Since the start of 2023 there have been some important changes to the special provisions arrangements for VCE students in Victoria. The changes are in terms of the approach and the application process for examination special provisions through the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA).
We have put this together to assist parents to understand what these changes are. Many of you may actually know this if you have students in VCE this year however those with students in the younger years this will be useful for you to know now to ensure supports are put in place and evidence documented over time. Please note that the information provided below has all been sourced from VCAA communications directly to schools or via their own website and has not been reproduced in any way.
The underlying principal of Special Provision arrangements still stays the same:
- Appropriate, fair and reasonable options are available to students to demonstrate their capabilities if their learning and assessment programs are affected by disability, illness, impairment or other circumstances. Approved provisions should provide equivalent, alternative arrangements for students, but not confer advantage.
Types of special provision:
- for classroom learning and school based assessments – schools are to refer to professional reports and knowledge of the student via teacher observations. Along with this to keep records of all decisions made for each student. Schools have the ability to approve this for a short period of time ie if a student breaks an arm or for longer term where students have learning disorders or disabilities.
- special Examination arrangements for VCE external assessments – VCAA is still responsible for approving these provisions. The school is responsible for applying for Special Examination Arrangements (SEA).
- students are primarily responsible for applying for Derived Examination Scores (DES) – these are for students who are ill or affected by other personal circumstances at the time of a VCE external assessment and whose result is unlikely to be a fair or accurate indication of their learning or achievement in the study.
From this year schools now need to build a history of evidence and be responsible for providing detailed and comprehensive school based evidence including:
- the students condition (disability, illness, long term injury or ongoing personal circumstance) including medical and educational history, functional impact of the conditions on learning and assessments
- history of provisions approved and used by the student over the period of the condition
- evidence used by the school to make decisions regarding appropriate provisions – includes health professional or teacher observations.
Decisions on Special Examination Arrangements applications will be based on strength and completeness of evidence of existing modifications made by the school in classroom learning and school-based assessments.
Schools may also provide any additional evidence to support an application.
VCAA requires existing evidence and does not require schools to seek or ask students to complete additional assessments or go and get updated or new cognitive assessments etc. They are to use what they have already been provided to assist them to make the adjustments that they do in the school environment. Essays are no longer a mandatory requirement though schools might choose to provide as part of the evidence assessment tasks and the necessary details of that task.
VCAA encourages schools to engage with VCAA as early as possible to discuss any issues relating to managing students completing secondary level studies (Years 7–12) who may require special provision.
Early engagement allows schools to discuss interventions and implement appropriate provisions for classroom learning and school-based assessments, in the years preceding VCE.
For long term or permanent conditions, it may be appropriate for a school to submit a formal early application for Year 9 onwards. Evidence requirements for early applications are consistent with applications submitted on behalf of students enrolled in senior secondary level program.
An early application that is approved by the VCAA will provide schools and students with certainty about the provisions that will be in place for the student when enrolled in a senior secondary level program and allows schools to implement these provisions from Year 9 onwards with certainty.
A few final points that we thought useful to highlight are:
- if a student has a new medical condition and there is no history of special provisions, schools are encouraged to consider all evidence available to them, including any clinical assessments and teacher observations on how the condition impacts the student in the classroom and assessments. Decisions on special examination arrangements applications will be based primarily on the strength and completeness of evidence of modifications, including trialing of provisions, made by the school for classroom learning and school-based assessments.
- essays are no longer a mandatory requirement to support an application for extra working time, use of a computer, assistive technology or a scribe. Essays or pieces of extended writing completed in school-based assessments or internal examinations can be provided as additional evidence to support an application. If providing student work, schools can also provide details of the circumstances under which the student completed the work, such as what provisions were used by the student and the times taken by the student and the rest of class to complete the work.
So if you have a child who requires supports in place to make it equitable then it is important to start working with the school now, or to follow up with them to see what they have been doing to date, to ensure they are recording, documenting and building evidence in support of your child in relation to assessments.
Please find some additional links for further information:
Finally should you have a child in another state then it is important to refer to the relevant education body in relation to special provision arrangements that are applicable to them.
If you want to learn more about the work we do in supporting students and equipping them with the necessary tools and strategies for both school and life please get in touch.
