P-003 Training & Assessment Policy and Procedure Policy The Education and Training (E&T) area of the Deaf Society (DS) will ensure that training and assessment strategies and practices are responsive to industry and learner needs and meet the requirements of the Standards for RTOs 2015, as well as the relevant training packages and VET accredited courses requirements. This includes the following quality practices:  Implementing a comprehensive Training and Assessment Strategy (TAS) for each of the VET courses listed on the RTO’s Scope of Registration  Engaging with industry to ensure industry needs are met and graduates are ‘job ready’ upon successful completion of their course  Supporting learners to meet the requirements of their VET course and to complete their training  Implementing an assessment system (including RPL) that meets the requirements of the training package and is conducted according to the Principles of Assessment and the Rules of Evidence  Employing skilled trainers and assessors who maintain their vocational skills and competencies to the level being delivered and assessed AND providing supervision of trainers who are not qualified trainers or assessors.  Managing transitions from superseded training products so learners graduate with a qualification that most closely represents the current skill needs of industry Training & Assessment Strategies To ensure the quality of Learning, the Deaf Society Education and Training team ensures that:  Training and assessment strategies are developed in line with the requirements of the Standards for RTOs 2015, which include all information needed by trainers providing the training  All trainers and assessors are provided with the Training and Assessment Strategies for the courses they will deliver, during their induction into their role. The Manager, Education and Training ensures that the trainers and assessors have good understanding of the strategies incorporated in these  Learning Resources are available to guide learners to obtain and absorb the required knowledge and skills prior to assessment  Delivery guides are available to all trainers/assessors  All necessary human and physical resources are available for the delivery of a training product Industry Engagement To ensure that industry needs are met and that graduates are ‘job ready’ on successful completion of their course, the Education and Training team will: 

Engage with industry/employers to ascertain:

P-003 Training & Assessment Policy Version Number Version Date 1.0 November 2015

Approved By John O’Neill Manager Education & Training

Next Review Date November 2016

P-003 Training & Assessment Policy and Procedure o o

whether the training and assessment strategies align to current methods, technology, products and performance expectations for the workplace tasks whether the RTO’s selection of resources, trainers and assessors are suitable for the course and the AQF level

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Document the industry engagement activity in the form developed for this purpose

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Pass all industry consultation evidence on to the Manager, Education and Training to check the recommendations made by industry and where necessary update the Training and Assessment Strategy and advise all staff.

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Retain all Industry Consultation evidence together with the TAS documentation in the Quality management System, in order to demonstrate compliance with clauses 1.5-1.6 of the Standards for RTOs 2015.

Student Support To support learners meet the requirements of their VET course and to maximize their chance of successfully completing their training, the Education and Training team will:  

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determine the level of support needs of individual learners prior to their enrolment in a course provide access to educational and support services such as providing assistive technology, Auslan interpreters, notetakers, live captioning, additional tutorials and/or assistance in using technology for the completion of relevant units/components, as may be necessary for the individual learner to meet the requirements of their course provide clear information to all potential learners of any limitations to the support the Deaf Society is able to provide identify particular requirements such as literacy, numeracy, English language or physical capabilities learners would need so as to be able to complete their course develop and document support strategies to be made available, where gaps are identified.

Assessment To meet the assessment requirements of a training package, the Deaf Society assessors will implement the following assessment systems (including when conducting RPL):   

assessment will be conducted by DS assessors by applying the Principles of Assessment (fairness, flexibility, validity and reliability) and ensuring that the Rules of Evidence (validity, sufficiency, authenticity, currency) are met. when assessment materials are developed, assessors ensure that they use the information from the unit elements, performance criteria and assessment requirements to determine what competence looks like. for a learner to be assessed as competent the learner will: o actually undertake all required tasks identified in the elements of the unit o demonstrate that they are capable of performing these tasks to an acceptable level and in a variety of workplace situations, or accurately simulated workplace situations

P-003 Training & Assessment Policy Version Number Version Date 1.0 November 2015

Approved By John O’Neill Manager Education & Training

Next Review Date November 2016

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demonstrate their ability to do so in different contexts and environments

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This ensures that the learner has: o The ability to perform relevant tasks o The understanding of what they are doing, and why, when performing tasks o The ability to integrate performance with understanding, to show they are able to adapt to different contexts and environments.

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Assessment will always be based on the performance of the individual learner. If assessment tasks are undertaken as a group, each learner will be assessed on each component of the task individually. Recognition of prior learning will be conducted with the same rigour as any other form of assessment. The RPL process will use evidence from formal, non-formal and informal learning combined with assessment activities to determine competence. Each training product on the Deaf Society’s scope of registration will undergo validation at least once every five years or at least 50 per cent of the training products will be validated in the first three years of this cycle. Undertake the moderation of assessment judgments made by the Deaf Society’s assessors, by sampling 10% of the student marked assessments for a specific unit of competency and determining if there is consistency in the judgments made by different assessors

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Access and Equity Assessment tasks will allow for individual needs where required. These may include needs relating to culture, language, literacy, gender, sexuality, disability and/or religious belief. The principle of reasonable adjustment will be used by all staff involved in assessment to ensure that the individual needs of all students are met with sensitivity and empathy and that assessment process and tools are valid, reliable, flexible and fair. (See Reasonable Adjustment Policy and the Student Handbook). Appeal Students in accredited training courses have the right to appeal the results of assessments. (See Assessment Appeal Policy and the Student Handbook) Assessment Conditions for NAATI The assessment/s for interpreting must be recorded - video (for Auslan):  Processes and procedures  Information about the assessment material(s) prior to the assessment  Time limitations for the assessment,  The processes in place that guarantee the security of assessment materials before, during and after the assessment.  Assessments will not be scheduled on a public holidays  NAATI may conduct site visits during assessments to ensure that relevant conditions are put in place and adhered to during the assessment.

P-003 Training & Assessment Policy Version Number Version Date 1.0 November 2015

Approved By John O’Neill Manager Education & Training

Next Review Date November 2016

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Student assessments will be kept in a sealed envelope/s in the Education and Training area, in locked student filing cupboard Assessments will be recorded alternatively on site in two separate rooms with two separate entries to avoid overlap and communication Times will be allocated to ensure there is no overlap between students being assessed and those waiting to be assessed Assessments will be under supervision at all times The supervisor will make notes of any problems/issues that occur during the assessment as they may have a bearing on students’ performance Copies of all relevant student assessment will be kept for NAATI monitoring for retention period of 2 years from the period date of the assessment itself

Assessment Methods for all accredited courses Assessment methods may include but are not limited to:  Assignment  Essay/Report  Exercise  Interview  Journal  Observation  Presentation in English or Auslan  Questioning in English or Auslan  Peer assessment  Portfolio development  Practical demonstration  Project  Research project  Role play  Self-assessment  Short answer/multiple choice  Simulation  Third party report Marking of Assessments All assessments are marked “Competent” or “Not Yet Competent”. No other grades are given, but teachers will give feedback to students. Record-keeping The Deaf Society Education and Training Team will maintain an Assessment Record for each student required to undertake assessment. (See Record Keeping Policy) Employment of Skilled Trainers/Assessors The Deaf Society will only employ skilled trainers and assessors who will have:  vocational competencies at least to the level being delivered and assessed;  current industry skills directly relevant to the training and assessment being provided; and P-003 Training & Assessment Policy Version Number Version Date 1.0 November 2015

Approved By John O’Neill Manager Education & Training

Next Review Date November 2016

P-003 Training & Assessment Policy and Procedure 

current knowledge and skills in vocational training and learning that informs their training and assessment.

Industry experts may also be involved in the assessment judgement, working alongside the trainer and/or assessor to conduct the assessment. The Deaf Society will also ensure that:  all trainers and assessors undertake professional development in the fields of the knowledge and practice of vocational training, as well as in the learning and assessment including competency based training and assessment  trainers who are not trainers or assessors work under the supervision of a trainer and do not determine assessment outcomes (where needed) Transition and Teach out The Education and Training Team at the Deaf Society will manage transitions from superseded training products - as per the Deaf Society transition policy. Policy and Procedure, so that learners graduate with a qualification that most closely represents the current skill needs of industry. Related Staff Responsibilities The Deaf Society Education and training team, along with the trainers and assessors will work together to plan, conduct and review assessments in line with the Standards for RTOs 2015. These are the individual responsibilities: The Education and Training team for each course will undertake the following responsibilities: The Head Teacher, Student Support Officer and Trainers and Assessors will:  Plan assessment: o Find out what the future employers of students want (industry consultation) o Check if there are any licensing or regulatory requirements o Check the training package or accredited course requirements (curriculum) for assessment including the NAATI interpreting courses o Collect information about likely future student needs and possible barriers to assessment o Using all this information, decide how students will be assessed in a specific course (assessment strategy) o Record the consultation for the training and assessment strategy on the Course Approval Form and give the form to the Education and Training Manager, 3 months before the course starts  Support the students to undertake their assessment: o Make sure students have information about assessments before they have to do it (information includes: what the task is, the context of the task, how many times they can attempt the task, and other information they need to know to prepare for the task) o Make sure that students are informed of assessment results o Make reasonable adjustments to assessments as required o Make sure students have timely opportunities for re-assessment and appeal P-003 Training & Assessment Policy Version Number Version Date 1.0 November 2015

Approved By John O’Neill Manager Education & Training

Next Review Date November 2016

P-003 Training & Assessment Policy and Procedure 

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Conduct the assessment: o Run the task o Collect and document the evidence for the task (evidence should be sufficient, valid, authentic and current) o Mark the assessment, making a decision about whether each student is competent or not yet competent o Give the assessment evidence and results to the Program Supervisor o Inform students of results o Provide feedback to the students within two weeks of the assessment date. Feedback should be clear, supportive, and constructive. o Conduct reassessment as required in a supportive and timely manner. Review the assessment process: o Trainers will give their own comments and suggestions for improvements to the Head Teacher o Trainers will record student comments (such as collate and email comments to the Head Teacher) with suggestions for improvements from the course o Evaluation Questionnaires (online forms) will be given to all of the students midcourse and after course completion which will include an opportunity to provide feedback about the assessment process. o The Head teacher will act on feedback from students and about the trainer’s work as assessors Participate in the validation and moderation of assessment judgments: o Run validation and moderation sessions according to the Validation Schedule o Record the results of validation in the appropriate form in the Education drive o Act on the results of validation and moderation o Record the actions taken as a result of Validation and Moderation in the Continuous Improvement Register in the Education drive

The Head Teacher, Program Coordinators and Student Support Officer will:  Support the assessors to conduct assessment: o Give assessors full information about the assessment strategy, how to plan and conduct assessment and the competencies which they are responsible to assess (see Teacher Handbook) o Check assessment tasks, marking sheets, etc. before they are used to ensure current versions are used o Make sure assessors are following the assessment strategy o Make sure all assessment is valid, reliable, flexible and fair o Make sure evidence collected is sufficient, valid, authentic and current  Record assessment results: o Collect and file competency checklists from presenters o Collect and file evidence of competence from presenters o Make credential requests and transcripts for students o Make sure results are recorded in iSH on Course  Evaluation o Ask students and presenters to evaluate the assessment o Record the recommendations from evaluation in the Continuous Improvement folder in the Education drive P-003 Training & Assessment Policy Version Number Version Date 1.0 November 2015

Approved By John O’Neill Manager Education & Training

Next Review Date November 2016

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Act on the recommendations from evaluation Record actions taken from evaluation in the Continuous Improvement folder on the Education drive.

The Deaf Society Education and Training Manager, will:  Review and approve Course Approval forms  Support the Program Supervisors and Head Teacher to work with Trainer/Assessors to plan, conduct and review assessment  Review assessment policy and processes regularly to ensure compliance with AQF requirements and Standards for RTOs 2015. Student Responsibilities: Students are responsible to:  find out about assessments if they have missed a class in which an assessment was discussed  prepare for assessments to the best of their ability  be supportive of classmates during assessments  keep a copy of all assessments they submit  hand in all assessments on time  Re-submission of assessments if necessary and allowed. Students may re-submit each assessment for which they are marked “not yet competent” only once during the course delivery dates. Further re-assessment during this time or resubmission at any other time is at the discretion of the Education and Training team or the Manager, Education and Training and may incur additional costs (see current fees and charges).

Related Documents  Assessment Appeal Policy  Record Keeping Policy  Validation and Moderation Policy  Transition Policy  Reasonable Adjustment Policy  Student Handbook Relevant Standards Standards for RTOs 2015 – Standards 1.1-1.6, 1.8-1.12, 1.17, 1.19-1.25, 2.2, 3.1, 3.3-3.5, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 6.2 and 8.4 This policy is uncontrolled when printed. To see the most current version check the Deaf Society Policy and Procedures Wiki.

P-003 Training & Assessment Policy Version Number Version Date 1.0 November 2015

Approved By John O’Neill Manager Education & Training

Next Review Date November 2016