Seminars and workshops for teachers
The Authority provided seminars and workshops to support teachers and to develop their understanding of the Authority's assessment and moderation processes and the achievement standards for WACE courses.
Attendance at these seminars/workshops was optional but highly recommended. Schools were required to meet the cost of teacher relief and, where required, teachers’ travel and accommodation.
Four types of seminars/workshops were made available in 2012:
WACE assessment and moderation requirements seminars
These seminars were provided for teachers in their first year of teaching at Year 11 or 12 or teachers in their first year of teaching WACE courses such as experienced teachers from interstate or overseas. The purpose was to provide new or inexperienced teachers of WACE courses with a summary of the Authority's assessment and moderation requirements that need to be followed when delivering senior secondary courses in Western Australian schools. The focus is on the Authority's requirements when:
- establishing the content to be taught
- planning a set of assessment tasks
- developing assessment tasks and marking keys
- marking assessment tasks
- recording, weighting and collating marks
- assigning grades.
Information regarding WACE examinations and Authority moderation processes was also provided in the seminar.
Teachers who were unable to attend can access this seminar in the online learning section of the Authority website. For details of the registration process for online learning click here.
Interpretation of student achievement data seminars
The focus on the interpretation of the student achievement data provided to schools by the Authority with reference to the information available to teachers and students in the Authority's Standards Guides. This seminar was aimed at assisting teachers who are delivering Stage 2 or 3 to Year 12 students. A repeat of the seminar delivered in 2011, it was provided for teachers who were unable to attend last year or were not teaching Stage 2/3.
Teachers who were unable to attend can access this seminar in the online learning section of the Authority website. For details of the registration process for online learning click here.
Small group moderation procedures seminars (new for 2012)
This seminar was provided for those teachers who are working in a small group moderation partnership. The focus was on:
- the Authority's assessment requirements for small group moderation
- the two models that are available to schools
- the procedures that need to be followed by teachers at partner schools to ensure that their marks are comparable.
Teachers who were unable to attend can access this seminar in the online learning section of the Authority website. For details of the registration process for online learning click here.
Improving student performance workshops
The purpose of these course-specific workshops was to assist teachers to improve student performance and to support teachers’ understanding of achievement standards. The focus of these workshops included:
- improving student performance using school WACE examination data and the standards guides
- improving course delivery by clarifying issues related to syllabus changes and/or practical examinations
- developing quality assessment tasks and marking keys.
Workshops were conducted for the following courses:
- Ancient History
- Animal Production Systems
- CCAFL
- Children, Family and the Community
- Computer Science
- Engineering Studies
- English (Stage 1 only)
- Health Studies
- Human Biological Science
- Indonesian: Second Language
- Italian
- Mathematics (units 1A and 3A/B only)
- Music
- Plant Production Systems
- Politics and Law
- Religion and Life
- Visual Arts
