Record of School Achievement: Requirements for Students with Special Education Needs Key Messages

1. Record of School Achievement: Requirements for Students with Special Education NeedsKey Messages

2. Eligibility To be awarded the Record of School Achievement all students must have: • Attended a government school, an accredited non-government school or a recognised school outside NSW • Undertaken and completed courses of study that satisfy mandatory curriculum and assessment requirements • Complied with any other regulations or requirements (such as attendance) imposed by the Minister or the Board • Completed Year 10 (ACE Website 4001)

3. Mandatory curriculum requirements for the Record of School Achievement • All students must undertake study in each of the 8 key learning areas in Years 7-10 to be eligible for the award of the Record of School Achievement. • Students may satisfy mandatory curriculum requirements by following courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content in each key learning area. • All time allocations are indicative and are related to the course objectives and outcomes. (ACE Website 4006 & 4007)

4. Key Learning Areas: Courses

5. Mandatory curriculum requirementsfor all students (ACE Website 4007)

6. Stage 5 additional (elective) studies • Schools are not required to offer additional studies. • Additional courses can be credentialled for the Record of School Achievement if they are taught in Stage 5. (ACE Website 4009) • Students may undertake additional courses by following Life Skills outcomes and content. • VET courses are also available to be accessed in Stage 5. See VET Courses and Students with Special Education Needsfor more information.

7. Course completion criteria Students are considered to have satisfactorily completed a course towards the award of the Record of School Achievement if they: • follow the Board Developed or Board Endorsed course • apply themselves with diligence and sustained effort to the set tasks and experiences provided in the course by the school and • achieve some or all of the outcomes. (ACE Website 4016)

8. Non-completion of course requirements • Students who have not complied with course completion criteria can be regarded as not having satisfactorily completed the course. • Two written warnings must be issued to students before an ‘N’ determination is applied. (ACE Website 4019)

9. Curriculum planning All students with special education needs should choose the most appropriate courses, and options within courses, in keeping with their learning needs, strengths, goals and interests. (ACE Website 3004) All students with special education needs participate fully in learning experiences and assessment activities provided by the Years 7–10 curriculum but may require adjustments to teaching and learning activities and/or assessment. For a small percentage of students with special education needs, particularly those with an intellectual disability, it may be appropriate to select Life Skills outcomes and content in one or more Years 7–10 syllabuses. (ACE Website 3001)

10. Collaborative curriculum planning • The decision-making process will identify the courses that the student with special education needs should study. • Planning should take into consideration: • the student’s learning needs, strengths, goals and interests • the adjustments and/or support required for the student to access course work and demonstrate achievement of outcomes • the transition needs of the student. (ACE Website 3005)

11. Courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content Students may follow Life Skills outcomes and content if it has been determined that adjustments are not sufficient to access some or all of the Stage 4 and Stage 5 outcomes. The decision to access Life Skills outcomes and content is made: • through the collaborative curriculum planning process • at any time through Years 7–10. (ACE Website 3001)

12. Indicative time • In developing programs for those students who undertake courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content, it may be necessary to vary the time allocated for study of the course(s). • When considering whether a variation is needed, the principal should ensure that appropriate time is allocated across the KLAs. (ACE Website 3003)

13. Assessment Schools award students with a grade for each course completed in Stage 5. The grade should: • indicate the student’s overall achievement in relation to the course performance descriptors • involve the teacher’s judgement on the basis of available assessment information. Students may require adjustments in order to demonstrate achievement in both informal and formal assessment experiences. Students undertaking a course based on Life Skills outcomes and content are not allocated a grade in that course. (ACE Website 4021)

14. Stage 5 Credentials Students leaving school in Stage 5 and who have met the mandatory curriculum requirements are eligible to receive a Record of School Achievement. • The Record of School Achievement lists the courses completed in Years 7–10 as well as a grade for Stage 5 courses. • If applicable, students also receive from the Board: • the profile of Student Achievement • VET credentials.

15. Stage 5 Credentials (cont.) • Courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content will be recorded on the Record of School Achievement with the annotation ‘Refer to Profile of Student Achievement’. • VET courses will be recorded with the annotation ‘Refer to Vocational Documentation’. • Students who are leaving school and are not eligible for a Record of School Achievement receive a Transcript of Study. • Students are also able to download an electronic transcript from the end of Year 10. (ACE Website 4024)

16. Procedures for online entry of courses Students must be entered for courses in Schools Online in order for these to be credentialled on the Record of School Achievement. The Board of Studies has provided: • individual course numbers for all subjects on Schools Online. For each course there is a number for: – life skills outcomes and content – regular outcomes and content • an auto enrol facility for Years 7–10 mandatory curriculum requirements. Schools: • enter each student through Schools Online at the start of Year 10 • enter students for each course they have undertaken in Years 9 and 10 • if entering students for courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content, cannot enter a student for any other course drawn from the same syllabus.

17. Profile of Student Achievement • Outcomes achieved in courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content undertaken in Years 9 and 10 are recorded in Schools Online at the time of the collection of Stage 5 grades. • Outcomes can be achieved with or without support. • Outcomes achieved will be presented in the Profile of Student Achievement under syllabus headings. • The Profile of Student Achievement is printed and issued by the Board when the student receives the Record of School Achievement. • For further information about entering outcomes, see: Entering data for a Profile of Student Achievement for the Record of School Achievement