Queensland Studies Authority Quality-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 1  12 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 Processed online by panellists Can be amended

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

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 Certification Unit QCIA QSA District Offices Contact us > District offices Contacts