23 October 2015 Senior secondary Number: 053/15
Year 11 External Assessment Trial — Semester 1 2016
Purpose
To inform schools about the External Assessment Trial for Year 11 in Semester 1 2016, and to provide advice about the nomination process.
Background
On 25 August 2015, the Minister for Education announced that a new senior assessment system would be introduced in Queensland with students commencing Year 11 in 2018.
The new system will include a senior assessment model that combines school-based assessment developed and marked by teachers with external assessment developed and marked by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA).
To support the introduction of external assessment, a trial is being held in Semester 1 2016 in five Year 11 subjects — Chemistry, English, Geography, Mathematics B and Modern History.
Information
Schools wishing to nominate for the External Assessment Trial are required to complete the online Expression of Interest form by Friday 6 November 2015.
Successful schools will be notified of their participation on Friday 13 November 2015.
External Assessment Trial parameters for the five subjects accompany this memo and provide further information about each of the subjects being externally assessed.
The parameters detail the assessment technique, subject matter, date, conditions, and the scope of the assessment including how the external assessment may be aligned with an existing approved course of study.
Schools will not be required to re-submit accredited work programs in order to accommodate their participation in this trial. QCAA officers are available to provide support to participating schools.
Participating schools are encouraged to replace an existing assessment task with the external assessment.
A frequently asked questions (FAQ) factsheet accompanies this memo.
Memo
Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Memo
Year 11 External Assessment Trial — Semester 1 2016
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority 23 October 2015 Page 2 of 2
How to apply
Principals are required to complete the online Expression of Interest by close of business Friday 6 November 2015. This is available on the QCAA’s secure site. Principals will need to use their BIC and password to access the site.
Finding out more
If you would like more information, please visit the QCAA website www.qcaa.qld.edu.au and search for ‘senior review’. Alternatively, please email Paul Ould (Assistant Director, Review and Transition) at [email protected], or phone 3864 0462.
Jacqueline Wilton
Director, Curriculum Services Division
Attachments:
• External Assessment Trial FAQ
• External Assessment Trial parameters: Chemistry, Semester 1 2016
• External Assessment Trial parameters: English, Semester 1 2016
• External Assessment Trial parameters: Geography, Semester 1 2016
• External Assessment Trial parameters: Mathematics B, Semester 1 2016
• External Assessment Trial parameters: Modern History, Semester 1 2016
What is the External Assessment Trial?
In Semester 1, 2016, the QCAA will trial external formative assessments in the following subjects:
• Year 11 Chemistry
• Year 11 English
• Year 11 Geography
• Year 11 Mathematics B
• Year 11 Modern History.
To maximise the learning opportunities for the trial, the assessments will be developed externally, administered under secure conditions, and graded externally. They will enable QCAA to evaluate the effectiveness of its processes for delivering external assessments in a real-life situation.
They also offer an opportunity for schools and students to become familiar with the use of subject-based external assessments.
The trial will be restricted to volunteer schools. Selection will be based on criteria that will take into account factors such as location, school sector, school type, and school size.
All schools are encouraged to submit an expression of interest.
Why is QCAA conducting the trial?
The External Assessment Trial offers opportunities for us to grow a culture of assessment where internal and external assessments work in combination to provide complementary information about student achievement and identify potential implementation issues. It will inform decisions about wider implementation of external assessments, improve system capacity to deliver them, and prepare students and schools to participate in them.
Why have these subjects been selected?
These subjects have been selected to represent a range of learning areas and student enrolment patterns. The assessments will be aligned to the relevant syllabus and will be designed as an alternative to an existing task already being undertaken at participating schools.
What assessment techniques will be used in the trial?
The Semester 1 2016 trial will be supervised assessments.
Will the trial assessments count towards a student’s Year 12 exit level of achievement?
No. As the trial will involve Year 11 formative assessments, there will be no impact on a student’s Year 12 exit result in the subject.
External Assessment Trial FAQs
Semester 1, 2016
External Assessment Trial FAQs Semester 1, 2016
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority October 2015 Page 2 of 2
Are all schools expected to participate in the trial?
While there is no requirement for schools to participate, schools are encouraged to nominate for a trial wherever possible. Schools should consider their local readiness and whether the
assessment parameters complement their current program.
When will the trial take place?
The external assessments will be delivered in late May and early June 2016, as outlined in the schedule below.
Subject Date
Year 11 English 27 May 2016
Year 11 Mathematics B 1 June 2016
Year 11 Chemistry 2 June 2016
Year 11 Modern History 3 June 2016
Year 11 Geography 6 June 2016
What information will be provided to students and parents in the trial?
The QCAA has developed a dedicated section on its website to keep school communities informed about the trial. There will also be updates via social media and online newsletters.
Who will be responsible for developing the trial assessments?
The QCAA will develop the trial assessments in close consultation with subject experts drawn from schools, subject associations and universities.
Who will grade the student responses?
Classroom teachers will be recruited to grade student responses. The marking operation will occur outside of school time and markers will be remunerated for their work. QCAA encourages schools that are interested in participating in the trial to also provide markers.
What information will be provided to schools after the assessments have been delivered?
Schools will be provided with details of individual student achievement at the conclusion of the trial. Cohort analysis will also be provided once all student results have been confirmed.
More information
If you would like more information, please visit the QCAA website www.qcaa.qld.edu.au and search for ‘senior review’. Alternatively, please email Paul Ould (Assistant Director, Review and Transition) at [email protected], or phone 3864 0462.
Information about the trial
The External Assessment Trial for Chemistry will be a supervised assessment which is developed by QCAA and conducted under supervised conditions to ensure authentication of student work.
The supervised assessment will be based on the Chemistry 2007 (amended 2014) senior syllabus.
Key details
Trial assessment date Assessment technique Thursday, 2 June 2016 Supervised assessment
(Chemistry 2007 (amended 2014) senior syllabus, p. 23)
Syllabus
The Chemistry 2007 (amended 2014) senior syllabus can be accessed at:
www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/1952.html.
Conditions
90 minutes plus 10 minutes perusal
responses to be handwritten in supplied task booklet
relevant scientific values, constants and a periodic table will be provided
Scope
Criteria to be assessed
Knowledge and conceptual understanding
Investigative processes
Evaluating and concluding Key concepts to be assessed
Key concept S1: All matter is composed of atoms.
− Key ideas S1.1 – S1.7
Key concept S2: Materials can be categorised and represented symbolically and their macroscopic properties can be explained and predicted from understandings about electronic structure and bonding.
− Key ideas S2.1 – S2.10
Key concept R3: The mole concept and stoichiometry enable the determination of quantities in chemical processes.
− Key ideas R3.1 – R3.4
External Assessment Trial parameters
Chemistry, Semester 1 2016
External Assessment Trial parameters Chemistry, Semester 1 2016
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority October 2015 Page 2 of 2
Additional details
Details of the key concepts and key ideas are listed on pp. 10–11 of the syllabus.
An indication of the depth of treatment of the key ideas is listed on pp. 50–52 and 55 of the syllabus.
The supervised test may be constructed from the following four types of techniques:
– short items – practical exercises – paragraph responses
– responses to seen or unseen stimulus materials.
Further details about techniques are listed on p. 23 of the syllabus.
Student equipment required
pens or pencils and eraser for rough working
black pens for written response
highlighters
a calculator which meets the requirements as an approved calculator for the Queensland Core Skills Test (see Memo 012-15: 2015 Queensland Core Skills (QCS) Test: Approved calculators)
ICT requirements
There are no ICT requirements for participation in the external assessment trial for Chemistry.
More information
For further information, please phone the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority on 3864 0299 or email the Review and Transition Branch at
Information about the trial
The External Assessment Trial for English will be a supervised assessment which is developed by QCAA and conducted under supervised conditions to ensure authentication of student work.
The supervised assessment will be based on the English 2010 senior syllabus.
Key details
Trial assessment date Assessment technique Friday, 27 May 2016 Supervised assessment
(English 2010 senior syllabus, p. 21)
Syllabus
The English 2010 senior syllabus can be accessed at: www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/11703.html.
Conditions
120 minutes in one uninterrupted session
unseen question
500 – 700 words
responses to be handwritten in supplied task booklet
Scope
Criteria to be assessed
Understanding and responding to contexts
Understanding and controlling textual features
Evaluating meaning
Subject matter to be assessed
The analytical exposition is to be written in response to an unseen question based on an in-depth study of a complete literary text. For the purpose of the trial, schools must choose between two specified literary texts: The Crucible or Macbeth. The assessment will include a choice of questions for each of the specified texts.
External Assessment Trial parameters
English, Semester 1 2016
External Assessment Trial parameters English, Semester 1 2016
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority October 2015 Page 2 of 2
Additional details
To prepare students for the assessment, schools will need to develop and deliver a unit of work on either of the specified literary texts.
Participating schools should consider replacing the analytical exposition already included in approved school work programs with the trial external assessment.
Student equipment required
pens or pencils and eraser for rough working
black pens for written response
ICT requirements
There are no ICT requirements for participation in the external assessment trial for English.
More information
For further information, please phone the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority on 3864 0299 or email the Review and Transition Branch at
Information about the trial
The External Assessment Trial for Geography will be a data response test which is developed by the QCAA and conducted under supervised conditions to ensure authentication of student work.
The assessment will be delivered through Learnosity, an online assessment delivery platform and will be based on the Geography 2007 senior syllabus.
Key details
Trial assessment date Assessment technique Monday, 6 June 2016 Data response test
(Geography 2007 senior syllabus, p. 69)
Syllabus
The Geography 2007 senior syllabus can be accessed at: www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/2053.html.
Conditions
90 minutes plus 10 minutes perusal
unseen data
written responses up to 200 words
online delivery and response
electronic and hard copy of stimulus provided
Scope
Criteria to be assessed
Analytical processes
Decision-making processes
Research and communication
Subject matter to be assessed
Theme 1: Managing the natural environment
− Focus unit 1: Responding to natural hazards
Additional details
Examples of geographic data include aerial photos, maps, graphs, images and statistics.
Details about the key ideas of the focus unit are listed on pp. 25–27 of the syllabus.
External Assessment Trial parameters
Geography, Semester 1 2016
External Assessment Trial parameters Geography, Semester 1 2016
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority October 2015 Page 2 of 2
Student equipment required
pens or pencils and eraser for rough working
a calculator which meets the requirements as an approved calculator for the Queensland Core Skills Test (see Memo 012-15: 2015 Queensland Core Skills (QCS) Test: Approved calculators)
ICT requirements
An appropriate electronic device such as:
– an Apple Mac computer with a minimum of OS X
– a Windows-based tablet or computer running a minimum of Windows 7.
The electronic device must have:
– the capacity to connect to the internet
– an operating system and browser combination indicated with a tick () in the table below (previous browser versions are not supported):
Browser
Operating system
Windows OS X iOS Android Chrome
Chrome — latest stable −
Firefox — latest stable &
Extended Support Release (ESR) − − −
Safari 7, 8 − − −
Internet Explorer 10, 11 (Desktop) − − – −
Further system requirement information can be found at http://docs.learnosity.com/faqs/system.
More information
For further information, please phone the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority on 3864 0299 or email the Review and Transition Branch at
Information about the trial
The External Assessment Trial for Mathematics B will be a supervised test which is developed by QCAA and conducted under supervised conditions to ensure authentication of student work.
The test will be based on the Mathematics B 2008 (amended 2014) senior syllabus.
Key details
Trial assessment date Assessment technique Wednesday, 1 June 2016 Supervised test
(Mathematics B 2008 (amended 2014) senior syllabus, p. 32)
Syllabus
The Mathematics B 2008 (amended 2014) senior syllabus can be accessed at:
www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/1892.html.
Conditions
120 minutes plus 10 minutes perusal
responses to be handwritten in supplied task booklet
Scope
Criteria to be assessed
Knowledge and procedures
Modelling and problem solving
Communication and justification Subject matter to be assessed
Introduction to functions
– concepts of function, domain and range (SLEs 1, 2, 3, 4)
– ordered pairs, tables, graphs and equations as representations of functions and relations (SLEs 1, 2, 3, 4)
– graphs as a representation of the points whose coordinates satisfy an equation (SLEs 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13)
– distinction between functions and relations (SLEs 1, 2)
– distinctions between continuous functions, discontinuous functions and discrete functions (SLEs 1, 3, 7)
– general shapes of functions, including:
polynomials up to degree 4
absolute value functions (SLEs 4, 5, 13)
External Assessment Trial parameters
Mathematics B, Semester 1 2016
External Assessment Trial parameters Mathematics B, Semester 1 2016
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority October 2015 Page 2 of 3
– relationships between the graph of 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) and the graphs of 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) +𝑎𝑎, 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥+𝑎𝑎), 𝑎𝑎𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥), 𝑓𝑓(𝑎𝑎𝑥𝑥) for both positive and negative values of the constant 𝑎𝑎 (SLE 5)
– practical applications
polynomials up to degree 2 (SLEs 6, 7, 8)
– solutions to simultaneous equations in two variables:
graphically, using technology
algebraically (linear and quadratic equations only) (SLEs 6, 7, 8) – composition of two functions (SLE 12)
Periodic functions and applications
– definition of a radian and its relationship with degrees (SLE 6)
– trigonometry, including the definition and practical applications of the sine, cosine and tangent ratios (SLEs 1, 2)
– simple practical applications of the sine and cosine rules (SLEs 1, 2) – solution of trigonometric equations within a specified domain
algebraically in simple situations (multiple angles are not essential) (SLE 9)
using technology to any complexity
Applied statistical analysis
– identification of variables and types of variables and data (continuous and discrete); practical aspects of collection and entry of data (SLEs 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 15, 20)
– select and use in context appropriate graphical and tabular displays for different types of data including pie charts, barcharts, tables, histograms, stem-and-leaf and box plots
(SLEs 1, 2, 3, 10, 13)
– use of summary statistics including mean, median, standard deviation and interquartile distance as appropriate descriptors of features of data in context (SLEs 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15) – use of graphical displays and summary statistics in describing key features of data, particularly in
comparing datasets and exploring possible relationships (SLEs 1, 2, 3, 9–14)
Additional details
Details about the subject matter and related SLEs are listed in the syllabus:
– Introduction to functions pp. 12–14
– Periodic functions and applications pp. 15–17 – Applied statistical analysis pp. 21–23.
The supervised test may be constructed from the following four types of techniques:
– short items – practical exercises – paragraph responses
– responses to seen or unseen stimulus materials.
Further details about techniques are listed on p. 32 of the syllabus.
Student equipment required
pens or pencils and eraser for rough working
black pen for written response
highlighters
ruler
a calculator which meets the requirements as an approved graphics calculator for the Queensland Core Skills Test (see Further calculator information below)
ICT requirements
There are no ICT requirements for participation in the external assessment trial for Mathematics B.
Further calculator information
Calculators must not be mains-powered, attached to a printer or have spellcheck, dictionary or translation functions.
Use of calculators must not disturb other candidates.
The graphics calculator should have the following capabilities (at least):
– all functions found on a standard scientific calculator such as basic operations, trigonometry operations and exponential and logarithmic operations
– operations in both degrees and radians; the ability to display degrees, minutes and seconds – statistics operations including data entry, mean, standard deviation, boxplots, and five number
summary.
Calculators with computer algebra system (CAS) functionality can provide each step of the solution to an algebraic question. For this reason, calculators and other electronic devices with CAS functionality may NOT be used in the Mathematics B external assessment.
Prior to the examination all data, apps or programs stored in the memory of the calculator must be deleted.
Supervisors will check all calculators.
For further information see Memo 012-15: 2015 Queensland Core Skills (QCS) Test: Approved calculators.
More information
For further information, please phone the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority on 3864 0299 or email the Review and Transition Branch at
150929
Information about the trial
The External Assessment Trial for Modern History will be a Category 1: Extended written response to historical evidence which is developed by QCAA and conducted under supervised conditions to ensure authentication of student work.
The assessment will be delivered through Learnosity, an online assessment delivery platform and will be based on the Modern History 2004 senior syllabus.
Key details
Trial assessment date Assessment technique
Friday, 3 June 2016 Category 1: Extended written response to historical evidence (Modern History 2004 senior syllabus, p. 49)
Syllabus
The Modern History 2004 senior syllabus can be accessed at: www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/2055.html.
Conditions
120 minutes plus 10 minutes perusal
unseen question
500–600 words
seen and unseen sources — clean copies of sources will be provided for the assessment both electronically and in hard copy
no notes allowed for test
online delivery and response
Scope
Criteria to be assessed
Forming historical knowledge through critical inquiry
Communicating historical knowledge Subject matter to be assessed
Theme 6: Studies of power – General focus: Nazi Germany
External Assessment Trial parameters
Modern History, Semester 1 2016
Additional details
Sample focus questions for Theme 6 are listed on p. 33 of the syllabus.
Seen sources will be available to schools at the beginning of Term 2.
Student equipment required
pens or pencils and eraser for rough working
highlighters
ICT requirements
An appropriate electronic device such as:
– an Apple Mac computer with a minimum of OS X
– a Windows-based tablet or computer running a minimum of Windows 7.
The electronic device must have:
– the capacity to connect to the internet
– an operating system and browser combination indicated with a tick () in the table below (previous browser versions are not supported):
Browser
Operating system
Windows OS X iOS Android Chrome
Chrome — latest stable −
Firefox — latest stable &
Extended Support Release (ESR) − − −
Safari 7, 8 − − −
Internet Explorer 10, 11 (Desktop) − − – −
Further system requirement information can be found at http://docs.learnosity.com/faqs/system.
More information
For further information, please phone the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority on 3864 0299 or email the Review and Transition Branch at
