Assessment+and+Reporting+Policy+and+Rationale

=** Apocrypha Secondary College Assessment and Reporting Policy **=

** Preface **
To assess is to collect and evaluate information about how much knowledge and skill students have learned in order to judge each student’s level of learning. Reporting then recognizes each student’s achievement of learning outcomes in an official statement. At Apocrypha Secondary College, the primary purpose of assessment and reporting is to advance student and teacher learning and development. For this reason, formative assessment is strongly encouraged. Assessment and reporting are major components of teaching and learning. This policy outlines the structure and guidelines in which learning is assessed and reported at Apocrypha Secondary College.

// 1.1 //// For students: //
Assessments and reports are a means of recognizing areas of strength and need and motivating and improving subsequent learning through clear, informative, timely, and relevant feedback. Ultimately, the goal of assessment and reporting is to help students develop the ability to evaluate the quality of their own work in order to prepare them to be professionals with a commitment to life-long learning.

// 1.2 //// For teachers: //
Assessments and reports help collect information about students' learning which will help teachers judge student progress and achievements and support and direct future teaching and learning.

// 1.3 //// For school: //
Information about students' achievements is valuable for planning and improving the quality of the school courses and programs. Also, assessments and reports provide the school with valid proof of students’, teachers’, and the school’s progress and accomplishments.

// 1.4 //// For community: //
Assessments and reports are necessary in order for the greater community to recognize the credibility and accountability of the school. Employers and accredited bodies use reports to distinguish between Apocrypha Secondary College and other educational institutions.

** 2.0 Assessment **
A variety of summative, formative and ongoing assessment will be used throughout the entire period of each course with formative assessment being the mode used most often. Various different methods will be used to assess knowledge, skills and behaviours. The process as well as the final product of assessment may be monitored. Assessment will occur sequentially and link to course outcomes. Assessment should incorporate the strands of physical, personal and social learning, discipline-based learning, and interdisciplinary learning.

2.1 //Independent work//
Independent assessment activities may include: various types of tests or examinations, presentations, practical tasks, technology based performance assessment, and negotiated tasks.

2.1.1 //National Assessment Program- Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)//
==== All students in years 7 and 9 take national tests in Literacy and Numeracy. Content being assessed include: reading, writing, language conventions, and numeracy. Individual students and their parents will be given reports which will indicate each student’s level of achievement. ====

2.1.2 //VCE Assessment//
In order to complete a VCE unit, students must satisfactorily achieve each of the unit outcomes listed in the study design. Graded assessments in Units 3 and 4 are completed through School Assessed Coursework (SACs), School Assessed Tasks (SATs) and VCAA examinations. In order to complete VET, students must demonstrate competence in core and elective modules. Students may also be assessed on coursework and a VCAA examination. In order to complete VCAL requirements, a student must earn 10 credits across the specific curriculum strands: literacy and numeracy, industry specific and work related skills, and personal development. Although assessments are not graded, students must attend sufficient instruction and training time in order to achieve competency in VCAL learning outcomes.

Students must complete all SACs/ SATs prescribed in the unit guidelines to receive an S. Students absent for legitimate reasons must complete a supervised rescheduled SAC which must be arranged before the absence (if predictable) and completed at the earliest possible time. Rescheduled SACs will not be scored unless appropriate documentation is provided within 3 school days of the student’s return. Failure to complete SACs/SATs without legitimate reasons may result in an N for the unit.

2.2 //Group work//
Group assessment tasks may include: presentations, debates, practical tasks, research or ICT projects, negotiated tasks, and peer mentoring. The collaborative processes are to be assessed in addition to the final products.

Students will be provided with detailed instructions of the project and expectations of the group. Teachers must ensure that they can judge the individual contribution of each student. Therefore procedures for establishing roles and responsibilities, means of determining the individual contributions, and procedures for resolving disputes or dealing with uncooperative members will be addressed accordingly based on the student behaviour and discipline policy.

It is the responsibility of the teacher to set specific guidelines and procedures for upholding fairness, consistency and respectful judgements of other student’s work. Guidelines, procedures, and the relevance of peer assessment should be explained and conveyed clearly to students.

We encourage students to monitor and reflect upon their own achievements and progress. Means of self-assessment may include a revision and correction of assignments, clarification of meaning and purpose, analysis of and evaluation of personal strengths, weaknesses, and attitudes. =** 2.4 // Assessment of students with special needs //**= Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) will be designed for students identified with special needs to inform the planning, delivery and assessment of the student’s educational program. The ILP is developed by teachers in collaboration with the student’s guardians and the student welfare officer. Students on ILPs may have assessments modified by a reduction in the number or length of assessment tasks, the provision of extra time to complete work or the provision of individualised assignments.

3.1 //Teachers’ responsibilities://
Teachers must have a clear and consistent submission policy for each of their classes, which addresses advance notice of due dates. This policy should apply across the entire unit and not vary from class to class or student to student. The expectation should be that assignment dates be adhered to unless different circumstances are negotiated with individual students prior to the due date.

3.2 //Students’ responsibilities://
Students are expected to submit assignments on specified due dates unless different circumstances are previously negotiated on an individual basis.

Continual late submission will be dealt with according to the rules stated in the behaviour and discipline policy. Students may request an extension or exemption prior to the due date when the submission date cannot be met for a legitimate reason. The teacher will determine the length of the extension granted. Students must be made aware of any penalties that may still apply.

Continual late submission will be dealt with according to the rules stated in the behaviour and discipline policy.

** 4.0 **** Provision of assessment information to students **
Teachers should clearly explain the task, criteria, purpose, expectations, due dates, and assessment process for each assignment. Assessment information should be provided in writing and emailed to each student’s school email address. Students should be reminded of the submission policy.

** 5.0 Academic integrity **
Academic integrity is the honest, responsible, and respectful pursuit of scholarly activity. Apocrypha Secondary College regards academic integrity as a fundamental value. All students are required to adhere to the standard of academic integrity for all assessments. Teachers must provide a written statement urging students to adhere to the standard of academic integrity.

Plagiarism and cheating are considered serious offenses and will be dealt with according to the behaviour and discipline policy**.**

Each student’s progress can be reported by comparing the students' work against a standards framework of course outcomes, the students' prior and current learning achievements, or the student’s achievements with other students’ achievements. Although formative assessment may only be used to monitor a student’s progress and facilitate learning, summative assessments must be used in order to assign a grade which summarizes a student’s overall learning. Each student’s achievements will be officially reported. Reports may be displayed in a number of ways including: formal reports, student profiles, basic skills tests, parent and student interviews, annotations on student work, comments in workbooks, portfolios, certificates and awards. Teachers are responsible for ensuring that assessment of work is returned to students securely, confidentially, and in a timely manner.

Informative and constructive feedback on minor assessment tasks should be provided regularly and in time to be useful for subsequent assessment.

** 6.2 // Progress reports //**
Progress reports in for each student in each key knowledge area are collated by homeroom teachers and issued in terms 1 and 3. Reports will not include grades but will describe the performance and attitude of each student. Any concerns about the student’s progress will be indicated.

6.3 //Semester reports//
Semester reports include grades and comments on student’s performance, attitude, strengths, and areas for further development in each key knowledge area. Reports will provide further information about the student’s involvement in school programs and social development. An attendance record is also displayed on reports

// 6.4 // //Parent/teacher interviews//
Apocrypha Secondary College strongly encourages parents or guardians to attend interviews with each student’s teachers. Interviews take place shortly after progress reports are distributed. Interviews should be kept short, but parents and teachers may arrange a mutually convenient meeting if more time is necessary.

Achievement grades are awarded in each subject to all students in all year levels at the end of each term. The following table shows the grade and its corresponding meaning. VCE unit grades:
 * 80-100% || A || Student demonstrated outstanding achievement of the knowledge, understanding, and skills expected. ||
 * 70-79% || B || Student demonstrated high achievement of the knowledge, understanding, and skills expected. ||
 * 60-69% || C || Student demonstrated sound achievement of the knowledge, understanding, and skills expected. ||
 * 50-59% || D || Student demonstrated basic achievement of the knowledge, understanding, and skills expected. ||
 * 40-50% || E || Student demonstrated limited achievement of the knowledge, understanding, and skills expected. ||
 * Below-40% || UG || Ungraded ||
 * S || Satisfactory ||
 * N || Not satisfactory ||

** 7.0 Appeals **
A student may choose to appeal a grade given on an assessment task. The students must first discuss the task, grade, and reason for appeal with the teacher of the course. Teachers should have a clear and consistent policy to address appeals in a fair manner. If the student is not satisfied with the teacher’s decision, they should then request a grade review by the head teacher of the department. If the matter is still unresolved, the student may submit a formal written appeal to the principal, detailing the grounds for the appeal. Appeals should be addressed the day following the issue of reports or soon after.

=** Assessment and Reporting Rationale **=

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Apocrypha Secondary College recognizes that the central purpose of assessment and reporting is to improve performance of learning and teaching. This is because assessment is used to determine where each student is in his or her learning and to make judgements that can help the student decide on the next step of learning. (Dillon & Maguire 2007) ======

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Assessment also helps recognize areas of strength and need and provides a means of judging the level of learning with qualitatively and quantitatively measurable results that can be compared to standards. (Snowman et al 2009) ======

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In the anticipation of the introduction of a national curriculum, assessment for accountability has become more prominent. In this regard, assessment is a means to check that schools offer adequate educational provision for students. Recently, the government has determined accountability by comparing schools’ state-wide examination results, which provides comparative measures of success and progress. (Dillon & Maguire 2007) ======

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Apocrypha Secondary College’s policy on the use of summative, formative and ongoing assessment are in accordance with VELS (VELS website, August 2009) and are necessary for determining what learning has taken place, informing the next step for learning, and continually progressing toward new goals and higher standards (Dillon & Maguire 2007). ======

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The assessment of knowledge, skills and behaviours specific to course outcomes should be sequential and integrate with various other aspects of learning in order for students to develop a deep understanding which can be transferred to new and different contexts. (VELS website, August 2009) This integrated outcomes-approach to teaching and learning is necessary because young people face a highly competitive and changing world which has increased the demand for schools to develop competent citizens, capable of flexible thinking and independent and lifelong learning. (DET website, August 2009) ======

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Apocrypha Secondary College encourages a great range of assessment strategies because evidence suggests that it helps motivate and engage students (Gardner & Hatch, 1989). Additionally, it ensures equal opportunity for success regardless of students' age, gender, disability, culture, background language, socio-economic status, geographic location, or preferred learning style. (DET website, August 2009 & Smith & Joseph 1984) ======

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This policy stipulates that the Victorian curriculum and assessment authority (VCAA) is responsible for providing curriculum standards for primary and secondary school students from Years Prep to 10 and for the administration of National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) in Victoria. The VCAA requires that Victorian students complete examinations and assessment tasks as a means of implementing the national curriculum. The data from the assessment results gives schools and systems the ability to compare their students’ achievements against national standards and with student achievement in other states and territories. (VCAA website, August 2009) ======

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Assessment of group work is necessary in order to encourage students to become aware of the importance of cooperation and communication of personal ideas, experiences, and interpretations with other students. (Snowman et al 2009) Furthermore, group work incorporates physical, personal, and social learning with the disciplinary strand, and the VCAA advocates such integration. (VCAA website, August 2009). ======

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Peer assessment is encouraged because it integrates the disciplinary strand with the physical, personal, and social learning strand by allowing for students to develop higher order thinking skills through critical and fair evaluation and justification of assessments for fellow classmates. (Snowman et al 2009). Also, teachers benefit from having students assess one another because it can increase assessment efficiency in situations where the teacher might not be able to critically and accurately analyse all student interactions and participation (Dillon & Maguire 2007). ======

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Apocrypha Secondary College supports student self-assessment because, upon critical examination of their own work, students consider what they do well, where they need help, and set new and reasonable goals for themselves. In this way, students begin to take responsibility for their own learning (Boud 1989). ======

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The purpose of the “assessment submission, “provision of assessment information,” and “academic integrity” clauses are to ensure that teacher’s expectations of assessments exist, are communicated clearly to all students, and remain consistent despite various student backgrounds or situations that may arise (Dillon & Maguire 2007 and Snowman et al 2009). ======

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Reports, which may or may not include grades, are a form of valid and constructive feedback (Murphy & Broadfoot, 1995) which evidence shows promotes learning by providing corrective information and reinforcement of appropriate behaviours (Mory 1992). ======

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Providing reports is in accordance with the education and training reform regulations, which states that information on the school’s performance must be made available to the school community once a year. Information must include: details of student learning outcomes achieved on statewide tests and examinations and information on attendance rates. Also, each parent or guardian of a student enrolled at the school and the student must have access to accurate information about the student’s performance at school. The access to information includes at least 2 written reports relating to the students performance from the school to the parent or guardian in each year of enrolment at the student (Reform Regulations 2009). ====== Parent teacher interviews help the school to ensure that each student’s guardians are informed and involved with their child’s education. Apocrypha Secondary College supports familial involvement because evidence suggests that effectiveness of classroom learning is enhanced if teachers and parents work together (Freiberg & Stein 1999). Apocrypha Secondary College approves an appeal process because students have a right to contest assessment results if they believe their work was incorrectly or unfairly judged.