SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT POLICIES
Students should also refer to the college’s “NZQA Assessment Reference Booklet” for more comprehensive information.
Missed assessments
(a) All deadlines must be met.
(b) Work which is late will not be accepted unless an extension has been agreed with the HoD before the due date.
(c) In the case of legitimate absence due to illness, an assessment opportunity will still be provided.
Resubmissions
A resubmission means that you have just missed out on gaining achieved level. If this is the case, you will be given the chance to improve your assessment, and have it assessed again. You will get a general idea of what aspect needs to be improved but you will have to work out for yourself how to go about this. Resubmissions will be completed quickly – your teacher will give you a new deadline depending on the complexity of the task. The highest mark a resubmission can get is achieved.
Further Assessment Opportunities
A Further Assessment Opportunity means that you complete an entirely NEW assignment, and submit it for assessment, in order to improve on your first mark
(a) Further Assessment Opportunities will be offered during the after-school tutorial programme. If you cannot attend at this time, you can negotiate a more suitable time with the HoD.
(b) Students will be permitted one Further Assessment Opportunity for ALL internally assessed standards at Levels One and TWO, and all except 3.5 (The Oral Assessment at Level Three), .
(c) No Further Assessment Opportunities will take place in Term 4. This is to allow students to focus on the upcoming exams.
(d) No Further assessment opportunities will be offered unless the first assessment has been attempted and completed.
Work not yet ready for assessment.
Occasionally, your teacher may not accept your work for marking, as it is judged to be not yet ready for assessment. In this case, you will receive no grade but will be given an indication of why this judgment has been made, and what you need to do, in order for your work to be graded. This is not a resubmission, as your work has not been formally assessed. Your teacher will then give you a second deadline.
Appeals
Appeals against grades are to be made immediately the grades are awarded, in accordance with the school policy.
Storage of student work
Student work will be retained for two years for moderation and authenticity purposes.
Authenticity
(a) All work submitted must be your own. Cheating either by plagiarism or collusion will result in no grade being awarded and no reassessment opportunity.
(b) Each piece of work submitted for assessment must have a completed and signed “Statement of Authenticity” attached.
(b) Where practicable, all assessment work will take place in the classroom under supervised conditions. Some planning and preparation may be done at home.
(c) Students may be requested to submit evidence of authenticity eg plans, drafts, notes.
(d) Any student who is proved to be academically dishonest by either plagiarism, collusion, or other academically dishonest means, will not be awarded a prize at the senior prize-giving.
Quality assurance
It is vital that assessment decisions are fair and an accurate reflection of the standards. To ensure this, a number of practices exist.
(a) Internal moderation. Student work is team assessed by a number of teachers in the English Department to ensure consistency with the standard.
(b) One teacher assesses one standard for all classes. This is important for school exams.
(c) The national moderation system checks the school’s assessment decisions for a specified number of standards each year.
Students should also refer to the college’s “NZQA Assessment Reference Booklet” for more comprehensive information.
Missed assessments
(a) All deadlines must be met.
(b) Work which is late will not be accepted unless an extension has been agreed with the HoD before the due date.
(c) In the case of legitimate absence due to illness, an assessment opportunity will still be provided.
Resubmissions
A resubmission means that you have just missed out on gaining achieved level. If this is the case, you will be given the chance to improve your assessment, and have it assessed again. You will get a general idea of what aspect needs to be improved but you will have to work out for yourself how to go about this. Resubmissions will be completed quickly – your teacher will give you a new deadline depending on the complexity of the task. The highest mark a resubmission can get is achieved.
Further Assessment Opportunities
A Further Assessment Opportunity means that you complete an entirely NEW assignment, and submit it for assessment, in order to improve on your first mark
(a) Further Assessment Opportunities will be offered during the after-school tutorial programme. If you cannot attend at this time, you can negotiate a more suitable time with the HoD.
(b) Students will be permitted one Further Assessment Opportunity for ALL internally assessed standards at Levels One and TWO, and all except 3.5 (The Oral Assessment at Level Three), .
(c) No Further Assessment Opportunities will take place in Term 4. This is to allow students to focus on the upcoming exams.
(d) No Further assessment opportunities will be offered unless the first assessment has been attempted and completed.
Work not yet ready for assessment.
Occasionally, your teacher may not accept your work for marking, as it is judged to be not yet ready for assessment. In this case, you will receive no grade but will be given an indication of why this judgment has been made, and what you need to do, in order for your work to be graded. This is not a resubmission, as your work has not been formally assessed. Your teacher will then give you a second deadline.
Appeals
Appeals against grades are to be made immediately the grades are awarded, in accordance with the school policy.
Storage of student work
Student work will be retained for two years for moderation and authenticity purposes.
Authenticity
(a) All work submitted must be your own. Cheating either by plagiarism or collusion will result in no grade being awarded and no reassessment opportunity.
(b) Each piece of work submitted for assessment must have a completed and signed “Statement of Authenticity” attached.
(b) Where practicable, all assessment work will take place in the classroom under supervised conditions. Some planning and preparation may be done at home.
(c) Students may be requested to submit evidence of authenticity eg plans, drafts, notes.
(d) Any student who is proved to be academically dishonest by either plagiarism, collusion, or other academically dishonest means, will not be awarded a prize at the senior prize-giving.
Quality assurance
It is vital that assessment decisions are fair and an accurate reflection of the standards. To ensure this, a number of practices exist.
(a) Internal moderation. Student work is team assessed by a number of teachers in the English Department to ensure consistency with the standard.
(b) One teacher assesses one standard for all classes. This is important for school exams.
(c) The national moderation system checks the school’s assessment decisions for a specified number of standards each year.