Cumculum
Council
5 April 2007
Memorandum to s c h o o l s Finalising policy details for the Western Australian Certificate of Education
At its meeting yesterday on 4 April, the Curriculum Council clarified some key policy directions that will help clarify the future direction of the senior school reform
Below is information that many schools have been seeking to help with the development of their school handbooks for 2008
Further details about policy resolutions will be available on the Curriculum Council website and in schools in week one of term 2
WACE Requirements 2008 and 2009 and beyond
Council endorsed the 2008 and 2009 WACE requirements (see attached at end of this memo) The key change to the WACE requirements for 2008 and beyond is the specification of the English language competence standard
To achieve the WACE in 2008, students must complete the teaching and
assessment requirements for two units of an English course or one E code English subject in the final year of senior secondary schooling and meet the English language competence standard
For students to achieve the WACE in 2009 and beyond, they must complete the teaching and assessment requirements for two units of an English course in each of their senior secondary years and meet the English language competence standard If students are studying part-time, they must study two units of an English course in their final year of study If students study units of an English course as part of their Year 10 program they must still study units of an English course in the two years of their senior secondary schooling beyond Year 10
The language competence standard is a way of providing public assurance that students can deal with everyday written and spoken communications, including in the workplace (e g read instructions, textbooks and articles, write personal letters, make notes during a meeting, give and follow everyday instructions, write an accident report, complete forms, etc)
A set of student work/assessment samples will be developed to illustrate and define the English language competence standard for graduation This standard will be related to the standard required to achieve a ' C grade or better in units 1C and 1D English
Once students achieve the standard, schools will be able to submit this information to the Council
The Council's special provisions committee will review situations for those students who have not achieved a WACE If schools have any Year 12 students who they believe may not meet requirements for the WACE due to the introduction of the new
courses or endorsed programs please write to Jenny Morup, Manager Certification and Examinations
A set of frequently asked questions is being developed and will be circulated to schools in Term 2
Examinations
In 2007 and 2008 there will be a single examination for units 2A-3B in new courses Examinations in 2007 and 2008 are optional
From 2009, there will be a separate stage 2 and stage 3 exam mation for each course These examinations will be scheduled at the sa me time For a particular course, Year 12 students enrolled in stage 2 units will be required to sit the stage 2 examination and Year 12 students enrolled in stage 3 units will be required to sit the stage 3 examination, unless exempt
Students who are enrolled in three or less stage 2 and/or stage 3 paired units and who are working towards completion of an Australian Qualification Framework VET Certificate 1 or higher qualification, in the year they are completing WACE
requirements, will be exempt from sitting examinations This includes students completing a school apprenticeship link program or a school-based traineeship or apprenticeship
Examinations are not compulsory for students enrolled in stage 1 units How ever, these students may sit stage 2 or stage 3 examinations as private candidates Nationally consistent principles for practical examinations, as exemplified by procedures used in NSW, will form the basis of the practical components of course examinations
Vocational education and training in schools
Council affirmed that vocational education and training has a central place in the educational progra m of many young people
Vocational education and training will still be offered in three modes
• through 'stand alone' vocational education and training programs under endorsed programs
• by integrating one or more units of competency into courses
• by undertaking VET courses
Council acknowledged that in the current VET version model, students would find it difficult to meet both the training competency-based assessment and course assessment and grading requirements
After a review of other systems, it is proposed that the NSW VET course model be adapted for WA This would see the NSW 'industry curriculum frameworks' used to assist the development of industry-specific VET courses, with associated workplace learning, as a component of the Council-developed VET course
Participation in an optional examination will allow achievement in this course to
examination mark There will be more advice about this in the WACE Circular with schools invited to register their interest in finding out more about industry-specific VET courses in Term 2
Workplace learning
Workplace learning will be developed as a graded Council-developed course Th is will occur as soon as possible and will be implemented in 2009
The current Structured Workplace Learning D-code and E-code courses will continue until this new course is implemented
In the meantime, schools can continue to implement the workplace learning as an endorsed program More advice will be provided in the April Circular
Formal consultation on draft Mathematics courses
The following documents will be available on the Council website
http //newwace curriculum wa edu au/pages/teachers courses asp for teacher comment
• Mathematics and Mathematics specialist course syllabuses
• Sample exams and marking keys for 2C/2D and 3A/3B (Mathematics) and 3C/3D (Mathematics Specialist)
• Questionnaire for feedback on both courses
Sufficient hard copies of these documents will be sent to schools for the beginning of next term for distribution to teachers of mathematics Completed questionnaires need to be returned by 18 May 2007 Following this process and feedback, revised courses will then be presented to the teacher juries as part of the accreditation process
Further information
Please note that more detail will be included in the Curriculum Council Circular that will be in schools in the first week of Term 2
In addition, an easy-to-read summary of the current status of the senior school reform is being produced and will also be in schools in term 2
Sufficient copies of both the Circular and the senior school reform summary will be sent to schools so that each teacher can have their own copy
DAVID WOOD
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
WACE requirements for 2007
To qualify for a Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), a student must
Complete at least ten full-year (or equivalent) Cumculum Council subjects
Up to 40% (four out of 10) of full-year subjects may comprise endorsed programs including stand-alone VET subject equivalents
A single course unit will count as a half-subject equivalent
Achieve an average of at least 'C grade in at least eight full-year (or equivalent) Cumculum Council subjects
At least four of these subjects must be at Year 12 level
Up to 25% (two out of eight) of full-year subjects may comprise stand-alone VET subject equivalents
Two course units completed will count as an equivalent of one of the eight subjects based upon a credit system
Course units completed during Year 12 can be counted towards the four subjects at Year 12 level
Achieve Cumculum Council English language competence
An average of Level 4 or better across two units completed in Year 12 in the English course, or a 'C grade or better across two units completed in Year 12 in the English as an Additional Language/Dialect*, or a 'C grade or better in one of the following Year 12 Curriculum Council subjects English, English as a Second Language, English Literature, Senior English, Vocational English or a pass in the Curriculum Council English language competence test
'Students must meet the eligibility criteria
A special provisions committee will review situations where a student has not achieved a WACE Schools will apply to this committee if they perceive a student has been
disadvantaged by these transitional WACE requirements The committee could recommend to the chief executive officer that a WACE be granted
Points of clarification about the above criteria will be in the WACE manual distributed to schools early Term 2 or on the Cumculum Council's website
WACE requirements for 2008
To qualify for a Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), a student must Complete at least ten full-year (or equivalent) Cumculum Council subjects
Up to five out of 10 of full-year subjects may comprise endorsed programs including stand-alone VET subject equivalents
A single course unit equivalent will count as a half-subject equivalent
Achieve an average of at least 'C in at least eight full-year (or equivalent) Cumculum Council subjects
At least four of these subjects must be at Year 12 level (E-code)
Up to three out of eight of full-year subjects may comprise endorsed programs including stand-alone VET subject equivalents
Two course units completed will count as an equivalent of one of the eight subjects based upon a credit system
Course units completed during Year 12 can be counted towards the four subjects at Year 12 level (E-code)
Achieve Cumculum Council English language competence
Complete, in the final year of senior secondary schooling*, at least two units from an English course and meet the language competence standard, as defined by work samples** or
An average of 'C grade or better in an E-code Curriculum Council subjects English, English as a Second Language, English Literature, Senior English, Vocational English, or
An average of Level 4 or better across two units studied in Year 12 in the English course (achieved 2006 or 2007), or
At least an average of 'C grade or better across two units studied in Year 12 in English as an Additional Language/Dialect or Literature
A pass in the Curriculum Council English language competence test
* If students are part time they must study two units of an English course in their final year of study
** Teachers will use the students assessments dunng the year as evidence of attainment of the language competence standard Work sample exemplars and descriptors will be provided to assist teachers to make these judgements The emphasis will be on the key functional skills of reading and wnting The standard is related to the standard required to achieve a C grade or better in stage 1 units
Points of clarification about the above criteria can be found in the WACE manual or on the Curriculum Council's website
WACE requirements - 2009 and beyond
To be eligible for the award of the Western Australian Certificate of Education students in their final year of compulsory schooling and who are enrolled in stage 2 or 3 units, or unless exempt, sit for and make a genuine attempt at the examinations in courses in which they are enrolled
To qualify for a Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), a student must Complete at least twenty course units
At least ten units must be from Council courses (including at least three two-unit combinations)
Up to ten unit equivalents can be from endorsed programs
Completion of a full-year D or E code subject (or equivalent) will equate to two course units
Achieve an average of a 'C grade or better
Across at least ten course units from at least five courses (at least three two-unit combinations must be included), or
Across at least eight course units from at least four courses if endorsed programs equivalent to eight units are included, or
Across at least six course units from at least three courses if endorsed programs equivalent to ten units are included
An accredited full-year Curriculum Council subject equates to a two-unit course combination
A credit system will be used to equate a level and band for a course unit studied during 2005 - 2007 to a grade
Achievement of a VET course unit equates to a 'C grade Meet the standard for English language competence
Complete at least four units from an English course or completion of two full-year English subjects (formerly accredited) Full-time students are required to complete, in each year of their senior secondary schooling, two units of an English course Meet the language competence standard, as defined by work samples , or Achieve a grade of 'C or better in any E-code full-year English subject (formerly accredited), or
An average of Level 4 or better across two units studied in Year 12 in the English course (achieved 2006 or 2007), or
An average of 'C grade or better across two units studied in Year 12 (achieved in 2007) in English as an Additional Language/Dialect or Literature, or
Pass the Curriculum Council English language competence test
* If students are part-time they must study two units of an English course in their final year of study
** Teachers will use the students assessments dunng the year as evidence of attainment of the language competence standard Work sample exemplars and descnptors will be provided to assist teachers to make these judgements The emphasis will be on the key functional skills of reading and writing The standard is related to the standard required to achieve a C grade or better in stage 1 units
Include all 13 overarching learning outcomes in their overall program of study Complete 20 hours of community service
