Developing school-based assessment programs
Formal school-based assessment in Stage 6
Schools will use school-based assessment requirements, included in course specific assessment and reporting materials, to develop a formal assessment program for each course. Formal assessment programs must also comply with requirements outlined in Assessment Certification Examination and the schools’ assessment policies and procedures for Stage 6.
Schools are required to provide written advice to students about the schools’ requirements for assessment including:
- formal assessment schedules at the commencement of each Year 11 and Year 12 course
- each formal assessment task.
The assessment policies must include statements of school procedures relating to:
- organisational details of the school’s assessment program for each course, giving the:
- number and types of assessment tasks
- components and weightings
- scheduling of the tasks.
- marking, recording and reporting student achievement in assessment tasks
- administrative arrangements associated with:
- absence from an assessment task
- late submission of tasks due to illness or misadventure, malpractice and invalid or unreliable tasks.
- student appeals against assessment rankings
- ‘N’ determinations.
Formal assessment schedule
Prior to the commencement of a course, teachers must develop an assessment schedule identifying formal assessment opportunities for students to demonstrate their achievement at certain points in the course.
The purpose of a formal assessment schedule is to provide an overview of course components and component weightings, and the number, type, timing and weighting of each task.
When developing a formal assessment schedule, teachers:
- use course-specific assessment and reporting materials to ensure the mandatory course components and component weightings are addressed
- provide opportunities for a range of task types that allow students to demonstrate what they know and can do in relation to course outcomes
- identify the appropriate timing of tasks in relation to the teaching and learning cycle, being mindful of the demands these tasks will place on students and teachers
- plan for assessment of a range of course outcomes, recognising that there is no requirement to formally assess all course content areas, topics or modules.
Measures of outcomes that address values and attitudes, or measures that reflect student conduct, should not be included in formal school-based assessment. Schools may choose to report on these separately.
There is no requirement for assessment schedules to include tasks with a greater weighting towards the end of the course.
Course components and component and weightings
Components for assessment include the course knowledge, understanding and skills. The weightings of components are consistent with their emphasis in the course.
Teachers plan each assessment task to reflect one or more related components. This ensures that assessment in relation to outcomes occurs across the course in a manageable way using a range of task types.
The components and weightings indicated in a formal assessment schedule will provide a framework for an assessment task type. The task types used must be appropriate to the components of the course being assessed.
The weighting of a component does not need to reflect the mark allocation assigned to a task. For example, an assessment task may be weighted in an assessment schedule at 20%. To provide a mark range that allows for discrimination between the performances of individual students, the maximum marks to be awarded for the task may be 30. This will be reflected in the marking guidelines. To maintain the task’s stated weighting, schools may consider using statistical methods when aggregating marks.
A range of sample formal assessment schedules are available for Stage 6 courses. Schools may choose to use a sample without amendment or make changes.
Formal assessment notification
Schools are required to provide students with written advice about the formal assessment requirements for each course.
For each formal task, schools must provide:
- adequate written notification in advance of the task (typically, 2 weeks)
- details of the task, including:
- task number
- timing
- outcomes assessed
- description of the nature of the task
- marking criteria
- feedback to be provided.
The task number, timing and outcomes must reflect the assessment schedule for a course.
The nature of the task should clearly describe for students the requirements and expectations of the task.
Marking criteria for the task should outline for students what will be assessed in relation to the outcomes.
Loading will be provided to students relating to their performance in the task that provides meaningful and useful information relative to the achievement of outcomes. Where appropriate, Loading should be provided at the time of the written notification.
Malpractice
Malpractice is:
- any dishonest behaviour and/or attempt to gain an unfair advantage over other students, and/or
- knowingly assisting other students to engage in malpractice.
For detailed information on malpractice and how it is treated read Malpractice in HSC exams and HSC minimum standard tests.
Schools are responsible for developing and administering their malpractice policy.
A school’s malpractice policy must outline the procedures for investigating suspected cases of malpractice, the range of possible penalties, the decision makers for malpractice cases, and the appeals process for students. The policy must also inform students that incidents of malpractice in HSC school-based assessment will be recorded in the Malpractice Register.
Schools must provide students with the school’s malpractice policy at the commencement of their Preliminary studies, including information of what constitutes malpractice in school-based assessment to support their understanding.
Students are responsible for familiarising themselves with their school’s malpractice policy.
As part of their malpractice policy, schools may wish to establish a panel to review malpractice cases including appeals from students. Composition of this panel could include three members of the school executive, not from the faculty in which the case has arisen. The panel should review each malpractice case on its merits, considering all the issues, in order to arrive at a fair conclusion and make recommendations to the principal.
Where student conduct constituting malpractice has been established, the school must follow their malpractice policy to impose a penalty appropriate to the seriousness of the offence. Schools must advise students of their right to appeal the penalty decision and provide information on the process to appeal the decision. Where a student is found to have engaged in malpractice in an HSC school-based assessment task, schools must record the offence in the Malpractice Register in Schools Online.
Schools may also provide advice to parents about what constitutes malpractice.
It is important for schools to establish sound processes for monitoring student work, including measures to improve the deterrence and detection of malpractice in school-based assessment.
Depending on the nature of the assessment tasks, there are a number of strategies teachers can implement to deter malpractice including:
- providing advice to students on what constitutes malpractice and how to avoid it
- thoroughly briefing all students in relation to the requirements, nature and expectations for completing each task, including assessment conditions and required materials for in-class tasks
- allocating class time to planning and drafting an initial response to the task, where possible
- maintaining a logbook, process diary or journal to show how a student's response, project, or work was developed
- asking students to submit a draft of the task or section for monitoring at critical points in its development
- having students submit their original drafts in addition to their final work
- communicating clearly to students the extent of teacher, parent, tutor or subject expert involvement permitted in the development of the work
- requiring students to reference their work
- monitoring authorship of student work in a consistent manner across the school.
Schools are responsible for providing guidance to students about the Loading in schools, including whether generative AI is permissible for that school-based assessment task or course.
School-based assessment tasks assess student achievement at a single point in time. However, some task types may require students to research or develop work over a longer period. For such tasks, teachers are encouraged to implement monitoring processes at key point(s) to assist in determining student authorship. This may include reviewing draft work, questioning and discussion with student(s) or opportunities for student self-reflection.
Some Stage 6 courses require students to complete a project, submitted work, or performance that is externally marked. Supervising teachers in such courses must monitor student work to be able to complete the Loading .
Related information
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