SAETA Refresher Course 2013

 English Subject Outline 2013, pp  Stage 2 English Communications Subject Operational Information for 2013  Chief Assessor’s Report  Annotated Work Samples All available online: SACE contact: Meridie Howley phone:

20-credit English Communications has four assessment types:  Text Analysis (3 tasks)20%  Text Production (3 tasks)20%  Communication Study(2 tasks)30%  Folio(2 tasks)30% 10-credit English Communications has three assessment types:  Text Analysis & Text Production(3 tasks)40%  Communication Study(1 task) 30%  Folio(1 task)30%

Two types of assessment:  School based assessment (70%) - moderated Sample moderation for Text Analysis, Text Production & Communication Study. Students selected by SACE Board.  External assessment (30%) Folio for all students is externally marked. No student or school names, SACE numbers only. Verification forms to be signed by all students and kept by teacher at the school.

Two tasks:  Part 1 - one written response to an example of communication.  Part 2 – one written text production with writer’s statement. Combined word count is maximum of 2000 words. Word count does not have to be equally divided across the two parts.

It is best if the two parts are not connected through genre or style because it limits achievement of: Ap3 – use of structural, conventional, and textual features of different text types and forms of expression of communication. Ap4 – production of texts for different contexts, audiences, and purposes. Avoid a situation where Part 1 and the Writer’s Statement contain similar information.

‘The folio must be a product of independent study, but it is appropriate for teachers to advise and support students in choosing an example of communication as well as to provide a structure for the text production.’ (Subject Outline, p41) Leave the folio for later in the year when students are in a better position to make independent choices.

Folio Part 1  ensure that students have a genuine decision in the text they select  best if teacher directs students beyond their comfort zone and what is very familiar  if every student in the class has the same text type for analysis (eg a drama performance, a magazine advertisement), not enough independence is evident

Folio Part 2  allow full range of choice or a text type that has opportunity for individual choice,  eg narrative writing opinion writing form & content are open information writing  encourage options that will allow for a strong Writer’s Statement

It should be evident across a class group that teachers have not approached each part as a class exercise. Avoid  a template structure for Part 1  use of the same terminology for Part 1  use of a single stimulus for writing in Part 2. The greater the choice, the less scaffolding evident. The lesser the choice, the more scaffolding evident.

Key phrases: ‘Students write a response to an example of communication.’  do not choose more than one text ‘In their response students explore the success, or otherwise, of the example in meeting the expectations of the intended audience.’ ‘…. a knowledge and understanding of the stylistic features of the text, and their effects on the reader or listener.’  responses must demonstrate an understanding of audience ‘…comment on the language techniques used by the creator(s) of the text to appeal to the audience.’  avoid texts that have limited written language  film techniques qualify as language techniques

Unfamiliar texts – texts that are new or relatively new to the student (literary or non-literary)  students commented on stylistic features and their effect on the reader or listener more successfully Familiar texts – texts that the student knows well or belonging to a familiar genre.  responses veered towards description of content rather than analysis of language techniques Teachers need to guide students beyond their comfort zone.

Key phrases: ‘Students compose a written text...’  choosing interesting or unfamiliar forms gave students a good basis for the writer’s statement Written text produced can be creative or functional. Written text can be of a type produced in Text Production. Not intended to be a response to text (eg a film or music review).

Word count – markers and moderators are instructed to read the first 2000 words only. If students write more than 2000 words, Part 2 writer’s statement will be only partially read or not read at all. Plagiarism – from internet (especially for film texts and famous speeches)

 There are four assessment design criteria, each with its own specific features: Knowledge and understanding -four specific features Analysis -three specific features Application -four specific features Communication -two specific features See Subject Outline pages 32 & 33.

The following specific features must be assessed in the Folio:  Knowledge & understanding – KU1, KU2, KU3, KU4  Analysis – An1, An3  Application – Ap1, Ap2,Ap3, Ap4  Communication – C1, C2 Note: An2 must be assessed in the School Assessment Component.

 See Subject Outline pp  To be used at the completion of each of the four assessment types.  Use the grade calculator on SACE website to calculate the school-based assessment types, ie Text Analysis, Text Production and Communication Study, using A+ to E-.  Clarifying meetings to be held in terms 1& 2 to help apply performance standards to student work.

 write the question or topic at the top of each task  font size should be 11 points  line spacing should be at least 1.15  word count should be recorded at the end of each item of work  remove any staples that impede easy reading of the work  teacher comments, performance standards and marks should not appear on folio pieces  copies of the texts analysed should not be included in the folio  student names, school names, teacher names and school numbers should be removed from all folio pieces.

 Marked and annotated assessment types of student work for the A, B, C, grade bands. See SACE website: Subjects/Stage 2/ English/English Communications/Support Materials  Best viewed with Performance Standards.  More folio examplars will be added during the year.

 Term 1 – Learning and Assessment Plans by Feb 8  Terms 1& 2 – Clarifying meetings  Term 3 – Folio (all students) collected Tuesday 24 September  Term 4 - Moderation materials (sample) collected Thursday 14 November Result sheets for Folio and moderation materials will be sent to schools. See English Communications Subject Operational Information for 2013.

 Check SACE requirements carefully  Work was organised according to assessment type and labelled clearly with SACE numbers or names of students to ensure accurate confirmation  SACE nominate the sample  Small number of cases where non-nominated student work was submitted  Authentication made difficult due to incorrect and sometimes incomplete materials

 What to include:  Learning and assessment plan  Addendum if necessary  Context sheets assist  Missing work means a Variations in Materials for the Sample for Final Moderation form from the Learning Area Manual  Indicate if work has not been completed  Adjust marking to reflect the absence of work that has not been completed  Use performance standard criteria to determine reduction in marks – not a mathematical system of reduction

 Formative work or drafts are not required for submission for all tasks  Refer to the Subject Outline for specific requirements  SACE single draft policy  Appropriate requested evidence of oral presentations in the form of transcripts, detailed notes in conjunction with recordings

 Adherence to the SACE Word-count policy or time limit  Plagiarism continues to be a concern in a minority of cases  Authentication of the originality of student work in progress is important to avoid the submission of plagiarised scripts

 Recommendation of internal moderation in order to ensure the consistency of marking standards  Particularly important for schools with multiple classes in a single assessment group  Consider the benefits of this decision if it is difficult to communicate regarding standards and meet to read student samples across classes

 Overview:  Best success for students was linked to comprehensive knowledge of course requirements by teachers  The importance of task design  The importance of the relationship between student cohort and assessment design criteria as outlined in the Subject Outline

 Text Analysis  Text Production  Communication Study

 Overview:  The importance and accuracy of teacher data prior to moderation  Assessment is not predicted – it must be accurate  No opportunity to adjust your assessment decisions  Use the SACE assessment grade calculator (

 The importance of the development of students’ personal and critical understanding of ideas, values and beliefs represented in a range of texts  Select according to student need, ability and interest

 Importance of the provision of a range of diverse and challenging texts  Novels, poetry and film represented equally  Less evidence of response to dramatic text as performance  Less response to the option of independent novel choice

 Remember to ensure that the choice of four text types is represented  Remember to refer to Subject Outline for the validity of text choice  Two written responses and one oral response  Teachers increasing opportunity in the range of form and particularly multimodal presentations

 Importance of task design  The focus of one of the three analysis criterion in each response and the connection with attainment at the high levels of Performance Standards

 The importance of specific task criteria and attainment when constructing tasks:  Take a close look at criterion  Ap2 – the ‘use of evidence from texts to develop and support a response’ ENCOURAGE  An2 – the ‘analysis of connections between the ideas, experiences, values, and beliefs of students, and those explored in texts’ TEACH EXPLICITLY AND CONSIDER AS SOLE CRITERIA

 Explicit teaching  Choice  Scaffold  Task design  Explicit address of performance standards

  A word about poetry  Consider as a group of two or more as opposed to individual text  Consider text choice and student choice carefully

 Expectations:  Three texts – three distinct purposes – see subject outline  One must be a 90 minute supervised written assessment under test conditions without help from the teacher  1000 words  6 minutes

 Supervised written assessment under test conditions  Student may not be provided with the task beforehand  General requirements should be communicated  Specific topics and tasks should not be revealed until the set time  Student independence_ no previous advice, no assistance, no access to the internet

 Two parts:  1. A comparison of two examples of communication  Choice of ONE from five categories  2. a practical application  Throughout students should explore form, purpose, audience, language and context

 Ensure that texts selected for the comparative task come from ONE if the five specified categories  Ensure that students are provided the opportunity to explore and compare the relationship between:  Form  Purpose  Audience  Language  Context  Remember comparison in responses and the importance of synthesis of text analysis

 A demonstration of:  Knowledge and understanding  Analysis  application[  Communication  Importance of KU2 – ‘knowledge and understanding of the ways in which creators and readers of familiar and unfamiliar texts use a range of language techniques and strategies to make meaning’  Students to consider purpose and effect

 Practical Application  Eight choices  Ensure that you understand the specific expectations regarding the unique requirements for each option  Every option consists of two distinct  components

 Encourage choice and control in student selection of topic and form  Ensure equal consideration of production of text and reflection in terms of importance  Evidence of the practical application reflection  Provide more than notes – transcript, printed Powerpoint slides,  Recording

 Application choice  Writing for Publication the most popular option  Workplace writing, film-making, investigating, language, multimedia web authoring, oral language and interacting  Children’s books  Be careful with an emphasis upon presentation  Language choices and decisions  Explicit understanding of the development of writing to publication standard