6.4.1 Making decisions about AARA
Most decisions about AARA are made at the school level. The principal is responsible for making AARA decisions and following processes for recording information and seeking QCAA approval where required. Decisions should be based on AARA principles (see Section 6.1) and eligibility (see Section 6.2).
- All AARA in Unit 1 and Unit 2
- Principal-reported AARA in
Units 3 and 4
- QCAA-approved AARA in
Units 3 and 4
6.4.2 Application and notification process
AARA in Unit 1 and Unit 2
Schools make decisions about AARA for Unit 1 and Unit 2 in consultation with students, parents/carers and other relevant stakeholders.
To approve AARA, a principal or principal’s delegate must:
- be reasonably satisfied that the need for the AARA exists based on AARA principles (see Section 6.1) and eligibility (see Section 6.2)
- be able to provide evidence to justify the decision. (The QCAA does not specify evidence required.)
Evidence of AARA being enacted for a student in Unit 1 or Unit 2 will be considered as part of an application for the same AARA in Units 3 and 4. However, provision of AARA by a school for Unit 1 and Unit 2 assessments does not guarantee that students will be provided the same AARA for assessment in Units 3 and 4. Schools are encouraged to submit applications for Units 3 and 4 as early as possible to ensure timely decisions and confidence for students.
Detailed description of this diagram
Principal-reported AARA in Units 3 and 4
Principal-reported AARA are specific practical arrangements and adjustments authorised by the principal or principal’s delegate for an eligible student, relevant to assessment in Units 3 and 4.
To approve AARA, a principal or principal’s delegate must:
- be reasonably satisfied that the need for the AARA exists based on AARA principles (see Section 6.1) and eligibility (see Section 6.2)
- be able to provide evidence to justify the decision (the QCAA does not specify evidence required).
Schools must notify the QCAA, in the QCAA Portal, of principal-reported AARA for students undertaking summative internal and external assessment in Units 3 and 4 of Applied, Applied (Essential), General, General (Extension), General (Senior External Examination) subjects and Short Courses.
Schools retain supporting documentation for principal-reported AARA to supply, if required, to the QCAA as part of the quality assurance processes for AARA or as part of a review process.
QCAA-approved AARA in Units 3 and 4
The QCAA is responsible for approving identified AARA for students undertaking summative assessment in Units 3 and 4 of Applied, Applied (Essential), General, General (Extension), General (Senior External Examination) subjects and Short Courses.
QCAA-approved AARA are specific practical arrangements and adjustments that can only be approved by the QCAA following consideration of supporting documentation submitted with the AARA application in the QCAA Portal. Schools are to contact the QCAA for advice where the evidence requirements cannot be met due to exceptional circumstances.
MLPs must submit applications for QCAA-approved AARA to the QCAA on students’ behalf, in the QCAA Portal.
Type of assessment | Adjustment |
|---|---|
Summative assessment — internal examination |
|
| Summative assessment — common internal assessment (CIA) for Applied (Essential) subjects |
|
Summative external assessment and Senior External Examinations |
|
Detailed description of this diagram
6.4.3 Timelines
It is best to apply as early as possible, to ensure timely decisions and confidence for students. Applications for students with long-term conditions may be submitted as soon as students are enrolled in subjects in the Student Management app, and arrangements may be updated prior to assessment, as required.
| Type of AARA | Unit 3 and 4 General subjects — internal assessments | Common internal assessment (CIA) — Applied (Essential) subjects | Unit 3 and 4 General subjects external assessments and General (SEE) subjects |
|---|---|---|---|
Alternative format papers, e.g.
| Due dates are determined by the school. | Applications for Phase 1 are due by the end of Term 3 in the formative year. Applications for Phase 2 are due by the end of February in the summative year. | Applications are due by the end of February in the assessment year. For General (Senior External Examination) subjects, contact the QCAA AARA Unit as soon as possible after registration. Significant advance notice is required for design and production. |
QCAA-approved AARA (including in combination with principal-reported AARA) | For existing long-term and chronic conditions — applications may be submitted as soon as students are enrolled in subjects in the Student Management app. Applications must be submitted by completion of Units 1 and 2. For all others, applications are due as soon as possible before the assessment event. | For existing long-term and chronic conditions — applications are due by the end of Term 1 in the summative year. For short-term conditions or temporary injuries that are unlikely to resolve before mid-October — applications are due by the end of Week 5 Term 3 in the summative year. AARA applications for General (Senior External Examination) subjects close on the date published in the SEP calendar. | |
Principal-reported AARA only | Notification is due before the relevant confirmation event | Notification is due by the end of Term 3 in the summative assessment year. | |
| Illness and misadventure | Apply principal-reported AARA (extensions and/or comparable assessments) before contacting the QCAA. | Illness and misadventure applications may be submitted from 14 days before the start of the assessment period to 7 days after the assessment. See Section 6.5: Illness and misadventure. | |
| Note: Early applications benefit students and schools. If these timelines are not adhered to, the QCAA cannot guarantee that applications will be processed prior to relevant assessment. Alternative format papers require extended timelines and detailed consultation to be produced. Schools must meet the timelines for these papers or the QCAA cannot guarantee that they will be produced prior to relevant assessment. In extenuating circumstances, contact the QCAA. | |||
6.4.4 Examples of AARA
The following table provides examples of principal-reported and QCAA-approved AARA. The list is not exhaustive. Each individual student’s circumstances should be considered on a case-by-case basis, while balancing the interests of the individual and other parties. Schools are encouraged to contact the QCAA for pre-application advice about students’ needs for any adjustments not listed or where there are complex or extensive adjustments. Further details and resources can be found under AARA on the QCAA website. Email aara@qcaa.qld.edu.au or phone 1300 381 575.
The QCAA recognises that at times, a student’s ability to participate in a performance assessment may require adjustment, e.g. temporary injury preventing participation in a physical activity, or impairment impacting participation in an oral presentation. Contact the QCAA to discuss individual student circumstances.
AARA | Approval type | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Summative internal assessment | Common internal assessment | Summative external assessment | Senior External Examination | |
Alternative format papers (e.g. braille, A4 to A3 enlargement, digital format, large print papers) | Principal-reported | QCAA-approved | QCAA-approved | |
Assistance | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | QCAA-approved | |
Assistive technology | Principal-reported | QCAA-approved | QCAA-approved | |
Bite-sized food | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | |
Comparable assessment (see Section 7.4: Developing a comparable assessment instrument) | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | Not applicable | |
Computer | Principal-reported | QCAA-approved | QCAA-approved | |
Drink | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | |
Diabetes management | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | |
Extension | Principal-reported | Not applicable | Not applicable | |
Extra time | QCAA-approved | QCAA-approved | QCAA-approved | |
Individual instructions (e.g. Auslan interpreter for instructions, a copy of the written instructions) | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | |
Medication (prescribed medication in a clear container only) | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | |
Physical equipment and environment (e.g. specialised desk/chair, cushion/blanket, crutches, heat/cold pack, noise cancelling headphones) | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | |
Reader | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | QCAA-approved | |
Rest breaks | QCAA-approved | QCAA-approved | QCAA-approved | |
Scribe | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | QCAA-approved | |
Varied seating (e.g. single student supervision in separate room, small group supervision, out-of-order seating in main assessment room) | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | |
Variations to venue | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | QCAA-approved | |
Vision aids (e.g. coloured transparency overlay, magnification devices) | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | Principal-reported | |
Other (any other uncategorised AARA; contact the QCAA’s AARA Unit before applying) | QCAA-approved | QCAA-approved | QCAA-approved | |
6.4.5 Supporting documentation for QCAA approved AARA
School statement
A school statement must be submitted with all applications for QCAA-approved AARA. It provides, for each student requiring AARA:
- a detailed overview of the functional impact/s of the student’s disability and/or medical condition during timed assessment
- confirmation of the student’s previous use of AARA in assessment and the effectiveness of each AARA in addressing the reported functional impact/s for the student in accessing assessment and demonstrating what they know and can do on the same basis as other students.
The school statement should be prepared by the staff member/s most familiar with the needs of the student in relation to the impact of their disability and/or medical condition in assessment.
Applications for QCAA-approved AARA that are submitted by the MLP without an appropriate school statement will be declined until the appropriate evidence is provided. Applications are submitted in the AARA app in the QCAA Portal. For more information about submitting the school statement, see Access arrangements and reasonable adjustments (AARA).
School statement on imputed disability
Where a student’s disability has not been formally diagnosed and a school team has imputed disability based on reasonable grounds and supported by documented evidence, a school statement on imputed disability may be submitted for applications for QCAA-approved AARA. It provides:
- information about the nature of the imputed disability and the student’s inclusion in the NCCD
- a summary of documented evidence that undiagnosed disability is having a functional impact on the student’s capacity to participate in education on the same basis as peers
- a detailed overview of the functional impact/s of the student’s imputed disability during timed assessment
- confirmation of the student’s previous use of AARA in assessment and the effectiveness of each AARA in addressing the reported functional impact/s for the student in accessing assessment and demonstrating what they know and can do on the same basis as other students.
Note: Imputing disability is not the same as diagnosing disability. While a school team may identify characteristics and impacts of disability, a diagnosis can only be made by a qualified medical or allied health practitioner.
For more information about submitting the school statement on imputed disability, see Access arrangements and reasonable adjustments (AARA).
Student statement (optional)
The student may choose to submit their own statement with the application for QCAA-approved AARA about how their disability and/or medical condition affects them in assessment. However, this is not required and the absence of a student statement does not disadvantage an AARA application.
Medical report
Applications for QCAA-approved AARA for students with disability or medical condition/s require the submission of a medical report that provides:
- diagnosis of disability and/or medical condition
- date of diagnosis, occurrence or onset of the disability and/or medical condition
- information about how the diagnosed disability and/or medical condition may affect the student participating in assessment, particularly timed assessment.
The medical report may be completed by a registered medical practitioner including a general practitioner (GP), medical specialist, psychologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist or optometrist, a certified practising speech pathologist or a speech pathologist who is eligible for membership of Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) as a certified practising member. This practitioner must not be related to the student or directly employed by the student’s MLP. Practitioners, such as regional speech pathologists who are employed to support multiple schools or in programs such as GPs in schools, are not considered directly employed by the MLP. Schools are encouraged to contact the QCAA to check, if required.
Details of the diagnosis should be written by the practitioner who is best placed professionally to make the diagnosis. A medical report completed by a provisionally registered medical practitioner must be co-signed by a supervising practitioner with full registration.
The QCAA provides a medical report template that may be used to complete the report. Medical reports may use a different format, as long as they provide the required details and are signed and dated by the medical or allied health practitioner.
In cases of imputed disability and verified disability in the Education Adjustment Program (where a review of criterion 1 was not required) a medical report is not required.
The QCAA recognises there may be exceptional circumstances that prevent a student being able to access a medical practitioner. In exceptional circumstances, medical evidence may not be required. See Section 6.6: Exceptional circumstances for further information.
Evidence of verified disability
For many years, Queensland school students with disability were included in the Education Adjustment Program (EAP) when criteria were met in specified disability categories. The EAP has phased out (with the exception of verification for special school enrolment purposes). However, the formal notification of EAP provided by the relevant education authority may still substitute for a medical report in an AARA application. This applies:
- if the formal EAP notification specifies that EAP verification was approved and a review of EAP criterion 1 was not required
- to verification in all EAP categories except social/emotional.
Except with the QCAA’s prior written agreement, in cases when a review of EAP criterion 1 was requested, an updated medical report is required. This may be provided by a GP or other relevant medical practitioner or allied health professional.
Schools should contact the QCAA for advice if a student is unable to provide an updated medical report or if an update is not appropriate.
Other evidence
For eligible students, supporting documentation may also include:
- teacher observations
- results from standardised academic testing
- individual learning plans
- consultation/meeting records.
Where the condition or circumstance is not medical, students may supply other relevant evidence including:
- police reports
- other government departments’ reports
- official notices.
Schools are to contact the QCAA for further advice where evidence requirements cannot be met due to extenuating circumstances. See Section 6.6 for more information.
Currency of supporting documentation for QCAA-approved AARA
School statements should reflect the current needs of the student.
The currency of supporting medical documentation depends on the nature of the diagnosed disability and/or medical condition.
Long-term conditions that are unlikely to improve over time
Except in exceptional circumstances, and with the prior written agreement of the QCAA, for long-term conditions when the student is not still covered by EAP verification (where a review of EAP criterion 1 was not required), medical documentation must be dated no earlier than 1 January of the year of the student’s Year 10 enrolment.
Where a diagnostic report is dated prior to the student’s Year 10 enrolment, only an update is required — not a reassessment or review of diagnosis. This may be provided by a general practitioner or other relevant medical practitioner or allied health professional.
Schools should contact the QCAA for advice if a student is unable to provide an updated medical report or if an update is not appropriate.
Where an application has been submitted for a student with a long-term condition and the condition deteriorates after the application decision, a further application may be submitted that provides updated information regarding the student’s condition.
Short-term conditions or temporary injuries
Short-term conditions may improve or deteriorate over time depending on a range of influences and factors. Supporting medical documentation for short-term conditions and temporary injuries must cover the date/s of the assessment/s for which the application is made.
For internal assessment, schools should consider if extensions of time (new due dates) are most appropriate. Extensions and comparable assessments are principal-reported AARA. The QCAA does not specify evidence requirements or require upload of supporting documentation for principal-reported AARA.
See Section 6.5: Illness and misadventure.
Schools should phone the QCAA’s AARA Unit on 1300 381 575 or email aara@qcaa.qld.edu.au if there are any barriers to students obtaining the appropriate documentation. See Section 6.6: Exceptional circumstances for more information.
6.4.6 Reviewing a QCAA-approved AARA decision
A student may request a review of a decision about QCAA-approved AARA.
If a student has had one or more QCAA-approved AARA declined, their school may submit a new application with updated supporting documentation. If the student is dissatisfied with a decision, they may apply for an internal review under section 79 of the QCAA Act. The application must be in writing, must address the grounds of the application, including any new evidence, and must be made within 14 days from the date of the decision notice. The application must be lodged by the school in the QCAA Portal.
The process and timeline for this review will depend on the type of assessment — internal or external.
Upon receiving the application, the QCAA will appoint internal review officers to consider all the information relating to the decision, including the reasons for the decision. The officers will be different from those who considered the original application.
The QCAA will consider the internal review officer’s recommendation and confirm or amend the original decision. Both the student and the school will be notified about the outcome of the review.
If the student is dissatisfied with the internal review decision, the school may apply under section 82 of the QCAA Act for an external review by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
For more information about review applications, phone the QCAA’s AARA Unit on 1300 381 575 or email aara@qcaa.qld.edu.au.
