Queensland Studies AuthorityQuality-assurance processes

Partnership

The QSA operates a moderation system that is built upon a close partnership with schools.

Responsibilities of the QSA

• Development, review and approval of Early Years Curriculum Guidelines and syllabuses for Years 112

• Development of professional resources for teachers

• Testing, assessment and moderation• Certification of Queensland students• Facilitation of tertiary entrance procedures

Responsibilities of schools

• Teaching and learning processes• Assessment of student achievements that

contribute towards the issue of a Student Education Profile (SEP)− Senior Statement− QCE− QCIA− Tertiary Entrance Statement

Responsibilities of the QA Unit

The Quality Assurance Unit is responsible for the quality assurance of:• Authority subjects

• Authority-registered subjects

• Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA)

• Learning projects.

Principles underpinning quality-assurance processes

• Externally moderated school-based assessment is aligned to syllabus and SAS documents.

• Evidence is required to substantiate schools’ decisions.

Quality in schools

QSA website

Standards-based assessment

• Stated in syllabuses and Study Area Specifications (SASs)

• Criteria: properties or characteristics by which student performances are appraised

• Standards: fixed reference points used to describe how well students have achieved the outcomes, objectives in syllabuses

Criteria and standards

Purposes of assessment

• Formative assessment is used to improve teaching and student achievement.

• Summative assessment is used to indicate the achievement status or standards achieved at particular points of schooling. It is geared towards reporting or certification.

Moderation of Authority subjects

Quality assurance of Authority subjects

State and district review panels

Syllabuses

State course aims and objectives, course organisation, learning experiences, standards and assessment.

Work program

• The school’s plan of how the course will be delivered and assessed

• Based on the school’s interpretation of the syllabus

• Caters for the special characteristics of the individual school and its students

• Must meet all syllabus requirements

Lodging work programs

• Lodged by the school moderator through the QSA website <www.qsa.qld.edu.au>

• Processed online by panellists• Can be amended

Form R3 (Year 11)

School proposal for interim levels of achievement

Interim levels of achieve-ment of sample

students

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School: School code:

Subject: Subject code: 0

District: Panel code:

The focus of the monitoring review is to provide advice to the school about implementation of the course of study and judgments concerning student achievement at this time. Five students should be identified by code letter A, B, C, D, E and placed appropriately to indicate the interim Level of Achievement. Further information regarding the preparation of the submission is available in The Moderation Handbook.

Number of students completing subject at Year 11:

School comments:

Signed by the Principal ....................................................................................................... Date: / /

Panel advice may include consideration of the following: implementation of the course of study conditions of assessment standards of sampled student work

quality and standard of assessment instruments appropriateness of assessment criteria proposed interim levels of achievement

concordance with ACACA guidelines for quality and equity in assessing student achievement

Review panel advice:

Recommended action(s):

Signed by Chair .................................................................................................... Date: / /

for state, or district review panel.

Before meeting: Original, duplicate and triplicate forwarded with samples to be reviewed. Quadruplicate retained by school when making initial submission.

Copies:

After meeting: Original returned to school. Duplicate retained by Chair and returned to District Coordinator. Triplicate retained by Chair.

Monitoring

Focus: provide advice to schools

Monitoring submission

• Form R3• Copy of the approved work program• Clean copies of assessment tasks (including

data on conditions)• Minimum of five sample student folios (or the

whole cohort, if less than five), with completed profiles

• Documentation of student performances

Form R6 (Year 12)

School proposal for levels of achievement

Relative achievements

of students Initial Panel Agreed Exit LOA

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D/SRPC Initials

School: School code:

Subject: Subject code: 0

District: Panel code:

I. Enter the ‘Initial school proposal’ for the ‘Distribution of levels of achievement’ for all students in the Year 12 cohort who have completed study of at least one semester of an approved school work program.

II. Complete the ‘Initial’ column, indicating the relative achievements of all students by writing the number of students on the appropriate rung and identifying any sample students by a letter code (A, B, C etc.), e.g. ‘6 + B’ (=7 students).

III. If agreement between the school and panel is reached through consultation following the verification meeting, then the school must complete the ‘Agreed’ column for sample students and the ‘Agreed Verification proposal’ row and immediately send all copies to the D/SRPC for signing.

IV. Significant changes in the distribution of relative achievements between Verification and exit require consultation with the S/DRPC and a completed Form R7 to be attached to the original of the Form R6.

V. At exit, complete the ‘Exit’ column as explained in (II) above. Identify, with a circle, ALL OP-ineligible students and visa students, e.g. ‘① ’ or ‘② + 4’ or ‘② + 3 + C’.

Distribution of levels of achievement: VHA HA SA LA VLA Total Signature and date

Initial school proposal ……………………………………. ....../….……/…… (Principal)

……………………………………. ....../….……/…… (Principal) Agreed Verification proposal ……………………………………. ....../….……/…… (D/SRPC)

Exit proposal ..…………………………………… ….../….……/…… (Principal)

Exit proposal recommended for certification Date: ……./……/…… ……………………………………….per MSA

School comments:

Signed by the principal.................................................................................................................. Date: / /

Review panel comments concerning standards and LOA decisions:

Consultation required Additional notes are attached

Note: Any additional notes must remain attached to the original Form R6.

Signed............................................................. for state, or district review panel. Date: / /

October Verification: Original, duplicate and triplicate forwarded with initial and any subsequent proposal. Quadruplicate retained by school.

Copies:

Exit: Original forwarded to QSA; duplicate retained by school.

This information is collected so that the legislated functions of the QSA concerning moderation can be carried out. Personal information is not usually disclosed to anyone other than relevant QSA staff unless required or authorised by law, permitted under the Queensland Government privacy policy, or so that the legislated function can be completed.

Queensland Studies Authority, Ground floor, 295 Ann Street Brisbane. PO Box 307 Spring Hill Q 4004. Phone: (07) 3864 0299; fax: (07) 3221 2553; email: office@qsa.qld.edu.au; website: qsa.qld.edu.au. SPB:mod

Verification

Focus: provide feedback to schools about the proposed match of folios to stated syllabus standard descriptors

Verification submission

• Form R6• Copy of the approved work program• Clean copies of assessment tasks • Minimum of nine sample student folios (or the

whole cohort, if less than nine), with completed profiles

• Documentation of student performances

Comparability

The consistent application of standards by teachers across the state so that student achievements of equivalent standards are recognised.

Panels compare standards and levels of achievement across all districts.

Confirmation

Distributions of levels of achievement are checked for accuracy and the appropriate application of the moderation processes.

Random sampling

The QSA reviews a stratified random sample of student exit folios.

Quality assurance of Authority-registered subjects

Study Area Specification (SAS)

Study area specification (SAS)

• States course aims and objectives, course organisation, learning experiences, standards and assessment

• Some SASs contain information about VET certificates

Study plan

• The school’s plan of how the course will be delivered and assessed

• Based on the school’s interpretation of the SAS

• Caters for the special characteristics of the individual school and its students

• Must meet all SAS requirements

Moderation meeting

Internal review

Internal review of Authority-registered subjects is the mechanism for schools to maintain the continuity of a quality management system in relation to student achievement and QSA procedures.

External reviews

External reviews of Authority-registered subjects are carried out by an officer of the QSA to support schools in the maintenance of their quality management system.

Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA)• The QCIA reports the educational

achievements of students whose learning is part of an individualised learning program.

• Students are eligible to receive this certificate if they have an impairment or learning difficulty.

• A number of processes are conducted to quality assure the certificate.

The quality-assurance process

Learning projects

• As part of their QCE, students can design and undertake an independent and unique short program of learning that is separate from any established school, training or other educational program.

• Learning projects allow learners to develop employability or lifelong learning skills in one of three contexts: workplace, community or self-directed.

Quality-assurance process for Learning projects

• Completed learning project documentation (planning log and the evidence of learning) is submitted to QSA.

• Documentation reviewed by the QA Unit.• Students are notified of outcome.• If successful, the achievement is banked into the

student’s learning account.

Student Education Profile

• Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE)• Queensland Certificate of Individual

Achievement (QCIA)• Senior Statement• Statement of Results• Tertiary Entrance Statements

QSA website links

Additional information for teachers

Scroll down for sample work programs and assessment instruments

Quality Assurance Unit 3864 0375

Certification Unit 3864 0433

QCIA 3864 0407

QSA District Offices <www.qsa.qld.edu.au> Contact us > District offices

Contacts