Stage 2 and 3 Exams-from March, 2008 Presenter: John Gougoulis, Director Curriculum, Curriculum Council

Council developed courses Syllabus – defines content and assessment Stages – meet varied needs of students Units – notional 55 hours; flexible delivery Pathways – appropriate curriculum access for all students Development, Accreditation and Review

External Examinations – From 2009 Final year for TEE examinations (2009). WACE courses will have separate examinations for stage 2 and stage 3. These WACE examinations will be compulsory. Students who are enrolled in three or fewer stage 2 and/or stage 3 paired units, and who are working towards completion of an Australian Qualification Framework VET Certificate 1 or higher in the year they are completing the WACE requirements, will be exempt from sitting the examination

Key research The Our Youth, Our Future report promoted external examinations in all courses and accessible by all students. Research undertaken for the Council by Professors Andrich, Tognolini and Ball (2001) and reiterated in highlighted the importance of external assessment: In adding credibility to school assessment In providing a common and public component of assessment for all students So that students’ pathways are not limited by their course choice.

Exams done differently They recommended a more broader, innovative and flexible approach than the current narrow and exclusive TEE system eg. use of open book, data or information sources in exams use of practical and performance exams use of outside parties to judge student work in exhibitions use of computer simulations use of on-line external assessment development and use of item banks on-line marking and collection of marks.

Further research and development An Australian Research Council (ARC) project with A/Prof Paul Newhouse from Edith Cowan University to explore the digital collection of students’ assessments. This work is occurring in Applied Information Technology, Engineering Studies and Languages but will have wider application. A second ARC project involves working with Professor Andrich and his team at UWA to further develop the application of modern test theory (Rasch techniques) to school-based and external assessment. The Council is building up its specialist psychometric services team, with 12 officers involved in further study in educational assessment and measurement. All education staff have undertaken a one day assessment program.

Nature of examinations Stage 2 exams assess the 2A/2B content and concepts and stage 3 exams assess the 3A/3B content and concepts Students between 30 and 70 percentile general capability completing stage two units should do alright in stage two examinations. Application of innovative use of source documents and ‘open book’ exams is being looked at. In courses where there is high reliance on the use of technology we need to ensure the exam can be completed using this technology.

Nature of examinations There will need to be practical/performance exams in courses with a significant practical or performance component eg. a flight simulator task (20%) was first used in the 2007 Aviation examination practical skills in certain sports in the Physical Education Studies course will be examined in 2008 Media production submission as of 2009 Design portfolio and Visual Arts production as of 2010

Practical examination principles Candidates are identified only by their randomly allocated student number. The authenticity of candidates’ work must be guaranteed. Markers participate in trial marking to ensure a consistent understanding of the standards. Double marking is carried out independently. Where necessary, a third marker is used for reconciliation. The chief marker ensures marking consistency through the regular checking of marks. Marking occurs in central locations which are convenient for candidates, markers and which retain student anonymity.

Specifications for external examinations Written exams may include aural or video presentation as a prompt to a written question. Practical components could include an interview, performance or portfolio. Duration of exams should not exceed 3 hours (plus 10 minutes reading time), including written (and practical) components. Each exam will test a representative sample of the knowledge, understandings and skills in the specified pair of units. The range of difficulties of the assessment items is sufficiently large to enable fine discrimination of candidates.

Specifications for external examinations Examinations are structured so that all candidates have the potential to complete all the items in the allocated time. Exams use ICT as appropriate and take into account the ways in which ICT is used in school assessment. Candidates are permitted to bring into the examination stationery items such as pens, pencils, erasers, rulers and sharpeners and other special materials as specified. Items are concise, must be written in a language that is not exclusive nor biased and avoids stereotypes. Exams that contain optional questions are designed so that no candidate is disadvantaged.

Specifications for external examinations Stage 2 and 3 exams for each course will be fundamentally different in terms of: The degree of scaffolding The nature of questions asked (multiple choice, short answer questions, sectionalised questions, extended answer questions) The use and complexity of stimulus materials The focus of content and concepts

Process for exam development FIRST STAGE ARM panel (and working groups of teachers) Draft design briefs Draft sample exams/marking keys/mapping to syllabus Revised design briefs Sample exams/marking keys/mapping to syllabus Item bank developed

Process for exam development SECOND STAGE Exam Panel (and independent reviewers) Formally constituted (term 3, year before first WACE examination) Membership to vary depending on course Final papers prepared: design brief/sample exam paper/marking key/mapping to syllabus (end of year before first WACE examination) WACE examination

Teaching Program (with activities and assessment tasks) Unit assessment outline Outlines what will be assessed and when and how a teacher will gather evidence in relation to the assessment types Task 1 Task2 3 4 Marking Key 1 Marking Key 2 Marking Key 3 Marking Key 4 Marks Book r A C D E B School-based assessment Assigning grades Unit syllabus Defines content and learning contexts Contains the results of all assessments Weightings are applied and final marks out of 100 determined