Did you know that the senior education system in Queensland is changing in 2019?  If your student is in Year 10 or younger, they will complete their school based education under a new system.  Features of the new system include a reduced assessment load, an ATAR score and external exams at the end of Year 12. 

At the end of October, QCAA (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority) released the “QCE and QCIA policy and procedures handbook 2019 v1.0”.  This handbook is significant as it outlines the processes schools must follow in order to ensure students have met the assessment requirements to be awarded their senior qualifications at the end of Year 12 (from 2020 onwards).  While most of the principles are similar to those that exist in the OP system, QCAA have provided more detailed guidelines for the new system.  

Please find below a summary of some of the changes.  More information will be presented at Year 11 Information Evening in Term 1 next year.

Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (AARA)

This section of the policy is the new term for “Special Provision”.  It’s very important to understand that this policy now applies to all students in the following circumstances:

• -Short term medical conditions involving accident or illness
• -Long term medical conditions including learning difficulties, physical and mental health conditions

All parents and students need to be familiar with the requirements of the AARA policy, because if a student becomes ill when assessment is due (even for a day or two), this policy applies to them.

All Year 10 parents should have received a letter earlier this term from the College detailing the AARA policy.  For students with ongoing conditions, documentation is required to ensure we can continue to offer support in relation to assessment conditions in Year 11.   In Year 12 from 2020 onwards, QCAA approves all applications for extensions and variations to assessment conditions for both internal and external assessment. In Year 11, schools are required to apply the same principles that will be applied by the QCAA in Year 12.   The aim of the AARA policy is to prevent barriers to student performance in assessment for students that have disability, impairment and/or medical conditions or other valid circumstances.

These are the main differences from current practice:

• -A current medical certificate or report is required to support any/all applications for assignment extensions or changes to assessment conditions. 
• -All requests for variations, including assignment extensions or rescheduling of exams, must be made to the nominated school representative.  At Northside, this will be Mrs Linda George, Director of Teaching and Learning. 
• -Students will not be eligible for AARA on the following grounds:
  • Unfamiliarity with the English language
  • Matters the student could have avoided (e.g. misreading instructions in exams)
  • Matters of the student’s or parent’s/carer’s own choosing (e.g. family holidays)

While this may seem like a lot of information to take in, we would encourage parents and students to understand that there are still just a few basic principles that need to be followed.  These rules exist to ensure equity and fairness for all of our students.

• 1.Complete and submit assessment on time.
• 2.If circumstances arise that mean a student has a valid reason for finding assessment completion difficult, obtain a medical certificate and contact the Director of Teacher and Learning as soon as practical to discuss support arrangements.

If you have any questions regarding how the AARA arrangements relate to your student, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Mrs Linda George

Director of Teaching and Learning