Assessment Information

O’Connor Catholic College Stage 6 Assessment Policy

1. Each student is required to undertake those tasks, which are part of each subject's formal assessment programme.  In addition students are required to apply themselves with diligence and sustained effort to other set tasks and experiences provided in the course by the school. This is a NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA) requirement. Students are to be provided with information on their progress.

2. Each student and parent/guardian will be issued with a complete assessment schedule at the beginning of the HSC course. Each student is responsible for knowing and managing the assessment requirements for each of their courses.

3. Students will receive specific task information at least two weeks prior to the due date for that task. This information will include details about the process and procedures involved in managing the task, such as to whom and how the task should be submitted and the format it needs to be in. Students will be expected to sign receipt of Assessment tasks and teachers will sign when the task has been submitted. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all parts of assessment tasks are submitted. 

4. Teachers will give specific task information at least two weeks prior to the due date for that task.  This will include details about the process and procedures involved in managing the tasks. Students will be expected to sign receipt of assessment tasks and teachers will sign when the task has been submitted. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all parts of exams are submitted.

• All assessment tasks (this does not include in-class assessments) will be due on a Monday and are to be submitted by 9am on the due date to the front office.

• Changes to the schedule are possible with appropriate warning and notification.

5. Teachers will provide clear and appropriate indicators, on how to succeed at the task such as marking criteria. 

6. Students will receive specific feedback for each task to inform them of their progress in the learning continuum.

7. Absence from tasks or failure to hand in completed tasks on the due date and in appropriate format will be recorded as a non-attempt and a zero mark will be awarded. Students who know they will be absent on the due date must make prior arrangements with the subject teacher to negotiate the submission or completion of the task. 

8. If a student has been found to have committed malpractice they will also receive a zero mark or only those parts of the task deemed to be the students own work will be marked. Any breach of the above conditions will result in the student being issued with an N-Determination warning letter, placing their HSC credential in jeopardy.

An official Warning Letter can be sent home to notify a student and his/her parents of any failure to meet requirements and allow for the situation to be rectified. Warning letters must be signed by the Principal and Assistant Principal.

After two N Determination warning letters, the Principal may award the student an N

(non-completion of course) determination, meaning that the course will not be recorded on the students record of achievement, thus placing their entire HSC program in jeopardy.

9. Students are entitled to apply for Special Consideration in case of Illness/Misadventure. The application must be made on the appropriate form and supported by independent evidence. If circumstances are known, students should apply for special consideration prior to the due date. The Special Consideration form is filled out online and is coordinated by the Assistant Principal - Curriculum.  Here is the online Special Consideration form. 

10. If students fail to submit a task or are absent on the due date and a Special Consideration form appeal is not lodged by students within a week of the original due date or is not approved, they will be issued with a N-Determination warning letter. Students will be expected to complete all course work provided.

11. The Assistant Principal, in consultation with the relevant Leader of Learning and subject teacher will determine an appropriate alternative assessment in case of a successful Special Consideration appeal. 

This could include:

• an alternate time, 

• task of comparative academic rigour 

• or an estimate mark.

Note: If the student is able to sit/submit the task when they have approved special consideration, their mark will examined at the end of the course for accuracy.  This means their actual result will be compared with their other results in that course with that cohort to see if they have performed as well as expected.  If their actual mark is below this estimated mark, their mark will be lifted to the estimated result.  If their actual result is at or above the estimated result, the mark is unchanged.  In this way, Special Consideration is an insurance policy.  See this document for details on how the estimated mark is determined. 

12. Students who fail to satisfactorily meet HSC requirements will be issued with an
    N-Determination warning letter. After two N-Determination warning letters the Principal may award the student an N (non-completion of course) determination, meaning that the course will not be recorded on the students record of achievement, thus placing their HSC credential in jeopardy. This is a NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA) requirement. 

13. If a student's work and/or attendance becomes a concern, the Principal may determine that the course completion criteria has not been met.  This can lead to an 'N' determination in the course which would be reflected in the student’s record of achievement and ultimately the HSC.  

14. Students have the right to appeal the procedure of a task, the administration of tasks, or whether the task conforms to the College’s HSC Assessment Policy. This appeal must be made on the HSC Assessment Task Appeal Form within ONE week of the task in question being handed back to the student and returned directly to the Assistant Principal.

15. The Principal and Assistant Principal comprise the Review Panel and have the right to co-opt other teachers onto this panel. The decision of this panel is final.

16. If students have had equal to 50% or more of their assessment tasks recorded as non-attempts in any course, the Principal will not certify that the course has been satisfactorily completed.  The student will not be allowed to sit for the Higher School Certificate Examination in that course and the course will not be included on the result notice.  If the student's other subjects do not make up 10 units, or if that course is English, the student will be ineligible for the Higher School Certificate.

17. The NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA) mandates that the final internal total assessment mark cannot be revealed to students. Subject teachers are required to submit a final assessment mark to NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA). A student’s internal assessment result contributes to 50% of a student’s final HSC mark. 

18. Students can collect their Assessment Rank Order Notice from the College after the last HSC examination or access this on Students Online on the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA) website. Students have the right to a school review of their rank and may appeal the Review Panel’s decision to the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA). This must be done within the specified time period and may only be on the basis of the Assessment Policy and the procedures used in arriving at the final assessment mark.

Special Consideration Protocols for Year 12

Special Consideration is available for students if they have suffered an illness or misadventure prior to or at the time of the assessment. Special Consideration may also be available to students if for some reason they know they will be absent on the due date of the assessment.

1. Only the Assistant Principal or the Principal can process a Special Consideration application

2. Our Assessment policy contains the following clause; If students fail to submit a task or are absent on the due date and a Special Consideration form application is not lodged by students within a week of the original due date or is not approved, they will be issued with a N-Determination warning letter. Students will be expected to complete all course work provided.

3. To apply for a Special Consideration a student must:

• Advise the class teacher of the need for special consideration 

• See/notify the Assistant Principal that they wish to apply for Special Consideration and obtain a form. Here is the online special consideration form. 

• obtain and provide independent evidence to validate the Special Consideration application: ie Medical Certificate, evidence of travel, work placement forms etc. This must be provided at the time of submitting the form. 

• Provide notification from a parent/Guardian in the event of an unknown circumstance such as a death in the family, as early as possible

4. Once a Special Consideration application has been received the Assistant Principal will;

• Validate the evidence supplied

• Communicate with the subject teacher/s and student if the application has been successful

• Make a recommendation as to the outcome of the application in consultation with the subject teacher/s and when necessary the student

• Make copies of the completed application for the subject teacher and student and maintain a record of all applications for the academic Year

• Keep a database of Special Consideration for Years 11 and 12 and provide information for the purpose of issuing RoSA grades for Year 11 and the final assessment mark and rank for Year 12

5. For school based exams the following will apply: 

a) In the case of exams the students will complete all exams at the next convenient date determined by the Assistant Principal, subject teacher and student/parents. If a student is absent from a school based exam the student will complete the exam after the class group rather than before. The form is to be used for students that are ill during an exam if they tell the supervising teacher immediately and evidence can be supported by the supervising teacher.

Note: If the student is able to sit/submit the task when they have approved special consideration, their mark will examined at the end of the course for accuracy.  This means their actual result will be compared with their other results in that course with that cohort to see if they have performed as well as expected.  If their actual mark is below this estimated mark, their mark will be lifted to the estimated result.  If their actual result is at or above the estimated result, the mark is unchanged.  In this way, Special Consideration is an insurance policy.  See this document for details on how the estimated mark is determined.  This is the accepted method used by schools around NSW.

Disability Provisions

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) and the Disability Standards for Education (2005) require the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA) to ensure that students with a disability are able to access and respond to an examination. NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA) may approve disability provisions for the Higher School Certificate examinations if a student has a permanent or temporary disability that would, in a normal examination situation, prevent him or her from:

1. reading the examination questions; and/or

2. communicating his or her responses.

The Principal have the authority to decide on, and to implement, disability provisions for school-based assessment tasks including examinations.