Scotch College

VCAA and Scotch College Policies and Procedures

Satisfactory Completion

For Satisfactory Completion (S) of a Unit to be attained a student must demonstrate achievement of each of the Outcomes for that Unit as specified in the Study Design. The decision is based on the Class Teacher’s judgments of the student’s performance on Coursework designated for that Unit.

Achievement of Outcomes means:

• the work meets the required standard

• the work is submitted on time

• the work is clearly the student’s own

• there has been no breach of rules

If all Outcomes are achieved, the student receives S for the Unit.

A student may be awarded Not Satisfactory (N) if:

• the work is not of the required standard

• the student has failed to meet a school deadline for the assessment task, including when an extension of time has been granted for any reason

• the work cannot be authenticated

• there has been a substantive breach of rules including school attendance rules

If any of the Outcomes are not achieved, the student receives N for the Unit. If a student has completed work but there has been a substantive breach of class attendance, the student may be awarded N.

REPORTING

For Units 1 and 2, S or N only will be reported to the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Scotch College will issue to parents a written interim report, known as a Progress Report, twice during each semester. A detailed written report of school-assessed work and for Scotch College examinations, including grades and comments about level of performance and application to work, will be issued to parents at the end of Semester One and Semester Two.

Units 3 and 4 assessment of S or N will be reported to the VCAA as well as results for School-Assessed Coursework (SAC) and School-Assessed Tasks (SAT). Year 12 Parent/Teacher interviews will occur during Term 1 and Term 3. Students’ levels of performance will be reported twice during each Semester. Students will be informed about their coursework scores, and they will be reminded that these are subject to moderation by VCAA.

RULES FOR PREPARING WORK FOR ASSESSMENT

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority prescribe six rules which students must observe when preparing work for assessment. These rules apply also to School Assessed Coursework and School Assessed Tasks.

1. A student must ensure that all unacknowledged work submitted for Coursework Assessment is genuinely his own.

2. Students must acknowledge all resources used, including:

• text and source material

• the name(s) and status of any person(s) who provided assistance and the type of assistance provided

3. Students must not receive undue assistance from any other person in the preparation and submission of work. Acceptable levels of assistance include:

• the incorporation of ideas or material derived from other sources (e.g. by reading, viewing or note taking) but which has been transformed by the student and used in a new context

• prompting and general advice from another person or source which leads to refinements

• and/or self-correction

Unacceptable forms of assistance include:

• use of, or copying of, another person’s work or other resources without acknowledgement

• actual corrections or improvements made or dictated by another person

4. Students must not submit the same piece of work for assessment more than once.

5. Students who knowingly assist other students in a Breach of Rules may be penalised.

Scotch College is responsible for administering the VCE rules and instructions. The School has developed courses that will provide opportunities for each student to satisfactorily complete his VCE studies and to complete the required graded assessments.

Each department will provide clear, written details of:

• the work students need to complete

• how to submit work

• time-lines and deadlines for completing work

• procedures to resubmit work, if necessary

• details of what must be submitted to achieve satisfactory completion

USING A COMPUTER

A student who uses a computer to produce work for assessment is responsible for ensuring that:

• an alternative system is available in case of computer/printer malfunction or unavailability

• hard copies of the work in progress are produced regularly

• each time changes are made the work is saved onto a back-up file

A student does not have grounds for an accommodation such as an extension of deadline, if he is affected by computer or printer failure. If a student has problems of this nature, he may obtain a loan of a Scotch College computer for a brief period, if he has purchased one through Scotch College. Applications are made through the Head of Year. Computers should be handled with great care. They can be damaged easily by negligent treatment. Computer screens are particularly prone to damage. Negligence is not covered in the Scotch College insurance scheme.

Computers must not be left unattended at any time. They are sometimes left in classrooms, at lockers, on public transport, outside a shop, etc. There is no guarantee that any insurance company will cover a loss in these situations. Students must be vigilant at all times.

Retain backup copies of all work. It is recommended that while a student is working, he save to the hard disk at least every hour and all files should be saved to backup data stick or CDs at the end of every evening work session. These should then be stored independently of the computer in case of damage, loss or theft. It is an unfortunate but familiar situation each year that a hard disk crashes at a crucial stage of development of coursework assessments. This situation will involve minimal disruption if backup copies have been saved as described above.

In Units 3/4 it is possible for a few VCE examinations to be attempted using a computer when there is a recognised and documented disability. Students need to complete rigorous tests with Education Support Unit who also complete extensive documentation.

Attendance

Scotch College requires 100% attendance. Class Teachers, Tutors and Heads of Year will maintain a roll every lesson. All students must be present in class by 8.35 am each school day. Any student who arrives after 8:35 am will not be permitted to enter class without obtaining a ‘late-to-school’ pass from the VCE Office. If a student arrives at any other time he must contact his Head of Year and sign the late book at the VCE office.

If, for any reason, students must be absent, for example, for a medical appointment, driving test, college interview, etc., prior permission must be obtained from the Head of Year. Students must attempt to schedule appointments during free periods or lunchtime. Written communication signed by a parent or carer must be presented to each teacher whose classes are missed. A VCE student who is departing before 3:15 pm must sign out unless he has no class Period 6.

Most Coursework tasks are completed in class under timed conditions. This does not preclude some of the work being completed out of class, for example, when students use computers to produce work. Teachers must be able to authenticate work as the student’s own.

In exceptional cases an absence from School Assessed Coursework or Task (SAC or SAT) may be authorised. An authorised absence requires:

• a medical certificate upon return to school or

• a telephone call to the school on or before the day of the absence or

• a note from a parent or guardian to the Head of Year and Class Teacher, on the day of return accompanied by appropriate documentation

In exceptional circumstances (illness, funeral, personal crisis etc.) absence from a SAC may be authorised. An authorised absence requires appropriate documentation, for example, a doctor’s certificate, notification of a personal tragedy or a phone call explaining the nature of a very serious situation that calls for a student to miss a SAC or SAT.

If a student misses a SAC there are three possible responses:

• an alternative time is arranged to complete the same task as the rest of the class

• an alternative task is created for the student to complete

• if neither the above is possible, an estimated score is derived, based on the average of his other SAC scores

If a student has not met these requirements the Scotch College VCE Panel (Head of Department, Head of Year and Head of Upper School) will decide if there is sufficient evidence for the student to receive Satisfactory Completion for Coursework and/or the Unit.

If a student is absent at the time of a SAC or SAT, a medical certificate or other acceptable evidence must be provided in order for an alternative assessment or time to be arranged. Students will be required to complete an alternative task at a time designated by the school or if this is not possible, an Estimated Grade will be statistically determined.

If a student is required to be absent due to a school activity such as school sport, a school play or field trip, alternative arrangements will be made for assessment only if the student notifies the Class Teacher, Head of Department and Head of Year before the event.

TIMELINES and DEADLINES

The VCAA sets submission dates for the reporting of Unit completion. The Scotch College SAC dates are listed on a separate document, SAC Dates 2009, in Learning Point. In setting these dates, consideration has been given to the way they will affect the workload of students and teachers as well as the VCAA assessment submission dates.

Teachers will confirm assessment dates for all SACs and SATs. All Units 1 to 4 Coursework must be submitted in class on the designated day or within the timeframe published.

AUTHENTICATION

A student must submit for assessment only work that is demonstrably his own. All assistance received by a student in producing work must be acknowledged and be obvious to the reader. Students must be responsible for ensuring that the teacher has no difficulty in authenticating his work. For SACs and SATs, students will follow the authentication procedures described by the class teacher. This may vary according to department and the nature of the task.

VCAA rules about acknowledgement of work must be followed. In the case of a Breach of Rules relating to authentication, a student may be required to provide evidence of the development of his work. In some instances students may be required to demonstrate their understanding by interview and/or repeat part or the entire task. The Scotch College VCE Panel will determine the consequences of all Breaches of Rules.

EXTENSION OF TIME

Scotch College is able to grant extensions of time for the completion of some Coursework, SACs and SATs for the purposes of deciding Satisfactory Completion. An extension of time may extend from the first to the second semester but not into the next school year.

The VCE Panel may set an alternative assessment task selected from the options provided in the study design or an alternative topic.

There are few extensions of time for SACs or SATs as they are completed in class and contribute to the overall study score. Once a SAC or SAT has been attempted, it cannot be attempted a second time for the sake of a change in score.

Application for extension procedures include:

• application form for an extension to be obtained from the Head of Year

• consultation with Class Teacher, Head of Department and Head of Year

• period of the extension determined, student notified, and new submission date established

DRAFTING

Students are encouraged to prepare thoroughly for each SAC and/or SAT. Teachers must not comment on work being drafted for SACs. They can discuss the nature of the work but must not provide specific comment on the actual work being attempted for formal assessment. Teachers will not assess or provide written comments on any draft of work that is to be submitted for Coursework Assessment.

WORD LIMITS

Relevant departments will provide specific information regarding individual studies. If stated it is VCAA and Scotch College policy to adhere strictly to these rules.

FEEDBACK TO STUDENTS

After work is submitted and assessed, teachers may provide feedback to students. Appropriate feedback includes:

• advice on particular problem areas

• advice on where and how improvements can be made for further learning

• reporting S/N decisions and/or written comments on students’ performance in an Outcome

• results of a SAC or SAT as a numerical score which contributes to the overall study score

In providing this feedback teachers may indicate to students their scores or grades on individual SACs or SATs. When providing the scores or grades, teachers will advise students that their total Coursework scores may change following statistical moderation. A student may resubmit work to meet satisfactory completion requirements of a Unit; however, he may not resubmit tasks for the reconsideration of SAC or SAT scores awarded by Scotch College.

Students’ total scores for Coursework will be statistically moderated, not the scores for individual SACs or SATs. Students will receive a score indicating their level of performance with the understanding that this score may be changed by the VCAA due to review or by VTAC after statistical moderation.

STORAGE OF STUDENT WORK

Students must retain copies of Coursework submitted, notes, drafts or materials used in the process of completing Coursework until the end of the year. The VCAA may request any materials relevant to assessment by Scotch College. Students may also be required to photocopy their work for review processes. Some Departments may keep SACs but will provide necessary feedback to students.

LOST, STOLEN or DAMAGED WORK

The teacher or student who has lost work, or has had work stolen or damaged, must make a written statement, possibly including a statutory declaration.

The statement must be signed and dated. Scotch College will keep a record of the loss or damage and on the basis of records kept, shall determine the Unit result for the student. Note, however, that none of this applies to work lost or damaged due to computer misuse or malfunction. Students’ responsibilities for proper management of computer material are set out above.

Special Provision

Special Provision provides eligible students with the reasonable opportunity to participate in and complete their VCE studies. Individual students may need special provision in their learning program to achieve the learning outcomes and in assessment to demonstrate their learning and achievement.

The provisions are available to Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) students. Implicit in the provisions is that students enrol in VCE studies with a reasonable expectation of being able to achieve the outcomes of the study design. Students need to demonstrate their achievement fairly in both the School assessment program and the VCE examinations.

Students who are eligible for Special Provision are not exempt from meeting the requirements for Satisfactory Completion of the VCE or from being assessed against the outcomes for a study. The underlying principle of Special Provision is to ensure that the most appropriate, fair and reasonable arrangements and options are available for students to demonstrate their capabilities if their learning and assessment programs are affected by illness, impairment or personal circumstances.

Special Provision does not include the development of alternative courses of study with standards of achievement that are different from those specified in VCE study designs. Special Provision cannot be used to compensate for learning that has not occurred.

The guiding principles which must be satisfied in all the forms of Special Provision are:

• the provision should provide equivalent, alternative arrangements for students

• the provision should not confer an advantage to any student over other students

Special eligibility criteria apply to the granting of Special Provision for the VCE. Students who are eligible for integration funding may not necessarily meet the eligibility criteria for Special Provision in the VCE.

There are four forms of Special Provision for the VCE:

• student programs

• school-based assessment

• Special Examination Arrangements

• Derived Examination Score (DES)

Special eligibility requirements apply for each form of Special Provision. Details of Special Provision can be found at the VCAA website: www.vcaa.vic.edu.au