Queensland’s new “high stakes” exam system for Year 12 disadvantages diverse learners with a widening gap appearing in the earlier secondary years, according to QUT education researchers.
External exams for the 2022 Year 12 students in Queensland begin today (October 24) until November 15, with English the first subject assessed.
Two years ago, Queensland introduced a mix of school-based and external examinations in the biggest shake up of the school system in 50 years as the world reacted to the impact of COVID-19.
QUT researcher, former secondary teacher and Head of English, Julie Arnold, is reviewing assessment learning practices with a recent study published in Review of Education.
Studying her PhD at QUT, she is also a part of the Australian Research Council’s Linkage research project, Improving outcomes through accessible assessment and inclusive practice, overseen by leading education academics Professor Linda Graham and Associate Professor Jill Willis.
Ms Arnold (pictured below) said the new exam system has brought about a “washback effect”, with teachers under pressure to make sure their students are prepared, bringing senior curriculum content and marking criteria forward.
She said younger students and their teachers are “effectively juggling two curriculum levels at the same time.”
“Students who perform poorly in Year 10 may even have their subject selections constrained as schools attempt to protect them from failure later on,” she said.
“The effects of raising the stakes and washback are experienced by all students but more so for students with disability or English language learners, who may not have the same personal and cultural resources to overcome additional barriers these new practices have created.”
While there are fewer assessment items in the new system, Ms Arnold warned equally weighted assessment pieces raised the stakes for students.
“Students were more likely to draw on their strengths and a poor performance in one assessment did not spell doom for the overall result, now with four equally weighted pieces and teacher feedback on only two tasks, the stakes for each piece are much higher,” she said.
Previous Senior English (sample) | Assessment in General English (from 2020) |
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Tasks varied significantly between schools. All tasks were designed and marked by schools and centrally moderated. | Tasks 1-3 are written by schools using syllabus prescriptions, endorsed by QCAA, administered and marked by the school, and centrally moderated |
She said with some distance from initial implementation and the worst disruptive effects of COVID now is the time for schools to prioritise: -
- Student access to curriculum at age-appropriate level.
- Understanding how assessment practices, including classroom work, are experienced by the students.
- The joy and the point of learning the subject.
Ms Arnold has been an English Head of Department for more than 20 years and produced the external exam preparation materials for the English Teachers’ Association of Queensland, used by many teachers and students across Queensland. She is a member of QUT’s Centre for Inclusive Education.
CONTACT: QUT Media media@qut.edu.au
