MPA ATAR ISP Workshops 2021

Contact
Gemma Wright (08) 9273 6783
Gemma.Wright@scsa.wa.edu.au

Teachers of Years 11 and 12 ATAR Media Production and Analysis (MPA) are advised that the School Curriculum and Standards Authority will be conducting Webex (online) workshops in Term 2 designed to inform teacher practical (production) marking judgements and support improving student performance (ISP) in the practical (production) assessment task type and the practical (production) examination.

This workshop will focus on practical (production) examination marking, the use of analytical marking keys, viewing and marking production samples and refining teacher understanding of the Year 12 ATAR practical (production) standards.

The dates for the ISP workshops are as follows:

• Webex Meeting (Online): Thursday 29 April, 12.30 pm – 3.30 pm
• Webex Meeting (Online): Monday 3 May, 3.30 pm – 6.30 pm

The workshops are free to attend and are not compulsory. Schools are responsible for any costs incurred (for example, teacher relief) as a result of attendance at the workshops.

Participants are advised to have available a hard copy or electronic copy of the 2021 Year 12 ATAR Media Production and Analysis Practical (Production) Examination marking key and Practical Examination design brief found on the MPA course page under ATAR > Examination Materials. Registration online at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/events/improving-student-performance-workshops opens in new window.

ISP Workshops 2021 – English

Contact
Francoise Purdue (08) 9273 6374
Francoise.Purdue@scsa.wa.edu.au

Teachers of Year 12 ATAR English are advised that the Authority will be conducting a series of workshops designed to support improving student performance in Year 12 ATAR English. Attendance is optional and capacity at each venue is limited. An individual teacher should not register more than once and it is requested that each school sends no more than two representatives. The workshops will focus on the Responding section of the 2020 exam and on some texts relevant to that section.

The dates and venues are listed below:

Details of all workshops can be accessed when the teacher registers online from the Authority website at https://scsa.wa.edu.au/events/improving-student-performance-workshops opens in new window.

The workshops are free, but schools are responsible for teacher relief and any travel and accommodation expenses.

Music ATAR course Practical (performance) examination marking key for 2021 available now

Contact
Nick Fielding (08) 9273 6756
Nick.Fielding@scsa.wa.edu.au

Teachers are advised that the Music ATAR course Practical (performance) examination marking key for 2021 is available now on the Music page of the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) website, under the ‘Examination Materials’ tab on the Music ATAR course page (https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/arts/music).

Two additional documents are also available on the Music ATAR course page, under the ‘Support Materials: Practical component’ tab:

• the Music Practical (performance) marking template, that has been updated to reflect the new marking key
• Guide to change – 2021 Music ATAR Practical (performance) examination marking key, outlining the changes made to the marking key.

Teachers are reminded that the Authority’s marking key is used for the ATAR practical (performance) examination at the end of Year 12. The marking key is not mandated for use in schools but it is commonly-accepted practice for teachers to mark their students’ school-based performance assessments and examinations using the Authority’s marking key.

2021 Year 12 English General EST Unit 3 Content

Contact
Francoise Purdue (08) 9273 6374
Francoise.Purdue@scsa.wa.edu.au

Kevin Sadler (08) 9273 6332
Kevin.Sadler@scsa.wa.edu.au

In response to requests for clarification about the 2021 General English externally set task (EST), teachers are advised that the English General 2021 EST task addressing the relevant Unit 3 syllabus points under the heading ‘Create a range of texts’ will require students to write an imaginative or persuasive text.

Application for writers and checkers of the 2022 ESTs

Contact
Patricia Daly (08) 9273 6761
Patricia.Daly@scsa.wa.edu.au

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

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority is seeking applications from qualified people who wish to be considered for appointment as writers and checkers of the 2022 Externally set task (EST).

Please see the link below to read the terms of reference and to apply online: https://scsa.wa.edu.au/about-us/employment/application-for-writing-ests.

Applications must be received no later than 5pm on Friday, 19 March 2021. Successful applicants will be notified after Friday, 9 April 2021.

Year 11 and Year 12 student enrolments in course units for 2021 – timeline

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

Last dates for changes and withdrawals
Schools are reminded that the last date for changes to enrolments is Thursday, 1 April 2021 for:

• ATAR, General, Foundation, Preliminary and VET industry specific courses for Year 12 students
• ATAR, General and Foundation courses (Units 3 and 4) for Year 11 students.

After Thursday, 1 April
SIRS will be locked and no further changes (except withdrawals) will be accepted in the above courses

• Year 11 and Year 12 students are able to withdraw from ATAR courses (Units 3 and 4) with practical examination components until Thursday, 22 July 2021
• Year 11 and Year 12 students are able to withdraw from ATAR courses (Units 3 and 4) which do not have practical examination components until Monday, 9 August 2021
• Year 12 students are able to withdraw from ATAR (Units 1 and 2), General, Foundation, Preliminary and VET industry specific courses until Monday, 9 August 2021.

If schools do not withdraw students from Year 12 ATAR courses before the above deadlines, then these students are enrolled in the course and are required to sit the ATAR course examinations. Where the Year 12 ATAR course has both written and practical examinations, students are required to sit for both of these examinations. Students who do not sit an ATAR course examination and do not have an approved sickness/misadventure application for that course, will not have the grades for the pair of units completed in that year contribute to the calculation of the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE). Further details relating to the consequences of not sitting examinations and WACE requirements can be found in the WACE Manual 2021 at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/wace-manual opens in new window under Explanatory notes relating to WACE requirements 2021 (Number 5).

The final date for upload into SIRS for enrolments in year-long Year 11 courses for Year 11 students is Tuesday, 29 June 2021. After this date, SIRS will be locked and no further changes (except withdrawals from these courses) will be accepted. From this date, Year 11 students may only be enrolled into single units for Semester 2. Schools are also reminded that the last date for changes to enrolments in VET industry specific courses for Year 11 students is Thursday, 12 August 2021.

Non-school candidate enrolments
Enrolments as non-school candidates in ATAR course examinations must be received at the Authority by Thursday, 1 April 2021. No further applications will be accepted after this date. This form can be found on the Authority website at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/forms/forms opens in new window (under Enrolments).

Overseas full fee-paying student declaration forms
Year 10 and Year 11 Overseas full fee-paying student declaration form – 2021 and/or Year 12 Overseas full fee-paying student declaration form – 2021 with payment (for schools in Western Australia only) are due on Tuesday, 11 May 2021. It should be noted that payment of these fees is required before the Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement (WASSA) and Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) can be issued by the Authority. These forms can be found on the Authority website at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/forms/forms opens in new window (under Declarations).