Student Assessment Information

Assessment Statements:

In February you were sent an email containing the below NCEA rules as well as Assessment Statements for each of your subjects. These provide you with details of the Achievement or Unit Standards in each subject including the number of credits available and if they contribute towards Literacy or Numeracy. These should be read in conjunction with any course outlines or calendars on your class Google Classroom that will elaborate more of the teaching and learning you will experience.

Missed Assessments:

If you miss an assessment task for a valid reason, it must be supported by verifiable evidence. Valid reasons include but are not limited to: illness, bereavement, emergency, sport or cultural representation, or other School Activity. Evidence may take the form of a medical certificate or an email from parent, guardian, coach, or teacher.

If you miss an assessment, you or your parent/guardian must:

           1) Notify your teacher via email that you are unable to complete or sit the assessment. 

           2) Complete the Missed or Late Assessment Form and submit it to the subject Leader
                of Learning and provide evidence to support your application.

If you miss your assessment for a foreseeable reason, the above must be completed prior to the day of assessment or due date. If you miss an assessment task for a non-valid reason or do not complete the above process, you will be awarded a Not Achieved grade. You may appeal this decision (see appeals section). If the LoL determines your reason is valid, and it is practicable and manageable, another assessment opportunity will be provided, otherwise you will be withdrawn from the Standard.

Late Assessments:

If you need to hand work in late, it must be for a valid reason and you, or your parent/guardian must:

          1)    Notify your teacher via email that you are applying for an extension and submit
                a copy of your work completed so far on the due date. 

          2)    Complete the Missed or Late Assessment Form and submit it to the subject
                Leader of Learning and provide evidence to support your application.

If your work is late a non-valid reason or you do not complete the above process, the work you completed up to the due date will be marked as it stands. If the LoL determines your reason is valid, an extension will be granted. The length of time will be determined by the LoL and they will consider your personal circumstances to ensure you and all students have had an equitable opportunity to demonstrate your learning.

Moderation:

Teachers moderate work to ensure marks reported are accurate against the Standard. This occurs even if there is only one class for a subject to ensure teachers at Aquinas College are applying the standard correctly. You may read more about moderation in the Operational Policy. 

If you feel your work has not been marked fairly you can:

          1)    In the first instance, ask your teacher or LoL to explain your grade.

          2)    If still not satisfied, ask your teacher or LoL to provide the assessment schedule or written feedback.

          3)    After you have gained written feedback, you may appeal your grade (see the appeals section).

Resubmission:

If your teacher determines that a minor error is preventing you from achieving a Standard, they may offer you a single opportunity to resubmit your work. They are not allowed to provide any further teaching and you must discover and correct your error on your own. After a resubmission, the highest grade available is Achieved.

Reassessment:

The number of assessment opportunities for each Standard will be stated in the Assessment Statement. If a further assessment opportunity is offered, all students entered in the Standard are eligible to undertake this.

Special Assessment Conditions (SAC):

Some students may qualify for SAC. Please see the SENCO (Ms Van Zyl) for further information. If you qualify for SAC you need to keep in regular communication with your classroom teacher to ensure these are provided when required. 

Authenticity:

All work that is handed in for assessment must be your own. Students are expected to guarantee the authenticity of their submitted work. Assessment activities may include processes during or after the assessment to ensure work is authentic, such as:

         - regular check points,

         - submission of plans and drafts,

         - oral questioning to confirm understanding,

         - requiring a repeat performance, 

         - controlling resources available,

         - requiring referencing and bibliographies,

         - monitoring revision changes,

         - using plagiarism software or internet searches of suspicious phrases,

Where a teacher suspects the work you submit is not authentic, they may refer it to the Leader of Learning. Where the Leader of Learning determines, following investigation, that the work submitted is not authentic, a Not Achieved grade will be reported. You may appeal this decision (see appeals section).

Fairness

Cheating is gaining an unfair advantage by deceit, during an assessment. Examples of this would be looking at someone else’s work, using artificial intelligence software or taking unauthorized notes into a test. Another form of cheating is plagiarism. This is using other people’s ideas or words as your own without acknowledgement. An example would be copying work from another student, out of a book or from a web site and pretending you wrote it. Sharing your work or allowing your work to be copied is also Cheating. You must not share your work at any point, even in following years.

Misconduct is acting in a way that disrupts other students or breaches the conditions of assessment. Examples of this are talking during an assessment or using technology when not permitted.

Misconduct or Cheating will result in a Not Achieved grade being reported and your parents / caregivers notified. It may also result in further disciplinary action. You may appeal this decision (see appeals section)

Submission of Work

By handing in any work to be assessed, you are declaring that your work is authentic, that you have not cheated in any way or attempted to gain an unfair advantage. You also agree not to share your work with any other student now or in the future. You are also declaring that you have read and agree to the rules contained within this document and the Operational Policy.

Reporting of Grades:

Grades will be entered onto KAMAR and available to students via the Online Portal after moderation has occurred. This will be no later than 4 weeks after the date of assessment or due date. Grades are also included in reports sent home to Parents/Guardians.

Teachers will ask students to sign against their grade to ensure it has been correctly entered. By signing you are also accepting your grade as final. You should not sign if you intend to appeal a grade.

Appeals:

You have the right to appeal:

          1)    The fairness and/or appropriateness of an assigned assessment.

          2)    Any grade awarded to a piece of assessed work after seeking written feedback.

          3)    Any decision made relating to Missed or Late Assessments.

          4)    Any decision made relating to the Authenticity of your work.

          5)    Any decision made relating to Misconduct or Cheating.

          6)    Any decision made relating to Resubmission or Re-assessment opportunities.

To make an appeal, complete and submit the Appeals Form

Appeals are decided by a three-person panel consisting of the Principal’s Nominee, the Deputy Principal – Senior Curriculum and a subject specialist who not involved in the original decision. Members of this panel shall declare any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from making a final decision.

If you are not satisfied with the decision of the Appeal. You may appeal this directly with NZQA, the Principal's Nominee will assist you with this process.

Contacts:

Kurt Kennedy                                                            Tim Rout    

[email protected]                                  [email protected]

Deputy Principal – Senior Curriculum                      Principal’s Nominee