and selected award certificates).

Students need to have their WA student number (WASN) and a password to access the portal. When the student visits the portal for the first time, they will be prompted to change their password. The password must be kept safe, as they will need it several times during the year and again in January the following year to access their results

The Student Portal Helpdesk is available Monday to Friday if the student has trouble accessing the portal located at:

wacehelp@scsa.wa.edu.au

Rules of Conduct for ATAR course examinations

The rules of conduct of ATAR course examinations are found on the SCSA website. These include:

• impersonation of a candidate;

• collusion between candidates;

• possession or knowledge of an examination question before an examination;

• possession of mobile technologies;

• markings on authorised materials in an examination room;

• unauthorised removal of examination material;

• examination room behaviour;

• failure to follow examination instructions; and

• false declarations.

Please refer Appendix 3 for PMACS Rules of Conduct for Examinations and to SCSA for further information located at:

https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/assessment/examinations/rules-of-conduct-for-atarcourse-examinations

Provisions for Sickness and Misadventure

SCSA implements procedures to compensate for adverse circumstances for which a student is not responsible if those circumstances can be shown to have affected their capacity to demonstrate their achievement in an ATAR course examination.

A student who has an injury or illness existing at the start of Term 3 of Year 12 that will affect participation in the standard practical examination of any course must ask the School to apply for special arrangements that will allow the examination to be undertaken in an alternative format.

In the event of temporary sickness, non-permanent disability, or an unforeseen event occurring during or just before an examination, students may apply for special consideration to be given to their examination marks, if they believe their performances may have been affected. In such cases, the Sickness/Misadventure Application form must be completed and submitted to SCSA by the date specified on the application form. This is usually before the completion of the scheduled WACE Written Examinations.

The Sickness/Misadventure Committee, which includes a medical practitioner, assesses each claim. For claims that are approved by the Sickness/Misadventure Committee, students are awarded either their actual examination mark or a derived mark, whichever is the higher. These provisions are designed to apply to students who perform below expectations because of sickness or misadventure

Note that it is the child’s parent, not the School, who completes and submits the Sickness/Misadventure Application form. The form is downloaded from SCSA website at:

https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/assessment/examinations/special-provisions

Reporting

Students are kept informed on their progress through the year with regular feedback and release of marks in SEQTA. Teachers will assess completed tasks and provide prompt assessment feedback with rubrics to the student. From this, students will know how they have done in an assessment and what they need to do to improve in future tasks.

Similarly, parents can login to SEQTA to review their child’s progress.

Students and parents will be informed by their child’s teachers when it is identified that there is a risk of the student not achieving their potential, completing the course requirements and not meeting WACE secondary graduation requirements.

For students in Years 7 to 11, Interim Reports in Term 1, Mid-Year Reports in Term 2 and End of Year Reports in Term 4 are made available on SEQTA for parents. Students in Year 12 receive an Interim Report in Term 1, a Mid-Year Report in Term 2 and a Statement of Results in their Valedictory Pack early in Term 4.

Student achievement in Year 11 and Year 12 is reported to SCSA. All Grades reported are subject to SCSA approval at the end of the year. SCSA statistically moderates the Year 12 school assessment based on the school performance in the external WACE Examination. The moderated school assessment appears on the student’s WACE records of achievement.

Details of the marks adjustment process are available on the SCSA website: www.scsa.wa.edu.au

Information about calculating the ATAR for university entry is available on the Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) website at:

www.tisc.edu.au

Reviewing Marks and Grades

When a student considers that there is an issue about the marking of an assessment task or about the Grade assigned for course, they should, in the first instance, discuss the issue with their teacher. If a marking or grading issue cannot be resolved through discussion with the teacher, then the student or parent should approach the relevant Head of Department.

The student or parent can request, in writing, that the School conducts a formal assessment review if they consider that their child has been disadvantaged by any of the following;

• the Assessment Outline does not meet SCSA requirements;

• the assessment procedures used in the class do not conform with the School’s Assessment Policy;

• procedural errors have occurred in the determination of the mark or Grade; and

• computational errors have occurred in the determination of the mark or Grade.

The Associate Principal, or nominated representative, will conduct the review. The reviewer will meet with the student and the teacher independently and prepare a written report. This report will be provided to the student and parent.

If this review does not resolve the matter, the student or parent may appeal to SCSA. They will then independently investigate the situation and report to the Appeal Panel in SCSA.

If the panel upholds a student appeal, PMACS will make any required adjustments to the student’s marks or Grades and reissue reports, as necessary.

Types of Secondary Assessment Tasks

Assessment is used to monitor student progress and achievement. The three main types of assessment are diagnostic, formative and summative.

Diagnostic assessments are used to identify student strengths and weaknesses. They may be used before or during a learning cycle to pinpoint where to provide support.

Formative assessments are used to monitor student progress during a teaching and learning cycle. They can be used to give a student feedback about how well they have performed or what they need to do to improve. They can also help a teacher judge how much students have learnt and whether all students are able to demonstrate their ability.

Summative assessments are used to make a 'final' determination of student achievement. They usually come at the end of teaching and learning cycle. The length of a teaching and learning cycle vary. Summative assessments should enable students to demonstrate their ability.

All students and parents should be aware of how each type and weighting of assessment contributes to the final result awarded to the student.

SCSA publish a list of the verbs which provide the focus of a question. These key words are common across all courses, although some terms may have a specific meaning that derives directly from the content and the language of the course. Students are encouraged to review

the glossary of key words as these will assist them in obtaining optimum marks in an assessment when used correctly. See Appendix 6: Glossary of key words in the formulation of questions.

The following assessment tasks listed below are typical of those that may be incorporated into a course or subject assessment structure at PMACS:

• Semester Examinations;

• Externally Set Tasks for General Pathway courses;

• End of topic tests;

• In-class validation tests;

• Homework and classwork;

• Practical tasks, including performances, productions, presentations, demonstrations;

• Investigations, projects, extended tasks, essays, reports and exhibitions;

• Out-of-class assessments; and

• Affective factors including attitude, effort and participation.

Examinations, externally set task, tests and in-class assessments

The dates for all assessments are set within the Assessment Outline and published for each course. These may be varied in discussion with the students if any special need arises and the revised date re-publicised

No less than seven days’ notice of an impending test must be given, and students will be informed of any changes

Students will not be permitted to re-sit any assessment task once it has been handed in for marking. Teachers may require a piece of unsatisfactory work be repeated if necessary to cover expected outcomes of the course. In some instances, the mark may be adjusted.

For all assessment tasks, students must behave and conduct themselves as expected. These are outlined in Appendix 1, the PMACS Secondary Assessment Policy, unless otherwise specified by the teacher.

Practical Assessments, Investigations and Assignments

Students are expected to complete all set work by the due date, and all out-of-class work must be verified as the own work of the student. Suitable strategies may be used to validate that students have completed assessments without unfair assistance by the use of in-class validations and the Turnitin platform.

To authenticate that the student has completed out-of-class assessment tasks without unfair assistance, strategies such as the following may be used:

• teacher monitoring of student progress;

• administration of the task in class with open access to reference notes;

• validation of student understanding by an in-class assessment task written under test conditions after the submission of an out-of-class component; and

• requirement of a signed student declaration stating that all unacknowledged work is the student’s own.

Homework

Work at home plays an important part in the degree of success experienced by a student as it supplements and enhances the School’s teaching and learning programme. Not all work set as homework is formally collected and assessed, as some exercises will involve finishing off a task begun in class and consolidation of classwork. However, teachers will endeavour to check that homework is being completed.

Formal pieces will be set regularly for the student, such as practice answers, and it is expected that these will be marked and returned within two weeks of submission. Some homework may contribute to the final assessment of a subject.

Individual teachers will ensure that students are complying with the requirements of their course if homework is not being completed or submitted. Parents must be contacted. This will allow assist parents to monitor the homework and study habits of their child.

Learning@Home Process

Year 7 Students in Year will follow the Learning@Home process of RRR. This requires them to review, recall and reflect on classwork from their MESH class for that day. The goal is for the student to ensure no gaps are left in their learning based on the Success Criteria for each MESH class. There should be no other homework given for any other class

The L@H evidence -based process has been designed with the aim of assisting students to develop good study habits by incorporating two evidence-based study strategies, retrieval/recall and spaced repetition/reflection/gap reattempt. Students should actively test themselves, marking their work, identifying gaps and reattempting gaps so that they positively impact their retention of new learning and, in turn, their performance on assessments.

The good RRR habits developed in Year 7 should set the student to continue this organised approach to minimising gaps in content from Years 8 onward.

In Years 8 to 12 there is always class work to be done at home. It is recommended that a minimum of 1.5 to 3 hours per day, five days a week should be spent on homework and study completion.

Affective Factors

Affective factors of attitude, participation and effort involves rating the contribution to class discussions and groupwork. The application of safe procedures and acting responsibly in laboratory situations or practical skills-based actions demonstrated by the student. For students in Year 11 and year 12, weightings are allocated for this component, as set by SCSA Course Unit guidelines.

Students at Academic Risk

Throughout the year, all secondary students will be monitored in their academic achievement. Procedures are set in place by the teacher and Head of Department to intervene to assist the student whose achievement is unsatisfactory and placing them at risk of failing the course or subject. Strategies to achieve this may include:

• moving the seating placement of the students in class;

• individual counselling during break times or House Connect sessions;

• additional academic assistance to close the gaps in content that may prevent successful progress;

• review of application of the IEP or CAP, if applicable; and

• changing class groupings to better suit the academic ability of the student.

In Year 11, during Term 1, and at the end of the Mid-Year and End of Year Examinations, if the student has achieved results which indicate that they are at risk of not achieving the Achievement Standard required for the WACE, they will be interviewed and clearly advised. Students will be encouraged to work to the full potential and where possible steps will be taken to reduce the risk of academic achievement. Parents will be informed of the School’s concern.

Strategies to achieve this include:

• change course/s or WACE pathway, if appropriate;

• review the home study timetable and discuss plans to change the students homework and study habits, if appropriate; and

• review the student’s level of application in class and discuss plans to change the student’s work ethic, if appropriate

Catastrophic Event

A catastrophic event is one in which a pandemic or extraordinary event affects the assessment of individual students or groups of students. For example, the event may cause a number of students to be absent from School for an extended time, or a building needs to be evacuated during an in-class assessment or examination.

Procedures will be implemented if the delivery of the teaching and learning programme or an assessment of an individual student, or cohort is affected by a catastrophic event.

The School’s assessment policy will be applied in this situation:

• based on the completed assessment tasks, the teacher or Head of Department makes a professional judgement of the performance of the students affected by the event;

• the assessment task may need to be re-written by the teacher if the students had already commenced, but not finished, the task;

• where additional assessment tasks are required to enable the professional judgement to be made, the assessment outline is modified for the students affected by the event; and

• the School informs the students affected by the event, and their parents, of the changes as to how their achievement will be determined, including any additional assessment tasks.

Retention and Disposal of Student Work

The School is responsible for retaining all students marked written assessment tasks. This material is required by the teacher when assigning Grades at the completion of the pair of Course Units in Year 11 and Year 12. It may be required by SCSA for moderation purposes.

In Year 11 and Year 12, the School retains this work until the students’ marks have been accepted by SCSA early in the following academic year. All materials are then securely disposed by the School after that time

The School will not use the materials for any other purposes without the written permission of the student. For all courses, assessments for all students will be kept until 31st January of the following year, as any appeals would have been finalised in the previous year.

For all assessments in Certificate courses, material will be securely disposed at the conclusion of the following year or stored by the RTO.

Online Literacy and Numeracy Standard

The Online Literacy and Numeracy standard (OLNA) is an online assessment. It is designed to enable students to successfully meet the WACE requirement of demonstrating the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy.

There are three tests to be completed: Writing, Reading and Numeracy. To successfully meet the OLNA requirement, students must demonstrate the skills regarded as essential to meet the demands of everyday life and work in a knowledge-based economy.

Students who have achieved Band 8 or higher in any of the three components of reading, writing and numeracy in their Year 9 NAPLAN are acknowledged as having demonstrated proficiency in using a range of skills in that component and will not be required to sit the corresponding OLNA test.

A variety of adjustments for students with disabilities are available, such as a pause function and extra time.

The reading and numeracy tests each comprise 45 multiple‐choice questions. Students have 50 minutes to complete each of these tests. The writing test is a typed response of up to 600 words. Students have 60 minutes to complete the writing test.

Testing Windows for the OLNA occur twice a year for students in Years 10, 11 and 12. PostYear 12 students can apply to sit the test for each component in which they have not demonstrated the standard.

Further information regarding OLNA can be found on the SCSA website at: https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/assessment/testing/olna

School Curriculum and Standards Authority – Final Note

The SCSA website is invaluable for parents and students. Parents will find information relating to the education of their Year 7 to Year 12 child. This includes information regarding changes to Assessment and external examinations affected by COVID-19. Further information can be located at the SCSA website at: https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/

For students in Year 11 and Year 12, the Student Information Handbooks Parts I and II are crucial resources to navigate the final two years of secondary schooling.

The WACE guide provides information on the Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement, the Western Australian Certificate of Education and the ATAR course Report. This is located at the SCSA website.

Please see: https://scsa.wa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/1001791/Your-Guide-to-theWASSA-WACE-and-ATAR-2022.PDF

Students in Year 10 will find the Year 10 Information Handbook useful for that year of their schooling. It is also helpful as it is in this year that students begin to make decisions for their Year 11 and Year 12 course selections.

Appendix 1: Secondary Assessment Policy

Secondary Assessment Policy Years 7 to 12

This Assessment Policy conforms to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) guidelines. It refers to any type of School Assessment for students in Years 7 to 12.

Responsibility of the School

A Course Outlines and Assessment Outlines will be provided to each student for every on of their courses, subjects or units. The outline must include approximate due dates for assessments. Teachers will notify students with sufficient time for any changes to the Assessment Outline

Teachers will provide timely, effective assessment feedback based on Success Criteria of the task This will include strategies for the student to use in their learning and where to next.

Formal Assessments will be completed under conditions conforming to SCSA regulations.

Teachers will inform Parents/Guardians of their child’s failure to attend the assessment through written or verbal contact.

Students who consistently fail to attend assessments on the due date, or disregard the requirements of the provided Assessment Outline, will be required to attend a meeting with the appropriate Head of Head of Department.

Students taking VET courses must complete their assessments to gain their full Certificate. Failure to submit by the due date any aspect of an assessment for a Unit of Competency will receive a Lunchtime Detention. Students will be required to complete tasks during the Detention and in their own time. Assessments can be submitted and resubmitted up until the final week of the Certificate course, as outlined by the Course Outline

Unless otherwise indicated, all marked written assessment tasks for a student may be retained by the relevant Department. Students will have access to this file for revision purposes. The files are retained until marks have been accepted by SCSA the following year

Responsibility of the Student

The student must maintain a good record of attendance, conduct and progress. A student who is absent from a class for five lessons or more per term is deemed to be “at risk” of not achieving their best possible result for their course.

A student who foresees an absence on the due date of an assessment must inform their teacher immediately to allow for the student to submit the assessment either prior to or by the due date.

Responsibility of the Parent /Guardian

Parents/Guardians should email their child’s teacher before 8.05 am of an absence on the day that an assessment is due.

Notice of a child’s foreseeable absence should be emailed to the subject teacher.

Parents/Guardians should provide their child’s teacher a relevant medical certificate or a letter of explanation, which is acceptable to the School, on their child’s return to School. Written notification should be given or emailed to their child’s Head of Year or Secondary Reception

Assessment Policy Penalties

Penalties will be applied in the situation where a student is deemed to have cheated, colluded or plagiarised in an assessment, or if the student has submitted an assessment after the due date.

A teacher, with their Head of Department, who determines that a student has engaged in cheating, collusion or plagiarism, will apply one of the penalties listed. Parents/Guardians will be informed in writing of the decision made, the penalty and any further action.

➢ a mark of zero for the whole task, or

➢ a mark of zero for the part of the task deemed by the teacher as not the student’s own.

Late submission of assessments

Late assessment submission, without a reason acceptable to the School, will have applied a penalty to the total awarded mark of the assessment:

➢ 25% reduction in the mark, if submitted one day late, or

➢ 50% reduction in the mark, if submitted two days late, or

➢ a mark of zero after three days late, or

➢ a mark of zero if not submitted.

Student absence on an assessment day

A student absent without an acceptable reason will receive a zero mark for the in-class assessment.

A student who presents a relevant medical certificate and/or a note to their teacher, which is acceptable to the School, will sit the assessment at the earliest opportunity and their marks will be recorded without penalty.

The return of a marked assessment will occur once all students have had sufficient opportunity to complete the task. Absent students will be required to complete an alternative assessment, as directed by the Head of Department.

Appendix 3: Rules of Conduct for PMACS Examinations Years 9 - 12

An Examination is a formative assessment used to provide feedback to teachers and students over the course of instruction. The goal of a formative assessment is to gain an understanding of what students know, and what they do not, in order to make responsive changes in teaching and learning.

As part of the graduation requirements for the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), the School Standards and Curriculum Authority (SCSA) sets, administers and marks examinations for all Year 12 ATAR Pathway courses. It also sets and marks Externally Set Tasks (EST) for all Year 12 GENERAL Pathway students.

All Year 12 ATAR courses have written examinations. Some examinations have a written and a practical component (performance, oral, portfolio or production). The WACE examination markers are unaware of the identity of the examination candidates, or from which school they attend.

Examinations form the basis of direct university entrance because ATAR examinations result in the calculation of an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). Year 12 GENERAL Pathway students gain direct entrance into TAFE through their successful completion of WACE courses and VET Certificates, as well as gaining indirect university entrance.

Examinations provide students and the wider community with confidence about the standards achieved at the end of Year 12. They also make it possible to compare the achievement of students, regardless of the school attended.

The School believes that the best way to prepare Year 12 students for their life after secondary schooling is to ensure that all our students experience examinations. This includes the schedule of Examination Week(s), learning and writing a paper covering a body of taught instruction, being familiar with the process of examinations and following the practises of examination rules and responsibilities consistent with those experienced in Year 12 ATAR Examinations.

The protocols of examinations following give all students from Year 9 through to Year 12 the understanding and practice of the rigour expected in a Year 12 WACE Examination in November.

Specific examination week conditions vary for each year cohort in terms of being on School site, signing in to Reception and the Library. Students must follow these requirements.

Examinations are usually set as morning and/or afternoon examinations. Examinations are either written or practical. Each subject or course has specific requirements in terms of length of the examination paper, varying from two-hour examinations in Year 9 to three-hours in Year 11 and 12. Students who have Special Provisions are given them according to SCSA formats and will only be given based on discussion with the Associate Principal and Head of Learning Diversity, based on a current specialist documentation.

Morning examinations start at 8.10 am

Afternoon examinations start at 1.00 pm

Students are to wait outside in Tempat Tenang 15 minutes before the examination to be escorted to the Examination Venue in silence.

Further information on Special Provisions, students and their parents are recommended to visit the SCSA website at www.scsa.wa.edu.au

Students are not to bring unauthorised materials into the examination venue. This includes writing paper, books or manuscripts. Students are to bring writing pens and pencils into the room in a clear plastic bag - no pencil cases are allowed. Calculator lids are to be placed under the student’s desk during an Examination. Any unauthorised materials or unacceptable calculators will be confiscated for the duration of the Examination. This includes watches of any kind.

Students are not permitted to remove Examination materials from the Examination Venue unless given specific permission by the Supervisor.

Candidates should write clearly and in pen unless otherwise directed.

Peter Moyes students will be placed in specified seating order and will have an examination tag on their desk, which contains their Student Number. Students should only identify their paper with their student number to ensure anonymity for the marking of the examination.

Students are to enter and leave the examination venue in silence. There is to be no communication between students during the examination and all students must remain silent during the distribution and collection of materials during the examination.

All examinations have a set reading time prior to students writing their examination. During reading time, it is strictly forbidden to mark examination papers by hand, pen, pencil, highlighter or other items, or to use calculators.

No extra working time is given to students who arrive late for an examination. Neither is a Peter Moyes ACS student permitted to leave an examination early. If finished before time, candidates must sit quietly and wait until the end of the Examination.

The Supervisors for all WACE Examinations are not subject specialists and are unable to answer any questions that relate to the content of an examination paper. For this reason, the asking of general questions during Peter Moyes ACS examinations is discouraged; students must interpret the intent of the question. Queries should only be raised if you believe there to be a significant error or omission.

Students will be warned fifteen minutes from the end of the Examination. All students are required to stop working immediately they are asked to do so by the Supervisor.

All students must wear the School Uniform and follow the general School expectations at all times. Eating is not permitted in the Examination Venue. Water may be brought into the Examination Venue provided that it is in a clear plastic bottle no more than 1500 mL and cannot be refilled during the Examination.

No mobile phones or other electronic or internet-connected devices (other than approved calculators) may be brought into the examination venue, including, but not limited to phones, personal music devices or smart watches.

If a student is sick or absent on the day of an examination, the Associate Principal must be notified as soon as possible. A doctor’s certificate is required to cover the sickness or absence. Arrangements may be made to sit the Examination at another time, at the discretion of the Associate Principal.

Graphics Calculators and Scientific Calculators are allowed in certain subjects, as per the WACE Student Information Handbook. No calculators are allowed in the remaining subjects. Where a CAS calculator is allowed in an examination, candidates are permitted up to three CAS WACE-approved calculators. Calculators must be silent, hand-held and contain their own power source (battery or solar operated). They must not have the functionality to communicate wirelessly.

Students will be entirely responsible for ensuring adequate power supply to their calculators and the proper working order of their calculators. They must supply and change their own spare batteries. Any battery failure, or other fault which limits the usefulness of a calculator during an examination, will not be taken into special consideration.

No candidate may borrow a calculator from another candidate after entering the examination venue. Calculator memories do not have to be cleared before entry to an examination.

Calculator instruction booklets and removable covers are classified as unauthorised materials and must not be taken into an examination venue.

Further information on examinations rules and responsibilities, students and their parents are recommended to read the Student Information Handbook at the SCSA website: www.scsa.wa.edu.au

Appendix 4: List A and B Courses for Breadth of Study

Appendix 5: WACE Requirements 2022 and beyond

Appendix 6: Glossary of key words in the formulation of questions