School Assessed Course Work (SAC's) & School Assessed Tasks (SAT's)

WHAT IS SCHOOL ASSESSED COURSE WORK (SAC) & SCHOOL ASSESSED TASKS (SAT)

School-assessed Coursework, which consists of a set of assessment tasks that assesses each student’s level of achievement in Units 3 and 4 outcomes as specified in the study design. Schools provide a score for each component of coursework specified in the study design. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) aggregates these scores into a single total score for each student, which is then statistically moderated against the examination scores in the study. The General Achievement Test (GAT) may also be used in statistical moderation. • School-assessed Tasks, which are set by the VCAA to assess specific sets of practical skills and knowledge. Teachers assess the student’s level of achievement on the basis of a rating against criteria specified by the VCAA. Schools provide a score for each criterion. The VCAA aggregates these scores into a single total score for each student, which is then statistically moderated against the examination scores in the study. The GAT may also be used in statistical moderation.

POLICY AND PROCEDURES ASSESSED COURSEWORK (SAC's & SAT's)

Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning that at the senior secondary level:Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning that at the senior secondary level:

identifies opportunities for further learning
describes student achievement
articulates and maintains standards
provides the basis for the award of a certificate

As part of VCE studies, assessment activities enable:

the demonstration of the achievement of an outcome or set of outcomes
judgment and reporting of a level of achievement on a task or collection of tasks for School-assessed Coursework, School-assessed Tasks, Externally-assessed Tasks or examinations

Monitoring the results of VCE assessment also provides feedback, which informs curriculum implementation, assessment design and curriculum review.

In each VCE study, teachers and schools determine the assessment tasks to be used at Units 1 and 2. In Units 3 and 4, specified assessment tasks are set.

At the Units 3 and 4 level of a VCE study, School-assessed Coursework, School-assessed Tasks, Externally-assessed Tasks and examinations provide assessment results that are used in the calculation of a student’s study score.

The key principles underpinning all VCE assessment practice ensure that the assessment instruments enable judgments to be made about demonstration of the outcomes and levels of achievement fairly, in a balanced way and without adverse effects on the curriculum or for the education system.

Assessment should be acceptable to stakeholders – including students, schools, government and the community. The system for assessing the progress and achievement of students must be accessible, effective, equitable, reasonable and transparent.

RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE COMPLETION OF SACS & SATS AUTHENTICATION

A student must ensure that all unacknowledged work submitted for assessment is genuinely his/her own.
A student must acknowledge all resources used, including:
- text, websites and source material
- The name/s and status of any person/s that provided assistance and the type of assistance provided.
A student must not receive undue assistance from any other person in the preparation and submission of work.

Acceptable levels of assistance include:

the incorporation of ideas or material derived from other sources (for example, by reading, viewing or note taking), but which has been transformed by the student and used in a new context
Prompting and general advice from another person or source which leads to refinements and/or self-correction.

Unacceptable forms of assistance include:

use of, or copying of, another person’s work or other resources without acknowledgment
corrections or improvements made or dictated by another person

A student must not submit the same piece of work for assessment in more than one study.
A student who knowingly assists other students in a breach of rules may be penalised.
A student must sign an authentication record for work done outside class at the time of submitting the completed task. This declaration states that all unacknowledged work is the student’s own.
Where a SAC/SAT is not completed entirely within class time, students must ensure that these authentication requirements are satisfied. Failure to meet these will result in the non-assessment of the task;

ON THE DAY OF A SAC OR SAT (ASSESSMENT DAY FOR A SUBJECT OR EXAM)

If a student is absent due to a medical concern, he / she is required to obtain a medical certificate dated on the day of the absence in order to be eligible for a scored assessment.
Failure to obtain an appropriately dated medical certificate for an absence from a SAC or SAT will result in no scored assessment, but a student may be able to meet requirements for a satisfactory pass.
If a student has been absent when a SAC/SAT was held in class, the SAC/SAT will be scheduled for redemption within one week. The redemption must occur within the week of the student’s return to school. A medical certificate dated on the day of the absence must be presented in order for the assessment to be awarded a numeric score.

SCHEDULING ASSESSMENT TASK

Students will be advised of the date for the completion of an assessment task(s) in advance; at least one week prior to the scheduled assessment. The task will be entered on Compass Learning Tasks.
All School Assessed Coursework (SAC) assessments and School Assessed Tasks (SAT) must be completed in line with the directions issued by the class teacher. These directions will identify clearly the due dates of such assessments, the nature and length of the task to be undertaken, and any other special requirements;
For each assessment task students should be provided with the
type of assessment task and date for completion
time allowed for the task
allocation of marks
nature of any materials they can utilize when completing the task
opportunity to demonstrate the highest level of performance
An extension for a SAC/SAT task can only be granted before the due date and where there is sufficient documented evidence of a significant medical issue having impacted on the completion of the task. An ‘Application for an Extension’ must be completed and submitted to the Sub-School Leader before the due date of the task;
The late submission of SAC/SAT work, beyond the time and date set by the classroom teacher, will result in the work being assessed for an “S” or “N” only, where an extension has not been granted. The work will receive a “NA” (Non-assessed) and NO numeric score or grade;
Technical or computer failure will not be accepted as a reason for the granting of an extension. In line with the VCAA requirements, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that sufficient backups and hardcopies of their work are maintained to avoid any “loss” of work. Similarly, printing difficulties are not grounds for the granting of an extension;

RESCHEDULING ASSESSMENT TASKS

Students are required to obtain a Medical Certificate for an absence from an assessment task due to illness. (See section above re Attendance requirements)
If a student has been absent when a SAC/SAT was held in class, SAC/SAT redemption must occur on the following Thursday between 3.30 pm and 5pm (ie within one week of the student’s return to school) at the PD Room. Please see your teacher on return to school to arrange this SAC redemption and check your email and the Compass portal for the scheduled time. All incomplete SACs will be returned after one week and students will not qualify for a graded assessment.
Students are given three attempts to complete a SAC/SAT task. Failure to be present for SAC redemption will forfeit an attempt.
Where a student is absent for an assessment task, the teacher will complete the SAC/SAT redemption form available from the Senior School Office and submit this with the assessment task for completion by the student.
If a student is absent from the rescheduled date, the Senior School Coordinators will make contact with parents/guardians.
SAC Restoration Coversheet – 2020 must be included for each student
Leave individual student SACs in blue tub in Senior School Office.
Instruct Year 11 & 12 students to attend the next available timed session on either the Thursday or Monday (if applicable). Appointment must be made with STS prior to attending a session. If students are unable to complete outstanding SACs within the scheduled timed assessment sessions they will be required to attend the next after school SAC assessment session from 3:20 pm to 4:40pm.
Completed SACs will be pigeon holed in main staff room.

RESCHEDULING ASSESSMENT FOR AN ENTIRE CLASS

If teachers wish to reschedule an assessment task because their students are not ready to be assessed, or due to other circumstances, they should provide adequate notification to all students in the class or classes. An extension of time for all students in a class should be given only on the condition that they are all given adequate notice and that no student in the class or in another class is advantaged or disadvantaged.

RESCHEDULING AN ASSESSMENT TASK FOR AN INDIVIDUAL STUDENT

Extension of time for an individual student to complete a task should be granted only in special circumstances. An extension of time may be permitted, but not into the next academic year. Schools are required to have a policy outlining conditions under which an extension of time for individuals may be granted. It should be common across all VCE units within a school and should contain details including:

• a formal process for applying for an extension of time

• the rules of eligibility • the maximum period for an extension

• conditions under which an extension will be allowed.

Extensions for tasks related to units of competency contributing to scored VCE VET sequences cannot be permitted beyond the final date for results submission. Unit completion is essential for finalising study scores, which must be calculated at the same time for all VCE studies.

SAC COMPLETION CONDITIONS

1. Students must bring their own writing equipment, erasers, ruler, etc. These must be carried and stored in a clear plastic pocket.

2. Pencil cases and bags are not to be brought to SAC assessments.

3. Any material supplied by the teacher will be date stamped or signed prior to distribution unless the documentation is in the form of an answer sheet or booklet.

4. Students must not have access to mobile phones, Ipods or other types of music or communication devices during SAC / SATs. All communication devices must be placed at the front of the room or submitted to the supervising member of staff.

5. A student must not communicate, verbally or non-verbally with another student while the SAC/SAT is being conducted.

6. A student must not begin to write or mark his/her paper or response material in any way, or use a calculator, until advised by the supervising teacher that writing may commence.

7. A student is to raise his or her hand if he or she wishes to communicate with a supervising teacher.

8. The VCAA approves students bringing bottled water into a room with the following conditions:

The water is in a clear plastic bottle (no label)
The bottle has a secure lid
The capacity of the bottle is no more than 1500 ml
The water bottle must not be placed on the desk at any time
Water bottles must be not re-filled during the examination
Water bottles must not be shared between students

WHEN A STUDENT DOES NOT MEET THEIR OBLIGATIONS

The school has a responsibility to ensure that all students abide by the rules set by the VCAA for the conduct of VCE/VCAL courses and their assessments. The school rules must also be followed by all students. When there is a breach, or suspected breach, of rules regarding School-assessed Coursework or School-assessed Tasks this should be discussed immediately with the Senior School Leader. An investigation of the situation will be undertaken in accordance with the VCAA requirements and appropriate penalties will be applied where necessary. The Principal will be involved in all dealings with the student where a significant breach of the rules has occurred.

SACS & SATS COMPLETED OUTSIDE OF CLASS TIME AUTHENTICATION

Students are required to ensure that all unacknowledged work submitted for assessment is genuinely his/her own. For School-Assessed Coursework and School-Assessed Tasks (SAC/SAT) completed out of class, teachers will monitor and record the progress of each student through to completion. In order to ensure authentication, students work and its development is regularly sighted, with records kept of each of the sightings.

Students are required to complete the following document(s) as part of the Authentication process for School-assessed course work or school-assessed tasks completed outside of class time and submit to their teacher(s) with the assessment task.

Authentication record for School-assessed Coursework
Authentication Record for School-assessed Tasks

[Documents available from classroom teachers]

RETURN OF ASSESSMENT TASKS

Staff must keep the original of all school based assessments completed by students until the end of the academic year in case the VCAA requires said work for auditing purposes. The student should have access to a copy of their assessments for feedback and revision purposes.

Staff must provide students upon assessment of any school based coursework:

advising on particular problem areas
advising on where and how improvements can be made for further learning
reporting S or N decisions and/or written comments on students’ performance against each outcome

VCAA RULES AND PLAGIARISM

All VCAA rules regarding completion of work can be found online at http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/ and can be clarified by speaking to your subject teacher or VCE

Coordinator. The ones listed here are rules that commonly need to be reminded to our students.

Work produced electronically (Computer or iPad)

When The Lakes College South Morang students use electronic media to produce work as part of their VCE studies either at the College or at home, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that:

There is an alternative system available for use in case of computer or printer malfunction or unavailability
Each time changes are made the work is saved onto a back-up file. The back-up file should not be stored with the computer
Hard copies of the work in progress are produced regularly and kept, to meet drafting and authentication requirements
All students must abide by the rules outlined by their teachers regarding the work
Computer malfunction is NOT an acceptable reason to apply for a time extension

RULES REGARDING SUBMISSION OF OWN WORK (PLAGIARISM)

The following rules need to be followed in order to prove the authenticity of a student’s work:

A student must ensure that all unacknowledged work submitted for assessment is genuinely their own.
A student must acknowledge all resources used including:

Texts, websites and source material

The names and status of any person(s) who provided assistance and the type of assistance provided.

A student must not receive undue assistance from any other person in the preparation and submission of work. Acceptable levels of assistance include:

The incorporation of ideas or material derived from other sources e.g. by reading, viewing or note taking, but which has been transformed by the student and used in a new context.
Prompting and general advice from another person or source, which leads to refinements and/or self-correction.

Unacceptable forms of assistance include:

Use of, or copying of, another person’s work or other resources without acknowledgement.
Corrections or improvement made or dictated by another person.
A student must not submit the same piece of work for assessment in more than one study.
A student who either knowingly, or unknowingly, assists other students in a breach of rules may be penalised.
A student must sign the authentication record for work done outside class at the time of submitting the completed task. The declaration states that all unacknowledged work is the student’s own.
A student must sign a general declaration that they will obey the rules and instructions for the VCE, and accept its disciplinary provisions

ONUS OF PROOF

Students must be able to provide evidence that the work submitted is their own and/or was completed in accordance with the VCAA’s requirements. This evidence must be produced when requested and failure to do so will result in a penalty being applied.

BREACH OF VCE RULES (UNIT 1-4)

Any breach of rules will be treated in line with VCAA guidelines listed below and available for perusal at http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/

When a classroom teacher believes there has been a breach they are required to inform the Senior School co-ordinator. Within 2 school days of this notification the student and their parent\guardian will be notified if they will be required to be brought before the VCE panel.

The subject teacher and the student will both provide evidence to the VCE panel in this situation.

The breach process and all meetings pertaining to any breach are highly confidential and are not to be discussed outside any official meeting

POSSIBLE PENALTIES

Should the school be satisfied, on the basis of evidence, that there has been a substantial breach of VCAA Guidelines, then the student may be brought before a VCE panel comprising of at least two of the following staff: Principal, Campus Principal, Campus Assistant Principal, VCE Coordinator, Home Group Teacher and the appropriate learning area leader. This panel can, upon investigation, issue the following consequence(s):

Reprimand a student
Give the student the opportunity to resubmit work for satisfactory completion if this can occur within the dates designated by the VCAA;
Refuse to accept the part of the work which infringes the rules and base a decision whether to award the learning outcome an N or an S upon the remainder of the work;
Submit a score for the School Assessed Coursework based on the assessment or the remainder;
Refuse to accept any part of the work if the infringement is judged by the Principal to merit such a decision. Thus an NA would be submitted for the SAC and/or SAT.

The student, parent\guardian and classroom teacher will be informed of the VCE panel decision within 2 school days of the panel meeting via a written letter.

All students have the right to appeal any decision as per the appeals process.

LOST & STOLEN OR DAMAGED WORK

If a teacher or student has lost work or had work stolen or damaged, they must make a written statement explaining the circumstances. The statement must be signed, dated and filed at the school. Schools must keep a record of the loss or damage, but should not report it to the VCAA. The principal, acting on advice from the teacher, and on the basis of records kept, shall determine the unit result for the student

STUDENTS' RIGHT OF APPEAL

Students have the right of appeal to the school on the school’s decisions about:

Non-satisfactory completion of a unit
Special Provision
A breach of rules
Grade they have received for a SAC/ SAT

Students may be awarded an 'NA' for a Learning Outcome because:

The student failed to attend a Learning Outcome/Graded Assessment Task, and was not successful in obtaining a deferral.
The student has failed to submit a Learning Outcome/Graded Assessment Task by the due date, including where an extension of time has been granted for any reason (including Special Provision)
The work cannot be authenticated
There has been a substantial breach of rules,
In all of these circumstance, students have a right to appeal to the school.

NB: In these circumstances a student may still be able to obtain a satisfactory result for the unit based on other submitted work that demonstrates the achievement of the outcomes.

The Lakes College South Morang has instituted a VCE Appeals Panel to handle appeals. The VCE Appeals Panel will be made up of two or three members of the following: - School Principal, Campus Principal, Campus Assistant Principal, VCE Coordinator or senior staff. The subject teacher may choose to attend. If the student wishes, a parent/ guardian or friend may attend in a support role but not as an advocate. Official documentation needs to be completed.

The procedure for appealing an 'N' or a grade which a student is not satisfied with is as follows:

The subject teacher will inform the student of the 'N'/ grade by giving the student their grade on completion of assessment of students work in written form.
If the student gets an “N” a letter that outlines the process for appeal will be given to the student. If the student is dissatisified with their grade, then they will not receive this letter but can fill in the necessary documentation to appeal their grade.
The student must complete the documentation and see the VCE Coordinator to organise an Appeals Panel within 14 days of receiving the letter, otherwise the 'N' will stand without further opportunity for appeal.
After consulting with both teachers and student the Appeals Panel will decide on the outcome. There are only two outcomes; either awarding an 'N' for the work or re-negotiation of the task. The Appeals Panel may also recommend that the student attend sessions to develop study skills as part of the renegotiation process.
The VCE Appeals Panel will communicate their decision in writing to both student and parent/ guardian.
If the re-negotiated conditions regarding time and work are not met the Learning Outcome will be awarded an N.

Absence on a due date must be substantiated; otherwise the matter will be referred to the VCE Appeals Panel.