Contact
Kerry Cribb (08) 9273 6787 
kerry.cribb@scsa.wa.edu.au

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

The Externally Set Task (EST) is administered in schools during Weeks 3, 4 and 5 of Term 2, 2017. All students enrolled in a General Year 12 or Foundation Year 12 course are required to complete the EST for that course. The EST is based on Unit 3 syllabus content and schools are advised that the syllabus content is now on the course page on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority website.

Feedback from schools regarding the 2016 EST process has indicated that some courses require information related to the materials and details of the EST. Specific advice for these courses is provided on the Authority’s website at:

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/assessment/externally-set-tasks.

The Authority will publish the Externally Set Tasks Handbook 2017 in December 2016.

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

During 2016, students at primary schools implementing the Brightpath or ABLEWA assessment programs were allocated a SCSA Student Number and registered on the Student Information Records System (SIRS). This was undertaken to ensure the accuracy of student data and avoid duplication of records.

These students will enter secondary school (Year 7) in 2017 with an existing SCSA Student Number.

While record duplication is less likely for students entering Year 7 from within K–10 and K–12 schools, the Authority is developing processes for students entering secondary schools with an existing SCSA Student Number in 2017.

From 2017, the Authority will:

1. no longer issue batches of Year 7 Student Numbers in Term 4
2. only issue Year 7 Student Numbers in Term 1, 2017 following a student record check
3. establish processes to ensure continuity of the SCSA Student Number.

The Authority anticipates that transfer of student record data between Department of Education schools will facilitate importing of student numbers and other student information.

The Authority will communicate with primary and secondary schools regarding these processes and the introduction of the Western Australian Student Number (currently called the SCSA Student Number), in 2017.

Schools can use the search facility in SIRS to identify students with existing student numbers, to avoid record duplication during student registration. Further information can be found in the Data Procedures Manual, on the Authority website at:  http://scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/data-procedures-manual.

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

This is an early reminder that the Year 12 achievement data is due to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority by Monday, 31 October 2016 as per the 2016 Activities Schedule.

Information about collecting achievement data will be received in schools by Monday, 10 October.

Schools will need to provide the achievement data for:

• Year 12 students for course units (ATAR, General, Foundation, Preliminary and VET industry specific courses), VET qualifications, VET units of competency and endorsed programs
• non-Year 12 students sitting one or more ATAR course examinations.

Contact
Gabby Raggio (08) 9273 6306
gabby.raggio@scsa.wa.edu.au

Teachers of Business Management and Enterprise are advised that the following content has been corrected in the syllabus.

ATAR Unit 2 and General Unit 4

The sample course outlines and sample tasks have been updated accordingly.

Contact
Kaylene Power (08) 9273 6777 
kaylene.power@scsa.wa.edu.au
Kerry Cribb (08) 9273 6787 
kerry.cribb@scsa.wa.edu.au

The stimulus material for the 2016 Dance ATAR course written examination has been distributed to schools. A DVD and a CD were provided to each teacher of the course and each candidate enrolled to sit the examination.

The DVD contains a copy of the stimulus material Structure and Sadness and the CD contains the ‘Support document for stimulus material Structure and Sadness by Lucy Guerin Inc’. Candidates will be required to make reference to the stimulus material in at least half of the questions in Section One of the written examination.

The DVD will not be played during the examination. However, the examination paper will include a Source booklet that contains images from the stimulus material as prompts or reminders of the stimulus DVD.

Contact 
Kerry Cribb (08) 9273 6787 
kerry.cribb@scsa.wa.edu.au

Front covers for the 2016 ATAR course examinations have been sent to all schools that have students enrolled in ATAR course examinations. The front covers are also available on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority website under the ‘Examination Materials’ heading on the relevant course page at: http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials.

The examination front covers should be distributed to teachers of the relevant courses to help prepare students for the examinations. Feedback from students last year suggests that some teachers did not make copies of the front covers available to their students, nor did they discuss the significance of the information in them.

Principals and curriculum leaders in schools are asked to impress on their teachers the importance of sharing this information with students.

The front covers contain details of the structure of each examination, the allocation of marks and the rules governing the conduct of the examination. Teachers are strongly encouraged to familiarise students with the front covers of both the written and practical examinations.

Front covers are not included for those language examinations that are set by curriculum authorities in other states.

Contact
Kevin Sadler (08) 9273 6332 
kevin.sadler@scsa.wa.edu.au
Kerry Cribb (08) 9273 6787 
kerry.cribb@scsa.wa.edu.au

There is a change in format and instructions for the 2016 Literature ATAR course examination due to online marking of the examination.

In Section Two: Extended response which contains a set of questions, candidates are required to choose two different questions. The change is that the initial set of questions is repeated to assist the online marking process. Candidates have to choose their second question from the repeated set.

This layout and the necessary instructions for this change are the same as the updated 
2016 Literature Sample Examination available on the Literature course page on the Authority website at: http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/8828/Literature_Sample_exam_2016.PDF.

Contact
Naidina Avery (08) 9273 6334 
naidina.avery@scsa.wa.edu.au
Kerry Cribb (08) 9273 6787 
kerry.cribb@scsa.wa.edu.au

The stimulus material for the 2016 Media Production and Analysis ATAR course written examinations has been distributed to schools. A DVD was provided for each teacher of the course and each candidate enrolled to sit the ATAR examination.

The DVD contains all stimulus materials required including audiovisual and print. For ease of viewing and printing, it is recommended that the DVD is played on a computer.

Candidates will be required to make reference to the stimulus material in their responses to Section One: Short answer in the written examination.

The DVD will not be played during the examination; however, the examination paper will include a source booklet with excerpts or stills from the stimulus materials.

Contact
Kerry Cribb (08) 9273 6787 
kerry.cribb@scsa.wa.edu.au
Buddhini Daluwatta (08) 9273 6761 
buddhini.daluwatta@scsa.wa.edu.au

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) invites applications from current and retired teachers and TAFE and university lecturers to participate in the development of the 2017 ATAR course examinations.

Positions that may be available for all examining panels are:

• Chief examiner
• Examiner
• Independent reviewer
• Paper checker. The Authority is seeking applicants with at least five years’ experience in teaching and assessment, an excellent understanding of examination-setting techniques and familiarity with the syllabus to be examined in 2017 in the relevant course.  The Authority may offer a panel position different from those selected on the original application form. At the point of applying all applicants must have a current Teachers’ Registration Board of WA (TRBWA) number or a National Police History Check or National Police Certificate. Applications for positions are to be made online at the Authority website at: http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au. Further information about these positions, including terms of reference, duties of members and the code of conduct is available online. Applications must be received no later than 5pm onFriday, 21 October 2016. Appointment to positions will be finalised by Friday, 18 November 2016.

Contact
Suzie Harman (08) 9273 6768 
suzie.harman@scsa.wa.edu.au

Teachers of Mathematics Specialist Year 11 are advised that an amendment has been made to the Triple angle identity for cos (3A) and to the Auxiliary angle formula on the Unit 1 and 2 formula sheet.

The revised version of the formula sheet can be found on the support materials page of Mathematics Specialist.

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/mathematics/mathematics-specialist