The QCAA and schools have complementary roles in reporting information about student achievement. Schools report to students, parents/carers and the QCAA. The QCAA reports to students, schools and the public.
3.3.1 School reporting responsibilities to students and parents/ carers
Schools and/or employing authorities determine their own procedures, timing and content for reporting achievements to students and parents/carers, based on sector and/or school priorities.
Schools should:
- clearly communicate whether the information they provide refers to:
- evidence of working towards the achievement of learning goals in the student's individual curriculum plan or results achieved in QCE-contributing studies on individual assessments or across a term, semester, unit or pair of units.
- ensure that information reported to students and parents/carers is consistent with information reported to the QCAA
- clarify that any reporting on achievement towards a QCIA is provisional, and is not finalised until quality assured by the QCAA (See Section 3.4: QCIA quality assurance processes).
Teachers determine achievement of learning goals when:
- evidence in the student responses demonstrates typical achievement of the learning goal
- evidence is authenticated as the student's own work.
3.3.2 School reporting to the QCAA
When a student’s intended learning outcome is identified as working towards a QCIA, the school reports to the QCAA by approving the QCIA curriculum plan for the student in the QCAA Portal.
Schools report draft Statements of Achievement and Statements of Participation to the QCAA using the Student Management application. Timelines for activities related to the events are published in the SEP calendar.
3.3.3 QCIA content
The QCIA is an information-rich certificate, showing a student’s demonstrated achievement within their individual learning program. In the student’s exit year, schools must use the guidelines provided in this handbook to create the two types of statements included in the QCIA:
- the Statement of Achievement, which provides an overview of the student’s demonstrated educational achievements in set curriculum organisers from the GIL
- the Statement of Participation, which includes the names or titles of activities a student has undertaken. There is no provision for explaining the activity or indicating the nature of any achievements or standards that might be associated with the activity.
It is important that there is no duplication between the Statement of Achievement and the Statement of Participation. Additionally, there must be no duplication with any QCE-contributing studies, including any VET learning. QCE-contributing studies are recorded on the Senior Statement, issued to students as part of their SEP.
3.3.4 Recording Statements of Achievement and Statements of Participation
Schools record QCIA achievements in the Student Management application.
QCIA information must be entered by schools for each exiting student before the QCIA verification meeting (see Section 3.4.3: QCIA verification). The information that has been selected or entered for the certificate may be previewed, saved and printed for checking.
For more information about managing QCIA data, including entering Statements of Achievement and Statements of Participation; and viewing, editing, and printing draft certificates, see the QCIA section.
Statement of Achievement
The Statement of Achievement provides an overview of a student’s demonstrated educational achievements in the curriculum organisers selected in their QCIA curriculum plan.
The QCIA is a one-page document, so statements must be brief, adhere to specific writing conventions, and identify the student’s highest achievements. Details on how to develop the QCIA Statement of Achievement, are available at QCIA quality assurance processes.
Schools are responsible for collecting evidence of students’ learning, and for ensuring that each statement is supported by evidence in a folio of student achievement.
When writing Statements of Achievement, avoid statements that are too long or too short. It is important to state the highest level of demonstrated learning.
The following table gives examples of how Statements of Achievement align with learning goals from the GIL and examples of evidence schools may collect to support Statements of Achievement.
Learning goal from the GIL | Evidence from teaching and learning experiences | Statement of Achievement |
|---|---|---|
Use informal behaviours to intentionally communicate a single message consistently in familiar environments to express a preference. | Video footage of the student nodding or shaking their head and using facial expressions to make a choice when presented with two objects. | Indicates a preference between two objects using facial expression and nodding or shaking head. |
Identify and use combinations of coins and notes for simple purchases. | Photographs and video footage of the student using coins and notes to purchase items at a local supermarket. Anecdotal notes that indicate the student requires verbal prompting to make purchases. | Purchases items using coins and notes in a familiar supermarket with verbal prompting. |
Participate in an organised sporting event. | Photographs of the student swimming during sport lessons at the school. Video footage of the student entering and exiting the pool safely, and swimming independently. | Swims with peer group in a school-based program and is water safe. |
Learning goals drawn from the GIL describe the planned teaching, learning and assessment for a student. The learning goals may not reflect a student’s achievement, and in many cases do not give details of what an individual student knows or has demonstrated they can do. They do not follow the writing conventions required for Statements of Achievement. It is, therefore, not appropriate to use learning goals from the GIL as Statements of Achievement.
Statement of Participation
The Statement of Participation lists names or titles of activities a student has participated in. There is no provision for explaining the activity or indicating the nature of any achievements or standards that might be associated with the activity. If a student has achieved more than participation in the activity, it is recommended that the demonstrated learning be written as a Statement of Achievement.
Schools can provide a maximum of eight Statements of Participation per student. Each statement must be supported by evidence in the student folio.
Statements of Participation are selected from a list included in the Student Management application. There is no provision to add an activity to this list.
Statements of Participation must not be duplicated in the Statement of Achievement or for any completed studies contributing to a QCE.
