DCC SECONDARY CURRICULUM

Authentication & Breach of Rules

Authentication of school based assessment

Students must observe and apply the VCAA authentication rules for School-based Assessment, which is inclusive of VCE VM assessment. Students must ensure that all unacknowledged work submitted for assessment is genuinely their own. They cannot receive undue assistance from another person (including teachers), including copying another person’s work, using AI, and must acknowledge when any resources are used. Students can receive general prompting and advice from another person or source which leads to refinements or self correction, as appropriate to the task. Teachers may consider it appropriate to ask a student to demonstrate their understanding of the task at or about the time of submission of the work. If any part or all of the work cannot be authenticated, the matter must be dealt with as a breach of rules.

 

School-assessed Coursework (SACs)

Teachers are to develop courses that include appropriate learning activities to enable students to demonstrate achievement of outcomes. 

Undue assistance should not be provided to students while undertaking assessment tasks.

Most SACs for Units 3 & 4 will be conducted under exam conditions. Teachers should ensure that:

  • Students are situated in the classroom in such a way as to prevent copying from another student
  • Students cannot access unauthorised notes or resources (for example, pencil cases should be put on the floor, dictionaries should be checked)
  • Supervision of students throughout the SAC is conducted with vigilance

Where a SAC or a component of a SAC is conducted outside the classroom, teachers will monitor and record each student’s progress through to completion. This requires regular sightings of the work by the teacher and the keeping of records in the ‘Authentication Record for School-assessed Coursework’ form.

 

School-assessed Tasks (SATs)

As well as the work done in class for SATs, there may be a need for students to complete research and learning activities outside of class time. Teachers will monitor and record each student’s progress through to completion. This requires regular sightings of the work by the teacher and the keeping of records in the ‘Authentication Record for School-assessed Tasks’ form.

Lost, damaged or stolen SATs

If the teacher or student has lost an SAT, or the task has been stolen or damaged, they will complete a written statement of the circumstances. The statement will be signed, dated and will be kept by the school. The school will complete the ‘Report on lost, stolen or damaged school-assessed tasks and externally assessed tasks form’.

The teacher will determine an initial assessment based on records kept on the Authentication record forms and regular photographs of the student’s work.

More information on Authentication can be found in the VCE Administrative Handbook linked here: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/administration/vce-handbook/Pages/index.aspx

 

Breach of rules

The VCAA rules state that, ‘Students must not cheat or assist other students to cheat, including taking any action that gives or attempts to give them or another student an unfair advantage.’

A full list of VCAA rules can be found by following this link: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/administration/vce-handbook/Pages/index.aspx

Accordingly, the following would constitute a breach of rules for the conduct of assessment tasks:

  • Submission of unacknowledged work that is not the student’s own work
  • Copying the work of another student.
  • Use of unauthorised notes or equipment
  • Use of or copying sample answers provided by their teacher, another person or another source

Any allegation of breach of rules will to be sent to the VCE Coordinator. If an allegation is received, the following processes will take place:

  1. The student will be notified that an allegation has been made.
  2. The allegation will be investigated by the VCE Coordinator, taking statements from the subject teacher, the student involved, and any other parties deemed to have relevant information regarding the incident.
  3. A decision will be made by the VCE Coordinator in consultation with the subject teacher, Head of Senior Secondary or Director of Teaching and Learning, as to the outcome of the investigation.
  4. The outcome may include the awarding of a lower mark or zero for the piece of work, depending on the level of the breach.
  5. While that mark will stand, students will be given another opportunity, if necessary, to satisfactorily complete the study outcome.
  6. The student and their parent(s) will be advised and will have the opportunity to discuss and appeal the outcome of the investigation.
  7. Any appeals received will be considered by the VCE Coordinator in consultation with the Head of Senior Secondary.

  8. The outcome of any appeals will be communicated to the student and their parent(s).

     

Student Complaints

VCAA requires that schools have clear policies and procedures in place for when a student, parent or guardian makes a complaint about the school, or the actions of a person connected to the school, including non-compliance by teachers and/or schools in implementation of the VCE.

Any complaint regarding the implementation of the VCE will to be sent to the VCE Coordinator. If a complaint is received, the following processes will take place:

1.  The relevant school personnel will be notified that a complaint has been made.

2.  The complaint will be investigated by the VCE Coordinator or the Head of Senior Secondary, taking statements from the complainant, the school personnel involved, and any other parties deemed to have relevant information regarding the incident.

3.  A decision will be made by the VCE Coordinator in consultation with the Head of Senior Secondary or Director of Teaching and Learning, as to the outcome of the investigation.

4.  The complainant and their parent(s) will be advised in writing of the outcome and will have the opportunity to discuss and appeal the outcome of the investigation.

5.  Any appeals received will be considered by the VCE Coordinator in consultation with the Head of Senior Secondary or Director of Teaching and Learning.

6.  The outcome of any appeals will be communicated in writing to the student and their parent(s).

7.  If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome, they can contact the VCAA. Complaints must be made in writing to the CEO of the VCAA no later than 14 days after receiving written notice of the school’s decision.

Upon receipt of a complaint, the CEO of the VCAA may convene a panel to investigate the allegations. This panel has the authority to:

•  request evidence from all parties involved in the allegations.

•  request to interview all relevant parties regarding the allegations.

On completion of the investigation, the panel will provide a report to the VCAA VCE Integrity Committee and VCAA CEO to determine appropriate actions.Actions may include:

•  instructing the school to amend policies or procedures not in line with the VCE Administrative Handbook 2025

•  overturning decisions not in line with the VCE Administrative Handbook 2025•  requesting a school-based assessment audit

•  reviewing the school’s permission to teach VCE studies

•  referring the school to the VRQA.