Assessment Policy Student Information The College Assessment Policy is designed to ensure fairness and justice to all students at Sacred Heart College. This policy adopts many of the guidelines and procedures recommended by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA). Overview Principles of Assessment Assessment procedures must therefore be fair, valid and reliable. Assessment assists teachers and schools in monitoring the progress of students and diagnosing learning difficulties adjusting programs to ensure all students have the opportunity to achieve the intended outcomes reporting student achievement to parents whole-school planning, reporting and accountability procedures Assessment Guidelines At the commencement of the learning program (typically at the beginning of the year or semester, depending on the length of the subject) each student will receive a Subject and Assessment Outline which includes a list of the Assessment Tasks that students will undertake throughout the course and their relative weighting towards the calculation of a final mark. Students will receive a hard copy of this information and will also be posted on S- Connect (SEQTA). Students will also be made aware of the procedures and expectations contained in the College Assessment Policy and where to locate this policy when required. Student Responsibilities It is the student s responsibility to: Complete the prescribed work requirements in each subject by the due date Complete all assessment tasks described in the Subject and Assessment Outline Maintain a good record of attendance, conduct and progress. Initiate contact with teachers concerning absence from class, missed assessments, extension requests and other issues pertaining to assessment. Teachers Responsibilities It is the responsibility of teachers to: Develop a teaching/learning program that adheres to the College Assessment Policy and/or SCSA guidelines Provide students with a Subject and Assessment Outline on S-Connect (SEQTA) at the commencement of the subject. Ensure that assessments are fair, valid and reliable Maintain accurate records of student achievement and assessment Meet school and external (SCSA) deadlines for assessment and reporting Inform students and parents of academic progress as appropriate. Notify students and their parents of impending assessments on S-Connect (SEQTA). Teachers will ensure that upcoming Assessments are visible on S-Connect (SEQTA) within 5 days of the completion date for the Assessment. Teachers will use strategies such as item pools and alternative test forms to address issues such as the use of the same test by different classes at different times or from one year to the next. Subject Completion A student will be deemed to have completed a subject and therefore be eligible to receive a grade, when the subject s structured educational program and assessment program have been completed. All students must complete all set assessment tasks. This is part of the student's ongoing enrolment agreement at the College. Page 1 of 5
Failure to Complete Assessments Tests and In-class Assessments Absence In genuine cases, students will not be penalised for missing a test. Students who are absent for in-class assessments must report to the teacher as soon as possible after returning to school. At the discretion of the teacher/hola, it may be possible for the student to sit for the same or a similar in-class assessment at a later date. Students who are absent for in-class assessments may be able to sit this assessment if they return to school soon after the scheduled timing of the assessment. Whether or not a student can sit the assessment is entirely at the discretion of the teacher. The teacher will allow a student to sit the assessment if he/she considers that the validity and reliability of the assessment is not compromised. Students may be asked to produce a medical certificate to substantiate their absence. This is particularly required if a student has a record of being absent for assessments. Specified Catch up Test Times A parent/ guardian must contact the subject teacher via email when a student is away on the day of an in class assessment explaining the reason for not being able to sit the assessment. The student will be required to complete the task at the first opportunity upon returning to school. This needs to be negotiated with the class teacher immediately on return to school. If the parent does not contact class teacher please email the parent, notifying them of the missed task and requesting contact in future. Students who miss a test will be expected to sit the test at a specified catch up time. All students who miss assessments will be required to complete the missed assessment after school on Tuesdays from 3.30 pm - 4.30 pm or before school on Thursdays from 7.30 am - 8.30 am in Room MA1 (near the PCC). Students who fail to attend this specified catch up test time will receive a marks penalty unless there are extenuating circumstances as to why they have missed this specified catch up test time as deemed by the relevant HOLA. The expectation will be that a student will complete the missed assessment on the first available assessment day after their return to school. This will be determined by the class teacher. It is the student s responsibility to report to the appropriate teacher as soon as possible after returning to school to complete the assessment. Teachers will negotiate with the student if there are clashes with other significant College commitments. Out of Class, take home Assessments (Assignments/Reports/Essays etc.) Students are provided with an opportunity to present evidence supporting their reason for failing to submit an assessment task. The subject teacher, in consultation with the Head of Learning Area (HOLA), will decide whether or not the reason is acceptable and apply an appropriate strategy according to the guidelines in this assessment policy. Students who are absent when work is due should make every endeavour to have the work delivered to the College in order to meet the deadline. In some instances, students will be required to complete the work under the direction of the Dean or relevant HOLA. Students who fail to submit work by the required date will incur a penalty. The penalty will be a deduction of 20% of their mark per school day. Only in exceptional and justifiable circumstances will work submitted late be marked without penalty. (e.g. if a student scores 90% - one day late 90 x 0.8 = 72%, two days late 90 x 0.6 = 54% etc). In order to be eligible for a final mark and grade a student must complete the assessment program. Even when a student s work is so late that it results in a mark of zero. It must still be submitted in order to complete the assessment program. The subject teacher will notify the student s parents in such circumstances. Computer related problems before submission of an assessment will not be a valid excuse for non-submission. Examinations (Years 10, 11 and 12) The relevant Dean must be notified by parents, prior to the scheduled examination, of any student who will be absent for examinations. The Dean, in collaboration with the relevant HOLA, will determine if the examination will be administered at an alternative time but where possible within the examination period and after the scheduled date. The rescheduling of a missed examination will only occur when the student is ill for the scheduled examination or in the event of a misadventure. Students who miss an examination due to work commitments or forgetfulness will be penalised at the discretion of the Dean of Students (year 12) in consultation with the Deputy Page 2 of 5
Principal (Curriculum). The penalty may include a score of zero for the examination depending on the circumstances. Parents are requested to ensure that students are available to sit all examinations during the scheduled examination period. Students miss examinations due to taking holidays, will not be allowed to sit examinations before or after the scheduled examination period. A mark will be derived for the examination based on the student's previous assessment performance (including previous examinations) prior to the missed examination, their ranking and comparative average to other students enrolled in this subject. If a student is absent for an examination due to illness, misadventure or any other acceptable reason as deemed by the Dean of Students (Year12) and Deputy Principal (Curriculum) and the examination cannot be completed within an acceptable time frame, then the subject teacher in consultation with the HOLA will derive an examination based on the student's previous assessment performance (including previous examinations) prior to the missed examination, their ranking and comparative average to other students enrolled in this subject. Students commencing a subject late Students who have not submitted assessment tasks because of transfer from one school to another or due to commencing a subject late in the school year (and before SCSA deadlines) will be provided with an opportunity to demonstrate achievement of subject outcomes or objectives. Under such circumstance students may not be expected to complete all missed assessment tasks. Teachers are expected to: make students aware of what is expected of them because of late entry to the subject. ensure that students are provided with the assessment program, the weightings given to various components, the assessment tasks which must be completed in order to compensate for the section of the subject missed and the risks they take in commencing a subject late. provide students with information about how their final mark and grade will be calculated. Reliability of Assessment (Breaches of Rules) Cheating, collusion and plagiarism are specific examples of a breach of Assessment rules. Cheating is any verbal or non-verbal communication during an assessment. Collusion occurs when a student submits for assessment work that is not his or her own. A penalty may also apply if a student knowingly allows his/her work to be copied. Plagiarism is when a student uses someone else s words or ideas (e.g. pictures or text from the internet etc) without acknowledging that they have done so. That is, work that is essentially copied. In-class Assessment If a student is found to have breached the rules for an in-class assessment, then he/she will incur a marks penalty a deduction of marks or a mark of zero for the assessment. When a breach is established, the HOLA will interview the student and determine the outcome in consultation with the relevant Dean of Students. The HOLA will inform the parents and counsel the student. If work that is not the original product of that student is submitted for assessment, all or part of the marks will be cancelled at the discretion of the HOLA in consultation with the relevant Dean of Students. In some cases students may be required to re-submit the assessment. Out- of-class Assessment It is expected that the work finally submitted for assessment by students should be both known to and understood by the student concerned. Learning Areas will use one or more of the following controls to ensure the validity and reliability of Out-of-Class Assessment Tasks: Unseen assignment questions being administered in normal class time with open access to notes and reference materials Assignment questions being done at home with the level of achievement measured by a brief in-class test on key concepts covered in the assignment Prepared assignment questions being researched out-of-class but completed in class under controlled conditions Regular interaction between students and teachers on projects being completed over extended periods out- Page 3 of 5
of-class Projects/assignments being completed partially at home and partially at school providing teachers with the opportunity to validate out-of-class work. Injury or Disability In the event that a student sustains an injury and/or a disability then a modified assessment program will be coordinated by the Dean of Students in consultation with the Deputy Principal, the parents and the student, and the advice of the HOLA. Appeal Any student wishing to appeal their final grade in any subject or Course needs to put their concern in writing to the Deputy Principal (Curriculum). In-Class Assessments Rules & Regulations Prior to assessment period Students are to be given a minimum of three school days notice, but ideally five school days notice, in advance of an assessment. The teacher must make students aware of any equipment requirements (e.g. calculator) and special circumstances before the test. At the beginning of the assessment period Students must be silent from the moment the teacher indicates the start of the test period. Unless directed by the teacher to sit elsewhere, students are to sit in their normal allocated seat for the test. The students desks must be clear of all texts and other materials. Only test materials to be on the desk. Students are required to adhere to the rules pertaining to that test. Eg: Mathematics students might be allowed to have notes and a calculator. [See Prior to assessment period point ii]. Mobile phones and other communication/information storage devices are not permitted during the test. During the assessment period Students need to complete the test in silence and maintain the silence until all papers are collected and the teacher indicates the end of the test period. Students must be actively supervised at all times. Should a student complete the test early they are to remain in silence; being encouraged to check their work carefully. They may not leave the test early nor engage in other work. Year 11 & 12 Examination Rules and Regulations 1. Uniform: Students must wear the correct College uniform and follow all College uniform rules in order to be permitted to sit examinations. 2. Leaving the examination early: Students are not permitted to leave the examination room early. 3. Examination seating: Students are to sit in their allocated seat for the examination. The seating plan will be displayed outside the Examination Room. Students who are sitting Examinations under special conditions will sit their examinations in a separate room. 4. Commencement of the examination: Students should be at the examination venue at least thirty (30) minutes prior to the commencement time of an examination. It should be noted that students will be asked to enter the examination room 15 minutes before the start of the examination as the supervisors are required to go through a set procedure which takes the entire 15 minutes. Silence is to be maintained at all times whilst students are in the Examination Room. 5. Lateness: Students will not be admitted into the examination room after the expiration of half an hour from the scheduled commencement time for the examination, other than under exceptional circumstances and by express permission of either the relevant Dean of Students or the Deputy Principal (Curriculum). No extra time is provided for students who arrive late. Page 4 of 5
6. Student materials: Students must be familiar with the materials they are required to bring with them to the examination, including the specific calculators that are permitted for specific subjects. Any student who brings any other unauthorised items with them into an Examination is in breach of the Examination rules and regulations and will be subject to serious penalties imposed by the College Examination Breaches Committee. No food may be taken into the examination room. Students may bring water into the examination room but it must be in a clear unlabelled bottle. 7. Students at the College outside of examination times: Students who are at the College outside examination times for a particular purpose (appointment with a staff member, private study) must be attired in full College uniform and must sign in at the PCC. Students are encouraged to negotiate with their subject teachers to use the College resources and to meet with their teachers where necessary. 8. Missing an examination: Students who forget to sit an examination or misread their examination timetable will not be permitted to sit a late examination and hence will receive zero for that examination. Students who miss an examination due to illness (or genuine emergency) must contact the College and notify the relevant Dean of Students or Deputy Principal (Curriculum) before the examination (9246 8200). In medical circumstances, a doctor s certificate will be required. In genuine cases, students will not be penalised for missing an examination. The Dean of Students (year 12), with the relevant Head of Learning Area and Deputy Principal - Curriculum, may reschedule a time for the individual student to sit the examination. In most circumstances, the rescheduled date of examination will be during the examination period. Students will not normally be allowed to sit examinations prior to the scheduled date. 9. Unfair advantage: Any breach of examination rules and regulations will be treated seriously and investigated by a specially convened meeting of the College Examination Breaches Committee. This Committee normally comprises the Deputy Principal (Curriculum), Dean of Students (Year 12), the College Psychologist and any other member of the College staff considered relevant to the specific situation. Students deemed to have broken the Examination rules and regulations by the Examination Breaches Committee will receive a penalty which is likely to include a loss of marks or a mark of zero for the examination paper. The Committee will investigate any situation in which a student is considered to have taken any action that provides him/her with an unfair advantage in the Examination. It is the responsibility of students to ensure that they do not have any unauthorised notes or other items of a non-personal nature in the examination room. If a student has any unauthorised material with them, they are required to hand this material to the supervisor before commencing the examination. If a student communicates to others or attempt to gain an unfair advantage by taking unauthorised notes into the examination room whilst completing the examination, the supervisor will approach the student, inform them of the concern, note the time and nature of the concern and report the issue to the Deputy Principal - Curriculum. The Examination Breaches Committee will then decide on an appropriate penalty. Mobile phones and other devices should be turned off and placed in the tray provided at the front of the Examination room. Any student who leaves their mobile phone turned on during an examination will face significant penalties, including possibly a mark of zero for the examination. Page 5 of 5