RATIONALE                                                                                          

The Bellarine Secondary College community accepts and promotes the idea that all students can learn and that improvement in learning requires that students and parents have as much information as possible about what students learn at school.

PURPOSE

  • This policy guides the development and implementation of practices and processes to ensure the Later Years program successfully engages and supports individual students and cohorts to achieve their full potential
  • To ensure that Bellarine Secondary College complies with all VCAA regulations and processes in the delivery of both VCE and VCAL programs
  • To ensure the use of both quantitative and qualitative data informs continual improvement in teaching and learning and promotes a positive climate for learning

POLICY STATEMENT

  • The responsibility for VCE and VCAL delivery and assessment is located with teachers. The VCAA VCE Study Design will be the key document to inform design and delivery in each study. The VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook in turn informs the design and delivery of the VCAL program at the College.
  • Teachers will be appropriately supported by the school community through continuous professional development opportunities. Key documents for each Unit 3 and 4 will be available to class teachers. Teachers will have the opportunity to reflect on the previous year’s Result Data Analysis by study to promote continuous improvement. Key personnel such as Assistant Principal (Later Years), Assistant Principal (Student Learning), The Later Years Leader, Pathways Leader, VCAL Leader and DBA Leaders are available to assist and advise regarding the delivery and assessment of VCE and VCAL programs.

IMPLEMENTATION

  • Students and parents will be provided with a clear written Course Outline at the outset of classes for each unit. This should outline what is required and how all required outcomes can best be achieved. Throughout the semester work requirements need to be clearly defined through written outlines.
  • Assessment practices define what is valued in the school curriculum and influence a student’s motivation to learn. Student learning is not best fostered by assessment that is simply a mark or grade but relies on rich constructive feedback informing continual improvement. A description and written comment (Feedback Sheet) should accompany any grade given for any piece of work. Students should be helped to develop an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. The focus should be on what the student is achieving.
  • There should be coherence between assessment procedures and teaching and learning. In each study there should be inter-relationship between the objectives of the study, its content, teaching strategies and assessment.
  • Assessment procedures should define and communicate educational expectations and ensure that these standards are maintained. These procedures should support a wide range of learning and teaching approaches and outcomes.
  • Learning areas will provide delivery planning and moderation/assessment support for teachers of all units including past results data analysis sessions and will conduct moderation processes where more than one class operates for any VCE unit.
  • For VCE Units 3&4; assessments submitted by staff must be in accordance with VCAA guidelines so that they will be comparable on a state-wide basis as all school leavers compete for employment and entry into tertiary institutions and courses.
  • All teachers must maintain up to date and accurate records of their delivery in each unit and assessment of student work. It is particularly important to maintain accurate records of the receipt of required work.

In the event of a query regarding any assessment a teacher will be required to present the relevant assessment records, including records indicating when or if work required has been received, and will need to justify the assessment.

  • The Later Years Implementation Team will review the later years data sets, including patterns of student participation and completion, annually and develop a written response to this data which will be presented to the Student Learning Team to ensure that this data informs continual improvement in teaching and learning in the later years
  • Students and parents will be provided with a clear outline of all policies and procedures pertaining to the implementation of both the VCE and VCAL pathways in the form of the Later Years Handbook. The Handbook will also be posted on the College website for parent reference. It will clearly communicate the rights and responsibilities of students with regard to completing the VCE and VCAL programs.
  • Teachers will be provided similar access to the VCAA VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook as well as the BSC Later Years Staff Handbook detailing the recommended practices and procedures prior to the commencement of each school year. The Handbook will contain detailed information regarding the College and VCAA expectations when delivering a VCE or VCAL unit.
Policy number1.11
Approval dateSeptember 2016
Review dateSeptember 2019
DET/VRQA requiredYes