Especean

Curriculum

Assessment for Semester 2

Given we are all still in the midst of continual change due to the COVID-19 pandemic, assessment over Semester 2, with the exception of Year 12, will continue as per Semester 1. We will continue the shift in focus from marks and ranks to grades and feedback as determined by teacher professional judgement in applying the Course Performance Descriptors and/or the Common Grade Scale.

 

The class teachers will use professional judgement in applying the Course Performance Descriptors and/or the Common Grade Scale to submitted tasks, both formal and informal. In addition, observations made during lessons on classwork, class discussions, formative assessment, etc., will form part of the overall picture of each student’s continuous learning, progress, and academic achievement.

 

As appropriate, marks may continue to be used as a legitimate form of feedback, but marks must be interpreted in terms of the context of the task, the standard set by the assessment and the standard of performance demonstrated by the student. For example, a student may obtain full marks for a task but if the task does not assess a level beyond a Grade C, then despite attaining full marks, the student at best has attained a Grade C for that task.

 

More details about continuous learning and approaches to assessment over Semester 2 will be provided soon.

 

We do not know what COVID-19 will do over this Semester but whatever restrictions or changes may be imposed on us, the continuous learning of the students is paramount.

Formal Assessment Tasks for Semester 2

The following is just a reminder to parents and students that information covering formal assessment for Years 7 to 12 is readily available on the respective Canvas Year pages. In particular, the College’s Assessment Policy outlines clearly and explicitly well-established protocols governing formal assessment. I urge all parents and their sons to reacquaint themselves with the College’s Assessment Policy in preparation for formal assessment tasks in Semester 2.

 

Essentially, the College’s Assessment Policy is drawn up with the clear intention of being considerate and just to all and ensures a level playing field for all boys. It protects the great majority of boys who consistently do the right thing by:

  • applying themselves with diligence to all set tasks
  • thoroughly familiarising themselves with the academic expectations of the College
  • following all examination rules
  • submitting their own work by the specified due date to the specified teacher
  • providing advanced notice, where possible, of absence for an assessment task
  • providing appropriate medical documentation to the relevant teacher immediately on return to school when work is not submitted on the due date
  • discussing the result of a task, with the relevant teacher, at the time the task is returned.

Boys who are absent on the day an assessment task is due, can expect to submit the task on the day of their return to school.

 

Ignorance does not constitute a reasonable or valid excuse to breach any of the above-mentioned procedures. It is unfortunate when individuals accepting of high academic expectations and standards, take exception to the application of these standards to them.  Fortunately, parents and students are very appreciative and supportive of the College’s high academic expectations and standards.

 

It is important to note that some formal tasks originally set down for Semester 2 may change. As is custom and practice, a minimum of two weeks’ notice shall be afforded to all students prior to the due submission date. Accordingly, and as advised by NESA, the number and weighting of formal assessment tasks in 2020 may change to support the learning in the context of COVID-19. Further detailed advice about any changes to formal assessment tasks as they apply to Years 7 to 11 will be disseminated by the relevant Faculty Leaders.

Years 11 and 9 Examination Blocks

At this stage, the College is proceeding with examination blocks for Years 11 and 9 scheduled for Wednesday 2 to Monday 14 September and Monday 19 to Friday 23 October, respectively.

 

By way of reassurance and further explanation, the examinations set will be modified from past traditional block examinations and will reflect what has been possible given disruptions to learning during the COVID-19 pandemic over the course of this year. What this means in practice is that teachers and faculty leaders will continue to look carefully at key outcomes in their subject areas and ensure the examinations address the core knowledge and skills realistically expected of a student to date.

 

Furthermore, the examination results will be used in conjunction with other formal and informal data to inform student achievement against the Common Grade Scale in allocating overall achievement grades in the final yearly reports.

 

For Year 11, the Year Report for each course will include Overall Achievement Grade, the Examination Block Mark, and the Examination Block Rank. It is important for Year 11 to transition over Term 3 ready for the HSC based assessment system which commences in Term 4.

 

For Year 9, the Year Report will be like the Year 10 Semester 1 Report, i.e., it will include an Overall Achievement Grade in each subject, the Examination Block Mark and an Examination Block Average in at least English, Mathematics and Science. In addition, the examination results will provide the College with one common set of data, alongside other examination data to be collected next year when the students will be in Year 10 to assist in informing subject selections for Year 11 in 2022.

 

Rest assured that while we all desire a return to normal, the College is conscious of the importance and need to support a gradual return to normal and to make the necessary and appropriate adjustments to processes and procedures along the way.

College Reception and Submission of Student Assessment and/or Homework

It is important for all parents to note that the College Reception has never been and will never be a place to submit assessment or homework tasks. Should parents wish to submit tasks on behalf of their sons, for whatever reason, then a courtesy phone call to the relevant teacher or Faculty Leader is required and a mutually convenient appointment made.

 

Reception will not accept schoolwork, be it assessment, homework or otherwise, from either parents or students. A parent who “drops in” and insists on leaving a task at Reception may risk a late penalty of 20% for their son with no recourse for appeal.

 

Students need to take full responsibility to save all their coursework and assignments in their Office 365 accounts. If a student forgets a task at home, he can retrieve it from Office 365 at school and submit it via email or print a hardcopy in the library.

Subject Selection for Years 9-2021 and 11-2021

An information evening will be held for parents of Year 10 this evening, Wednesday 22 July, commencing at 7.00pm. Due to COVID-19 restrictions on large adult gatherings, the evening will take place via Microsoft Teams. A link to join Teams was sent to parents of Year 10 via Sentral Notifications last Monday 20 July. Subject information sessions were held for Year 10 boys on the mornings of Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 July.

 

Elective subject information sessions for Year 8 boys will be held on the morning of Thursday 23 July.

 

The Stage 5 and 6 Prospectuses were posted on Canvas and the Sentral Parent Portal at the end of last term for parents and their sons of Years 8 and 10 to view. The purpose of the information sessions is to complement and clarify the information provided in the Prospectuses and to provide details of the subject selection process.

 

Students of Years 8 and 10 are to make their elective choices for 2021 online via the Edval WebChoice facility. Instructions with a link and log-in code for WebChoice will be emailed to the boys on Thursday 23 July. The deadline to submit elective choices online is Monday 3 August 2020.

 

Michael Cutrupi

Director of Curriculum