Assessment and Reporting Policy

Years 7 – 10

Rossmoyne Senior High School offers students a balanced curriculum, providing them with opportunities to achieve the outcomes of the eight Learning Areas in accordance with the Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline (The Outline).

 Teachers use the Western Australian Curriculum to plan student learning programs, assess student progress and report to parents.

Curriculum Requirements

Throughout Years 7-10 students are required to study English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences and Health and Physical Education.

In Years 7 and 8 students will study at least two of the five Arts subjects each year (including at least one performance arts context (Dance, Drama, or Music) and one visual arts context (Media Arts, Photography or Visual Arts).

In Years 7 and 8 students will study both Digital Technologies and Design & Technologies. As Design & Technologies has contexts, students will be given the opportunity to study from a range of contexts including Electronics/Robotics, Food Technology, Textiles and Wood/Metal Technology.

In Years 7 – 9 the study of a Language (Chinese, French, German, Japanese) is required at Rossmoyne Senior High School.

As students’ progress to Years 9 and 10 they will have more opportunity to engage in higher levels of specialisation in particular learning areas.

Modified Curriculum

Where there is a legitimate reason for a student to follow a modified curriculum (for example, gifted and talented students, students with disability and additional learning needs, students for whom English is an additional language/dialect) the Learning Support Coordinator and Associate Principal will negotiate the variation with the student and parents/carers and document decisions made. A Special Educational Needs (SEN) Report will reflect the child’s educational progress in the agreed modified curriculum.

Exemption from Particular Classes

Section 72 of the School Education Act 1999 provides for a parent/carer, on the grounds of conscientious objection based on personal, philosophical, religious or educational belief to ask an exemption for a child from attendance at classes at which a particular part of a course is taught. Requests for an exemption should be put in writing to the Principal and are considered on a case by case basis.

 Assessment

The word assessment comes from the Latin asseddere, to sit beside, and reflects the notion of assessment being more than just testing and measuring but an on-going process of teachers giving feedback and planning subsequent learning programs.  Assessment can be formative (conducted during the learning cycle) or summative (at the end of the learning cycle).  Formative assessment is essentially assessment for learning. For example, mind maps, oral responses, quizzes, essay plans submitted for feedback and brainstorms.  Summative is essentially assessment of learning.  For example, tests, common assessment task and exams.

Student responsibilities

It is the student’s responsibility to:

• complete all set tasks by the due date;
• understand the necessity for, and support the teacher to maintain, files of assessed work in case required by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA);
• maintain a good record of behaviour and attendance (a student who is absent from a class for five lessons or more per term is deemed to be ‘at risk’ of not achieving to their full potential);
• advise teachers concerning absence from class, missed in-class assessment tasks, requests for extension before the due date for out-of-class assessment tasks and other matters relating to assessment; and
• complete classwork, homework and revision tasks which may or may not be formally assessed but are essential to the teaching and learning program.

Teacher responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the teacher to:

• develop a teaching/learning program that meets the syllabus requirements;
• provide students (electronically/hard copy) with a course outline and an assessment outline at the start of the course. The course outline will include a summary of topics, skills to be developed, links to the next body of work. The assessment outline will include information about type and timing of the assessment and its weighting. If any amendments need to be made to this information, the teacher will ensure all students are advised and ensure that assessments are fair, valid and reliable;
• use a range of assessment tools when assessing student learning (marks from tests, observations, digital recordings of student performance, portfolios, anecdotal evidence etc);
• make provision for students who miss an assessment for valid reasons;
• encourage students to always complete work to the best of their ability and advise them of the consequences of cheating, plagiarism and collusion;
• maintain files of assessed work in case required by SCSA;
• provide students with timely assessment feedback and guidance;
• advise parents/carers via SEQTA (or Letters of Commendation or phone calls) where a student has completed work that deserves commendation and SEQTA (or Letters of Concern or phone calls) if a student’s performance is lower than expected;
• provide information to parents/carers on how a student’s achievement compares with the student’s peer group, on request from the parent/carer;
• use achievement information when planning programs;
• maintain accurate records of student achievement;
• meet school and external timelines for assessment and reporting (see below);
• administer national and state-wide assessments and use the data to inform their judgements about student achievements;
• adjust assessment conditions for nominated students; and
• engage in regular professional learning and make use of support materials including Judging Standards (achievement standards, assessment pointers and annotated work samples) to make valid and reliable judgements when determining whether students can demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to the year level achievement standard.

Parent/Carer responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the parent to:

• provide information to the school on enrolment about students with special needs so that a student’s special needs can be discussed to ensure that the school can provide the most appropriate program. This includes information regarding any physical impairment;
• contact the teacher in the first instance (then the specific Head of Learning Area (HOLA) if there are concerns about performance in a specific course;
• contact Student Central if there is a general academic, social or emotional problem. Early identification is vital particularly where students are diagnosed with a learning disability or disorder;
• make appointments with teachers for parent nights and at other times as needed;
• provide evidence for absence when their child is absent from an assessment or test. eg. Medical Certificate.

Plagiarism, cheating, collusion and academic misconduct

Integrity is an iCARE value at Rossmoyne Senior High School and academic integrity is an important aspect of education. Academic misconduct refers to conduct of a student that is dishonest or unfair with regards to work submitted as part of an assessment. Academic misconduct may provide an advantage to the student responsible for the misconduct or to other students.

All of the work in each individual assessment task must be the work of the student.

Students are not permitted to submit for marking/rating, as original, any work that is:

• identical or similar material to the work of another person (e.g. another student, a parent, a tutor, or teacher);
• identical, or similar material to a published work unless the source is acknowledged in referencing or footnotes; or
• identical or similar to their own previously submitted work.

Students should not behave in a way that provides an advantage to other students. Any sharing of assessment information such as assessment questions, concepts assessed or not assessed is called collusion (whether intended or not) and provides some students with an unfair advantage. Some examples of collusion include (but are not limited to):

• informal conversations about the assessment before all students have completed the assessment
• written notes, handed to other students;
• text messages with assessment information shared with others; and
• any sharing of assessment information on social media.

In the case of group-tasks or take-home assessments, classroom teachers will provide guidelines regarding responsibilities of group members to ensure the integrity of the assessment.
Students may need to complete a cover sheet/declaration for major assignments, which is to be signed and submitted with completed tasks.

If it is demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that a student has plagiarised or cheated the following penalties will apply:

• a mark of zero for the whole assessment task, or
• a mark of zero for part of the assessment where the teacher can identify the part of the assessment task that has been copied or plagiarised.

If it demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that a student has provided an unfair advantage to another student through collusion, then penalties will be applied to all students involved.

If a student is believed to have engaged in academic misconduct including plagiarism, cheating or collusion, the teacher will refer the matter to the HOLA. As part of this process, the student will be provided with the right of reply. This matter will be investigated, parents/carers will be informed, and appropriate sanctions applied.

Reporting

 Ongoing Reporting

Teachers provide rich feedback to students via SEQTA on an ongoing basis, and this supplements summative report comments. This feedback can provide parents with a useful insight on their child’s progress with their learning. Teachers also report informally to parents on student progress throughout the year, including SEQTA notes, emails, or telephone calls.

Teachers complete Interim Reports for Year 7 students, usually issued towards the end of Term 1 of the school year.

Formal reporting

At the end of each semester parents/carers will be provided with a formal report.  The report will include an assessment of the student’s achievement in terms of the Western Australian achievement standards, as detailed in the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline (the Outline).

The Semester One grade is an indicative grade, while the Semester Two grade is the final grade for the year.

This assessment of student achievement will be in terms of Letter Grade.

Grade Descriptions

A	Excellent	The student demonstrates excellent achievement of what is expected for this year level
B	High	The student demonstrates high achievement of what is expected for this year level
C	Satisfactory	The student demonstrates satisfactory achievement of what is expected for this year level
D	Limited	The student demonstrates limited achievement of what is expected for this year level
E	Very Low	The student demonstrates very low achievement of what is expected for this year level

For some students, the school differentiates the curriculum to cater for their individual learning needs. If a child is enrolled in a certain pathway with a modified curriculum, they may also be assigned a ‘Pathway Grade’. The Pathway grade is based on a student’s achievement within the pathway’s modified curriculum. The school has different pathways in English, Mathematics, Humanities, Science and Languages.

A Special Educational Needs (SEN) Report will reflect a child’s educational progress in an individualised modified curriculum.

The Report will also include information about a student’s attitude, behaviour and effort; and include any additional information the school considers relevant, including an overall teacher comment.

Learning Area Reporting Requirements for each semester

Learning Area	Reporting Requirements
English	The school will report one grade (A-E). A ‘pathway grade’ may be included if a child is enrolled in a modified program
Mathematics	The school will report one grade (A-E). A ‘pathway grade’ may be included if a child is enrolled in a modified program
Science	The school will report one grade (A-E). A ‘pathway grade’ may be included if a child is enrolled in a modified program
Humanities and Social Sciences	The school will report one grade (A-E). A ‘pathway grade’ may be included if a child is enrolled in a modified program
Health and Physical Education	The school will report one grade (A-E) for Health and one grade (A-E) for Physical Education
Languages	The school will report one grade (A-E). A ‘pathway grade’ may be included if a child is enrolled in a modified program
Technologies	The school will report one grade (A-E)  for Design and Technologies and/or one grade (A-E) for Digital Technologies, dependent on the student’s program for the semester
The Arts	The school will report one grade (A-E)  in a Performing Arts subject and/or one grade (A-E) in a Visual Arts subject, dependent on the student’s program for the semester

 Updated: March 2022 

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Assessment and Reporting Policy Years 11-12

(Senior Secondary Assessment Policy)

Assessment guidelines for students in Years 11 and 12 are set by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority). All information regarding assessment will be provided to students at the beginning of their course. (Year 10 students who are enrolled in Year 11 ATAR courses will also be covered by this policy for those particular courses).

All Year 11 and 12 students are enrolled in a combination of ATAR, General, Foundation and VET courses and are aiming to achieve a West Australian Certificate of Education (WACE).  This policy covers the assessment of all the Authority accredited courses. VET programs are undertaken through and assessed by the Department of Training or a Registered Training Organisation.

All students are enrolled in a pair of units. In each pair of units, there are assessment tasks which may include end of semester exams or Externally Set Tasks (for Year 12 General and Foundation courses).

Each assessment task provides evidence that a teacher uses to assign a grade at the completion of a pair of units. Assessment tasks are completed in-class or out-of-class.  Teachers use a variety of strategies to ensure that assessment tasks are valid and authentic indicators of student achievement.

When there is more than one class studying the same pair of units, teachers use strategies to ensure that no students are unfairly advantaged by sitting for in-class assessment tasks under different circumstances than the rest of the cohort.

Student responsibilities

It is the student’s responsibility to:

• complete all course requirements by the due date. Students will be notified of any amendments to the assessment schedule;
• maintain a good record of attendance, conduct and progress (a student who is absent from a class for five lessons or more per term is deemed to be ‘at risk’ of not completing the course unit requirements);
• initiate contact with teachers concerning absence from class, missed in-class assessment tasks, requests for extension of the due date for out-of-class assessment tasks and other issues pertaining to assessment; and
• complete classwork, homework and revision tasks which may or may not be formally assessed but are essential to the teaching and learning program.

Teacher responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the teacher to:

• develop a teaching/learning program that meets the syllabus requirements;
• provide students with a course outline, an assessment outline and a access to the syllabus when they begin the course;
• ensure that assessments are fair, valid and reliable;
• provide students with timely assessment feedback and guidance;
• maintain accurate records of student achievement;
• maintain a file of assessed work which has been returned and make it available if required for moderation purposes by the Authority;
• meet school and external timelines for assessment and reporting;
• inform students and parents of academic progress as appropriate;
• observe the ‘assessment’ free period prior to exams for ATAR courses; and
• adjust assessment conditions for nominated students.

Parent responsibilities

It the responsibility of the parent to:

• provide information to the school on enrolment about students with special needs so that a student’s special needs can be discussed to ensure that the school can provide the most appropriate program;
• contact the teacher in the first instance (then the HOLA) if there are concerns about performance in a specific course;
• contact Student Services if there is a general academic, social or emotional problem. Early identification is vital particularly where students are diagnosed with a learning disability or disorder; and
• make appointments with teachers for parent nights and at other times as needed.

Information provided to students

At the start of every course, the teacher will provide an electronic copy of the following to each student (also accessible to parents):

• the syllabus
• a course unit outline that includes at least the following information:
• the content
• the sequence in which the content will be taught and the approximate time to teach each section.
• an assessment outline that includes at least the following information:
• the assessment types
• the weighting for each assessment type
• the weighting for each assessment task
• a general description of each assessment task
• a general indication of the content covered by each assessment task
• an indication of the outcomes covered by each assessment task
• the approximate timing of assessment tasks (i.e. the week in which each assessment task is planned or the due dates for significant stages of each extended task).
• no out-of-class assessments will be due, nor in-class assessments given in the week preceding the exam block for ATAR courses (with the exception of scheduled ESTs or practical examinations).

Examinations

School examinations are an assessment type in all ATAR courses.

Examinations are conducted with strict rules and procedures. Penalties apply for students who break rules, which may include the loss of marks.  The school uses penalties that are similar to the penalties applied by the Authority during WACE exams.

The examination schedule is placed on the school calendar.

Unless there are exceptional circumstances, students who miss an examination shall NOT be permitted to sit the exam at another time and a mark of 0 will be recorded.

Parents/Guardians of a student who cannot attend an examination (or students themselves if they live independently of family) must notify the Associate Principal by 8.30am on the day of the examination, and must complete a Sickness and Misadventure Form by 3.00pm the day following the scheduled examination.

Externally Set Tasks

The Externally Set Task (EST) is an assessment task which is developed by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority.

The EST is included in the assessment table in the Year 12 General and Foundation syllabuses as a separate assessment with a weighting of 15% for the pair of units.

ESTs are compulsory for all students studying Units 3 and 4 of General or Foundation courses. ESTs are an important part of the school’s assessment program.

Externally Set Tasks (ESTs) are also conducted under invigilated assessment conditions.

Plagiarism, cheating, collusion and academic misconduct

Integrity is an iCARE value at Rossmoyne Senior High School and academic integrity is an important aspect of education. Academic misconduct refers to conduct of a student that is dishonest or unfair with regards to work submitted as part of an assessment. Academic misconduct may provide an advantage to the student responsible for the misconduct or to other students.

All of the work in each individual assessment task must be the work of the student.

Students are not permitted to submit for marking/rating, as original, any work that is:

• identical or similar material to the work of another person (e.g. another student, a parent, a tutor, or teacher);
• identical, or similar material to a published work unless the source is acknowledged in referencing or footnotes; or
• identical or similar to their own previously submitted work.

Students should not behave in a way that provides an advantage to other students. Any sharing of assessment information such as assessment questions, concepts assessed or not assessed is called collusion (whether intended or not) and provides some students with an unfair advantage. Some examples of collusion include (but are not limited to):

• informal conversations about the assessment before all students have completed the assessment
• written notes, handed to other students;
• text messages with assessment information shared with others; and
• any sharing of assessment information on social media.

In the case of group-tasks or take-home assessments, classroom teachers will provide guidelines regarding responsibilities of group members to ensure the integrity of the assessment.
Students may need to complete a cover sheet/declaration for major assignments, which is to be signed and submitted with completed tasks.

If it is demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that a student has plagiarised or cheated the following penalties will apply:

• a mark of zero for the whole assessment task, or
• a mark of zero for part of the assessment where the teacher can identify the part of the assessment task that has been copied or plagiarised.

If it demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that a student has provided an unfair advantage to another student through collusion, then penalties will be applied to all students involved.

If a student is believed to have engaged in academic misconduct including plagiarism, cheating or collusion, the teacher will refer the matter to the HOLA. As part of this process, the student will be provided with the right of reply. This matter will be investigated, parents/carers will be informed, and appropriate sanctions applied.

Security of assessment tasks

Where there is more than one class in a course unit most or all of the assessment tasks will be the same. In such cases, to ensure that no students are unfairly advantaged, the question papers used for in-class assessment tasks will be collected at the end of the lesson. In their own interests, students must not discuss the nature of the questions with students from the other classes until after all classes have completed the task. Discussion of the questions will be treated as cheating and the students will be penalised.

Where Rossmoyne Senior High School uses the same assessment task or exam as other schools, the task and the student responses will be retained by the teacher until the task has been completed by all school/s.

Retention and Disposal of student work

The school will establish an assessment file for each student in each course which:

contains all marked written assessment tasks, and can be accessed by the student for revision purposes

is retained by the school until the results are accepted by the Authority

is returned to the student with a specified period after the results are accepted by the Authority or is securely disposed of by the school.

Modification of the assessment outline

When a student’s diagnosed disability or specified learning difficulty affects their access to a particular assessment task, the teacher may modify the task in consultation with the Head of Learning Area (HOLA) and the Learning Support Coordinator. An Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be developed showing any modifications to the assessment outline for the course unit. Any adjustments will be consistent with the Authority’s Guidelines for disability adjustments for timed assessments, which can be accessed from the Authority’s website.

Students who are unable to complete an assessment task because of their diagnosed disability will be provided with alternative opportunities to demonstrate achievement.

When a student’s cultural beliefs do not enable them to complete a particular assessment task, the teacher may modify this task with the approval of the HOLA and in consultation with the Learning Support Coordinator, where appropriate. An IEP will be developed showing any modifications to the assessment outline for the course unit.

When evidence is provided that shows that a student’s personal circumstances limit his/her capacity to complete a particular assessment task, the teacher, in consultation with the student and the HOLA may arrange a variation to the submission date, or make modifications to the task. The teacher will consider fairness for all students when making decisions about adjusting timelines for a particular student.

If circumstances change during the teaching of a course unit that requires the teacher to make adjustments to scheduled assessment tasks then an updated copy of the assessment outline clearly indicating the changes will be provided to students.

Completion of a course unit

A grade is assigned for each course unit completed (i.e. if the student completes the school’s structured education and assessment program within the given timeframe, and there is sufficient evidence of achievement).

Students are required to:

• submit all out-of-class assessment tasks for marking on the due date
• attempt all in-class assessment tasks on the scheduled date

Tasks which cannot be directly submitted to the teacher are submitted to the HOLA.

Students who miss more than one assessment task are at risk of not completing the course.

Missing an assessment task

Where a student is likely to experience difficulty meeting a deadline they must discuss the matter with the teacher at the earliest opportunity before the due date.

For any late out-of-class assessment task, or where a student does not attend a scheduled in-class assessment task and where the student does not provide a reason which is acceptable to the school, the following penalties may apply at the discretion of the teacher in consultation with the HOLA:

• 10% reduction per day for up to 5 days for late out-of-class assessment tasks
• zero for not attending an scheduled in-class assessment task or zero for more than 5 days late for an out-of-class assessment task

Students who miss assessment tasks or who receive penalties are at risk of

• receiving a lower grade than expected at the end of the course unit (where there is sufficient evidence from other similar assessment tasks)
• not completing a course (where there is insufficient evidence of achievement)

To avoid failing to complete a course, students may be required to complete an alternative task to show evidence of course completion before the end of the assessment period.

The teacher will advise the student and the parent if a student does not complete or submit an assessment task and if the student is at risk of receiving a grade lower than expected.

Acceptable reasons for non-submission or non-completion

The penalty for non-submission or non-completion will be waived if the student provides a reason acceptable to the school. For example:

• where sickness, injury or significant personal circumstances for part or all of the period of an out-of-class assessment task prevents completion and submission.
• where sickness, injury or significant personal circumstances prevents a student attending on the day that an in-class assessment task is scheduled.

In such cases the parent/guardian must:

• contact the school before 8.30am on the day; and
• provide either a medical certificate (which should not be provided by a relative of the student) or a letter of explanation immediately the student returns.

The teacher in consultation with the HOLA determines if the reason for a student’s non-completion or non-submission of an assessment task is acceptable.

Where the student provides a reason acceptable to the school for the non-submission or non-completion of an assessment task the teacher in consultation with the HOLA will:

• negotiate an adjusted due date for an out-of-class assessment task or an adjusted date for an in-class assessment task (generally, within two days of the student’s return), or
• re-weight the student’s marks for other tasks (where there is sufficient evidence to assign a grade), or 
• decide on an alternate assessment task if, in the opinion of the teacher, the assessment is no longer valid, or
• statistically estimate the student’s mark for the assessment task on the basis of their marks in similar tasks.

Attending events that can be rescheduled are not a valid reason for non-completion, non-submission or non-attendance for an assessment task. Family holidays during the term are not considered a valid reason for non-completion, non-submission or non-attendance.

In exceptional circumstances, the parent/guardian may negotiate with the Learning Support Coordinator or Program Coordinator Senior Years who will work in consultation with the teacher and the HOLA to develop an IEP. This plan will show how the missed lesson time will be compensated for and any modifications to the assessment outlines for the particular course unit.

The teacher, in consultation with the HOLA, will ensure that an appropriate strategy is in place to ensure the validity of tasks, the fairness of assessments, and that marks are adjusted to ensure the accurate ranking of students’ achievement.

Changes of course units

If changes to courses are needed, it is best they are made as early as possible in the term. When a student commences a course unit or subject late they are at risk of being disadvantaged compared to others in the class. An application to transfer is made through the Associate Principal or Program Coordinator.
Students considered to be at risk of not achieving a WACE or not meeting training provider selection criteria or university entrance requirements (as appropriate), are counselled to consider changing courses or units early in the year.

Schools must follow SCSA deadlines for changes, which are final. Rossmoyne’s recommended deadlines for course changes are:

Year 11

• Friday of Week 3 for students transferring to a Certificate II course.
• Friday of Week 6 of Term 1 for all Semester 1 units.
• Last day of Term 2 for all Semester 2 units.

When a student changes a course, either by recommendation or student initiation, after the Semester 1 exam, the student will be given credit/grade for Unit 1 (Semester 1), and will be enrolled into Unit 2 (Semester 2) of the new course.

Year 12

• It is recommended that no further course changes are made after Friday of Week 6, Term 1.

Catch-up work

When a student transfers to a different unit in the same course, or a unit in a similar course, the marks from any assessment tasks (of the same type) already completed may be used. These marks may need to be statistically adjusted to ensure that they are on the same scale as the marks for all students in the new class.

Transfer from another school

It is the responsibility of any student who transfers into a class from the same course at another school to provide the school with the details of all completed assessment tasks. The Associate Principal will contact the previous school to determine:

• the part of the syllabus that has been completed
• the assessment tasks which have been completed
• the marks/ratings awarded for these tasks.

The HOLA will:

• determine how the marks from assessment tasks at the previous school will be used

Note: Where necessary these marks will be statistically adjusted to ensure that they are on the same scale as those at Rossmoyne Senior High School.

• determine the additional work, if any, to be completed
• determine the additional assessment tasks, if any, to be completed to enable a grade to be assigned.

Where additional work and/or assessment tasks are necessary, the teacher (in consultation with the HOLA) will develop an IEP showing the extra work to be completed and the modifications to the assessment outline. The plan will be discussed with the parent/guardian and provided to the student.

Before School or Period Zero Testing Policy

Morning tests will not commence before 7.40am and will conclude by 8.50am.

There will be no more than two testing periods per week. In the week before the examination period there will be no Period Zero Testing.

In the period from the commencement of the year to the first exam period no subject will have more than 2 Period Zero tests.

Any student who has a clash between a Period Zero test and a class that has been regularly timetabled to have a period before school must go to their normal class unless they have negotiated with their teacher an equitable arrangement between Period Zero tests and classes before school. The teacher needs to be informed by the student.

Late Arrival

A student arriving late to the test is to be admitted to the test room and permitted to complete as much as possible within the scheduled time. The result achieved is the result to be recorded.

Students who miss a Period Zero test are automatically allocated “0”. Students may be eligible for Sickness and Misadventure.  If the reason for not sitting the test is acceptable to the school, the student will sit an alternate task without penalty. Or receive an adjusted mark, providing the student is not advantaged and there is sufficient evidence of achievement in similar tasks.

Suspension

Students on suspension are required to attend any Period Zero tests set during the period of the suspension. They will be required to leave the school immediately on completion of the test.  Students must attend in full school uniform.

Sickness or Misadventure

Students who miss a Period Zero test or exam whose performance has been affected by a temporary illness, non-permanent disability or unforeseen misadventure suffered immediately before the testing/examination period may be eligible to apply for Sickness/Misadventure.  The student and/or parent must provide evidence in support of the application.  The Sickness/Misadventure form can be downloaded here:  Sickness and Misadventure Form.

This form should be taken to a doctor and/or psychologist so that sufficient information to indicate the reason for a student’s inability to sit the examination can be provided. The form should be submitted to the Associate Principal Senior Years within two days of the Period Zero or exam test.

If the application is accepted, the HOLA, in consultation with the Associate Principal and/or the Program Coordinator, Senior Years will

Organise an alternate Period Zero test or exam, or if this not possible or appropriate,

Calculate an examination mark using student performance on similar tasks as the basis, if there is sufficient evidence of achievement, or

If there is insufficient evidence of achievement, the mark will be excluded for this student.

PLEASE NOTE: If  Sickness and Misadventure applications are submitted for multiple assessments from one student an additional explanation may be required and an alternative assessment may be negotiated with the student and their guardian.

If the application is not accepted, a mark of ‘0’ will be recorded.  Students who receive ‘0’ scores are at risk of not completing a course.

Interruption-free and Assessment-free periods

In order to reduce some of the pressure on students as they prepare for examinations and to allow quality revision time, the two-week period before the examination block will be free of excursions, camps, major productions or other events likely to distract students.

The week prior to the exam block is Assessment Free for students studying ATAR courses, with the exception of scheduled ESTs and Practical Examinations.

There will be no in-class assessments, practical performances scheduled during these weeks.

Assignments are not to be scheduled for submission in these weeks.

During this week, students are expected to do exam practice, complete portfolio work and complete course revision tasks.

Once students have completed exams, they are expected to attend school to complete outstanding work.

Reporting Achievement

Interim Reports

The transition periods Year 10 to 11 and Year 11 to 12 are critical times and teachers are committed to giving parents and Year 11 and 12 students early feedback on their progress. Interim reports for Year 11 and 12 students will be sent home with a Parent Night scheduled close to this time.

Semester Reports

At the completion of Semester 1 in Years 11 and 12, students will receive a report. The report will provide a comment by the teacher for each course unit and the following information:

• an interim grade for the course unit
• the percentage mark (based on the weighted combination of the marks for the assessment tasks completed in Semester 1, including the Semester 1 exam)
• the percentage mark in the Semester 1 exam.

Note: The mark and grade for each pair of units will not be finalised until after the Semester 2 exam therefore an interim mark and grade are reported at the end of Semester 1. The Semester 2 examination will cover material for the whole year in line with the external WACE examination structure.

At the end of the year, Year 12 students will receive a statement of results showing

• a grade for the course units
• a mark (based on the weighted combination of the marks for all assessment tasks completed during the year, including the Semester 1 and 2 exams for those courses with exams).

At the end of the year, Year 11 students will receive a statement of results showing

• a grade for the course units (whole year combined)
• a mark (based on the weighted combination of the marks for all assessment tasks completed during the year, including the Semester 1 and 2 exams for those courses with exams)
• the mark in the Semester 2 exam.

Each grade is based on the student’s overall performance for the pair of units as judged by reference to a set of pre-determined standards. These standards are defined by grade descriptors. The grades awarded will be:

A    Very high achievement

B    High achievement

C   Satisfactory achievement

D   Limited achievement

E    Inadequate achievement

U   Incomplete

Moderation

The school uses moderation procedures to ensure the validity, fairness and reliability of its assessment procedures. This ensures that school marks and grades are comparable across all classes. In consultation with HOLAs, teachers use moderation procedures such as applying common pre-determined standards when deciding grades.  Where there is more than one teacher delivering a course, HOLAs may also statistically adjust task marks based upon the relative performance of different classes in exams and/or tests.

All grades reported are subject to the Authority’s approval at the end of the year. The parent/guardian will be notified of any changes to that result from the Authority’s review of the student results submitted by Rossmoyne Senior High School.

School Marks

For all ATAR course units, a statistically adjusted school mark is reported by the Authority on the student’s Statement of Results.

Details of the marks adjustment process are available on the Authority’s website https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au. Information about calculating the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (formerly TER) for university entry is available on the TISC website at www.tisc.edu.au.

Appeals against School Assessments

If a student believes the grade or numerical assessment which they have been awarded by the school is incorrect, he/she may ask the school to review the results.

Students are required to make written application to the Principal, requesting a review, within five days of the release of results of assessments.

An assessment review does not require the school to remark a student’s work. It is intended to determine whether a student has been disadvantaged by any of the following:

• the assessment outline does not meet the syllabus requirements
• assessment procedures do not conform with Rossmoyne Senior High School’s Assessment Policy
• there were computational or clerical errors in determining the assessment.

Please note: A teacher’s judgement about the worth of individual assessment tasks will not be subject to review.

If, after an assessment review has been completed at the school, a student still believes that the Authority’s assessment guidelines have not been followed then the student may lodge an appeal with the Authority. An appeal should be made on the prescribed form available from the school or the Authority and forwarded to the Authority by the nominated date. A fee is payable for each subject named on the application form.

The Authority may request a school to re-determine assessments only if it can be shown that the Authority’s assessment guidelines were not followed by the school.

Exemption from Particular Classes

Section 72 of the School Education Act 1999 provides for a parent, on the grounds of conscientious objection based on personal, philosophical, religious or educational belief to ask an exemption for a child from attendance at classes at which a particular part of a course of study is taught. Requests for an exemption are to be in writing. The school must make reasonable effort to provide alternative means for exempted students to achieve the same outcomes as other students.

Last update: 30 June 2022