WACE 2015 / 2016

REFORM

2012/35194v12

• The WACE has been in place for three years

• Enrolment patterns are now established

• Patterns are a concern• Compulsory schooling until

the end of 17th year is now well in place

• Views expressed by stakeholders suggest that there are concerns about a number of features of the WACE

• The implementation of senior secondary Australian Curriculum requires realignment of the WACE

Why are the reforms necessary?

The rationale for the reform…• Stage 1 enrolments are much higher than envisaged and

significant numbers of students are not undertaking courses commensurate with their ability.

• Low and declining Stage 2 enrolments have resulted in Stage 2 examinations being unviable.

• The current three stage design of WACE courses is incompatible with the senior secondary Australian Curriculum, which comprises Year 11 and Year 12 courses.

The rationale for the adjustment…• Significant concerns have been raised by both the

universities and the training sector regarding the standards of literacy and numeracy achieved by students who are currently graduating with a WACE.

• Some students graduating with a WACE are poorly prepared for subsequent educational pathways into university or training.

The principles we are working from…• Learning is a lifelong process and schooling should

prepare students for multiple educational pathways.

• The WACE should be flexible and accommodate students with diverse backgrounds, interests and abilities and from different learning communities.

• The WACE should embed both breadth and depth of learning.

The principles we are working from…

• Students should engage with courses that are personally challenging, that enhance their development and maximise their future study and career options.

• Marks and grades awarded should be reliable and comparable across the State, and be respected as such by the Western Australian public.

The principles we are working from…

•After thirteen years of schooling students should demonstrate a minimum level of literacy and numeracy.

•After thirteen years of schooling students should be prepared for further study in either training or university or entry to the workplace.

• Complete literacy and numeracy assessments to demonstrate a minimum standard based on skills regarded as essential for individuals to meet the demands of everyday life and work in a knowledge-based economy.

• complete a minimum of four Year 12 ATAR courses including the external examination (i.e. be eligible for an ATAR) or complete a Certificate II or higher.

• Complete two Year 11 English units and a pair of Year 12 English units.

• Complete at least one pair of units from a Year 12 List A (arts/languages/social sciences) course and one pair of units from a Year 12 List B course (mathematics /sciences/technologies).

• Complete at least 20 units (or equivalents) including a minimum of 10 Year 12 units

• Achieve a minimum of 6 C grades in 6 Year 11 units (or equivalents) AND 8 C grades in 4 pairs of Year 12 units (or equivalents).

If students do not pass the literacy and numeracy assessment by the time they exit secondary school, they can apply to the Authority to re-sit the assessment.

All Students (whether they have achieved the WACE or not) will receive a Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement – a record of all courses and or programs completed.

In order to achieve a WACE students must

Literacy and numeracy assessments• To receive a WACE, students will be required to complete literacy and

numeracy assessments and demonstrate achievement at or above a minimum standard.

• The minimum standards will be mapped to the Australian Core Skills Framework which describes the minimum requirement for individuals to meet the demands of everyday life and work in a knowledge-based economy.

• The assessments will first be available for students to sit during semester one of Year 10. Students not meeting the standard may repeat the assessment at semester intervals.

• Support documents will be developed to assist teachers in preparing students for assessments and for supporting those who do not demonstrate achievement at the minimum standard.

Support for Literacy and Numeracy• Support documents will assist teachers to identify very

specific skills and understandings that students may be struggling with and providing advice on strategies teachers may use to address these shortcomings.

• The Authority will develop new Foundation English and Foundation Mathematics courses for year 11 and 12 students with very low literacy and numeracy skills.

• The Australian Curriculum P-10 is very explicit in terms of content relating to literacy and numeracy.

• Literacy and numeracy general capabilities are embedded throughout the P-10 curriculum.

WACE 2015 / 2016 – the courses

To achieve a WACE students will complete:

• Year 11 courses (typically five or six with a minimum of five)

• Year 12 courses (a minimum of five)

NOTE: In Year 11, each course is divided into two units each of a semester duration and ARE NOT paired. In Year 12 the units ARE paired and in ATAR courses the WACE examination is of the pair of units. Four Year 12 courses are required for the calculation of an ATAR.

WACE 2015 / 2016The courses students may select from are divided into two major groups:

•ATAR courses - for those students aiming to achieve an ATAR and enrol in university directly from school – these courses are assessed by schools, moderated and examined by the Authority and contribute to an ATAR.

•General courses - primarily for those students aiming to enrol in further training or enter the workforce – assessed by schools and moderated by the Authority and do not contribute to an ATAR.

•Students will be able to select across the suite of ATAR courses and General courses offered appropriate to their educational pathways, needs and interests.

WACE 2015 / 2016Students with special education needs, students with an intellectual disability or who have had a severely disrupted learning pathway and students who require modified and independent education plans may select from two subsets of courses within the General suite described as:

•Foundation Courses– for students with severely limited literacy and numeracy skills. Only students who have not demonstrated the minimum achievement in the literacy and numeracy assessments should enrol in these courses.•Preliminary Courses - for education support students.

Foundation and Preliminary courses are designed to meet the needs of approximately 10% of the total cohort.

WACE 2015 / 2016Of the 20 units required for a WACE, up to a maximum of four Year 11 units and four Year 12 units may be substituted by VET Programs and Endorsed Programs.

A student may choose to substitute units: •only with VET programs (up to a total of 8 units) OR•only with Endorsed programs (up to a total of 4 units) OR •with a combination of VET and Endorsed programs (up to a total of 8 units but with a maximum of 4 units with Endorsed Programs).

VET equivalenceNOTE: Two units = one year of one course.

A Certificate can be completed over multiple years.

•Certificate I = two Year 11 units ONLY

•Certificate II = two Year 11 units AND two Year 12 units

•Certificate III = two Year 11 units AND two Year 12 units

•Certificate IV = two Year 11 units AND four Year 12 units

Endorsed Programs

The Authority will review and classify all Endorsed Programs.

WACE 2015/2016Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement – WASSA

Every student who completes studies from the ATAR and General (including Foundation and Preliminary) lists of courses and VET and Endorsed Programs will receive a Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement (WASSA).

WACE 2015/2016ATAR Courses•Courses with external examinations in Year 12 set by the Authority.•Only ATAR courses will be externally examined from 2016.•Courses will be based on the content currently in Stage 2 (Year 11) and Stage 3 (Year 12) courses except for the new senior secondary Australian Curriculum courses. •All current Stage 3 courses will continue to be offered as ATAR courses. •As senior secondary Australian Curriculum becomes available courses will be adopted as ATAR Courses with adaptation to suit Western Australian requirements.•It is expected that a minimum of 50% of the students in years 11 and 12 will continue to be enrolled in ATAR courses.

WACE 2015/2016General courses•Students enrolled in General courses will not be required to sit an external examination.

•School-based assessments (will include externally set tasks provided by the Authority) will be embedded in each course.

•It is expected that approximately 40% of the students in Year 11 and 12 will be enrolled in General courses.

WACE 2015/2016General courses…continued

•Courses will typically be based on the content currently in Stage 1 (Year 11) and Stage 2 (Year 12) units. Some modification may be required.

•VET Industry Specific Courses will remain on offer.

•Course Advisory Committees will provide advice to the Board regarding the appropriateness of General courses.

WACE 2015/2016Foundation and Preliminary courses•Courses will typically be at a level consistent with Preliminary and Stage 1 units and provide a focus on functional literacy and numeracy skills, practical work-related experience and the opportunity to build personal skills that are important for life and work. •Foundation English and Foundation Mathematics courses will be introduced within the Foundation suite of courses to prepare students for the various forms of writing and mathematics required in further training and employment.•School based assessments will include Externally Set Tasks provided by the Authority. •It is expected that approximately 10% of the students in Year 11 and 12 will be enrolled in these courses.

Proposed course design  Date

implemented

General courses

School assessment, moderated with externally set task (written)

ATAR courses

50% external examination, 50% school assessment

    Foundation and Preliminary courses    1 2008   Aboriginal and Intercultural Studies* Aboriginal and Intercultural Studies*2 2008   Aboriginal Languages of Western Australia* Aboriginal Languages of Western Australia*3 2009   Accounting and Finance Accounting and Finance4 2009   Ancient History

 Ancient HistoryAncient History

5 2009   Animal Production Systems Animal Production Systems6 2007 Foundation Information Technology Applied Information Technology Applied Information Technology7 2009   Automotive (VET industry specific)  8 2009   Automotive Engineering and Technology Automotive Engineering and Technology9 2005   Aviation* Aviation*10 2009   Biological Sciences

 Biological SciencesBiology

11 2009   Building and Construction Building and Construction12 2009 Preliminary Business Management and Enterprise Business Management and Enterprise Business Management and Enterprise

13 2009   Business Services (VET industry specific)  14 2008 Foundation Career and Enterprise / Workplace

LearningCareer and Enterprise Career and Enterprise

15 2009   Chemistry 

ChemistryChemistry

16 2009   Children, Family and the Community Children, Family and the Community17 2008   Chinese: second language* Chinese: second language*18 2009   Community Services (VET industry specific)  19 2008   Computer Science Computer Science20 2009   Construction (VET industry specific)  21 2010   Creative Industries: Music (VET industry specific)  22 2008   Dance* Dance *23 2009   Design* Design*24 2008   Drama* Drama*25 2007   Earth and Environmental Science

 Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science

26 2009   Economics Economics

 Date implemented

General courses

School assessment, moderated with externally set task (written)

ATAR courses

50% external examination, 50% school assessment

    Foundation and Preliminary courses    27 2006   Engineering Studies Engineering Studies28 2006 Foundation English

Preliminary English EnglishEssential English

EnglishEnglish

29 2007 Foundation English as an Additional Language/Dialect* 

English as an Additional Language/Dialect*English as an Additional Language/Dialect*

English as an Additional Language/Dialect*English as an Additional Language/Dialect*

30 2009 Preliminary Food Science and Technology Food Science and Technology Food Science and Technology31 2009   French* French*32     Geography

 GeographyGeography

33 2009   German* German*34 2009 Foundation Health Studies/Physical Ed

Studies/Outdoor EducationHealth Studies Health Studies

35 2009   Hospitality (VET industry specific)  36 2009   Human Biological Science Human Biological Science37 2009   Indonesian: second language * Indonesian: second language *38 2009   Information Technology (VET industry specific)  39 2009   Integrated Science Integrated Science40 2008   Italian* Italian*41 2009   Japanese: second language* Japanese: second language*42 2009   Literature Literature

Literature43 2008   Marine and Maritime Studies Marine and Maritime Studies44 2008 Preliminary Materials Design and Technology* Materials Design and Technology* Materials Design and Technology*45 2009 Foundation Mathematics

Preliminary MathematicsMathematicsMathematics: Essential

MathematicsMathematicsMathematical Methods

46 2009     Mathematics: SpecialistMathematics: Specialist

47 2006   Media Production and Analysis* Media Production and Analysis*48 2009   Modern History Modern History

Modern History49 2009   Music* Music*50 2008   Outdoor Education Outdoor Education51 2008   Philosophy and Ethics Philosophy and Ethics

  Date implemented

General courses

School assessment, moderated with externally set task (written)

ATAR courses

50% external examination, 50% school assessment

    Foundation and Preliminary courses    52 2007   Physical Education Studies* Physical Education Studies*53 2009   Physics

 PhysicsPhysics

54 2009 Preliminary Plant Production Systems Plant Production Systems Plant Production Systems55 2009   Politics and Law Politics and Law56 2009   Primary Industries (VET industry specific)  57 2008   Psychology Psychology58 2009 Preliminary Religion and Life Religion and Life Religion and Life59 2010   Sport and Recreation (VET industry specific)  60 2009   Tourism (VET industry specific)  61 2009 Preliminary Visual Arts* Visual Arts* Visual Arts*62 2009   Workplace Learning  

Total 6 Foundation 8 Preliminary 62 51

Italics = Australian curriculum* = course with a practical examination component

Review of courses• From 2015, courses (excluding Languages) with fewer

than 100 students across the State for two consecutive years will be placed on notice and if enrolments remain at or below 100 students for a third year, the course will be removed from the Course List.

• All syllabuses will be reviewed typically on a five-year cyclical basis, according to learning area. The schedule of review will be published in 2013.

Optional Stage 2 WACE examinations (2014 and 2015)

• Examinations for Stage 2 courses will be optional in 2014 and 2015.

• This is an interim measure as we develop the WACE for 2016.

• Schools will make the decision regarding whether their students will be able to undertake courses as non-examination students

• The Authority will communicate the process required for students to register as non-examination students for Stage 2 in 2014 and 2015.

• Patrick Garnett Chair • Valerie Gould – Executive

Director AISWA• Debra Sayce – Assistant

Director Catholic Education Office

• Sharyn O’Neill -Director General of Education

• David Axworthy -Deputy Director General of Education

• Bruce Matthews – Chair Standards Committee SCSA

• Margaret Herley – Chair Curriculum and Assessment Committee SCSA

• Allan Blagaich CEO SCSA

Senior School Curriculum and Certification committee

Ivan Banks – Trinity CollegeChris Booth – Willetton SHSRebecca Cody – MLCJennifer Firth – Safety Bay SHSAlan Genoni – Canning CollegeGeoff Harris – Balga SHSMaureen Lorimer – Applecross SHS

Stuart Meade - Hale SchoolRob Nairn - WASSEADenise O’Meara – Bunbury Catholic CollegeAnne Pitos – Iona Presentation CollegePat Rodrigues – Chisholm CollegeDave Stevens – Alta 1

Our thanks to the Principals’ forum