It is our expectation that students complete all of their Assessment Instruments within their chosen subjects.

We must consider the quantity of assessment asked of our students to ensure our expectations are reasonable. It is not reasonable to expect all students to undertake the same Assessment Instruments under the same conditions if they have been identified as a student requiring Special consideration.

The following is a summary of the Special consideration Policy Statement from QSA.

Special consideration

Special consideration is the granting of exemption to, or the provision of special arrangements for, students with special needs.

Exemption: In cases of special consideration, schools may decide to exempt students from non-substantive subject requirements. Fairness to all students and the integrity of results reported on Senior Certificates, require that no student be exempted from meeting any substantive requirement of a Senior Syllabus.

Special Arrangements: These refer to practical arrangements to vary the conditions under which Assessment occurs in order to enable students with special needs to have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a subject.

Students with special needs may include, (but not be limited), to students:

• with learning difficulties
• from non-English speaking backgrounds
• who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• who have a physical impairment
• who have an emotional impairment.

Special consideration relates to particular groups of students with special needs. However, from time to time, schools will need to make fair and reasonable decisions about the Assessment of students who, for example, do not submit an Assignment on time or who do not attend an Examination. In these cases, principles of Equity and Fairness to all students also apply.

Special arrangements for students with special needs often involve variations of the methods of presentation of Assessment and student work; that is, adapting the method of transmission of information about Assessment and the way a student presents work to the teacher.

Specific examples are:

• Use of specialised equipment
• Provision of a reader or writer to complete transcription
• Provision of assistance in interpretation and comprehension of Assessment Instruments for students with language difficulties (cultural and physical impairments)
• Additional time for students to complete tasks to give them equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills
• Giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students the opportunity to represent their cultural experiences in their responses
• Making alternative arrangements for the testing of students
• Making alternative arrangements for the testing and Assessment of students who are experiencing serious emotional difficulties due to, for example, bereavement, family illness or a medically documented personal illness.

All staff must understand and comply with these Special Consideration Rules. It is not the sole responsibility of the student to inform us of the need for Special Consideration. Once a teacher is notified of a student’s special need, the teacher becomes responsible for ensuring suitable arrangements are provided.

Classroom teachers are strongly encouraged to discuss special arrangements for their students with their Head of Department at the time of assessment construction. Support is also available from our Teaching and Learning Co-ordinator, Guidance Officer and Head of Special Education.

Assignments

Assignments are characterised by a proportion of the assigned work being completed at home.

The use of assignments in the Middle Phase of Learning should be minimised. The majority of the assessment should be completed in class and a copy of the work should be retained before allowing our Middle School students to take the item home. If a student fails to return their assignment, the retained copy will become their final submission. The in-class portion of the task might be sufficient for a student to be awarded at least a C grade.

The use of assignments in the Senior Phase of Learning must be closely monitored to ensure that the quantity of assessment across a student’s six (6) subjects remains manageable. Multiple assignments due in at the same time often results in a student choosing which assignment becomes the priority. QSA insists on the use of Drafts being submitted prior to the due date to ensure some evidence of student achievement has been collected to assist in the rating of that student. The draft must be of the minimum standard of E if it is to be used as the response to the Assessment Instrument.

Administering an assignment

Teacher checklist

• Ensure special arrangements have been considered for students identified with special needs
• Ensure that the Assignment is not distributed on a Thursday (Senior School only)
• Ensure that the Assignment is not due on a Thursday (Senior School Only)
• Ensure that the Criteria Sheet includes:
• the Distribution date
• the Draft due date (preferably one week before actual submission date)
• the Submission due date.

Ensure that, on the day of Distribution, an accurate record is kept of absent students. The teacher must ensure that the Assignment is presented to the student at his/her next appearance in that class. This student must abide by the due Dates unless an Extension of time is granted through the designated process.

In-Class Assessment

Examples of In-Class Assessment are Tests, Practical Demonstrations, Performances & Orals.

Teacher checklist

• Ensure special arrangements have been considered for students identified with special needs.
• Ensure that the In-class assessment is not held on a Thursday (Senior School only).
• Ensure that, on the day of administration, an accurate record is kept of absent students.

Process for non-completion

An assessment item is deemed incomplete if no attempt is made to do it or if an attempt is not of an E standard.

Please Note: The Application for Extension/Exemption Form ensures the student must clearly communicate the circumstances behind the failure to complete the task with the rest of the class.

The process also provides evidence of the number of times a student makes Application for Extension/Exemption, as a copy will remain on the student file.

Other forms of Assessment - workbooks, term portfolios, term projects (eg Manual Arts, Art) are open to negotiation between the Head of Department and the Line Manager. Different faculties have different emphasis on this type of work and the way in which a Non-completion is treated will vary.

Refusal to Complete Senior Assessment Tasks

Students who refuse to complete all Mandatory Assessment tasks within their Senior Phase can not be accredited for that Semester unit. This can result in a student’s not being eligible for an Overall Position (OP) result.

Students who refuse to complete work will be withdrawn from Sport and placed into our Wednesday afternoon supervised room. Students will have two Wednesday afternoons to complete the task. If the task is still not completed, that student will be suspended from school. It will be expected that the student will return from Suspension with the completed task.

Students who complete the item earlier will be removed from the room and returned to their Sport option.