Assessment expectations and procedures

Assessment expectations and procedures

Implementation: 2017

Last revision: 20 March 2023

Rationale

In order to assess the development of individual student’s skills and understanding, and the degree to which they meet Performance Descriptors for each grade, each course has an assessment program which will comprise a series of tasks. Examples of assessment tasks are: examinations, presentations, performances, assignments, topic tests, fieldwork reports, laboratory reports, research and practical projects.

The school’s website contains the schedule of assessments for all courses.

At QHHS, we assess student achievement in order to:

• Evaluate and report on student learning and achievement – academic social and sporting
• Identify areas where specific improvements can be targeted and achieved
• Evaluate the effectiveness of and plan for improvement in teaching programs & strategies
• Provide data to help create student individual learning plans (ILPs)
• Provide feedback on student strengths, identifies areas for improvement and suggests strategies to improve on these areas
• Gather, analyse and interpret data about teaching and learning, to set future targets and measure achievement of previous targets
• Acknowledge academic excellence
• Meet New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) and Department of Education (DoE) requirements

All stakeholders in a student’s education have a responsibility for aspects of assessment. Success can best be achieved when ALL stakeholders carry out their responsibilities.

Roles and responsibilities

The school

• Ensure the provision of accurate, specific and focused feedback to students to inform their learning.
• Provide parents and caregivers with formal school reports that provide information on what the student has achieved, areas for improvement and suggestions for how those improvements can be made
• Provide clear guidelines for assessment tasks regarding task notification to students, outcomes assessed, the number of and frequency of tasks, details of the task, time frame (and consequences for not meeting deadlines), marking criteria and consistency, provision of constructive feedback, relevance and task differentiation for different groups of students.
• Ensure that tasks meet DoE and NESA requirements.
• Provide a clear and transparent process for use in cases of illness and misadventure.
• Provide clear guidelines for accurate and comprehensive student and faculty records.
• Provide school community access to this assessment policy by all appropriate means.
• Provide clear guidelines for the provision of formal school reports to parents/caregivers.

The subject head teacher

• To implement the school assessment policy on a faculty level, thereby providing clear guidelines to staff and students regarding:
• Task notification to students (2-week minimum for Stage 5 Tasks).
  • The number and frequency of tasks.
  • Details of the task including the outcomes to be assessed.
  • The submission date or date the task is to occur.
  • The consequences for not meeting deadlines – tasks will be awarded a zero mark. A misadventure form may be submitted (if appropriate) which will be assessed by the faculty head teacher and senior executive.
  • The process for extensions (which may be granted under extreme circumstances backed by appropriate documentation such as a medical certificate and applied for in advance of the task’s due date.)
  • Marking criteria and consistency.
  • Appropriate differentiation according to student needs (e.g. Life Skills, large print, etc.)
  • Provision of constructive feedback including:
    • The degree to which the task outcomes have been met.
    • A mark and/or grade.
    • Suggestions for improvement (if appropriate).
    • A general comment.
  • Relevance and task differentiation for different groups of students.
  • The accepted means of submission.
• The ongoing analysis of and improvements to assessment task quality.
• To ensure accurate and comprehensive teacher and faculty assessment task records.
• Ensure that faculty assessment tasks meet school and faculty assessment policies as well as DoE and NESA requirements.
• To monitor and support staff in the design and delivery of assessment tasks.
• To collaboratively develop and publish assessment schedules for use by all stakeholders.
• To monitor and support staff in their preparation of school reports.

The classroom teacher

• To be aware of and implement faculty, school, DoE and NESA requirements relating to assessment and reporting.
• To mark with accuracy and consistency and provide students with constructive feedback.
• To explicitly communicate with students with appropriate advance notice regarding marking criteria and due dates and to provide appropriate scaffolding assistance.
• To create an expectation of on-time submission of assessment tasks and explicitly inform students of the consequences of not meeting deadlines.
• To maintain accurate records.
• To keep a register indicating when individual students are advised of each task and to take all reasonable steps to ensure that absent students are aware of assessment tasks.
• Exercise professional judgement and appropriately refer students to the Learning Support and/or Welfare Teams.

The student

• Attempt all assessment tasks to the best of their ability.
• Organise a study and homework schedule to promote success in assessment tasks
• Familiarise themselves with the course schedules available on the school website and seek early advice from teachers and head teachers to clarify any assessment issues.
• Show responsibility and follow up with their teachers after an absence to ensure that they are aware of assessment tasks notified in their absence and therefore maximise the time they have to prepare for or submit a task. Absence is not an excuse for missing tasks.
• Submit work on time by making effective use of their school diary and referring to published assessment schedules.
• Provide documentary evidence (Year 9-10 students) to support an illness or misadventure claim i.e. medical certificate.
• Ask for assistance from teachers before the due date to ensure an understanding of what is required in the assessment task.
• Develop effective research skills using a variety of media to write better assignments.
• Ensure that assignments are all their own work (no plagiarism) and that the work of others is appropriately presented and referenced (including any material generated by artificial intelligence). Plagiarised work will be recorded as a zero mark.
• Understand that any material generated by artificial intelligence (such as ChatGPT) and presented as their own work will receive a zero and the student will be required to complete an alternative task under direct supervision. For students in Years 10-12 this will be recorded as malpractice.
  
• Reflect on the feedback provided to inform future improvement and success.

The learning support team

• Develop individual learning plans for identified students.
• Work collaboratively with KLAs to modify assessment tasks.
• Analyse data and provide ongoing support for students not meeting identified benchmarks.
• Provide staff with support and advice in meeting the educational needs of individual students and groups of students.
• Provide guidance to staff conducting exams regarding students requiring special provisions.
• Provide advice to staff regarding appropriate language in assessment tasks for ESL/life skills students.

The welfare team

• Provide guidance to staff regarding students with medical and/or welfare issues that might impact educational success and provide support strategies to assist those students.

The parent/caregiver

• Encourage students to organise, plan, complete and submit work on time.
• Provide a space for effective study and school work.
• Liaise with the school when a child is experiencing difficulties.
• Be informed about their child’s assessment program.

Additional ROSA assessment issues

Eligibility for a grade

To be eligible to earn a grade in a subject, students must meet the following requirements as established by the NESA.

1. Follow the course developed or endorsed by the Board.
   Expectation: the school will provide a program of study designed to satisfy the requirements of the syllabus issued for each subject. Students must ensure the program of study is adhered to through to completion.
2. Apply yourself with diligence and sustained effort to the set tasks and experiences provided in the course by the school.
   Expectation: students must attend school on a regular basis, being absent on as few occasions as possible. All absences must be explained by a parental/caregiver note that provides an acceptable reason. Excessive absence (more than 20%) jeopardises student achievement of a ROSA due to reduced ability to achieve the course outcomes and complete the course work.
   Expectation: in addition to the assessment tasks, the marks that determine a student’s grade will come from other homework, book work, excursions, activities and assignments that form part of the course must also be seriously attempted. 
3. Achieve some or all of the course outcomes.
   Expectation: students must make a genuine and serious attempt at assessment tasks. These tasks are used to determine the level of achievement of course outcomes for each student and therefore the final grade in each course. Where an assessment task is not attempted or where the attempt is clearly only a token effort, students place their ROSA in jeopardy.
   Expectation: students must have completed/submitted tasks adding up to at least 50% of the marks for a course otherwise an ‘N’ Determination may result. An ‘N’ Determination in a core subject (English, Mathematics, Science, History, PDHPE and Geography) will result in the student not receiving a ROSA. An ‘N’ Determination in a 200-Hour elective subject may have the same result.
4. Sit for and make a serious attempt at the Collegiate Examinations.
   Expectation: students must sit for and make a serious attempt on every collegiate examination. Any absence must be supported by a medical certificate or other appropriate documentation.
   Expectation: students must attempt each collegiate paper in a genuine and serious way. Not completing all sections of the paper, writing or drawing defamatory or silly things may be viewed as non-serious attempts.

Appeals 

Appeals for reconsideration of assessments of individual tasks must be lodged with the class teacher within one week of the return of the task in question. If this appeal is rejected by the Head Teacher, students may make a subsequent appeal to the Principal who will convene a Review Panel whose determination will be final. 

Some important conditions for the completion or submission of tasks

When tasks are due to be submitted or completed, the following conditions apply:

1. The completed task should be handed directly to the class teacher or to the head teacher if the teacher is absent (not a casual teacher).
2. The Assessment Task Register will be signed by the student when a task is submitted or as an indication of attendance for in-class tasks. 
3. A completed task cannot be delivered by leaving it on the teacher’s desk or submitting it to any other person without signing the register.
4. Students must be officially present all day when handing in, or completing a task – coming to school merely for the relevant period, then leaving, will be noted by the teacher as being submitted on the next full day of attendance. Teachers will check the absentee list to see if a student has breached this rule.

What if I am present at school but fail to complete/submit the task?

• When a task is carried out in class time (e.g. speech, a practical exam, class test) and a student fails to do the task the teacher will award a zero mark. The teacher may still require the task, or a substitute task to be completed in order to satisfy course requirements and to provide appropriate feedback.
• When a task is to be completed out of class time (e.g. assignment, project etc.) and a student fails to submit it, he/she will receive zero marks for the task. The teacher may still require the task, or a substitute task to be completed in order to provide appropriate feedback.
• Any absence without documented justification will be awarded a zero mark.