Assessment tasks not administered under controlled conditions require appropriate validation/authentication processes. Student work submitted to demonstrate achievement should only be accepted if the teacher can attest that, to the best of his/her knowledge, all work is the student’s own.

Teachers of Pre-primary to Year 10 students, who continue to be actively engaged in their school work, yet are unable to physically attend school (eg medically vulnerable students) should work with the student’s parent/carer/guardian to determine alternative arrangements to authenticate their assessments.

Teachers of students who continue to be actively engaged in Year 11 or 12 courses, yet are unable to physically attend school (eg medically vulnerable students, international students who are enrolled at a Western Australian school but have not been able to return to Western Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions) should contact the Authority, via info@scsa.wa.edu.au.

When delivering curriculum in a remote environment, the use of formative assessments to maintain continuity of your teaching and learning program is important. Students will benefit from receiving feedback from their teacher. Appropriate feedback to students includes:

• identifying gaps in their understanding
• advising how they can improve their learning, rather than listing only what they got wrong
• teaching skills so that they can monitor and take responsibility for meeting their learning goals
• helping to identify their strengths and weaknesses
• giving examples of high-quality work along with opportunities for them to review and correct their own work.

Teachers should consider flexible ways for students to complete formative assessments particularly in a modified learning environment. These may include one or more of the following ways:

• photographic, video or audio evidence of the task being completed
• a discussion with the student about their understanding of the assessment task
• simulated, live online assessment

personalised feedback via email or telepresence.

The broadest definition of collaboration is appropriate, ranging from individual/paired interactions to teams working together to achieve shared goals.

Collaboration can be achieved face-to-face or in online interactions or communities. Where students are collaborating through emails or online networks such as ‘Teams’, it is appropriate for the teacher to be copied into emails or invited as a member of the group so that authentication is possible.

Collaboration, depending on the requirements in the course syllabus, may be with one or more students, members of the community, teachers or relatives. Again, this should be interpreted very openly and students and teachers should consider a range of opportunities for collaboration.

Useful links

• WA Department of Health: healthywa.wa.gov.au/coronavirus
• Department of Education: www.education.wa.edu.au
• Learning resources: www.education.wa.edu.au/learning-at-home
• Catholic Education WA: www.cewa.edu.au
• Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: https://www.cewa.edu.au/novel-coronavirus-update

Useful contacts

• Coronavirus Health Information Line: 1800 020 080
• Headspace: www.headspace.org.au
• Beyond Blue: www.beyondblue.org.au 1300 22 4636
• Kids helpline: www.kidshelpline.com.au 1800 55 1800.
• Parent helpline: 1300 1300 52

The Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline sets out the mandated curriculum, guiding principles for teaching, learning and assessment and support for teachers in their assessment and reporting of student achievement.

Given the current situation with COVID-19, teachers are in the best position to use their professional judgement to make decisions on aspects of the curriculum that are suitable for those students who are working within a modified teaching and learning environment (e.g. online).

The Authority recommends the use of formative assessments to maintain the continuity of the teaching and learning program and that authenticated assessments should be completed by students on their return to school. This will also minimise concern for students and/or parents/guardians/carers.

Teachers of Pre-primary to Year 10 students, who continue to be actively engaged in their school work, yet are unable to physically attend school (eg medically vulnerable students) should work with the student’s parent/carer/guardian to determine alternative arrangements to authenticate their assessments.

For learning areas and associated activities that require groups/teams or access to specialised materials, or facilities such as workshops or kitchens, schools could focus on other aspects of the curriculum.

• Western Australian Curriculum 
• Teaching Support Materials – access to a range of Pre-primary to Year 10 Learning Area Sample Teaching and Learning Outlines
• Assessment Activities – access to a range of Pre-primary to Year 10 Learning Area Sample
• Assessment Tasks
• Assessment Principles – access to information on summative and formative assessment
• Assessment Snapshots – the assessment principles embedded in sample assessment tasks
• Judging Standards – access to the assessment pointers, achievement standards and annotated work samples
• Department of Education Learning Resources: www.education.wa.edu.au/learning-at-home

The following information and accommodations will assist to ensure continuity of learning, teaching and assessment for Years 11 and 12 students during 2021.

Teachers should continue to provide students with opportunities to engage with coursework and meet course completion requirements under the procedures described in the school’s senior secondary assessment policy.

The Authority will monitor the situation in schools and make further changes if they are necessary.

ASSESSMENT TYPES

• Be flexible in assessing each Assessment Type.
• Teachers are required to assess each Assessment Type at least once over the year/pair of units (rather than twice over the year/pair of units)
• Assessment types and weightings, as stipulated in the Authority’s course syllabus, must not be changed unless specified by the Authority

AUTHENTICATION OF ASSESSMENTS

• Where an Assessment Type has been completed out of school and cannot be validated, students will be required to complete an authentication task on their return to school.
• If assessments are unable to be authenticated, you will not be required to alter the Course Outline or Assessment Outline and communicate the changes to students at this stage. Teachers could provide the following advice to their students: It is possible we will need to update our assessment outline and weightings that I gave you at the start of the year. I will confirm any changes with you in due course.
• Teachers of students who continue to be actively engaged in Year 11 or 12 courses, yet are unable to physically attend school (eg medically vulnerable students, international students who are enrolled at a Western Australian school but have not been able to return to Western Australia due to COVID-19 restrictions) should contact the Authority, via info@scsa.wa.edu.au.

PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT

• The Principles of Assessment as outlined in the WACE Manual 2021, continue to apply:
  • Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning
  • Assessment should be educative
  • Assessment must be fair
  • Assessment should be designed to meet its specific purpose/s
  • Assessment should lead to informative reporting
  • Assessment should lead to school-wide evaluation processes
  • Assessment should provide significant data for improvement of teaching practices.