2015 WACE Term Planner

Contact
Jenny Offer (08) 9273 6313
jenny.offer@scsa.wa.edu.au

The 2015 WACE Term Planner has been published on the publications page of the Authority website athttp://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Publications/WACE_Activities_Schedule. A downloadable version for Outlook calendars is also available on this page.

The Term Planner is based on the WACE Activities Schedule.

Amendments to the 2015-16 WACE Manual – Health, Physical and Outdoor Education

Contact
Jenny Offer (08) 9273 6313
jenny.offer@scsa.wa.edu.au
Perpetua Joseph (08) 9273 6367
perpetua.joseph@scsa.wa.edu.au

It has come to the Authority’s attention that Health, Physical and Outdoor Education has been:

• incorrectly classified as a List A subject when it should have been recorded as a List B subject
• referred to incorrectly as Health Studies, Physical and Outdoor Education (for the Foundation course).

In addition, Health and Physical Education has been referred to incorrectly as Health Studies, Physical and Outdoor Education (for the Preliminary course).
The amendments, which need to be made to the 2015-16 WACE Manual, are summarised below:

• Table 8: WACE List A and List B subjects for breadth of study (page 93) – HPO Health, Physical and Outdoor Education to be recorded as a List B (mathematics/science/technology) subject and deleted from the List A (arts/languages/social sciences) subjects.
• Appendix 3: Course Offerings for 2015-16 (page 117) – subject title needs to be updated to Health, Physical and Outdoor Education.
• Appendix 3: Preliminary Course Offerings for 2015-16 (page 122) – preliminary course name has been updated to Health and Physical Education and the course code has been be changed to HPE.

The WACE Manual 2015-16 on the Authority website has been updated to reflect these changes.
Could you please amend any printed copies of the WACE Manual 2015-16.

Amendments to the 2015-16 WACE Manual – Biology

Contact
Jenny Offer (08) 9273 6313
jenny.offer@scsa.wa.edu.au
Perpetua Joseph (08) 9273 6367
perpetua.joseph@scsa.wa.edu.au

Due to programming conflicts in the Student Information Records System (SIRS), the following subject code change is required.

For all Year 11 ATAR and General Biology courses, the subject code for Biology will change from BIO to BLY.

The current Year 12 Biological Sciences course code (BIO) remains unchanged.

The WACE Manual 2015-16 on the Authority website has been updated to reflect these changes.

Could you please amend any printed copies of the WACE Manual 2015-16.

Curriculum, Assessment and Moderation Update for Schools 2015

Contact
Jennifer Wheatley (08) 9273 6335
jennifer.wheatley@scsa.wa.edu.au

For the first time the annual Curriculum, Assessment and Moderation Update for schools has been placed on the Authority website. There is a customised update for each Learning Area which collates and summarises the information for planning, preparing and delivering that teachers require for the WACE 2015-16 courses in Year 11 and WACE Year 12.

Facebook page for students

Contact
Jo Merrey (08) 9273 6348
jo.merrey@scsa.wa.edu.au

The Authority will continue to use its Facebook page to provide information to students in 2015.

Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 are welcome to like and follow the Authority’s Facebook page for information, news, reminders and advice.

The page can be found at facebook.com/scsawa.

Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment information in schools

Contact
Ben Businovski (08) 9273 6378
ben.businovski@scsa.wa.edu.au

The following information is provided to assist schools to begin preparations for the March 2015 Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA).

Updates
OLNA Handbook (March 2015)
The OLNA Handbook is available on the Authority website athttp://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Senior_Secondary/OLNA. The following updates from 2014 include:

• principal and coordinator checklists now reflect the timeline for March 2015 delivery (pages 35 and 39–40)
• further information to assist principals in determining student eligibility for disability adjustments (page 16)
• important information for managing internet bandwidth and wireless connections during OLNA assessments (page 27).

OLNA website user-guide
The OLNA Website User Guide has been emailed to principals. It is also available on the Authority extranet at Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment > Senior Secondary > OLNA.

OLNA administration forms
The updated OLNA declaration, disability adjustments request and schedule forms have been emailed to principals.

A crucial technical note regarding the availability of bandwidth during OLNA
In order to implement the OLNA, it is crucial to ensure that there is sufficient bandwidth available during scheduled assessments.

All schools need to ensure that internet usage, by other classes during the assessment period is minimised, particularly websites with high bandwidth requirements such as YouTube. This may require a complete quarantine of bandwidth for the OLNA, or rebalancing bandwidth allocation to prioritise the OLNA.

The Authority recommends schools notify teachers and students not involved in the OLNA to avoid connecting their personal devices to the school wireless network during the assessment period.

It is recommended that schools limit the maximum number of devices connected to a wireless access point (WAP) for mission critical periods (such as the OLNA) to 20 devices per session.

Schools who plan to use wireless internet during the OLNA must determine the maximum number of devices that can be simultaneously logged in to a WAP before signal degradation occurs. This can be done using the practice test.

An outcome of the failure to manage bandwidth during the OLNA is probable loss of student responses during assessment submission and a requirement for the student to sit the assessment again. The Authority may not be able to recover incomplete student responses where a school has not managed its bandwidth appropriately.

The Authority recommends:

• using wired labs for assessments (it may be easier to move classes out of labs and onto laptops than to set-up a WAP for the assessments, also reducing the potential for connectivity issues)
• planning student sessions against a set number of wired computers, to reduce the movement of additional infrastructure and equipment for the assessment period
• the IT support person/s are on standby during the assessment period
• supervision of the OLNA by a deputy or a roster of staff to reduce impacts on teaching time
• schools with BYO devices ensure devices are updated with the required version of the operating system before the assessment period starts.

Teacher seminars

Contact
Jennifer Wheatley (08) 9273 6335
jennifer.wheatley@scsa.wa.edu.au

Schools are reminded the Authority is providing two sets of seminars for teachers.

• One for new and/or inexperienced teachers of WACE courses (i.e. graduate teachers, teachers who have not previously taught Year 11 or Year 12, teachers from interstate or overseas). These seminars are Learning Area specific.
• One for teachers involved in small group moderation in 2015 who wish to learn more about this process.

All seminars are conducted at the Authority (303 Sevenoaks St., Cannington). Details of dates, times and rooms are accessed when the teacher registers online from the Authority website at www.scsa.wa.edu.au

The seminars are free to attend, but the school is responsible for teacher relief and any travel and accommodation expenses.

A new National Framework for VET and Vocational Learning

Contact
Nicole Gazey (08) 9442 9401
nicole.gazey@scsa.wa.edu.au

The Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs released a framework for vocational education in schools in 2001 when the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector, including vocational education in schools, was expanding. However, the landscape has changed considerably since then.

In April 2014 Education Ministers agreed to develop a new framework that was industry focused, flexible and responsive. Ministers also agreed that the new framework must promote VET as a first class career pathway and promote quality outcomes for students.

Preparing Secondary Students for Work sets out a framework for vocational learning and VET delivered to secondary students. It aims to ensure that a vocational pathway is just as valued and celebrated as other pathways. It acknowledges the range of choice available to students at all levels of ability and highlights the multiple pathways students may access across a range of post school destinations.

The Framework has been developed by a Working Group under the Education Council, which includes representatives from each state and territory, Independent and Catholic education authorities, the training sector and industry.

Preparing Secondary Students for Work is a policy document. It is likely to be of most value to people who set policies, design programs and implement vocational learning and VET, whether they are within schools, schooling systems, or industry bodies.

It directly addresses the confusion often associated with the term ‘VET in Schools’ by creating a shared understanding that clearly distinguishes between vocational learning and VET.Consequently, the term ‘VET in Schools’ has been excluded from the new Framework. The Framework also identifies that VET delivered to secondary students is the same as all other VET.

The Framework provides a call for collective and individual action and breaks down what is needed in order to achieve this vision.

For further information please access the following link:

Foundation courses 2015-16 syllabuses updated

Contact
John Newman (08) 9273 6757
john.newman@scsa.wa.edu.au

Teachers are advised that the Foundation syllabuses for Applied Information Technology, Career and Enterprise, English, English as an Additional Language or Dialect, Health, Physical and Outdoor Education, and Mathematics now have updated versions that include interim grade descriptions.

Minor edits to 2015-16 syllabuses

Contact
John Newman (08) 9273 6757
john.newman@scsa.wa.edu.au

Edits to the following syllabuses are listed in the table below. The updated version of each syllabus can be found within the relevant Learning Area page of the WACE 2015-2016 section of the Authority website.

Vocational Education and Training – Awards Selection Report 2014 now online

Contact
Carolyn Hackett (08) 9273 6316
carolyn.hackett@scsa.wa.edu.au
Nicole Gazey (08) 9442 9401
nicole.gazey@scsa.wa.edu.au

The Authority recommends that school leaders and people delivering VET in Schools read the Awards Selection Report now available on the Authority website athttp://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Senior_Secondary/Exhibitions_and_Awards.

The report provides valuable information for teachers who supported the nomination of students in 2014 and for those who plan to do so in 2015.

It presents statistics on the number of students involved in the awards selection process and detailed information on how students were selected for awards, including feedback and recommendations for teachers.

The names of award winners, published in the media in early January, are listed on the Authority website.

Information relating to the 2015 awards is also on the above site. Hard copies of the information are no longer distributed to schools. Access to the online nomination process will be available to schools in Term 3.

Workplace Learning course – Awards Selection Report 2014 now online

Contact
Carolyn Hackett (08) 9273 6316
carolyn.hackett@scsa.wa.edu.au
Leanne Meldrum (08) 9273 6746
leanne.meldrum@scsa.wa.edu.au

The Workplace Learning course – Awards Selection Report 2014 is now available online athttp://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Senior_Secondary/Exhibitions_and_Awards.

The Authority recommends that school leaders and people delivering Workplace Learning read the report, which provides valuable information for teachers who supported the nomination of students in 2014 and for those who plan to do so in 2015.

It presents statistics on the number of students involved in the awards selection process and detailed information on how students were considered for awards, including feedback and recommendations for teachers.

The names of award winners, published in the media in early January, are listed on the Authority website.

Information relating to the 2015 awards is also available on the site. Nomination forms for the 2015 awards will be available to schools in Term 2 at the above address. Hard copies of the information are no longer distributed to schools.

2014 student achievements – other than Year 12

Contact
Kerry Tarrant (08) 9273 6770
kerry.tarrant@scsa.wa.edu.au

Schools are reminded they have until Friday, 13 February 2015 to verify and confirm the achievement data submitted to the Authority for students in years other than Year 12.

The achievements required include:

• VET units of competency
• endorsed programs
• VET qualifications
• course units.

The declaration forms for course units, VET and endorsed programs are to be completed and signed by the principal. The declaration forms were posted to schools on
19 January as per the WACE Activities Schedule 2015.

Some schools had not finalised the transfer of their data by the end of the school year. If your school has not uploaded the appropriate data files to the Student Information Records System (SIRS), please do so as a matter of urgency.

Please note that all enrolments require a grade. The results for students who have left your school need to be finalised if they had enrolments. If the students should have been withdrawn from a course unit, this withdrawal will need to be uploaded through the ENCOS file to SIRS. If students have been withdrawn from VET units of competency and endorsed programs, this will need to be uploaded using the correct code through the RSVET and RSEND files respectively.

Detailed Examination Feedback (formerly known as Maximising Feedback) available in SIRS

Contact
Jenny Offer (08) 9273 6313
jenny.offer@scsa.wa.edu.au

Detailed Examination Feedback (formerly known as Maximising Feedback) reports are available from the Student Information Records System (SIRS) to help schools when reflecting on the achievement of the 2014 Year 12 students in courses with external examinations. The information on individual students is confidential and must not be released to a third party without the permission of the student concerned.

Teachers have found referring to the preceding year’s WACE results available in the Detailed Examination Feedback print-outs of great use in reviewing their teaching programs. These reports are now available, free-of-charge, as a download from SIRS. The following pathway should be used to access these reports:

Pathway: Reports > Maximising Feedback.

There is a report for each course stage in which the school had students sit the 2014 WACE examination.

Each report provides a detailed analysis of how the students at the school performed in the external examination for each course. For each examination, feedback is provided about performance on all items, including multiple-choice items. Where applicable, feedback is also available on the practical component of the examination.

Schools can download Year 12 statistical reports from the student information records system (SIRS) athttps://sirs.curriculum.wa.edu.au/.

The school’s login details of user-name and password are needed to access these reports.  These are available from the SIRS coordinator at your school.

Explanatory notes, containing detailed information on the various reports, can be accessed through the Authority website athttp://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Publications/Reports/Statistical_Reports/School_Comparison_Statistics.

The reports and their pathways are:

1. STS010 –       Year 12 provider statistics (Part 1 and Part 2)
   Pathway: reports > other reports > report type: statistics
2. STS009 –       Year 12 State statistics (Part 1 and Part 2)
   Pathway: reports > other reports > report type: statistics
3. STS022 –       Year 12 school assessment statistics (for each course examination)
   Pathway: reports > other reports > report type: statistics
4. STS028 –       Year 12 course statistics by provider (for each course examination)
   Pathway: reports > other reports > report type: statistics
5. STS029 –       Distribution of exam statistics

Pathway: reports > other reports > report type: statistics

1. STS036 –       Statistical moderation and concurrent validity of school assessments
   Pathway: reports > other reports > report type: statistics
2. MF01 –           Detailed written examination feedback (formerly known as Maximising Feedback)
   Pathway: reports > maximising feedback
3. MF02 –           Detailed multiple choice feedback (formerly known as Maximising Feedback) (if applicable)
   Pathway: reports > maximising feedback
4. MF03 –           Detailed practical examination/portfolio assessment feedback (formerly known as Maximising Feedback) (if applicable)
   Pathway: reports > maximising feedback
5. CSE077 –       Student summary details by provider.
   Pathway: reports > other reports > report type: students

If you require assistance with SIRS, contact the Authority helpdesk on 9273 6719 or emailSIRShelp@scsa.wa.edu.au.

Introduction to SIRS 2015

Contact
Lynn Galbraith (08) 9273 6702
lynn.galbraith@scsa.wa.edu.au

Limited places are available for school staff who use the Student Information Records System (SIRS) to attend a familiarisation seminar at the Authority. The seminar is aimed at new and existing users who have not previously attended a seminar.

Ideally, two staff members should attend; the clerical staff member who may be responsible for maintaining the changes on the school database and the deputy or associate principal who is responsible for timetable changes for students.

The seminar will cover the basic operations and functions of SIRS. This includes data transfer and the generation of reports which enable the information transferred to SIRS to be checked.

The seminar will be two hours long. Participants will log into SIRS using their own school login and password.

Four sessions were provided for staff in remote and country Western Australia prior to school commencing in 2015.

Seminar dates and times (2015)

More sessions may be provided if these sessions are fully booked.

Registrations can be made online at
www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Events_and_Forms/Registrations_and_Logins/SIRS_intro.

The seminars will be held in the Authority’s Temby and Louden rooms at 303 Sevenoaks Street, Cannington. Further details will be supplied to participants once registered.

In 2014, two sessions were held in Bunbury for South West participants and, if we have enough interest for 2015, it may be possible to conduct sessions there again. Please contact Lynn.Galbraith@scsa.wa.edu.au if you would be interested in attending SIRS familiarisation in Bunbury.

Registration of secondary students and early registration of Year 10 and Year 11 students in 2015

Contact
Lynn Galbraith (08) 9273 6702
lynn.galbraith@scsa.wa.edu.au

Schools and other education providers will be required to register their Year 10 and Year 11 students with the Authority by Friday, 19 February 2015. All other students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 12 must be registered by Friday, 20 March 2015.

All Year 10 and Year 11 students must be registered by 19 February to ensure their inclusion in the compulsory Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA) in March, where required. Demonstrating the minimum standard in the three components of the assessment (reading, writing and numeracy) is a requirement for students to achieve the WACE from 2016.

Please note this is the first year that Year 7 students must be registered with the Authority. The process for registering Year 7 students is the same as all other academic years.

The instructions to assist schools to register students are outlined in the various sections of the Data Procedures Manual or online at http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Publications/Data_Procedures_Manual

School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) student numbers
For information about SCSA student numbers, see the relevant item in this Circular.

Transfer of students between schools
There is a legal requirement for an enrolling school to notify a student’s former school that the student has been enrolled and obtain the SCSA student number. Under the Raising the School Leaving Age legislation, the commencement of students at a school should be notified within 14 days and cessations should be notified within seven days.

Maintenance of student registration details
The Authority must be informed, via SIRS, of all changes to a student’s registration details. It is essential that schools maintain accurate student records on school databases and regularly upload details to SIRS via student registration and demographic (SRGDG) files. Unless inaccuracies are corrected on the school database, each upload will overwrite any corrections the Authority has made in SIRS.

Schools can upload SRGDG files for individual or small numbers of students, though many schools have found it is a good practice to upload files to SIRS regularly for all students. This is also better for managing errors.

Please note the registration of students is a separate process to the uploading of school offerings and the enrolment of students in courses.

Requests for SCSA student numbers for 2015

Contact
Lynn Galbraith (08)9273 6702
lynn.galbraith@scsa.wa.edu.au
or
numbers@scsa.wa.edu.au

Schools may request School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) student numbers automatically through the Student Information Record System (SIRS) for Year 7 and Year 8 students starting in 2015. Details of how to request SCSA student numbers are in Section 1, Part 2 of the Data Procedures Manual, which is online athttp://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Publications/Data_Procedures_Manual

For students other than Year 7 or Year 8, schools are encouraged to do an initial search in SIRS for student numbers via Enrolment > Student Enrolment > Find Student Number. If no record is found, schools can emailnumbers@scsa.wa.edu.au and advise the following:

• your school code
• student first name
• student surname
• date of birth
• academic year
• if the student has arrived in WA from overseas or interstate.

This will enable a more comprehensive search to be undertaken before a new number is issued.

Schools who allocated Year 7 numbers to their students in 2014 are requested to utilise the same number for each student, and upload via their Student registration and demographic (SRGDG) files in 2015 when the students enter Year 8.

Year 11 student enrolments in course units – 2015

Contact
Jenny Offer (08) 9273 6313
jenny.offer@scsa.wa.edu.au

For the first time in 2015, Year 11 students will enrol in ATAR, General, Foundation, Preliminary and VET Industry Specific courses. Schools are reminded that Year 11 student enrolments in these courses must be uploaded to the Student Information Records System (SIRS) by Friday, 6 March 2015.

Year 11 (or Year 10) students cannot enrol in Preliminary, Stage 1 and/or Stage 2 course units in 2015. These students may enrol in Stage 3 course units only if they are on accelerated pathways. In these cases, the students would need to apply to the Authority to sit the WACE examination in the Stage 3 course and it would be expected that the students were exiting the course. Students who are permitted to sit the WACE examination in Year 11 (or Year 10) cannot sit the examination in the same subject when they are in Year 12.

Enrolments in course units
The instructions to assist schools to enrol their students in course units are detailed in the Data Procedures Manual 2015. The manual is available on the Authority website at the following address:http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Publications/Data_Procedures_Manual.

The specific sub-sections for information relating to extracting data of students enrolled in course units, uploading the enrolments into SIRS and verifying these enrolments in SIRS are listed below.

Eligibility to study Year 11 Foundation and Preliminary Courses
As part of the reforms to the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), the Authority has developed Foundation and Preliminary courses to ensure that the full range of student abilities and interests are met.

To ensure that enrolment in Foundation course units is restricted to students for whom these courses are appropriate, the Authority will not accept the enrolment in the following cases:

• where Year 11 students have not pre-qualified and have not sat the ONLA, they are not eligible to enrol in any Foundation course;
• where Year 11 students have achieved the minimum standard of literacy in the literacy component of the Year 10 Literacy and Numeracy Assessment or have pre-qualified through Year 9 NAPLAN, they are not eligible to enrol in Foundation English and other List A Foundation courses (i.e. the English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) Foundation course and the Career and Enterprise Foundation course);
• where Year 11 students have achieved the minimum standard of numeracy in the numeracy component of the Year 10 Literacy and Numeracy Assessment or have pre-qualified through Year 9 NAPLAN, they are not eligible to enrol in Foundation Mathematics and other List B Foundation courses (i.e. the Applied Information Technology Foundation course and the Health, Physical and Outdoor Education Foundation course); and
• where Year 11 students have achieved the minimum standard of literacy and/or numeracy in Semester 1 of Year 11, they are not eligible to enrol in the associated Foundation courses in Semester 2 of that year.

However, the Authority will accept the enrolment in the following cases:

• where Year 11 students have achieved the minimum standard of literacy in Semester 2 of Year 11 or during Year 12 they will be permitted to continue in Foundation English and other List A Foundation courses in Year 12; and
• where Year 11 students have achieved the minimum standard of numeracy in Semester 2 of Year 11 or during Year 12 they will be permitted to continue in Foundation Mathematics and other List B Foundation courses in Year 12.

The above enrolment restrictions have been set in SIRS to prevent schools enrolling students in Foundation courses who have met literacy and/or numeracy minimum standards.

Examinations marked online

Contact
Jenny Morup (08) 9273 6309
jenny.morup@scsa.wa.edu.au
Melanie Jasper (08) 9273 6732
melanie.jasper@scsa.wa.edu.au

In 2015, the online marking of examinations will continue for the following courses:

• Biological Science Stage 3
• Chemistry Stage 3
• English as an Additional Language/Dialect (EAL/D) Stage 2 and 3
• Human Biological Science Stage 3
• Mathematics 2CD
• Mathematics 3AB
• Mathematics 3CD
• Mathematics Specialist 3CD
• Physics Stage 3.

For examination scripts to be scanned for online marking, the format of the paper includes the following features:

• a barcode at the bottom of the front page
• a solid 5mm square in each corner of the front page
• a unique identifying number printed on every page within the paper.

The margins of each page will be excluded from the area available for writing and will be marked with the wording ‘DO NOT WRITE IN THIS AREA AS IT WILL BE CUT OFF’.

It is highly recommended that you do not use pencil, except in diagrams.

The front covers of each examination will be sent to schools in August.

Expression of interest for Chief Markers 2015

Contact
Jenny Morup (08) 9273 6309
jenny.morup@scsa.wa.edu.au
Melanie Jasper (08) 9273 6732
melanie.jasper@scsa.wa.edu.au

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority is seeking expressions of interest for the positions of Chief Marker (practical or written) for the WACE examinations 2015.

As the Stage 2 examinations are optional, the Chief Marker of a course will be responsible for leading the marking of both Stage 2 and Stage 3 examinations (excluding Mathematics and English).

The Authority encourages people who have at least five years’ experience teaching in the relevant course, and some experience of marking WACE examinations, to complete an expression of interest form.

Important information
Prior to completing the expression of interest, it is important that the following documents are read and understood:

1. Duties of Chief Markers and markers
2. Code of conduct for markers

These documents are available on the Authority website with the expression of interest form.

Expressions of interest

Expressions of interest must be received at the School Curriculum and Standards Authority no later than 5pm on Monday 9 February 2015.

Media Production and Analysis: Submission of Practical examination Data Collection Form and Collaborative Form for 2015

Contact
Gayathri Haththotuwa-Gamage (08) 9273 6712
Gayathri.Haththotuwa-Gamage@scsa.wa.edu.au

The Media Production and Analysis practical (production) examination ‘Data Collection Form’ and ‘Collaborative Form’ must be sent in advance to the Authority in 2015.

The Data Collection Form requires the teacher to list each candidate’s name, SCSA student number and context for the practical (production) examination submission. The Collaborative Form requires the teacher to list candidates with collaborative submissions.

Both these forms are to be received by all schools/providers by 20 July 2015.

The last date for receipt by the Authority of the signed and completed Data Collection Form and the Collaborative Form is 4.00 pm on 31 July 2015.

Note: The 2015 WACE Activities Schedule does not list the above dates.
Schools/providers of Media Production and Analysis will be reminded of the above dates in the Practical (production) examination requirements 2015 document due in schools by 20 March 2015.

Application for alternative instrument – Music practical examinations 2015

Contact
Ela Majocha(08) 9273 6772
ela.majocha@scsa.wa.edu.au

The deadline to submit applications to be examined in an alternative instrument (instruments other than those listed in the practical resource package) is Friday, 27 February 2015 (Week 4 Term 1).

The application form is available on the Authority website at

http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Events_and_Forms/Application_Order_Forms

Applications should be submitted to Ela Majocha, preferably by email. Please see contact details above.

Postal submissions must be addressed to:

Ela Majocha
Senior Consultant – Practical Examinations
School Curriculum and Standards Authority
PO Box 816
Cannington WA  6987

Special arrangements for WACE examinations

Contact
Jenny Morup (08) 9273 6309
jenny.morup@scsa.wa.edu.au
Carolyn Hackett (08) 9273 6316
carolyn.hackett@scsa.wa.edu.au

The application form for special arrangements in the 2014 WACE examinations will be sent to schools soon. The form is to be used for candidates with a permanent or temporary disability that may disadvantage them in the WACE examinations. It is the responsibility of schools to complete the form and submit it to the Authority on behalf of each candidate. It is not advisable to send the form home with students for completion. Completed forms should be submitted to the Authority by 19 May 2015.

Illnesses, such as diabetes, are classed as permanent disabilities and candidates will need special arrangements approved to take medication, food and extra drink into any examination. Any student seeking any type of variation to the standard examination conditions must have an application form submitted for them. Please ensure this requirement is brought to the attention of all students in sufficient time for them to provide the medical evidence to support an application.

Special arrangements are available for practical and written examinations.

Application process
The 2015 application form places considerable emphasis on the school’s case management of a student’s disability. In the first instance, there should be a demonstrated history of targeted remediation to assist the student to develop skills needed in examinations. Schools should consider the needs of their students during Years 10 and 11 so they may trial arrangements for timed assessment tasks. Until a decision has been made by the Authority, all special arrangements must be considered temporary and subject to change. As in previous years, specific information will be required relating to the student’s essay writing ability. Students with a reading disability will also be required to provide recent results of a PAT-R reading comprehension test.

Schools must ensure any special examination arrangements offered at school level are in line with arrangements granted by the Authority for the WACE examination, as described in the special provisions documents on the Authority website and Section G of the application form. Arrangements offered by schools that are outside the published guidelines will not be approved for the WACE examination.

The Authority does not automatically adopt a medical/psychological provider’s advice or replicate the special examination arrangements that the school may have put in place for school assessment. Applications are considered on an individual basis and are based on the functional impact of that disability in timed assessments. It is essential that no candidate will be advantaged over another candidate in the examinations, except through having more knowledge, understanding and skill relating to the course being examined.

Schools are urged to ensure that all applications for special examination arrangements, along with all supporting information, are submitted to the Authority by 19 May 2015. Schools are encouraged to submit completed applications well before the due date as applications will be processed in order of receipt. Decisions regarding applications received by 19 May will be communicated to schools in time for implementation in Semester 2. Incomplete applications will not be assessed.

Practical examinations
Please also refer to the 11to12 Circular item about special format practical examinations that will be required by any candidate with a long-term injury or illness affecting their participation in standard practical examinations. Failure to apply for special format practical examinations for these candidates will jeopardise their completion of course requirements if they are not able to undertake the standard practical examination.

There will be no sickness/misadventure consideration for candidates on the basis of an injury or illness existing at the start of Term 3.

Late applications for special format practical examinations will be accepted until 31 July 2015.

Special examination arrangements assessors 2015 – expressions of interest

Contact
Jenny Morup (08) 9273 6309
jenny.morup@scsa.wa.edu.au

The Authority is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced persons to assist with the assessment of special examination arrangement applications for the 2015 WACE examinations. Applications to be assessed will relate to candidates within the specific learning disability, psychological or ADD/ADHD categories.

Assessors will work in pairs with a psychologist and a person with whole-of-school management experience. Work will be outside of business hours on a contract basis, with payment per application. As highly sensitive information will be accessed during the assessment process, all assessors will be expected to have a National Police Clearance Check and sign a confidentiality declaration.

Assessing applications will present an excellent opportunity for valuable professional development related to the assessment of candidates with disabilities. The role is also ideally suited to recently retired senior school administrators or those on leave.

Interested school counsellors or educational psychologists should have experience assessing and diagnosing senior students with learning disabilities using current, relevant diagnostic tools.

Interested school representatives should have experience working with senior students with learning disabilities in the school environment. Ideally, applicants would have whole-of-school management experience.

Training, to be provided before the start of the assessment period, is expected to occur in late May or early June 2015. Training will be conducted after business hours.

Most assessments of special examination arrangement applications will be completed within a tight timeframe in June and early July 2015. Assessors should be available between late May and mid-July, with the possibility of some work continuing into August.

An expression of interest does not guarantee appointment. Applicants will be advised in Term 2 if their services will be required. Assessors from previous years are encouraged to reapply for 2015.

The Expressions of interest form is available on the Authority website athttp://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Senior_Secondary/WACE_Examinations/Special_Provisions.

Special format practical examinations for candidates with long-term injury or illness

Contact
Jenny Morup (08) 9273 6309
jenny.morup@scsa.wa.edu.au
Carolyn Hackett (08) 9273 6316
carolyn.hackett@scsa.wa.edu.au

Candidates with an injury or illness existing at the start of Term 3 should apply to be examined in an alternative format, if the injury or illness will affect their participation in the standard practical examination of any course.There will be no sickness/misadventure consideration for candidates on the basis of an injury or illness existing at the start of Term 3.

The alternative format examination will be designed to assess the same aspects as the standard practical examination. An alternative, but equitable, marking key will be developed for these candidates.

Application is to be made on the standard special examination arrangements application form, distributed to all schools in February. The application is to be supported by appropriate medical information. The candidate and school will be advised of the outcome of the application.

Candidates will be expected to report at the designated time and location for completion of this alternative format practical examination. The scheduling of these examinations will coincide with the standard practical examinations for that course.

Candidates studying Physical Education Studies or Dance are the most likely to need special arrangements; however candidates in any course with a performance or interview component may be eligible.

Where the nature and duration of the candidate’s condition is known early (e.g. an elective knee reconstruction), the application should be made by the deadline of 19 May 2015. Where the injury or illness occurs after that date, application should be made as soon as it is known that the candidate will be unlikely to participate in the standard format of the practical examination. Unless a candidate with an injury or illness existing as of the start of Term 3 can be guaranteed to recover sufficiently to sit the standard practical examination, the school should apply for the student to sit an alternative format practical examination. The last date for application is 31 July 2015.

Failure to submit an application will jeopardise the candidate’s completion of the examination requirements for that course. It may also impact on their achievement of the WACE and affect their ATAR. Completion of the alternative format practical examination by a candidate with a long-term injury or illness is not discretionary. Failure to complete the practical examination due to long-term injury or illness will result in a non-genuine attempt status for that examination.

As this is the fifth year of operation for this requirement, no leniency will be provided for candidates or schools not following the required process. In recent years a number of candidates did not achieve a WACE as a direct result of ignoring this requirement.

Relevant staff should note this information and plan a reminder for the end of Term 2 to allow applications to be prepared in time for submission to the Authority by the deadlines.

It is advisable that this information be included in the school newsletter for parents and students at the start of Term 3.

Breaches of examination rules 2014–15

Contact
Jenny Morup (08) 9273 6309
jenny.morup@scsa.wa.edu.au

In 2014, the Breach of Examination Rules Committee found that 100 students had breached examination rules.  All but 9 of the breaches were for the practical examinations. Fifteen candidates appealed the committee’s decision.  The appeals committee ruled that 14 of these candidates had breached the examination rules. Six of the candidates had their penalty reduced and one candidate had his appeal upheld.

The breaches indicated that teachers were not following the practical examination requirements sent to schools in March and that students were not informed of these requirements, nor had they followed the instructions written in the Year 12 Information Handbook.

The table below summarises the penalties for these breaches of examination rules.

Procedures and guidelines for 2015
The rules for conduct of the Authority examinations will be published in the Year 12 Information Handbook. It is the responsibility of all candidates to ensure that they understand all instructions relating to the examinations. Breaches of examination rules and maximum penalties that might apply include but are not limited to:

• Impersonation of a candidate:cancellation of all the candidate’s practical and/or written raw examination marks, exclusion from remaining examinations in that year, and the matter reported to the police.
• Collusion between candidates:cancellation of that practical and/or written raw examination marks of each of those candidates involved, together with an inspection of prior papers/recordings in any common examination for evidence of collusion.
• Possession or knowledge of examination questions before an examination: cancellation of all the candidate’s practical and/or written raw examination marks. The matter will be reported to the police.
• Possession of unauthorised materials during the examination:cancellation of part or all of the practical and/or written raw examination marks where unauthorised materials are considered to be relevant to the course being examined (whether or not actual use is established). Possession of mobile technologies (e.g. mobile phone, iPod) and/or calculator in an examination for which it is not approved will result in the cancellation of all or part of the candidate’s marks for that practical and/or written examination.
• Markings on authorised materials in the examination room:cancellation of part or all of the practical and/or written raw examination mark where markings in tables, data books or dictionaries etc. are considered to be relevant to the course being examined (whether or not actual use is established).
• Removal of examination materials: unauthorised removal of examination materials from the examination room will result in cancellation of the part(s) of the candidate’s practical and/or written raw examination mark being removed and the matter reported to the police.
• Examination room behaviour: blatant disregard of examination room regulations will result in the removal of the candidate from the examination room.
• Failure to follow examination instructions: cancellation of part or all of the candidate’s practical and/or written raw examination mark where the candidate’s failure to follow the instructions is considered to have given the candidate an advantage over the other candidates.
• False declarations: Cancellation of part or all of the practical and/or written examination mark where the candidate falsely declares that the work presented for external assessment is their own and/or that it conforms to the specifications of the course.

The examination centre supervisor (written examinations) and the chief marker (practical examinations) will report alleged breaches of examination rules to the manager, examinations (logistics) at the School Curriculum and Standards Authority.

Candidates will have the right of appeal against a penalty being imposed on the following grounds:

• a breach of examination rules did not occur, or
• the School Curriculum and Standards Authority procedures used to determine if a breach occurred were not proper.

Such an appeal must be lodged at the School Curriculum and Standards Authority within eight (8) calendar days of the despatch date of the penalty notification.

Advice for schools
Schools should work with their students to ensure that they understand the instructions relating to the examinations. In particular, schools are asked to:

• ensure that teachers and students follow the practical examination guidelines provided to schools in March
• ensure that when signing a student’s declaration of authenticity form (e.g. for Visual Arts, Drama performance), that the student’s material is their own and that it conforms with the specifications of the course
• ensure Visual Arts students and teachers are reminded of the safety standards and the other requirements when submitting artwork for marking
• ensure that where materials are permitted into the examination centre, they are approved according to the relevant syllabus and/or School Curriculum and Standards Authority eCircular and the Year 12 Information Handbook
• ensure that all students understand the instructions relating to the WACE examinations and that, if they breach these rules, penalties will apply as the onus is on the candidate to ensure that they understand and abide by the published examination rules
• inform their students that mobile telephones and iPods must not be taken into the examination room (the Breaches of Examination Rules Committee is expected to issue harsher penalties this year)
• inform students that they should not write on their hands or other parts of the body during exams as this may be perceived by supervisors as having been written before the exam and thus constitute unauthorised notes
• inform their students that, should they observe another candidate breaking the examination rules, they should report this action immediately to a supervisor
• ensure that teachers are aware they cannot authorise materials to be used in an examination if the material is not approved by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority
• ensure that Design students take into the examination only the 15 pages of their portfolio which were submitted to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority for marking.