Contact

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

The Externally Set Task (EST) will be printed and delivered to all schools offering Year 12 General and Foundation courses by Friday, 6 May 2016. Marking keys and marks collection forms for each EST will be available to download via SIRS from Monday, 16 May 2016.

Schools are required to administer the ESTs during weeks 4, 5 or 6 (16 May 2016 to 3 June 2016) of Term 2.

Information about ESTs and the administration of ESTs can be found in the EST Handbook 2016 that is available on the Authority website at: http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/assessment/externally-set-tasks.

Further information can be accessed via 'Frequently asked questions' at:

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/further-resources/faq.

Schools are required to nominate an EST contact person. In the absence of a nominee the Authority will use each school's enrolment contact person.

Contact

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

Schools are reminded that all students enrolled in a General Year 12 course and/or a Foundation Year 12 course are required to complete the Externally Set Task (EST) developed by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) for that course.

The EST is compulsory and forms part of the school-based assessment. The EST is included in the assessment table in the Year 12 General and Foundation syllabuses as a separate assessment type with a weighting of 15% for the pair of units.

Schools are required to administer the ESTs during weeks 4, 5 or 6 (16 May 2016 to 3 June 2016) of Term 2. Information about the administration of ESTs can be found in the EST Handbook 2016 that is available on the Authority website at: http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/assessment/externally-set-tasks.

Schools are required to upload a total mark for each student in each of the ESTs into SIRS by the end of Week 7 (10 June 2016). This mark will be out of the total indicated on the appropriate EST marking key for the course, provided by the Authority.

Schools will be able to upload the total raw mark for each EST for each student into SIRS from the school database program, i.e. RTP, Civica (MAZE).  If a student is absent for an EST but returns to school within the test period (Weeks 4, 5 and 6 of Term 2) he/she is expected to sit the EST under test conditions. However, as for all school‐based assessments, the school is required to apply its assessment policy should a student not sit the EST.

Where schools use MS Excel to transfer data to the Authority, details of the file format (RSEST) for EST marks can be found in Data Transfer from Providers to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority for 2016 which is available on the Authority website at: http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/SIRS_Info/Record_Formats.

Contact

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

Foundation course units are restricted to students who have not demonstrated the minimum standard of literacy and/or numeracy through performance in either the:

• National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Year 9
• Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA).

Year 11 students enrolled in one or more Foundation courses in Semester 1, who have now demonstrated the minimum standard in literacy and/or numeracy are not eligible to continue in the associated Foundation courses in Semester 2 and must withdraw. Year 11 students who have been enrolled in Foundation course units in Year 11 and who have met the minimum standard in literacy and/or numeracy via the OLNA are required to enrol in General or ATAR courses in Semester 2.

To assist schools to identify which Year 11 students need to have their enrolments changed (due to meeting the minimum standards of literacy and/or numeracy), the Authority has developed a report in SIRS. The pathway to this report is as follows:

Reports > other reports > Report type: enrolments, Report: CSE188 – Foundation course eligibility report.

Schools must run this report from Monday, 16 May 2016 to determine which of their Year 11 students need to have their enrolments changed.

Contact

Angela Kiely (08) 9273 6751
angela.kiely@scsa.wa.edu.au

Students may undertake ADWPL as an independent program, or as a mandatory co-requisite of a VET industry specific course.

Schools are reminded that from 2016, if ADWPL is undertaken as a co-requisite of a VET industry specific course it must be linked to the relevant qualification in order for it to contribute towards course completion requirements.  For further information please refer to the 2015 edition 10 circular item at: http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/circulars/11to12-circulars/archive/2015/11-to-12-circular-edition-10-2015.

When reporting ADWPL for the purpose of meeting VET industry specific course requirements it is important to create and then maintain the link between the qualification and ADWPL hours in SIRS up to the amount of ADWPL hours specified within the course.

If ADWPL results are uploaded and are not linked to a qualification, SIRS interprets this as a separate record and an additional record is created for those ADWPL hours.

That is, in SIRS, accumulated ADWPL hours linked to a qualification are recorded in addition to the accumulated hours achieved through an ADWPL program that is not linked to a qualification.

How do superseded qualifications affect reporting ADWPL for meeting course requirements over two years?

Where a student has commenced activity in a qualification in Year 11 (e.g. BSB20112) and by Year 12 the qualification has been superseded (e.g. BSB20115) and the student will be resulted in the current qualification (BSB20115), SIRS will count ADWPL linked to both the superseded and current qualification towards meeting ADWPL requirements for the VET Industry specific course.  In this case ADWPL hours linked to BSB20112 in Year 11 and ADWPL hours linked to BSB20115 in Year 12 will be added to provide a total number of ADWPL hours and used in the calculation for meeting course requirements.

Please note that schools will need to upload integrated VET enrolments (ENVET) before SIRS will accept ADWPL linked to the qualification as part of a VET industry specific course.

Contact

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

Schools are reminded that the Authority requires Year 12 student enrolments in VET to be uploaded into the Student Information Records System (SIRS) as soon as possible, but not later than Wednesday, 22 June 2016.

Schools need to ensure that they receive the correct enrolment information from registered training organisations (RTOs) relating to their students’ enrolments in units of competency and qualifications. It is important that schools acquire the appropriate documentation from the RTO to confirm enrolments before submitting the data to the Authority. This will ensure that accurate information is uploaded in SIRS to avoid issues at the time of providing student achievement reports.

Provision of course enrolments

The following sectionsof the Data Procedures Manual 2016 provide instructions relating to required actions (extracting data of students enrolled in VET units of competency, uploading the enrolments into SIRS and verifying these enrolments in SIRS):

This information is available on the Authority website at:

http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Publications/Data_Procedures_Manual.

It is important to note:

• the VET Unique Student Identifier (USI) is optional in the VET enrolment file (ENVET). However, it is required for units of competency and qualifications that contribute towards meeting the WACE requirements when reporting achievements through the RSVET and RSQUAL. If assistance is required regarding the USI, schools are advised to contact the Western Australian Department of Training and Workforce Development via email at usi@dtwd.wa.gov.au or to contact the USI help centre at: https://www.usi.gov.au/ or email usi@industry.gov.au or telephone 13 38 73
• schools delivering VET that is integrated into a VET Industry Specific course must enrol the students in the units of competency as VET integrated in the ENVET file. Students who meet VET industry specific course requirements can achieve course unit credit towards a WACE. Further information relating to course credit allocation and WACE credit allocation can be found at: http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Senior_Secondary/Vocational_Education_and_Training/VET_Industry_Specific.

Contact

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

Schools are reminded of the final dates for Year 12 students to withdraw from courses:

• Friday, 29 July 2016 – final date for withdrawing students from ATAR courses with practical examination components
• Friday, 26 August 2016 – final date for withdrawing students from ATAR courses which do not have practical examination components
• Friday, 26 August 2016 – final date for withdrawing students from General, Foundation, Preliminary and VET industry Specific courses.

Contact

Vanessa Peters (08) 9273 6779
vanessa.peters@scsa.wa.edu.au

On Friday 15 April 2016, Board Chair, Professor Patrick Garnett released a statement in relation to Year 12 mathematics enrolments in Western Australia.

The statement can be accessed via the Authority’s website: http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/.

The responsibility for calculation of the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) rests with the Tertiary Institutions Services Centre (TISC). Further information can be accessed via the TISC website: http://www.tisc.edu.au/.

Contact

Sarah Clough (08) 9273 6396
sarah.clough@scsa.wa.edu.au

Based on feedback from teachers and for the convenience of our users, the Authority has updated our web presence to improve navigation within and between Authority websites.

The Authority currently has three websites:

• the main Authority site: http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au (purple)
• the Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline: http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au (blue)
• the Years 11 and 12 site: http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au (grey).

Each site has been updated reflecting a number of changes:

• a new top level of navigation has been added allowing users to move easily between websites. A different feature colour will assist with website identification
• new search functionality allows users to search across all three websites from the current location
• the main Authority website has been redesigned to reflect the look and feel of the K–10 and Years 11 and 12 websites
• year-specific content has been migrated from the main authority website to the K–10 and Years 11 and 12 websites
• navigation within the K­­­­­­­­­–10 outline has been updated to reflect the 'Teaching, Assessing, Reporting' headings in the reporting policy
• the current WACE 2015–16 website has been renamed as the Years 11 and 12 website. The new URL for the Years 11 and 12 website is http://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/. Users landing on the old site will be redirected automatically.

The graphics below illustrate the changes to the top level page for each website:

Contact

Trish Dunnett (08) 9273 6794
patricia.dunnett@scsa.wa.edu.au

The Year 10 Information Handbook 2016 and the Year 10 Parent Presentation are available on the Authority's website via the publications tab at: http://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/.

The Year 10 Parent Presentation PowerPoint has been developed to support schools for their Year 10 parent presentation.

The handbook is essential reading for Year 10s, their families and teachers. Students can save the handbook on electronic devices and type notes into the notes section.

Schools should encourage students to read this information handbook carefully. It contains information for students on a range of important topics:

• how to achieve the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE)
• the Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement (WASSA)
• WACE requirements
• WACE courses
• Unit equivalents
• Endorsed programs
• Study options.

Contact

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

Year 12 students and other students enrolled to sit the ATAR course examinations are required to complete the Student Declaration and Permissions online by Friday, 24 June 2016.

The Authority is now seeking your assistance to provide details to your Year 12 students, and other students enrolled to sit the ATAR course examinations, regarding the online procedure. This information will be available in schools at the beginning of May as per the Activities Schedule 2016.

The purpose of this online Student Declaration and Permission is to ensure students are aware of the requirements:

• to achieve the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) and
• for sitting the ATAR course examinations.

It also enables students to give permission for the:

• release of certain personal information should they receive an award
• use of school work for creating support materials and
• use of examination responses (written and practical).

Schools are able to monitor which of their students have completed the Student Declaration and Permission online via the following report, CSE058 – Student Release Choices by Provider. The pathway to the report is as follows: Reports > Other reports > Report type: Students, reports.

The Authority appreciates your assistance in obtaining this important information.

Contact

SIRShelp (08) 9273 6719

SIRShelp@scsa.wa.edu.au

Schools are advised that the URL to log onto SIRS has changed.  The revised URL is as follows:

https://sirs.scsa.wa.edu.au/

Could you please ensure that staff using SIRS are informed of this change.

Contact

Carolyn Fleischer (08) 9273 6735
carolyn.fleischer@scsa.wa.edu.au

Teachers of the Geography ATAR Year 12 course should note that as stated in the Unit 3 Description, 'the second study focuses on the evaluation of a local land cover change initiative designed to address either climate change or biodiversity loss.'

In the content dot point below, the 'area being studied' refers to a geographical location and not to a context.

• evaluation of at least one alternative approach to the management of land cover change in the area being studied, using the concept of sustainability to determine the extent to which the approach has the potential to address the issue into the future.

Contact

Louise Dodman (08) 9273 6785
louise.dodman@scsa.wa.edu.au

When submitting applications via email, schools are requested to use the following address: eald@scsa.wa.edu.au.

Schools should note the following:

• The attachment limit for emails sent to the Authority is approximately 7MB. Emails with attachments in excess of 7MB will not be delivered and therefore attachments over 7MB must be segmented into a series of smaller sized emails.

• Schools will be sent an automated response confirming successful delivery of applications to eald@scsa.wa.edu.au.

• Eligibility applications may continue to be submitted by post or by courier.

Contact

Louise Dodman (08) 9273 6785
louise.dodman@scsa.wa.edu.au

Schools are advised that, following requests from schools, there will be two optional additional EAL/D eligibility application submission dates each year. This is to enable schools to be informed of the eligibility status of their Year 10 and Year 11 students before these students are placed into Year 11 and Year 12 courses. Please note that it is not compulsory for students to submit eligibility applications in Year 10 or Year 11.

Schools should note that a student who has not submitted an EAL/D eligibility application by the time of the Year 12 enrolment deadline, as published in the WACE Activities Schedule for that year, will not be able to enrol in a Year 12 EAL/D course for that year.

Please allow five working days for the processing of eligibility applications at these peak times.

For information regarding the EAL/D eligibility application process, refer to the EAL/D Course page on the Authority’s website.

* Please refer to the Authority’s website for the exact dates, as these may vary from year to year.

# EAL/D eligibility is compulsory for students who wish to enrol in a Year 12 EAL/D course.

Contact

Robyn Smith (08) 9273 6386
robyn.smith@scsa.wa.edu.au

Teachers of Japanese: Second Language ATAR Year 12 are advised that the Japanese: Second Language ATAR Year 12 syllabus has been amended to include the Unit 2 kanji in Appendix 3 Elaborations of grammatical items on page 41.

The amended syllabus can be accessed from the Language Learning Area page of the WACE 2015-2016 section of the Authority website.

With regard to the ATAR examination, teachers of Year 12 ATAR Japanese: Second Language are advised that Unit 3 and Unit 4 are underpinned by the understandings of the content of Unit 1 and Unit 2. Candidates are therefore advised that grammar and kanji used in Unit 1 and Unit 2 may be used in the Year 12 ATAR written examination.

Contact

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

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

A letter has been sent to all schools with students enrolled in a Year 12 ATAR course with a practical examination. The letter is to inform schools that the practical examination requirements documents and practical marking keys for 2016 are available on the specific ATAR course page of the Authority’s website. Please see the links below.

Teachers and students must be familiar with the course specific practical examination requirements document and practical marking keys. They contain important information about the reporting of achievement, how the examination is structured and conducted and key dates.

Aviation

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/science/aviation

Chinese: Second Language

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/languages/chinese-second-language

Dance

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/arts/dance

Design

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/arts/design

Drama

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/arts/drama

English as an Additional Language/Dialect

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/english/english-as-an-additional-language-or-dialect

French: Background Language

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/languages/french-background-language

French: Second Language

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/languages/french-second-language

German: Background Language

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/languages/german-background-language

German: Second Language

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/languages/german-second-language

Indonesian: Second Language

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/languages/indonesian-second-language

Italian: Background Language

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/languages/italian-background-language

Italian: Second Language

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/languages/italian-second-language

Japanese: Second Language

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/languages/japanese-second-language

Materials Design and Technology

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/technologies/materials-design-and-technology

Media Production and Analysis

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/arts/media-production-and-analysis

Music

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/arts/music

Physical Education Studies

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/health-and-physical-education/physical-education-studies

Visual Arts

http://wace1516.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/arts/visual-arts