1. INTRODUCTION TO NEW STAGE 6 SCHOOL-BASED ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS
August 2017

2. Stronger HSC Standards Reforms
NSW Stronger HSC Standards
Stronger HSC Standards Reforms
Minimum literacy and numeracy standard from 2020
Regular review cycle of syllabuses provided online
New courses, starting with Science Extension for Year 12, 2019
Guidelines for effective school-based assessment
Redesigned HSC exam questions to assess depth and application
Research and expand use of computer-based assessments
Common scale for Mathematics courses
The Stronger HSC Standards reforms were announced by the Minister for Education on 18 July 2016.
The HSC will continue to reflect the highest international standards in education and provide the best possible foundation for students.
All of the reforms are independent but interrelated. Assessment reforms will allow senior secondary assessment to emphasise a focus on improving student learning and reduce the potential for student stress.

3. Guidelines for effective school-based assessment
NSW Stronger HSC Standards
Reform 4
Guidelines for effective school-based assessment
Guidelines about the type, length, style and number of tasks
cap on the number of tasks
specified weightings for tasks
range of task types
Further guidance on processes for ensuring students’ own work in projects
The purpose of assessment is to provide feedback to improve learning.
The role of school-based assessment is to build a more complete picture of students’ overall achievement.
School-based assessment provides opportunities to gather evidence about student achievement of syllabus outcomes in different ways to HSC examinations.
Assessment should be reliable, fair and tailored for a specific course and outcomes.
New guidelines for school-based assessment include rules around the type, length, style and number of tasks and address issues of plagiarism and cheating.

4. School-based Assessment
Stage 6 School-based Assessment
School-based Assessment
A range of assessment activities and tasks
Informal assessment
Formal assessment
Opportunities to gather evidence in different ways to the HSC examinations
School-based assessment involves a range of informal (formative) assessment and formal (summative) assessment to provide evidence of student achievement of syllabus outcomes.
Informal and formal assessment assists teachers to make judgements about student progress.
A combination of informal and formal assessment, together with a range of task types, provides opportunities for students to demonstrate achievement of syllabus outcomes in different ways.

5. New School-based Assessment
Stage 6 School-based Assessment
New School-based Assessment
Principles of Assessment for Stage 6 advice
New guidelines and requirements for all Board Developed Courses
(excluding VET, Life Skills and Content Endorsed Courses)
New Assessment and Reporting materials and sample assessment schedules
Implementation with Year 11 from 2018 and Year 12 from Term 4, 2018
Principles of Assessment for Stage 6 advice has been developed to assist teachers in implementing quality assessment.
In February 2017, NESA released new Stage 6 syllabuses and school-based assessment requirements for English, Mathematics Standard, Science and History courses. Revised HSC Examination Specifications for these courses will be released this year.
NESA then reviewed school-based assessment components and weightings for Stage 6 Creative Arts, HSIE, Languages, calculus-based Mathematics, PDHPE and Technologies Board Developed Courses. The review was undertaken to provide a consistent approach to Stage 6 school-based assessment for schools. This review and the models for consultation included involvement and input of people from the school sectors and professional teacher associations.
Consultation on draft components and weightings for these course was conducted in March to April 2017. 
The review of school-based assessment requirements in these courses does not require amendments to the current syllabuses or impact on current course HSC Examination Specifications.
New assessment and reporting materials and sample assessment schedules for these Year 11 and Year 12 courses were released 17 July 2017 and are now available on the NESA website.
Information in these materials include:
advice about particular course requirements and mandatory task types
advice about using and assessing outcomes in a standards referenced framework
assessment for, assessment of and assessment as learning
adjustments for students with special education needs.
Implementation of new school-based assessment requirements for all Stage 6 Board Developed Courses (except VET, Life Skills and Content Endorsed Courses) will begin with Year 11 from 2018 and Year 12 from Term 4, 2018.

6. Guidelines for School-based Assessment
Stage 6 School-based Assessment
Guidelines for School-based Assessment
Year 11
3 tasks
minimum task weighting – 20%
maximum task weighting – 40%
option for only one formal written examination style task
mandatory components and weightings
The number of tasks and percentages for tasks have been determined as part of the development of school-based assessment requirements in response to the Stronger HSC Standards reforms.
A formal written examination is:
defined as a task such as a Half Yearly, Yearly or Trial HSC Examination completed during a designated examination period
undertaken individually, under supervised examination conditions and includes one or more unseen questions or items
used to gather evidence about student achievement of a range of syllabus outcomes, at a point in time
often in the format of an HSC examination and typically draws from most or all content areas or topics or modules completed at that point in time.
Tests of limited scope (ie include a small number of content areas or topics or modules) will continue to be relevant and appropriate methods of formal assessment. These types of tasks are not considered as formal written examinations.

7. Guidelines for School-based Assessment
Stage 6 School-based Assessment
Guidelines for School-based Assessment
Year 12
maximum of 4 tasks
minimum task weighting – 10%
maximum task weighting – 40%
option for only one formal written examination style task with a maximum weighting of 30%
mandatory components and weightings
The number of tasks and percentages for tasks have been determined as part of the development of school-based assessment requirements in response to the Stronger HSC Standards reforms.
A formal written examination is:
defined as a task such as a Half Yearly, Yearly or Trial HSC Examination completed during a designated examination period
undertaken individually, under supervised examination conditions and includes one or more unseen questions or items
used to gather evidence about student achievement of a range of syllabus outcomes, at a point in time
often in the format of an HSC examination and typically draws from most or all content areas or topics or modules completed at that point in time.
Tests of limited scope (ie include a small number of content areas or topics or modules) will continue to be relevant and appropriate methods of formal assessment. These types of tasks are not considered as formal written examinations.

8. Adjustments to Assessment
Stage 6 School-based Assessment
Adjustments to Assessment
Access to and participation in assessment for students with special education needs
Adjustments are made so students can demonstrate what they know and can do
Adjustments to
the assessment process
assessment activities
response formats
New advice available and support materials to come
It is a requirement under the Disability Standards for Education 2005 for schools to ensure that students with special education needs can access and participate in education on the same basis as other students. Some students with special education needs will require adjustments to assessment practices in order to demonstrate what they know and can do in relation to syllabus outcomes and content.
These may include:
 adjustments to the assessment process – some examples include additional time, rest breaks, the use of a reader and/or scribe or specific technology
 adjustments to assessment activities – some examples include rephrasing questions, using simplified language or alternative formats for questions
 alternative formats for responses – some examples include writing in point form instead of essays, scaffolded structured responses, short objective questions or multimedia presentations.
Schools are responsible for any decisions about adjustments to course work and formal school-based assessment tasks throughout Year 11 and Year 12. Decisions regarding adjustments should be made in the context of collaborative curriculum planning. To access adjustments for the HSC examinations, an application for Disability Provisions must be submitted to NESA. Providing adjustment does not restrict a student’s access to the full range of grades or marks.
Examples of adjustments to assessment for students with special education needs can be found in course support materials. Additional advice is available on the NESA website.

9. NESA website educationstandards.nsw.edu.au
New NSW Stage 6 Syllabuses
NESA website
educationstandards.nsw.edu.au
This is a screenshot of the new NESA website showing how to access new school-based assessment materials.
Teachers select the Year 11–Year 12 tab and then the relevant Learning Area to access new course-specific school-based assessment materials.
The process of migrating all syllabuses, assessment and support materials to the new NESA site is underway.

10. NESA website educationstandards.nsw.edu.au
New NSW Stage 6 Syllabuses
NESA website
educationstandards.nsw.edu.au
Link to current syllabus, examination, assessment and support materials
Links to new Assessment and Reporting and support materials
Here we are using Agriculture as an example of a current Stage 6 course where the syllabus has not changed. This will be indicative of any current Stage 6 Creative Arts, HSIE, Languages, calculus-based Mathematics, PDHPE and Technologies course.
For these courses, a link to the current syllabus, examination, assessment and support materials is available. You will be redirected for access to these materials. The process of migrating all materials to the new NESA site is underway.
Access to new school-based assessment materials, including a new assessment and reporting document and sample assessment schedules, is available on this page. These materials reflect the new school-based assessment requirements to be implemented with the Year 11 cohort from 2018.

11. NESA website educationstandards.nsw.edu.au
New NSW Stage 6 Syllabuses
NESA website
educationstandards.nsw.edu.au
Here we are using English as an example of a Stage 6 course where the syllabus has changed. This will be indicative of any English, Mathematics Standard, Science and History course.
The centre of the webpage provides links to current course materials including syllabuses, examinations, assessment and support materials relevant for the 2018 HSC (typically Year 11, 2017 and Year 12, 2018). You will be redirected for access to these materials.
The right-hand side of the webpage provides a link to the NSW Syllabuses website where new syllabuses, assessment and support materials are available. The materials provided support implementation of new courses commencing with Year 11 from 2018 and first examined for the 2019 HSC.
The process of migrating all syllabuses, assessment and support materials to the new NESA site is underway.
Links to current syllabuses, examinations, assessment and support materials.
Link to new syllabuses, assessment and support materials.

12. NSW Syllabuses website
New NSW Stage 6 Syllabuses
NSW Syllabuses website
syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au
Using English Standard as an example, this screenshot identifies the course specific assessment and reporting document, and support materials.
These materials are available by scrolling down the page, below the new syllabus information.

13. Stay informed – NESA News
Mondays (weekly) and Thursdays (fortnightly)
NESA communicates important information to schools and teachers via its newsletters.
The NESA News newsletter is ed weekly to subscribers on Mondays. Both Official Notices and news stories are provided to inform schools and teachers of changes and upcoming events.
The Stronger HSC Updates newsletter is provided fortnightly on Thursdays. It is a dedicated newsletter for updates and reminders about Stronger HSC Standards reforms and new syllabuses, including examinations and school-based assessment requirements. It is designed to help keep all Stage 6 teachers up to date.

14. Stay informed – Twitter Feeds
@NewsAtNESA
@TechNESA
@vet_NESA
@EnglishNESA
@PdhpeNESA
@SpecEdNESA
@MathsNESA
@LanguagesNESA
@AbEdNESA
@ScienceNESA
@ArtsNESA
@myteachingNESA
@hsieNESA
@PrimaryNESA
Twitter accounts provide another source of important information.
We have Twitter accounts for NESA, each of the Key Learning Areas, and Teacher Accreditation.

15. Be involved – Register of Writers
NESA is always looking for interested teachers to submit an Expression of Interest to be considered for inclusion on the ongoing Register of Curriculum Writers.
Writers are selected from the Register for writing and reviewing curriculum, assessment and support materials.

16. Contact Louise Ward Anna Wethereld Inspector, English and Literacy
Kerry Sheehan
Inspector, Science
Rosemary Gorman
Inspector, Creative Arts
Karen Ingram
Inspector, PDHPE
Anna Wethereld
Inspector, Mathematics and Numeracy
Darren Tayler
Inspector, HSIE
Mark Tyler
Inspector, Technologies
Lyn Sully
Inspector, Languages
Contact the relevant Key Learning Area Inspector for more information.