There is no national system of assessment for students during this phase, but every State and Territory has an external certification system in Year 12 (students aged around 18). This has the double purpose of certifying (compulsory and post-compulsory) school completion and ranking students for entry to tertiary institutions. 64 The following website describes such school leaving certification across all States and Territories in Australia and may be of particular interest to users of the INCA website http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/acaca/index.html.
Schools plan and manage their own school-based assessment, supported by work programmes accredited by the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) (see below) and by moderation procedures managed by the QSA.47
Responsible agencies - the Queensland Studies Authority
The Queensland Studies Authority is a statutory body responsible for the provision of a range of services and materials relating to syllabuses, testing, assessment, moderation, certification, accreditation, vocational education, tertiary entrance and research. Its website is accessible at http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au.
In Tasmania, there is the (subject-specific) Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) (see 6.4.2). The State of Tasmania also offers accredited Vocational Education and Training Programmes (VETs) to students in Years 11-12 of post-compulsory secondary education (aged 16-18). 65, 56
Responsible agencies - the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority (TQA)
The Secretary (the most senior official in the State Department of Education) is responsible for carrying out any review that is appropriate:
Prior to January 2004, the Tasmanian Secondary Assessment Board (TASSAB) carried out the following functions in respect of the upper years of secondary education:
The Assessment Board also made rules in respect of:
On 1 January 2004, the Tasmanian Secondary Assessment Board's functions were taken over by the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority (TQA), which brought together the functions of TASSAB with those of the Universities Registration Council and the Tasmanian Accreditation and Recognition Committee into a new single statutory authority. The TQA is a stand-alone authority, accountable directly to the Minister and undertakes the following functions:
Further information is available via the TQA website at http://www.tqa.tas.gov.au.
Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)
The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is an upper secondary certificate - available in a wide range of individual subjects or subject combinations - and the course is usually completed over a minimum of two years (students aged 16-18). There are 43 study areas or subjects, with options available within several of the subjects. Most subjects have four units, each lasting one term/semester or half-year. Students must complete at least 16 units over the two years. 84, 77
Although the VCE is a two-year certificate, externally prescribed assessment only usually takes place in Year 12. 70
A major review of the VCE reported in 1997. This considered many issues, especially the options for vocational education in the VCE. 70 As a result, a revised VCE began to be introduced in 2000. The most significant changes at this time included the introduction of more vocational education and training course options/programmes for the VCE and a changed balance in internal and external assessment requirements. See section 6.4.4 for further information. 77
Full details of the up-to-date situation with regard to the VCE can also be found via the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) website at http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au.
Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL)
Following a successful trial during 2002, the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) was launched at the beginning of 2003. The VCAL, which includes the compulsory study of English and mathematics, work-related competencies, and an industry-based component, has been developed to offer flexibility to students who find that the revised VCE does not meet their needs. The programme is also designed to develop students' knowledge and skills to allow them to progress to further studies or into employment. 169
Responsible authorities
During the period 1994 to March 2001, the Board of Studies was responsible for curriculum and assessment and accreditation from Preparatory (the first full year of education prior to Year 1 of primary school, children aged 5-6) to Year 12 (age 17-18). In March 2001, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) replaced the Board of Studies and took over its responsibilities including those for the delivery of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). Further information is available via the VCAA website at http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/.
Although the VCAA is responsible for the delivery of the VCE, in March 2001, a new overarching body was also established as the "peak accreditation, certification and quality assurance body for post-compulsory education" in Victoria. The Victorian Qualifications Authority (VQA) has overall responsibility for:
Further information on the role of the VQA can be accessed via its website at http://www.vqa.vic.gov.au/.
Every State and Territory has an external certification system in Year 12 (students aged around 18). This has the double purpose of certifying (compulsory and post-compulsory) school completion and ranking students for entry to tertiary institutions. External examinations are a prominent, but by no means a universal feature of assessment for certificates. At one end of the spectrum are two systems (Queensland, for example) which use moderated school assessments for subjects and provide additional tertiary entrance data by means of a core skills or scholastic aptitude test. At the other end are systems (the majority) that use a combination of external examinations and moderated school assessments. The weighting given to external examination components varies from system to system (between States and Territories) and from subject to subject, but it is usually decisive in calculating the ranking for tertiary entrance. 33
The following exist, for example:
Satisfactory completion of one of the above is usually one of the criteria for access to higher education in the States concerned.
The results of the Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) are used to calculate a tertiary entrance score for university aspirants. Most students usually study four or five TCE subjects in both Year 11 and Year 12 (ages 16-18) and the best five pre-tertiary subjects are used to calculate the tertiary entrance score. 65
Participation in education at this level is voluntary in all States and Territories in Australia. Consequently, participation in assessment, qualification and certification procedures at this level is also voluntary.
All senior secondary schools operate a system of continuous, internal (school-based), subject-specific assessment, moderated across the State by the work of review panels. Schools plan and manage their own assessment, supported by work programmes accredited by the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) and moderation procedures managed by the QSA. To certificate achievement in a subject requires assessment of students' knowledge and skills as defined and required by the syllabus. Assessment instruments include such devices as supervised examinations, short tests, assignments, projects, practical tests, oral tests, aural tests, observational schedules and field studies. Assessment occurs under various conditions - supervision, notice, access to resources, times, dates, handing-in procedures and acceptance of late submissions. Each assessment instrument comprises one or more assessment items. An assessment item requires a response from students in one or more of a variety of ways, such as multiple-choice, short-answer, extended writing, oral etc. 47
Accredited courses for assessment can be developed in three categories:
Queensland Core Skills Test (QCS Test)
Students wishing to gain a Tertiary Entrance score/statement for consideration for admission to higher education must take the Queensland Core Skills Test (QCS Test). This is an external cross-curriculum test, which is centrally-set - there is a new version every year - and administered State-wide under standardised conditions. 47
The QCS Test assesses achievement in 49 common curriculum elements, which have been identified as underpinning senior curricula; being testable; and being within the learning experiences of a high proportion of students. QCS Tests usually comprise some multiple-choice testing (students select the best response from four options); a short-response item paper which may require candidates to respond in a variety of ways, for example, by writing a paragraph of exposition or explanation, constructing a graph, compiling results in tabular form or sketching a diagram; and a writing task which tests expressive and productive skills used in composing an extended piece (about 600 words) of continuous prose in the genre of the student's choice. Students experience a variety of stimulus material such as prose passages, poetry, graphs, tables, maps, mathematical and scientific data, cartoons and reproductions of works of art. 47
Queensland Senior Certificate
The Senior Certificate is awarded to those who have remained at school until the end of Year 12 (age 17-18), and completed at least one semester of study on any of the three categories of subject (Board, Board registered or Recorded, as detailed above). The Tertiary Entrance score (TE score) (essential for entry to higher education) is awarded to those who have completed 20 semester units of Board subjects, with at least three subjects taken over four semesters each, and who have taken the Queensland Core Skills Test (see above). 13 The Tertiary Entrance score (TE score) required for entrance to specific tertiary education courses differs according to market demand. It is not possible to predict which grades will guarantee entry to a specific course from one year to the next. 51
Queensland Certificate of Education
The Queensland Government is currently replacing the Queensland Senior Certificate with the Queensland Certificate of Education, which is being issued to eligible students from 2008. Students will continue to receive the Senior Certificate as a record of their studies in Years 11 and 12 (ages 16-18), even if they do not qualify for the new qualification. The Senior Certificate will be renamed the Senior Statement. It is intended that the new Queensland Certificate of Education will raise achievement by setting minimum standards. In addition, it is expected that a wider range of subjects will be formally recognised to bring the certificate in line with modern schooling. Students working towards the new qualification are able to follow a combination of courses including university subjects, vocational education and training certificates, school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, job readiness programmes, International Baccalaureate programmes, Australian Musical Examinations Board certificates and community and workplace programmes, providing that these have been quality assured by the Queensland Studies Authority.226
The Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) shows all courses in which a student has achieved an award over Years 9-12 (ages 14-17/18). There are three types of courses (which do not denote levels of academic difficulty):
The TCE is being revised during the period 2007-2009. To obtain the revised TCE, students will have to:
Complete the equivalent of a two-year programme of upper secondary studies.
Develop and review plans for their future.
Meet a set of standards for everyday adult reading, writing, communication, maths, and use of a computer and the Internet.
Studies may include vocational competencies and certificates, traineeships and apprenticeships. The first students to gain the new qualification will be those completing year 12 (age 18) in 2009. Further information is available from the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority website.
Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)
The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) (see 6.4.1) is available in various subjects or subject combinations (selected by students from the range offered by a school) and is completed over a minimum of two years. Following revisions to the VCE, in place since 2000, an increased number of vocational subject options (providing access to national industry-recognised qualifications as well as to the VCE qualification) is available to students.171
VCE units
Most subjects have four units, each lasting one semester or half-year. Units 1 and 2 are usually taken in Year 11 (aged 16-17). Units 3 and 4, which are more advanced, are usually taken in Year 12. Students may, however, take some units 3 and 4 in Year 11 and some units 1 and 2 in Year 12. Whilst units 1 and 2 can be taken as single units, units 3 and 4 must be taken as a sequence. Students are required to complete at least 16 units including:
Eight of the 16 units may be from VCE vocational education programmes.171
A student must also satisfactorily complete at least two units from both Group A and Group B studies, as follows:
| Group A | VCE subjects in the arts, languages other than English (LOTE), health and physical education, studies of society and environment and literature, or VCE vocational education programmes in related industry areas |
| Group B | VCE subjects in mathematics, science, and technology or VCE vocational education programmes in related industry areas. 171 |
Schools decide which VCE subjects/programmes they will offer. 171
To 'pass' or 'satisfactorily complete' a unit, students previously needed to meet its work requirements. This was done by completing the work that the school or institution set for that unit. The set work was likely to include assignments and examinations. Units 1 and 2 subjects were reported as either 'satisfactory' or 'unsatisfactory. For units 3 and 4, satisfactory completion was also based on work requirements and was reported in the same way as units 1 and 2. 77
A set of explicit standards-based learning outcomes has been developed for each unit to replace the previous work requirements. Learning outcomes incorporate key areas of knowledge, skills and competencies. The achievement of these learning outcomes is required for satisfactory completion of the unit and is determined by the school. 697
The VCE General Achievement Test (GAT)
All students taking VCE units 3 and 4 (see above) are usually also required to sit the General Achievement Test (GAT). This is a test of a student's general knowledge in three mains areas:
The GAT does not count directly towards a student's VCE result, but GAT achievement is used as a predictor of achievement on other assessments and consequently as a means of verifying that school assessments and examinations have been accurately assessed. 173
The GAT takes place in a single three-hour session and involves two writing tasks and 70 multiple-choice questions, the latter covering mathematics, science, technology, humanities, the arts and social sciences. Students are recommended to spend 30 minutes each on the writing tasks and the remaining two hours on the multiple-choice questions. Sample questions and previous GAT papers are available at http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au.
Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL)
The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL), introduced in 2003, is based on applied learning and aims to provide students with skills for further education, training or employment. It is available, to students in Years 11 and 12 (ages 16 to 18), at three levels – foundation, intermediate and senior. Students normally work towards the intermediate and senior levels in Years 11 and 12 respectively.171
VCAL units
Students select units and modules from each of the four VCAL strands to make up their VCAL programmes:
Ten credits are needed to obtain the certificate – one credit is awarded for each completed unit. Units may be drawn from VCAL units or VCE units (see above). A student’s VCAL programme must include a minimum of:
Assessment
VCAL units are assessed by the teacher to verify successful completion. A state-wide moderation process to review consistency of standards and students is implemented to guide teachers’ assessment decisions and processes. Where students select VCE units to fulfill the VCAL certification requirements, these units are assessed as described above - see the VCE section. 172
The Queensland Senior Certificate is awarded on the basis of success in moderated school-based assessment and usually, also, in the Queensland Core Skills Test (QCS Test). The Tertiary Entrance Statement is awarded to students who participate in both moderated school-based assessment and the QCS Test in addition. 31
Moderated school-based assessment
Internal, school-based assessment in Queensland senior secondary schools is supported by work programmes accredited by the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) and by moderation procedures managed by the QSA and its review panels. Towards the end of Year 11 (students aged around 17), for each Board/authority subject offered by a senior secondary school, the work of a sample of students who, after the ordinary application of criteria, are typical of a given level of achievement, is sent to the relevant QSA review panel. Such panels consider this material early in Year 12, after which schools are given feedback on the quality of their decision-making, that is, whether their assessment and standards are consistent with the syllabus requirements. Subsequently, towards the end of Year 12, school submissions (one for each Board subject) comprising folios of work of samples of students who are about to exit from the course of study, together with the school's judgement of the value of the work of each of those students, as indicated by an assigned place within the subject group in that school, are sent to the review panels, who review the material to confirm that the standards of student work are appropriate. They do this by matching student performance with the criteria and standards as stated in the subject syllabus. If a panel does not agree with a school's proposal, consultation between the school concerned and the panel takes place. In addition, at the beginning of the year following certification of results, the QSA extracts random samples of student folios for post-hoc analysis. This student work is analysed by review panels in non-home districts, and schools are provided with feedback later in the year. This process is intended to ensure that schools are provided with suitable advice regarding standards, and the moderation of standards, and that such advice leads to appropriate further action by schools. 47
Queensland Core Skills Test
The Queensland Core Skills Test (QCS Test) is centrally-set (there is a new one every year), and administered State-wide under standardised conditions. All items in the QCS Test are subject to quality control 'loops', which include trialling, item analysis and subsequent revision where necessary to ensure that the assessment items satisfy requirements for technical acuity, subject matter and language. 47
The Tasmanian Certificate of Education is awarded on the basis of success in external examinations, moderated school-based assessment and school-based assessment which is not moderated. 31 It shows all courses in which a student has achieved an award over Years 9-12 (ages 14+ to 18). There are three types of courses (which do not denote levels of academic difficulty):
The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is awarded on the basis of success in external examinations and moderated school-based assessment. 31
The VCE is a two-year certificate, but externally prescribed assessment is only in the second year, Year 12, students aged 17-18.70
The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) is awarded following successful achievement of the learning outcomes in each unit or module of individual student programmes.
See section 6.4.4 for further information on both the VCE and VCAL.
In Queensland senior secondary schools, moderated school-based assessment is criterion-referenced and achievement is recorded on the basis of levels of achievement. A student's individual result in the Queensland Core Skills Test is expressed as a grade from A (highest) to E. 47
See section 6.4.5 in addition.
In the Tasmanian Certificate of Education, performance is graded on a four-point scale (A-D) according to the grade descriptors. In this criterion-based assessment, each course has 15-30 criteria which together reflect the three broad areas of subject knowledge, subject-specific skills and cross-curricular competencies, with each area given similar emphasis. 13 The final grade is based on 'evidence of attainment' that is to say, performance across sub-criteria. Ultimate achievement, derived using prescribed aggregation rules, is expressed as Outstanding Achievement (OA), High Achievement (HA) and Satisfactory Achievement (SA). The Certificate also includes a 75-word course descriptor of the 12 most recently studied courses.13, 68
A criterion-referenced approach is used in Profiles and in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). 13
VCE pass grades range from A+, A, B+, B .....to E+, E (where A+ is the highest). There is also an 'ungraded' option. 13, 70
A student's results in the General Achievement Test (GAT) section of the VCE (see section 6.4.4 in addition) are reported as:
See section 6.4.4 in addition.
See section 6.4.2.
In Victoria, the results from the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) determine the tertiary entrance score (TE score). This tertiary entrance ranking is the major determinant of whether or not a student is accepted on the university course of their choosing. Employers also place great value on the overall results of the VCE. This is exceptionally important for an individual student's future. 70 The situation is similar in Queensland with regard to the Queensland Core Skills Test (QCS Test).
The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) is not used to calculate the TE score (for entry to university education). VCAL prepares students for entry to TAFE (technical and further education) certificate courses, apprenticeships and traineeships, and other further education and training.171
On completion of Year 12, aged 18, students receive a Student Education Profile (SEP). This provides information concerning students' achievements as they leave school. The SEP consists of four components, reported on two documents. There is the Senior Certificate which provides details of students' subject results in moderated school-based assessment, alongside information on their results in the cross-curriculum Queensland Core Skills Test (QCS Test). In addition, there is a Tertiary Entrance Statement, which details a student's overall position (overall tertiary entrance score - from school-based moderated assessment and the QCS Test), alongside his/her field position (scores in certain areas of study that emphasise particular knowledge and skills) in the QCS Test and internal school assessment. 47
Queensland legislation prohibits the publication of test results. Schools receive composite performance results and the State 'average band' for comparison. 51
In Tasmania, parents are informed about their child's progress at school. 61 The student's Record of Development grows over time from Kindergarten to Year 12 (ages 4+ to 18). It is jointly owned by the school and the student and contains samples of work which might be chosen by either a teacher or a student or both together. It could also contain copies of recent reports by teachers to parents, and/or details of the attainment of intended outcomes of education. It is meant to be used by students and teachers and parents and forms a cumulative 'history and portrait' of the student. 60
The Tasmanian Record of Achievement is a collection of records which is made by senior students (in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12, aged 14+ to 18) from some of the items in their Record of Development and elsewhere. Students compile different records according to their needs at the time. These needs might include showing parents the type and quality of their performance and achievement, or it may be used as part of the process of seeking employment or acceptance in further education. Items in this record can be added and deleted from time to time to suit students' purposes. 58
The Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) was introduced in 1990. It records a student's achievements in the study of secondary courses from Year 9 (age 14-15) to the time of leaving school.
The results of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) are used to determine tertiary entrance ranking, which is the major determinant of whether or not a student is accepted on the university course of their choosing. Employers also place great value on the overall results of the VCE. This is exceptionally important for an individual student's future. 50
VCE results tables, incorporating some attempt to measure value-added, were published for the first time in December 1996, to 'celebrate achievement' and provide 'accountability to parents'. 84, 70 These published tables provide details of the percentage of students from each school passing the VCE and of the proportion of high-performing students from each school. In addition, since 2003, they have also included median VCE scores for each school, and additional information tracking each school's VCE students from the previous year, detailing the proportion who have gone on to university, other higher or further education, apprenticeships or work. These refinements to the system of publishing VCE information were designed to provide parents with more information about schools, but aimed also to avoid the creation of league tables or rankings of schools without regard for schools' particular needs or student profile.163
Since December 1998, students in Victoria have been able to access their final examination results via the Internet (prior to their results arriving by mail). A results telephone 'hotline' is also in existence. To access results via the Internet, students pay a small charge to register for a special password from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), which is responsible for the delivery of the VCE. 36
A student's General Achievement Test (GAT) results for the VCE (see section 6.4.4 for further information) are provided with his or her VCE statement of results, but are reported on a separate sheet of paper. 173
The proportion of the population leaving school before Year 12 (age 17-18) with no post-school qualifications has been steadily declining since 1982, from 53.4 per cent of persons aged 15 years and over to 34.2 per cent of all 15- to 64-year-olds in 1998. 18
Apparent retention rate of full-time students from Year 7/8 into Year 12 (age 17+)
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
| 1991 | 71.3 | ||
| 1993 | 76.6 | ||
| 2000 | 72.3 | ||
| 2001 | 68.1 | 79.1 | 73.4 |
| 2002 | 75.1 | ||
| 2003 | 70.3 | 80.7 | 75.4 |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics [online] at http://www.abs.gov.au/
Apparent retention rate of full-time students from Year 10 to Year 12
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
| 1991 | 73.4 | ||
| 1993 | 77.5 | ||
| 2001 | 75.4 | ||
| 2003 | 72.3 | 81.6 | 76.9 |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics [online] at http://www.abs.gov.au/
Age participation rates, full-time students, %
| Year | 15-year-olds, Year 10 | 16-year-olds, Year 11 | 17-year-olds, Year 12 |
| 1991 | 56.9 | ||
| 1993 | 60.7 | ||
| 2001 | 93.0 | 82.4 | 62.6 |
| 2003 | 93.5 | 82.7 | 62.7 |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics [online] at http://www.abs.gov.au/
National targets had anticipated that, by the year 2001, 95 per cent of 19-year-olds should have completed either Year 12 of schooling (aged around 18), or an initial post-school qualification, or be participating in formally recognised education and training. 33
Detailed reports of outcomes for Year 12 students in Queensland are available online.
Retention from Year 11 to Year 12 (students aged 16-17 to 17-18) was 54 per cent in 1997 (four per cent higher than during the previous year). The rise was attributed to the increasing number of vocational programmes being offered at senior secondary colleges, as well as new arrangements for the delivery of distance education to post-compulsory students. 65
According to State Government figures, in 1999, nearly one in five Year 11 and 12 students in Tasmania (aged 16-18) would be undertaking vocational education and training in school. In 1997, 14 per cent of students enrolled in government and non-government schools achieved a vocational education and training qualification and were involved in 23,000 days of structured work place training provided by industry. 29
In Tasmania, nearly 40 per cent of school leavers progressed to higher education or training in 1997. Most of these students had studied four or five Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) subjects in both Year 11 and Year 12. 65
Year 7 (aged 12+) to 12 (aged 17+) retention rates for Victorian government schools increased from 69.8 per cent in 1999 to 73.7 per cent in 2001. The rate for all schools increased from 76.2 per cent to 79.3 per cent. Retention rates for Year 10 to Year 12 (aged 15+ to 17+) for Victorian government schools increased from 73.5 per cent in 1999 to 76.8 per cent in 2001, and the rate for all schools increased from 78.7 per cent to 81.6 per cent.
| Apparent retention rate Year 7 to Year 12 (aged 12+ to 17/18) | Apparent retention rate Year 10 to Year 12 (aged 15+ to 17/18) | |
| 1999 government schools | 69.8% | 73.5% |
| 2001 government schools | 73.7% | 76.8% |
| 1999 all schools | 76.2% | 78.7% |
| 2001 all schools | 79.3% | 81.6% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics [online] at http://www.abs.gov.au/
The following table shows the results of students taking the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) in 2001 and 2002.
| Number of students eligible to complete the VCE | Number of students satisfactorily completing the VCE | % of students satisfactorily completing the VCE | |||||||
|
2001 |
2002 |
2001 |
2002 |
2001 |
2002 | ||||
| All students |
46,914 |
49,361 |
44,697 |
47,626 |
95 |
96.5 | |||
|
Female students |
24,804 |
26,613 |
23,898 |
25,865 |
96 |
97.2 | |||
|
Male students |
22,110 |
22,746 |
20,799 |
21,761 |
94 |
95.7 | |||
Source: Victoria, Minister for Education press release, at http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/ 168