Acting Principal - Jeff Mulcahy

Assessment in the VCE – How Does it Work?

With exams commencing for our Year 11 VCE students next week it is important that parents and students have a full understanding of how VCE assessment is conducted. One aspect of a Year 11 VCE Program that students often find different from what they have experienced in the past is the nature of the assessment that occurs. VCE assessment contains two distinct elements.

In completing a Unit 3 and 4 VCE sequence, students are provided with a score that is used to indicate their level of achievement. This score is arrived at though student completion of numerous SAC (School Assessed Coursework) tasks or SAT (School Assessed Tasks) Projects in selected subjects. This assessment is designed to challenge all students. As such these tasks should produce a range of results with students who have demonstrated the highest levels of knowledge and skills receiving the highest scores and those who are still establishing these skills receiving the lowest scores. This is the nature of scored assessment in the VCE as it looks to rank all students in a given study from highest to lowest. This process is particularly important in Unit 3 and 4 (Year 12) studies and we look to replicate this process in Unit 1 and 2 (Year 11) studies in order to prepare students for the rigours of the final year of secondary education.

The second element of assessment in VCE studies pertains to the student’s ability to demonstrate achievement of a range of learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are pre-determined by the VCAA (Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority) and are specified in documents referred to as Study Designs. In order for a student to be eligible to receive a Satisfactory (S) result they must demonstrate achievement of several learning outcomes within each VCE unit. These learning outcomes may be seen as the minimum standard of knowledge and skills that students must demonstrate in order for the teacher to assess them as having achieved the learning outcome. If a student does not achieve the learning outcome they will receive a Not Satisfactory (N) result for that unit of study.

In order to reduce the amount of assessment that takes place, teachers may use SAC tasks to provide a score and to assess a student’s achievement of the learning outcome. As such, students are required to achieve a minimum score of 50% on SAC tasks in order to be considered to have achieved the relevant learning outcome. If a student receives less than 50% they will be given a second opportunity to complete the SAC to receive an S result. If the student is then unsuccessful a second time teachers will then use alternative tasks to look for evidence that the student has achieved the learning outcome. If, at this point, the student is unable to demonstrate the relevant skills and knowledge the teacher will award an N (Not Satisfactory) result.

If parents are unsure about the way that assessment works in the VCE it is strongly suggested that they make contact with subject teachers to seek clarification.

Year 12 VCE/VCAL STEP UP Program: Monday November 21 to Friday December 2 - Attendance is Compulsory For All Students.

The Step Up Program is an integral component to the successful commencement of Year 12.  The College is determined to provide the best possible start for our students in this vital final year of their secondary education. As such, it is compulsory for all current Year 11 students who are returning to study at the College to attend all classes during this program.  The program takes place from Monday 21 November to Friday 2 December.  During this time teachers will commence the delivery of learning programs as part of Year 12 studies in VCAL, VCE and VET. 

Students will experience a robust introduction to the course content in each of their units of study.  All staff will commence teaching the Year 12 course material for their subject areas.  Homework will be set and checked in the follow-up session within this period.  Specific study and work requirements to be completed upon return to the 2017 school year will also be set.   

It is important that all families at the College in 2017 are familiar with the Student Attendance, Achievement and Promotion Policy. One aspect of this policy is that students must attend all classes at the College, with unapproved absences not exceeding more than two hundred and fifty minutes of class time for each specific subject within a semester of study. Students exceeding this amount of unapproved absence within a given subject will receive an N result for the specific unit due to not fulfilling the attendance requirements. As we commence semester one studies at the College during the Step Up Program, any absences accrued during this time will count towards absence totals in semester one in 2017. As such, students who are absent during this period must contact the College and provide a medical certificate for the absence to be approved.  As these students will have fallen behind their fellow students, they are responsible for collecting any work they have missed and for the completion of the holiday homework. 

Please do not hesitate to contact the College if you would like any additional information about the 2017 Step Up Program.

Jeff Mulcahy

Acting Principal