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Assessment Policies - Board of Senior Secondary Studies Requirements


There are four policies of which you must be aware to ensure you obtain the best marks possible. These are listed here in full or in part.

Penalties for late submission of work (in full)
Breaches of Discipline (in part)
Appeals (in part)
Non Standard Assessment (in part)
For further advice or details please contact Student Records.

1. Late Submission of Work Policy
Students are encouraged to submit work on time, as this is a valuable organisational skill. Students are also encouraged to complete work even if it is late as there are educational benefits in so doing. The purpose of the policy is to ensure equity for all students.
Process
1. Except in exceptional circumstances, students must apply for an extension in advance, providing due cause and adequate documentary evidence for late submission.
2a. Calculation of a notional zero in T units is based on items submitted on time or with an approved extension (ie a genuine score).
2b. A late penalty will apply unless as extension is granted. The penalty for late submission is 5% (of possible marks) per calendar day (including weekends and public holidays) until the notional zero, calculated in (a) is reached. Submission of work on a weekend or a public holiday is not acceptable.
3. The Principal has the right to exercise discretion in the application of the late penalty in special circumstances.
4. It may not be possible to grade/score work submitted late after marked work to a unit has been returned to a student.


A - Additional procedures to be used when applying late penalties
No marked assignments will be returned to students until after the late acceptance cut-off date (including the extra time generated by any assignment granted an extension). The penalty will be calculated consistently within a moderation group. Weekend days will count as the next 2 days on the penalty scale.


B - Granting of extensions on assignment due dates
Applications for extension must be made prior to the due date:
a teacher may grant an extension of up to three days if a student makes arrangements prior to the due date and the Executive Teacher / coordinator notified.
requests for extensions of four to five days must be referred to the Department Executive Teacher and a note placed on the central student file.
requests for extensions greater than five days or outside the above guidelines must:
provide medical or welfare evidence as relevant and
involve the Executive Teacher Records (Assessment).

if a student is ill on the day an assignment is due, arrangements should be made for the assignment to be presented on time. Any variation must be decided in consultation with the Department Executive Teacher and a note placed on the student file.

C - Appeals
Any student may appeal on the grounds of the incorrect application of these processes in their unit.


2. Academic Breaches of Discipline Policy

Lake Tuggeranong College views seriously any breaches of rules which relate to assessment. Any cheating, dishonesty or improper practice in relation to any school assessment in any course at the College constitutes a breach of discipline.
The Head of the Department shall determine whether there has been a breach of discipline and arrange for appropriate disciplinary processes.


The College has the power to impose any of the following penalties for breaches of the rules:

  • cancellation of the result in a particular component of the College assessment concerned
  • cancellation of the total College assessment result in the unit/course concerned
  • the making of alternative arrangements for the assessment (eg a re-assessment)
  • reprimand the student, except in cases where the student would have derived benefit from such breaches
  • cancellation of all the student’s results for Years 11 and 12 at the College.


The Head of the Department shall notify a student formally of any penalty imposed under these rules (copy to Student Records). The student has the right of appeal to a College Disciplinary Committee. Where an assessment result has been varied or cancelled, the student will be notified within 14 days of any penalty imposed. Where this involves the cancellation of an item or unit, the candidate has the right to appeal to a BSSS Disciplinary

Appeal Committee.
Appeals must be lodged within two (2) College weeks of notification. (Exception: Year 12’s in the last term must appeal by the published dates.) If still dissatisfied, the student has the right to appeal to the Disciplinary Appeal Committee of the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies.

Notes: Breaches of Discipline (Academic Misconduct) can include events such as:
taking and/or using unauthorised materials into an examination
submitting work for assessment knowing it to be the work of another person
improperly obtaining prior knowledge of an examination (test) and using that knowledge in the examination
failing to acknowledge the source of material in an assignment item
submitting the same work for more than one assessment. A detailed pamphlet on “Plagiarism and how to avoid it” is issued to each student and discussed in SD/AG. Copies are available on the BSSS website.

Process Summary
1. Where a teacher believes there has been a breach of discipline s/he will first consult with the Head of Department. The student will be involved at this and other stages of the process.
2. If a penalty is recommended, it will be determined by the Head of Department after consulting with the teacher. The Executive Teacher - Student Records is available for advice.
3. The student will be formally notified of the penalty and the right to appeal to a special College Disciplinary Appeal Committee and if not satisfied, to the Disciplinary Appeal Committee of the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies.
4. The Disciplinary Appeal Committee will consist of:
- the Principal or Deputy Principal
- a level 2 officer
- another College teacher
Members of the Disciplinary Appeal Committee will not have had previous involvement in the matter.
5. The student will be notified of the outcome within 14 days and of any further rights of appeal.
3 Appeals Policy

General

Teachers treat students fairly and would like to know of any errors.
On the return of each piece of marked work or on the receipt of a unit or course score a student may appeal against the award given. This is a basic right of students in our co-operative system and is an essential component of our strategy to reduce the tensions arising from the conflict between the teaching and assessing role of teachers. Students are encouraged to resolve any perception of unfair treatment by exercising their appeal rights. (Appeals should never be regarded as a challenge to the authority, or good judgement, or fairness of a teacher, but as a means of resolving different points of view.)
Appeals may be about the incorrect application of assessment processes or results involving:
Assessment instruments (Tests, Assignments, Essays, Examinations etc.)
Unit results - marks (ranks) and grades
Course scores.
This protects students, teachers and the credibility of the system.
Appeals may not be made against:
AST results
Scaled scores
University Admissions Index.
If not satisfied with the outcome of the College appeal process, a student has the right to appeal to the Board of Senior Secondary Studies (BSSS). Students may not appeal to the BSSS unless they have completed the appeal process at the College.
 

Process
Teachers should make available to students information about the unit or course assessment procedures and marks awarded.
If a student is not satisfied with an assessment the following steps should be taken:
1. Discuss the issues with the class teacher. This usually will lead to a resolution
2 If necessary discuss the matter further with the Executive officer of the department concerned
3 If not satisfied discuss the matter further with a student adviser
4 If still not satisfied a formal appeal should be lodged with the Executive Teacher - Student Records on the appropriate form.
For further information see <www.bsss.act.gov.au> Sections 6 and 7
Advice
It is the teacher’s responsibility to treat all members of the class equally. The important point to consider is whether you have been treated fairly in comparison with the other students.
4 Non Standard Assessment Policy for Special Cases (eg. Illness / Misadventure)
A Short Term/Temporary Disability
If a student is ill, has an accident, or some other unusual temporary situation arises which may affect College performance, special consideration may be given. The student should see Student Services.
Non standard assessment is available to ensure that a student is not disadvantaged when performance may be adversely affected by some unavoidable shortterm situation. “Short term” at Lake Tuggeranong College is no more than onesemester.
Normally the forms of non standard assessment which might be considered would include in order: special assessments, pro-rata assessment, an estimate, or if a mark/grade cannot be validly awarded a status grade.
Non standard assessment is not automatic and each case will be treated individually.
Note: To receive special consideration acceptable evidence such as a doctor’s certificate must be provided. Because of the importance of assessment in arriving at grades and scores, evidence from your family is inappropriate and therefore not acceptable.
Process
1. The process may be initiated by anyone aware that a student’s performance is being affected by some condition, eg student, parent, friend or teacher. The student can request that the process not take place.
2. The teacher or student approaches one of the Student Support Team and discusses the issue further. The support   team member discusses the effect of the situation on performance and possible solutions with all the student’s teachers. A proposal is developed of actions and expectations regarding attendance, work and assessment for the rest of each unit.
 
Factors to be considered in each case will include effort, attendance and performance in all courses, the situation which has arisen and its impact upon the student’s performance, the effect any decision will have on the student’s future performance and fairness relating to other students.
3. Finally discussions take place with the teacher in charge of Student Records to approve the proposal.
B Eligibility for Special Assessment Provisions – Long Term/Permanent Disability
A student, who during the course of their Year 11 and 12 studies, experiences significant hardship of a long term or permanent nature may be eligible for the award of special provisions in assessment tasks.
A student is considered to be eligible if he or she is considered to:
• be disadvantaged by a functional disability or impairment and/or
• have been affected to a significant degree by illness, factors related to personal environment, or other serious cause.
Types of Special Provisions
The range of special assistance arrangements may include one or more of the following:
• additional time for assessment tasks
• supervised rest breaks during exams
• modification to the visual presentation of papers, for instance enlarged print, a Braille version, or the test printed on coloured paper
• a reader and/or a scribe
• signing of instructions
• use of a computer (however, use of spell checkers, thesaurus or word count capacity are NOT permitted)
• separate accommodation for tests and/or
• use of special ergonomic furniture.
The Executive Officer Student Records and the Special Needs Coordinator determine the nature of the special provision after consideration of each student’s situation and the accompanying documentation.
Documentation Verifying a Student’s Functional Difficulties
Special provision arrangements will not be considered without formal, current and relevant documentation. Appropriate documentation supporting the special provision request must be supplied at the time when the special provision is requested. Additional relevant comments from a student’s class teachers are encouraged. The nature of the student’s disability or impairment must be stated as clearly and precisely as possible on the application form and accompanying supporting documentation. The exact nature of the functional difficulties the student suffers in test situations at the college should be stated.
Students may also be eligible for special provisions for AST. Please discuss this with Executive Officer Student Records or Special Needs Coordinator.