The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) recognises that some students may have disability impairment and/or medical conditions, or experience other circumstances that may be a barrier to their performance in assessment. Access arrangements and reasonable adjustments (AARA) are designed to assist these students.
Access arrangements are action/s taken by the school so that a student with an eligible impairment that may not be covered by the definition of disability can access assessment.
Reasonable adjustments are actions taken by the school so that a student with an eligible impairment as a result of a disability and/or medical condition and experiencing other circumstances creating a barrier to
the completion of assessment can be assessed.
QCAA Information video: Understanding AARA
Eligibility for AARA
AARA are provided to minimise, as much as possible, barriers for a student whose disability, impairment, medical condition or other circumstances may affect their ability to read, respond to or participate in assessment.
These barriers fall into three broad categories:
- Long term and chronic conditions
- Short term conditions and temporary injuries
- Illness and misadventure
The QCAA uses broad application categories for AARA eligibility:
- Cognitive;
- Physical;
- Sensory; and
- Social/emotional.
The application of AARA to student assessment is based on the functional impact of the condition for which AARA are sought. Students with the same condition may experience highly varied impacts on their education, and their ability to demonstrate their learning, knowledge and skill in assessments.
Some common reasons to require an AARA could include, but are not limited to:
- Cognitive (Dyslexia, ASD, ADHD, Dysgraphia or Auditory Processing Disorder);
- Physical (Diabetes, Epilepsy, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, MS, broken bones or misadventure);
- Sensory (hearing, speech or vision impairments); and
- Social/emotional (anxiety, PTSD or depression).
Some common adjustments that can be made include, but are not limited to:
- Extra time (five minutes per half hour) for exams;
- Varied seating arrangements;
- Additional rest breaks;
- The ability to bring food or additional assistive equipment into an exam; and
- Extensions on assessment items.
Ineligibility for AARA
Students are not eligible for AARA on the following grounds:
- Unfamiliarity with the English language;
- Teacher absence or other teacher-related difficulties;
- Matters that the student could have avoided (e.g. misreading an examination timetable, misreading instructions in examinations);
- Matters of the student's or parent's/guardian's own choosing (e.g. family holidays);
- Matters that the school could have avoided (e.g. incorrect enrolment in a subject).
School Approved Absences
Students may engage in a range of learning experiences or activities that exist outside traditional school-based activities. These activities may involve prolonged absences from school, do not meet the requirements for AARA or illness and misadventure applications and may coincide with scheduled assessment periods. Where appropriate, schools may approve student engagement in these experiences. If approved, the school will:
- support student access to teaching and learning that will allow students to successfully meet assessment requirements.
- maintain equitable assessment processes.
- meet QCAA quality assurance timelines.
Situations that are of the student's or parent/carer's own choosing (e.g. family holidays) are not eligible for consideration.
Examples of school-approved absences may include:
- school excursions that cannot be scheduled at another time e.g. performances being viewed as part of the assessment program.
- school, district, regional, state or national representation for school-supported sport.
- school, district, regional, state or national representation for artistic endeavours.
- student exchange programs.
- audition or entrance exams (state, interstate or international).
The school will seek advice from the QCAA in unusual circumstances before approving student absences, particularly if absences will have an impact on the completion of assessment. If the school approves the absence and the student will be absent the day assessment is due, the following actions apply:
- for examinations – schools offer a comparable examination before the due date. Schools are to implement processes that maintain the integrity of the original assessment for the remaining cohort. The school follows the required processes if a comparable assessment instrument is used for summative internal assessment in Units 3 or 4,).
- for non-examinations — students are required to submit/present the assessment on or before the due date.