Memorandum to Schools 23/2007

14 March 2007

Small Group Partnerships Unit 3 Coursework, Unit 3 / 4 Coursework & School Assessed Tasks

Schools with fewer than 5 enrolments in any VCE Unit 3 and VCE Unit 3/4 study are required to form a partnership with another school for the purpose of statistical moderation of course work . Schools with less than 5 students enrolled in those studies with School-assessed Tasks are encouraged to combine formally with other schools for assessment purposes. The closing date to enter these details on VASS is Monday 30 April 2007.

Partnerships involving more than three schools are not recommended unless this is necessary to have more than five students in the moderation group. These partnerships may present additional organisational and workload difficulties for teachers and schools administrators.

An important aspect of the successful implementation of the Small Group Partnership process is the level and consistency of interaction between schools. Schools may utilise any method of interaction which is appropriate. These include telephone, fax, post, email and face to face meetings.

Information regarding Small Group Partnerships is available on the VCAA website at the following link. http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/exams/statisticalmoderation/
partnerships.html#H2N400077

Schools must keep copies of the following documents at the school:

Single list of the cross marked scores for all the students in the partnership (from all the schools involved).
A copy of the partner school's School Assessed Tasks/Coursework scores report for all School-assessed Tasks and Coursework (this is to verify that the scores have been entered correctly). This report is produced using the menu: RESULTS ADMIN → VCE Reports → School Tasks/Coursework .
The Small Groups Partnership 2007 Agreement form signed by the school Principal. Each school is required to keep their own copy of the partnership agreement. Each copy requires the signature of the Principal of each school . The agreement is to be retained at the school, and is NOT to be forwarded to the VCAA. However, the VCAA may request it for audit purposes. The Small Groups Partnership 2007 Agreement form is available as a download on VASS and is also available on the VCAA website: http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/exams/statisticalmoderation/
partnerships.pdf

1. BEST PRACTICE

The VCAA expects that participating teachers will follow best practice when conducting partnerships. Best practice would include:

School Principals being informed of the initial formation of the partnership, the ongoing maintenance of the partnership and the resultant cross marked course work scores.
School Principals being informed of any conflict that may arise and the measures taken to resolve any issues.
Teachers in the partnership making contact as early in the school year as possible and keeping written records of meetings, telephone calls, email and any other appropriate interaction.
The initial meeting covering the requirements of the study design, the chosen assessment tasks and the assessment criteria for each task or outcome. Teachers are also required to agree on the procedures for ensuring comparability of assessment tasks and the schedule and marking schemes of any tasks to be done in common.
Each school marking their own students' work and selecting student work for cross marking.
Each school entering the scores for its own students on VASS.
Each school sending a copy of the VASS report of the assessments for all School-assessed Course work tasks to the other school/s to verify that scores have been entered correctly. This report is produced using the menu: RESULTS ADMIN → VCE Reports → School Assessed Tasks/Coursework .

2. ENTERING PARTNERSHIP DETAILS ON

Partnerships must be established as early in the school year as possible. Schools that form partnerships for Unit 3 Coursework and Unit 3/4 Coursework must first exchange partnership agreements and then enter the partnership details directly onto VASS. Once partnership details are entered onto VASS, schools must re-enter VASS and check that all the schools in the partnership have the ‘Approved' flag set to ‘ Y '.

NOTE: Partnerships cannot be considered as ‘valid' by the VCAA unless all schools in the partnership group have ‘Approved' their involvement; in addition, the statistical moderation process cannot run for those partnerships where one or more school exists with the status ‘unapproved'.

2.1 Closing Date on VASS

Partnerships cannot be entered directly onto VASS for Unit 3 and Unit 3/4 Coursework after Monday 30 April 2007 . If any partnerships on VASS require approval after Monday 30 April , please contact Students Records and Results Unit on 9651 4402 or 1800 653 045. Requests for exemptions will still be required to be submitted in writing to the Students Records and Results Unit and must be endorsed by the Principal. Exemption requests can be accepted up until October 31 st 2007 .

2.2 Finding a Potential Partner School

Schools can search for potential partner schools using the menu: SCHOOL PROGRAM → Programs Offered by School . This function produces a report using various parameters such as Unit Code, Region, and Sector. The report lists the school code, school, phone number, suburb, sector and whether they have greater or less than 5 enrolments or is already in an existing partnership for a study.

The potential partner school must then be contacted to ascertain their willingness to form a partnership in that study.

2.3 To view the Partnership maintenance screens

Select the SCHOOL PROGRAM → VCE → Partnership menu item.
Click on the [Find] button.
This shows Unit 3/4 sequences offered by your school, enrolments and status (see Figure 1).

Figure 1 – The Partnership Entry – Browse VCE Studies screen

2.4 The Status Column

The status column lists what action is required for each subject. For example ‘Partnership required', ‘Approved', ‘Not partnered', ‘Exempt', ‘Past cut-off date; Not Partnered' or ‘Past cut-off date'.

The sequences marked ‘Partnership required' are those that the school is expected to join in partnership to other schools. Once this has been done and all schools in the partnership have approved their involvement, the status will become ‘Approved'.

2.5 To enter agreed partnerships details

Select the SCHOOL PROGRAM → VCE → Partnership menu item.
Click on the [Find] button.
Click on the study you have formed a partnership for and click on the [Modify] button. The edit partnership screen is then displayed.
Click on the [Partner] button. A pop up box containing a list of possible schools will appear.
Click on the school/s with whom you have agreed to form a partnership.
Click the [Select] button.
Follow the screen prompts until the Edit Partnership screen appears (see Figure 2).

Figure 2 – The Edit Partnership screen

2.6 To approve an agreed partnership

Select the SCHOOL PROGRAM → VCE → Partnership menu item.
Click on the [Find] button.
Click on the study that requires a partnership and click on the [Modify] button. The Edit Partnership screen is then displayed.
Click on the [Approved] button and follow the screen prompts.
The ‘Approved' flag will then change from ‘ N ' to ‘ Y ' for your school. The school or schools with whom you have formed a partnership MUST also approve the partnership through VASS .

2.7 VASS generated Email messages

Automatic email messages generated from VASS will be sent to all schools involved in a partnership when:

A school enters partnership details with another school.
All schools within a partnership have marked the partnership as ‘Approved'.
A school is removed from a partnership.
A completely approved partnership becomes unapproved when one school marks it as ‘Unapproved'.

If you receive such an email and have no knowledge of an agreement to form a partnership then contact the VCAA for advice. Detailed instructions for entering partnership details onto VASS can be found in the [help] screen.

3. PARTNERSHIP ALLOWANCE

3.1 Coursework partnerships

Funding is allocated to all schools within a partnership where at least one school has fewer than 5 enrolments. If all schools within the partnership have more than 5 enrolments the funding will not be allocated. If both schools within the partnership have a total number of less than 5 students, funding will not be allocated.

The allowance is the same for all studies and comprises two components. The base component of $255 is applicable to all schools involved in small group moderation for a particular study. In any partnership, every school with fewer than 5 enrolments in the study receives the full base component. An additional base allowance of $255 will be shared equally by the school/s in the partnership that have more than 5 enrolments.

For each study; a distance component will be paid according to the distance between the partnership schools and the size of the group. Partnership schools that are further than 25 km from each other will be paid $70 if the school group size is fewer than 5 or $30 if the school group size is 5 or more. Schools that are within 25 km of each other will receive $20 regardless of the size of the group.

The partnership allowance for 2007 will be paid directly into school bank accounts in one instalment which will be allocated to schools in February 2008.

3.2 School-Assessed Tasks partnerships

The VCAA will provide schools with funding for travel by teachers who are required to travel more than 50 km (round trip distance) to another school for the purposes of combining groups for the assessment of School–assessed Tasks. The funding will be paid for a maximum of two meetings. Schools needing this funding must complete the Request to Fund Travel for Partnerships (School –Assessed Tasks) form located on page 209 of the VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook 2007. The form must be sent to Manager, Student Records and Results Unit, as soon as practical after the costs have been incurred.

Contacts

Any queries regarding Partnerships should be directed to the Student Records and Results Unit by phone to 9651 4402, fax to 9651 4470 or email: student.records@edumail.vic.gov.au

Any queries regarding VASS should be directed to the Administrative Support Unit on 9651 4482 or 1800 827 721. Please leave a message on our Voice Mail service if we are unable to answer your call immediately. Alternatively, fax enquiries to 9651 4551 or email: vass.support@edumail.vic.gov.au