ADHS Policies
Assessment and Reporting Policy - Full
Personal Use of Communication Devices Policy
Homework
The ADHS community believes in the importance of homework and home learning. Homework is learning done out of class that relates directly to class programs e.g. study for tests, assignment work, or preparation for a class presentation. Home learning is the learning students do, for example, by general reading, watching and/or listening to the news and quality television and radio programs, or self-set tasks to correct weaknesses. The homework policy has three parts: statements for Teachers, Students, and Parents.
Teacher Statement
All Key Learning Areas will set homework and encourage home learning. Homework will vary in its nature, amount, and timing, as appropriate to achieve the overall aim of the highest levels of student learning.
Goals of the ADHS Homework Policy are to:
* encourage student initiative, self-discipline, and responsibility for their own learning
* provide opportunities for practice and review of learning, skills, abilities, and processes
* facilitate make-up of work missed during legal absences
* enable students to apply learning to materials under study
* extend classroom learning
* enable students to prepare for lessons
* encourage students to develop time-management skills
* enable students to demonstrate understanding of lessons taught
* stimulate students' independent thinking and problem-solving
* encourage a range of study skills.
To do this, set homework will:
* be directly related to instruction and to course requirements
* be clearly defined, and weighted for assessment
* be planned
* be learning-oriented, interesting, varied, and appropriate to the needs and abilities of the learners
* be assessed appropriately and responded to with timely feedback
* directly affect students' grades
* be given with sufficient time for quality completion and consideration of available resource materials
* never be used as a punishment.
Student Statement
The School Community considers home learning and homework to be important and we expect all students to spend some time each school week studying at home.
The learning students do in classrooms, laboratories, workshops, art rooms, kitchens, the library, PE locations, and in practical rooms, is, of course, very important learning. However, we all know that it is not the only learning students do. They learn from their parents and other family members, from friends, from the media - as well as by thinking, writing, reading, talking, listening, doing, experimenting; and they learn by doing homework.
Some of the tasks below are obviously things that students are expected to do (homework) while others we encourage them to do (home learning). All of them should help improve the quality of students' learning:
* completion of teacher-set tasks
* completion of work begun in class
* revision of work done in class
* self-set revision of areas of weakness
* general reading
* reading/research on areas related to class work, e.g. in newspapers, magazines, source books
* original/personal writing in, for example, a journal
* drafting, revision and editing of assignment work
* study for tests
* note-making
* preparation of questions for subsequent lessons
* preparation for seminars, class performances and group discussions
* reflection on learning and other school experiences
* watching T.V. news/selected quality programs
* planning for school activities
* rehearsals for school plays, e.g. learning lines, songs, music
* physical exercise/training
* oral language other than English exercises
* listening to quality radio
* skills practice.
If students or parents are concerned about too much or too little homework, they should talk to the class teacher and/or the Executive Teacher of the area. Remember, that even if a teacher does not set specific homework on a given day, students will nonetheless always have something useful they could do for each subject (see above).
Parent Statement
Parents can help their child's homework program by:
* expecting their child to have and to do regular homework in each area of study
* monitoring the amount given and the amount of time their child spends doing homework
* contacting class teachers and/or the Year Advisor if the amount of homework causes concern
* showing a genuine but not obtrusive interest in what is being done and how well, and by following up on homework
* providing an atmosphere helpful to orderly homework/home study
* where possible, providing information, resources, and constructive advice and suggestions, as well as proofreading, hearing work etc.
Assessment
Assessment at ADHS aims primarily to provide high quality information which will enhance student learning. It is also used to provide information for the placement of students in certain courses of study. Assessment describes demonstrated performance against student learning outcomes, and includes both formative and summative assessment.
Grades
Grades are awarded on a five-point scale A to E for all standard units:
A Outstanding achievement
B High achievement
C Sound achievement
D Limited achievement
E Very limited achievement.
Other codes are used for particular educational circumstances:
P Satisfactory Standard
U Unsatisfactory Standard
S Status is awarded when unavoidable circumstances prevent assessment e.g. illness, recent arrival.
Review Process
Students have access to a review process for an individual item or with a final grade. The following procedure will apply:
1. As soon as possible after official receipt of an assessment item grade/report, a student will discuss the matter with the teacher concerned.
2. Should this not resolve the situation, the student should immediately approach the Executive Teacher of that learning area for assistance in reaching a resolution. Steps 1 and 2 should be completed within three school days
3. If the situation remains unresolved after steps 1 and 2, within a further two school days following consultation with the Executive Teacher the student must lodge a verbal request for review with either the Principal or the Deputy Principal. The grounds for review should be put in writing as soon as practicable after the verbal request. This officer will then form a panel consisting of either the Principal or the Deputy Principal, the Executive Teacher of the learning area and a teacher chosen by the student. The panel will meet to consider the evidence. When the student is asked to attend the meeting, he/she may bring a parent/friend to the meeting. This is the highest level of appeal for all Year 7 and 8 students.
4. If a Year 9 or 10 student is dissatisfied with the result of the high school review process, they may appeal to the Director General of the Directorate. An appeal may also be made against a Principal's decision not to award an ACT Year 10 Certificate. Appeals to the Department should be made in writing as soon as possible after notification of the school's review decision. If a student wishes to appeal a school's review decision, the appeal must be made within one month of the school review. A brochure giving information about appeals is distributed to senior students and copies are available at the school. An appeal should be forwarded through:
Educational Performance and Reporting Section
Department of Education and Training
GPO Box 158
Canberra ACT 2601
Reporting
Reports
Reporting is an essential part of the school's communication process. The School issues two types of formal reports:
1. A progress report in the first and third terms
2. A detailed semester report at the end of each semester.
These are important documents and should be perused carefully, discussed with teachers and kept for future reference.
High School Record
If a student leaves ADHS in Year 9 or 10, before the completion of Year 10, he/she is entitled to receive a High School Record. This document is certified by the Principal and is a transcript of all courses and grades achieved during Year 9 and 10 when the student was a member of the school.
The ACT Year 10 Certificate
Students whose attendance, progress, and conduct have been satisfactory during Years 9 and 10 will receive a Year 10 Certificate. This is a certificate issued by the ACT ETD and includes a transcript of courses and grades for Years 9 and 10. In the case of students who transfer to ADHS during Years 9 or 10, the Principal will decide whether or not there is sufficient information to award a Year 10 Certificate.
ADHS Graduation Certificate
Year 10 students who satisfy the School's stated criteria for a Year 10 Certificate will receive a graduation certificate. A grade point average will be calculated for each student based on the allocation of 5 points for an 'A', 4 for a 'B', 3 for a 'C', 2 for a 'D' and 1 for an 'E' grade. Students will graduate in the categories Graduated, Graduated with Credit or Graduated with Distinction dependent upon the grade point average.
Personal Portfolio
All Years 9 and 10 students are strongly encouraged to retain all important documents they receive from the school and elsewhere, such as subject reports, awards, references, work experience reports, references from part-time employers, Year 10 Certificate and Curriculum Vitae.