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New Standards for the WACE in 2016

Career Development Practitioners Network25th February 2013

+The WACE 2016

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority has listened to the feedback from teachers, principals and other stakeholders and will adapt the Western Australian Certificate of Education to address the issues that have been raised. 

+Why is Change Necessary?

The WACE has been in place for three years

Enrolment patterns are now established

Patterns are a concern

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

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

+ 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 compromises year 11 and year 12 courses

+The Rationale for the Adjustment Significant concern has been

expressed by the Universities and the Training Sector regarding the standard of literacy and numeracy achieved by students who are currently graduating from WACE

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

+ The WACE will Provide/Demonstrate?

The WACE must provide students with the opportunity to complete 13 years of education, achieving either an ATAR or a Certificate II or higher through a VET in Schools program.

The WACE must demonstrate to the public and any employer that a student possesses the minimum levels of literacy and numeracy to be able to enter the workforce or engage with further study or training.

+Principles SCAS is Working from! Learning is a life long process and schooling should prepare students for multiple educational pathways

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

The WACE should embed both breadth and depth of learning

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

+Principles SCAS is Working from! Marks and grades awarded should be

reliable and comparable across the State and should be respected as such by the Western Australian public

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 workforce

+ In order to achieve a WACE students must …

Complete literacy and numeracy assessment to demonstrate a minimum standard based on skills regarded as essential for individuals to meet the challenges of everyday life and the knowledge-based economy

Achieve an ATAR or complete a Certificate 11 or higher

Complete two year 11 English units and a pair of the year 12 English

Complete at least one pair of units from a List A (arts/language/social science) course and one pair of units from a List B course (mathematics/science/technologies).

Complete 20 units (or equivalents) including a minimum of 10 year 12 units

+ In order to achieve a WACE students must …

Achieve 6 C grades in 6 year 11 units (or equivalents)

AND 8 C grades in 4 pairs of year 12 units (or

equivalents)

{Students are required to complete English and the literacy and numeracy requirements}

EQUIVALENTS: There will be provision for students to offset these unit requirements by completing VET qualifications at Certificate I, II, III or IV level. A Certificate I can replace two Year 11 course units, a Certificate II, two Year 11 and two Year 12 units, a Certificate III, two Year 11 and two Year 12 units and a Certificate IV or above, two Year 11 and four Year 12 units.

+Literacy and Numeracy Assessments

To receive a WACE, students will be required to complete literacy and numeracy and demonstrate achievement at or above a minimum standard

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

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

All students (whether they pass the WACE or not) will receive a Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement (WASSA)- a record of all courses and or programs completed

In order to achieve a WACE students must …

+ Support for Literacy and Numeracy Assessments

The assessments will first be available for students to sit in 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 Assessments

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 F-10 is very explicit in terms of content relating to literacy and numeracy

Literacy and numeracy general capabilities are embedded throughout the F-10 curriculum

+WACE 2015/2016 – the coursesTo achieve a WACE students will complete

Year 11 courses (typically 5 or 6 with a minimum of 5)

Year 12 courses (a minimum of 5)

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

+ WACE 2015/2016 – the courses ATAR courses – for those students aiming

to achieve an ATAR and enrol in University directly from school – these courses are 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 to match their educational pathways, needs and interests.

+ WACE 2015/2016 – the coursesStudents with special education needs, students

with an intellectual disability or who have a severely disrupted learning pathway and students who require modified and independent education plans may also select from two other types of courses with the General suite e.g.:

Foundation – 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 - for education support students

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

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Of the 20 units required for 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

WACE 2015/2016 – the courses

+ VET EquivalenceNOTE:

Two units = one year of a course

Certificates can be completed over multiple years

Certificate 1 = two year 11 units only

Certificate 11 – two year 11 units AND two year 12 units

Certificate 111 – two year 11 units AND two year 12 units

Certificate 1V – two year 11 units AND four year 12 units

+ WACE 2015/2016 – the coursesATAR courses

Courses with external examinations in year 12 will be set by the Authority

Only ATAR courses will be externally examined from 2016

Courses will be aligned with the content currently in Stage 2 (year 11) and Stage 3 (year 12) courses except for the Senior Secondary Australian Curriculum Courses

All 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 adaption 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 2015/2016 – the coursesGeneral courses

Students enrolled in General courses will not be required to sit an external examination

Externally set tasks provided by the Authority will be embedded in the school-based assessments for each course.

It is expected that approximately 40% of year 11 and year 12 student population will be enrolled in General courses

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 2015/2016 – the coursesFoundation 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 Foundation suite of courses to help students further develop their literacy and numeracy skills.

Assessments will include externally set tasks

It is expected that approximately 10% of the year 11 and 12 student population will be enrolled in these courses

+ 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 enrollments 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 areas. The schedule of the review will be published in 2013

+Optional Stage 2 Examinations2014-2015 Examinations for stage 2 courses will

be optional in 2014 and 2015

This is an interim measure as the Authority develops the WACE for 2015

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

+Depth and Breath Requirements This requirement must include at least:

A minimum of ten (10) units at Year 12

Two (2) completed Year 11 English units and one (1) pair of completed Year 12 English units

One pair of course units from each of List A (arts/languages/social sciences) and List B (mathematics/science/technology) completed in Year 12 … back