Quality assurance meetings form part of TASC’s overall quality assurance processes for the delivery and assessment of TASC accredited courses to ensure our high standards are maintained. The selected courses may be different each year.

The 2024 quality assurance meetings for specific TASC Level 2 courses will be held in the period 9 to 20 September 2024. The key things you need to know about QA meetings are now available on a single page – see QA Meeting Preparation: An Overview.

See the 2024 Quality Assurance Meetings – Information Kit and the tabs below for more details about the meetings, courses and teacher requirements:

  • The associated costs for QA meetings must be covered by the school.
  • The QA meetings are different from the Moderation meetings conducted by Senior Secondary Provision (DECYP) in March and September each year.

Find out what we heard from QA meeting participants – see ‘What we heard – your feedback on QA meetings‘ below.

2024 Timetable to be provided closer to the Quality Assurance Meetings

2024 Course Specific Requirements:

NOTES:

1 – Legal Studies – Foundation Level 2, Computer Graphics and Design – Foundation Level 2 and Media Production Foundations Level 2 will not have quality assurance meetings in 2024.

2 – Digital Technologies Level 2 requires evidence of Criterion 6 (Module 1) to be tabled. Providers are asked to please adjust their course delivery sequencing if Module 1 was planned for delivery last.

 

Meeting links to will be provided closer to the QA Meetings.

Who is required to attend?
It is a compulsory requirement of school registration with TASC that a school representative attends the quality assurance meeting with the required bodies of student work if the course is delivered at the school. The school representative should be a current teacher of the course.

Are costs covered for the meetings?
Schools are responsible for costs associated with the provision of materials and teacher attendance at the quality assurance meetings including relief and travel.

How do I know what student work to bring?
TASC determines the requirements for the bodies of student work to be taken to each quality assurance meeting. TASC requirements include type of student work, assessment criteria to be covered and expected award level. For more details see selecting bodies of student work for quality assurance in the Information Kit.

What do school representatives need to do before the meeting?

  1. Read the TASC requirements relating to the selection of bodies of student work for the quality assurance meeting for their subject.
  2. Select the required bodies of work and assess each against the nominated criteria using ratings A+ to t and indicate an award – PA, SA, CA or EA.
  3. Print the Provider and Meeting record sheets separately (please do not double side).
  4. Complete the Provider (school) record sheet and include the provider ratings and the overall award.
  5. Fill out the ‘identification’ section of the Meeting record sheet.
  6. Attach the Provider and Meeting record sheets to each body of work.
  7. For more details view the record sheet section in the Information Kit.
  8. Where there is more than one teacher of the course at the school, teachers should meet prior to the TASC quality assurance meeting to select the bodies of student work and, through consensus, determine the ratings and awards.

What do I need to bring to the meeting?

  1. The required number of assessed bodies of student work as per the current quality assurance requirements for the course
  2. The Meeting record sheet with the ‘identification’ section completed and attached to the front of each body of work
  3. One completed Provider record sheet with all information completed attached to each body of work.
  4. A copy of the current course (printed or e-copy).

What happens at the quality assurance meetings?
At the meeting, participants work in small groups. The bodies of work are examined and assessed by the group against the criteria standards. Ratings and awards are determined and then recorded. For more information see quality assurance meeting process and protocols in the Information Kit.

What happens if the school representative is unable to attend a meeting?
If a school representative is unable to attend a meeting (for example, because of sudden ill health) they should contact their school immediately and ask the school to make alternative arrangements to get the materials to the meeting (if a physical meeting) and appoint a new representative. Schools are asked to please contact the Office of TASC as soon as possible to keep us informed of such last-minute issues (phone: (03) 6165 6000, email: QualityAssurance@tasc.tas.gov.au)

What feedback does a school/teacher receive from TASC?
After the September quality assurance meetings, TASC provides each participating school with data sets for each course comparing the school ratings and awards with those given by the meeting. Where there is a discrepancy, schools are expected to investigate the issue and take any necessary action. Early the following year, TASC includes the student’s final ratings and awards in the data and undertakes an analysis of these data sets and may request further information, clarification and/or evidence where apparent discrepancies are identified.

Why is quality assurance important?
TASC issues students with qualifications based on the school’s assessment of students against course criteria and standards. TASC must have confidence in the validity of this information and quality assurance processes provide this. The meeting model is one of the methods used by TASC to quality assure its qualifications.

How does a quality assurance meeting model work?
Data is collected from two points – the school and the quality assurance meeting – about student achievement based on evidence in the tabled bodies of work. This data is provided to schools. Where discrepancies are noted, the school is expected to investigate and take any necessary action. TASC will compare school and meeting assessments with the nominated students’ final results as reported by schools. Where discrepancies are noted, further action such as formal dialogue and/or strategic audits may be required.

What are the benefits for teachers attending quality assurance meetings?
In addition to providing the required quality assurance process for this set of courses, these meetings are an opportunity for professional learning and a valuable way for teachers to gain a shared understanding of the application of standards to student work.

What are the differences and similarities between TASC quality assurance meetings and 9 to 12 Learning moderation meetings?
TASC quality assurance meetings are organised and coordinated by TASC.

  • Only Level 2 courses with a quality assurance meeting model (as noted in the course document) have quality assurance meetings.
  • School involvement in TASC quality assurance meetings is a requirement of registration with TASC where the school delivers any of the identified courses.
  • TASC determines the type of student work to be tabled at each meeting. Schools provide the required samples.
  • TASC provides feedback in the form of data sets to participating schools.

9 to 12 Learning within the Department of Education organises and coordinates statewide moderation meetings for most Level 2, 3 and 4 courses on a twice yearly basis.

    • These meetings aim to ensure comparability of standards across all schools and school sectors.
    • Tabled student work may include pre-agreed common assessment tasks or criteria or work samples provided by 9 to 12 Learning.
    • Meeting outcomes are shared by 9 to 12 Learning with teachers statewide.

More information on 9 to 12 Learning Moderation meetings can be found at the Years 11 and 12 curriculum website   Both types of meetings provide opportunities for teacher discussion and application and interpretation of the criteria and standards.

What is a body of work?
Each body of student work is made up of a number of assessment tasks completed by one student. In some cases it may be a single large task or folio. Information sheets for each course describe the type of work required.

How many bodies of student work per school?
Four bodies of student work per school (not class) for each course meeting. The work should be from students enrolled at your school.

How much material in each body of work?
The size of the bodies of student work should be enough to provide evidence for assessment judgements against all required criteria, and when indicated, against specific TCE standards (e.g. meeting every day adult reading and writing requirements). It should be possible to assess a body of student work in a reasonable timeframe (e.g. 15 minutes).

Should the work be marked?
The work may have already been assessed by a teacher but the copies should be free from comments, grades, ratings or marks.

Should the bodies of work be photocopied?
It is preferred that the bodies of student work are photocopied in case of accident/loss during the process, however, in some cases (e.g. art works), this is not practical.

What if the body of student work contains electronic only items?
If bodies of student work contain items that require special equipment to view/listen to (such as a laptop to view a PowerPoint presentation) it is the school’s responsibility to ensure that equipment is available at the meeting.

Should information about the assessment tasks set be included?
A brief context statement may be given. During the meeting process, it is the evidence provided by the body of work measured against the criteria/standards that is the focus of assessment, not ‘how well does the work answer the question/task’.

What if I don’t have suitable work from 4 students?
If you do not have enough bodies of work with the required characteristics, make up the balance of the required number with the ‘closest match’ you have. Don’t select work for which there is no evidence (‘z’ rating). It is understood that if you have fewer than four students enrolled in the course at your school, you will not be able to table the required bodies of work. Please ensure you inform the meeting chair of this.

What happens if a school does not table material or if the bodies of work do not meet the requirements for the task?
 TASC may negotiate with a school to ensure compliance with the requirements. In such cases a TASC appointed subject expert/s will assess the bodies of student work rather than a meeting of teachers. Schools will be required to pay for this service on a cost-recovery basis.

Who is the provider?
Provider refers to a school or college registered to deliver TASC course/s.

Why are student TASC codes and names required? Is this necessary?
Yes, this is necessary. This information allows TASC to provide specific feedback to schools and teachers about the assessment of student work.

How many Provider Record Sheets must be completed?
One for each student’s ‘body of work’. Usually four (4).

What happens to the Provider Record Sheets?
Each body of work must have one sheet attached. These are removed at the beginning of the quality assurance meeting and given to the TASC Officer present.

Who completes the Meeting Record Sheet?
The school (provider) completes the identification section of this sheet and places it with the student’s body of work under the Provider Record Sheet. Following examination and discussion of the student work, the small groups complete the rest of the sheet, recording their ratings and awards.

What happens to the Meeting Record Sheets?
These are collected by TASC at the end of the meeting.

How are the ratings against the nominated criteria derived?
Each rating must reflect a judgement based on the evidence provided by the body of student work in its entirety, not for each individual task. The rating should reflect the achievement against the criterion standards in the course document. This may be done by an individual teacher but it is recommended that a process of internal moderation has taken place and ratings have been agreed.

How can an overall award be given if there are not enough criteria assessed to apply the formal award algorithm?
The overall award is based on the ratings associated with the body of work. It is not a prediction of a final award.

What process is used in the meetings?

  • Participants work in small groups with the tabled bodies of student work. The Provider Record Sheets are removed from the work.
  • Teachers make professional judgements about ratings for the nominated criteria using the course’s criteria standards and evidence in the student work.
  • Through a moderation process, a consensus decision on the ratings is reached and then recorded on the Meeting Record Sheet.
  • The assessed bodies of work are then handed to a second small group and assessed again. Any discrepancies between the assessments of the two groups are noted on the Meeting Record Sheet.
  • Record sheets are removed and participants collect the student work from their school at the end of the meeting.

What are the meeting protocols?

  • Participants should arrive at the meeting promptly at its advertised starting time, and with the necessary bodies of student work and completed Provider Record and Meeting Record Sheets.
  • If bodies of student work contain items that require special equipment to view/listen to (such as a laptop to view a PowerPoint presentation) it is the school’s responsibility to ensure that equipment is available at the meeting.
  • The focus of the meeting is for small groups to arrive at overall assessment decisions about bodies of student work by applying the standards of nominated criteria. This involves seeking evidence by close scrutiny of the student work and the standard elements in the course document.
  • Usual protocols for group work apply – all members of a small group have equal rights to the discussion and assessment decision-making process.
  • Participants should not correct or annotate student work.
  • Participants assess work other than that from their own school during the meeting.
  • Participants have no verbal or other contact with those who may be assessing bodies of student work from their school.
  • Copies of student work from other schools may not be retained or used for any other purpose.
  • All information gained about individual students and/or schools at the meeting must be treated as confidential.
  • Participants should not ask to see the Meeting Record Sheets for the student work from their school. A report of the outcomes will be sent to schools early in Term 4.

 

Following the September meetings, TASC provides a report to participating schools which contains information regarding compliance with meeting requirements (and any required remedial action) and data sets for each course comparing school ratings and awards and those given by the meeting. Interpreting the October quality assurance report The October report will show two data sets:

  • school (the ratings and award given to each body of student work by your teachers)
  • quality assurance meeting (the ratings and awards given to each body of student work by teachers at the TASC quality assurance meeting for the course).

These ratings and awards are not intended to predict end-of-year results, but are judgements about each body of work that was tabled at the time of the meeting. A close correlation between the ‘school’ ratings and award and the quality assurance meeting ratings and award indicates that teachers’ interpretation and application of a course’s criteria standards aligns with that of their peers. Some minor discrepancies between the two sets of data (school and quality assurance meeting ratings/awards) are to be expected. So, for example, a school rating on a single criterion as C and quality assurance meeting rating of B- is of little concern. Cases where there are distinct differences between the two sets of data – especially if this is evident in more than one of the bodies of student work assessed for a course – could indicate that the teacher or school’s interpretation and application of a course’s criteria standards is:

  • too easy (e.g. if school is  As and EA, but quality assurance meeting is a mixture of  Bs and Cs, and SA/CA) or
  • too hard (e.g. if school is Cs and SA, but quality assurance meeting is a mixture of Bs and As, and HA).

If major discrepancies are noted, TASC will suggest that a school give careful consideration to the need for action. Actions might include, but are not limited to:

  • increased internal moderation, especially for major assessment tasks
  • the use of teachers and/or subject experts from outside your school to take part in moderated assessments with your teachers
  • review of ratings/grade/marks given thus far in major assessment tasks.

End of year data At the end of the year, TASC compares the school and quality assurance meeting ratings/awards with the student’s final ratings and awards and undertakes an analysis of these data sets and may request further information, clarification and/or evidence where apparent discrepancies are identified. While it is understood that neither the school nor quality assurance meeting ratings/awards are predictions of final results (but rather two points for assessment of the same materials), noted major discrepancies will be discussed with the school. For example, if the ‘school’ ratings/awards were ‘A’s’ and EA, and quality assurance meeting ratings/awards were ‘C’s’ and ‘SA’, and the final reported results were A’s and EA this may – or may not – indicate that the quality assurance advice had been ignored. This information provides a point for discussion between TASC and the school.