Qualifications and standards

Visual Arts - portfolio verification for levels 1 and 2

Preparation of submissions (levels 1 and 2)

The assessment specifications for each standard describe the requirements for submissions at all levels and can be found on the NZQA Visual Arts Level 1 subject resource page and the Visual Arts Level 2 subject resource page.
Schools send one submission for level 1 for Achievement Standard 90916. From 2011 onwards, this may comprise of portfolio and/or digital portfolio (moving image) work.
For level 2, schools with candidate entries in one field submit work only from that field. Schools with candidate entries in two or more fields should submit work from two fields only.
The submission date will be the date that the courier collects the relevant material from the school. This will mean that all students have the same submission date and, therefore, the same deadline.
Schools will receive a mailout from NZQA by Friday, 30 September 2011. This will contain required materials for verification. If you have not received your materials by 30 September, please contact Sacha Stevens on 04 463 4276 or at sacha.stevens@nzqa.govt.nz.

Levels 1 and 2 verification

Level 1 submission date: The due date for level 1 submissions to be collected by the courier and for the provisional entry of results is Thursday 27 October.

Level 2 due date: The due date for level 2 submissions to be collected by the courier and for the provisional entry of results is Wednesday 2 November.

Level 1 and level 2 blue and red bags will be collected by New Zealand Couriers.

New Zealand Couriers will collect submissions between 10am and 3pm on the due date. Please have bags ready for pick-up in the school office, by 10am on the day of collection. Schools are not required to ring and order courier pickup this year. If bags are not collected by 3pm, please phone Siona Tulia at NZQA on 04 463 4305.

Provisional result entry and verification submission schedule:

For instructions for entering provisional results on-line for all level 1 and 2 external standards please read the document titled User guide to load provisional results on the web for external verification. This document can be found in your school’s High Security section of the NZQA website. It will be available from 12 September 2011.
Schools must enter all provisional results via the web site before the packing of portfolios for despatch.
The verification submission schedule, which is printed out at the end of the provisional results’ entry process, must be included in each bag with the portfolios (see the instructions for entering provisional results online). A sample of a submission schedule is included at the end of this document.
The verification submission schedule includes provision for schools to sign off permission to use photographs of student work for reporting purposes, and authentication of submissions.
For each standard, you must indicate online the candidates whose work will be submitted for verification.
Schools send for verification:
- 7 portfolios if they have 7 or more candidates
- all portfolios if they have fewer than 7 candidates.

For level 1 submissions only, schools should submit up to four digital portfolios and three A1-sized portfolios, if both formats are being assessed. Where schools are assessing using moving image format only, they send seven digital portfolios or all digital portfolios if they have fewer than 7 candidates.

For level 2 submissions, schools may submit work from fields which have not been previously verified.

Candidate work selected for verification should best represent the spread of results awarded in the school for the standard being assessed. Do not include portfolios that have been problematic or atypical.

NOTE: All provisional results should be entered before the despatch of portfolios to the verification venue. These results MUST be available, online, for the start of the verification processes: 27 October for level 1, 2 November for level 2.

Levels 1 and 2 submissions

Art bags: Schools are provided with one art bag per standard submitted (maximum of three bags). These bags are the property of NZQA.

Level 1 submission: This is sent in a blue art bag when sending portfolios only or portfolios and digital portfolios. Where a school is submitting digital portfolios only, the submission should be sent in a New Zealand Courier bag, as provided by NZQA.

Level 2 submission(s): These are sent in red bags. Schools should send submissions from a maximum of two external standards (no more than two red bags).

Schools new to teaching levels 1 and/or 2 Visual Arts should order the required bag(s) by completing and returning the order form which will be sent to schools in May. Schools that have lost blue or red bags are required to pay a replacement cost of $90.00 per bag.

Schools assessing work in digital format only will be required to indicate this to NZQA in May to ensure a New Zealand Courier bag is sent to the school in the September.

Candidate work needs to be fixed securely and dry before packing.

Candidates’ portfolio work needs to be fixed securely and dry before packing.

Each candidate’s portfolio must have the candidate’s NSN and school code clearly displayed. This should be:

printed in clear figures 4 cm high
attached to the top right hand corner the portfolio on both the inside and the outside.

Example: 123456789 – 0024. Please copy the NSNs correctly.

Preparing digital portfolios for sending to NZQA

Samples of candidate digital portfolio work needs to be written to one DVD for each school. The school code number and a list of the candidates NSNs must be printed clearly and correctly on the outside of the DVD case. The work should be:

closed off to prevent additional material being added after assessment
packaged in a bubble-wrap protective casing and taped to a portfolio

Examples:
123456789 – 0024.
125456790 – 0024.
123654897 – 0024
126754389 – 0024

Please copy the NSNs correctly.

If schools are submitting digital portfolio evidence only, send the DVD in the provided New Zealand Courier bag which will be labelled New Zealand Qualifications Authority, C/-New Zealand Couriers, Wellington.

After verification

Submissions will be returned to schools immediately following verification. Check the bags to ensure that the correct portfolios have been returned. Please contact NZQA promptly if there are any discrepancies in the returned submission.

Review reports

Review reports are produced for submissions that receive significant changes to provisional results after verification. These reports are mailed to schools shortly after the verification process. Those schools receiving review reports must use the feedback to reassess and adjust unverified portfolio final grades, where appropriate. For further information on the process of adjusting provisional grades after receiving a review report refer to The Relationships between Cusps and Bands document on the NZQA Visual Arts Level 1 subject resource page and the Visual Arts Level 2 subject resource page.

Comments are not provided for submissions where there are few changes resulting from verification.

NZQA will monitor the final results of schools receiving review reports.

Entering and generating final results

After the return of submissions, schools must allocate final grades for their remaining candidates based on the results of verification. These are entered electronically.
For instructions for entering final results online for all level 1 and 2 external standards please read the document titled User guide to load final results on the web for external verification. This document can be found in your school's High Security section of the NZQA website. It will be available from 12 September 2011.

Dates

The due date for schools to electronically enter their completed final results is Friday 25 November 2011. Schools may enter final results between 11 and 25 November for level 1 and between 17 and 25 November for level 2.

Final grades for ALL candidates (including those retained by the school) are confidential until candidates receive their results in January 2012.

Authentication of candidate work – levels 1 and 2

Schools manage policies and procedures for authenticating candidate work that is assessed onsite. Schools are requested to certify, on the printout of their submission schedule sent with each submission, that each portfolio entered is the candidate’s own work.

Derived Grades – levels 1 and 2

Schools manage policies and procedures for awarding derived grades for work that is assessed onsite.

Reconsideration of assessment – levels 1 and 2

Schools manage policies and procedures for reconsideration of candidate work that is assessed on site. Details of the appeal process for work submitted for verification will accompany the portfolios returned to schools after verification.

Please refer any enquiries relating to the contents of this information to:

Polly Thin-Rabb
National Assessment Facilitator for Visual Arts
Secondary Examinations
Phone: 04 463 3305
Fax: 04 463 3113
Email: polly.thin-rabb@nzqa.govt.nz

Sample Submission Schedule

(this is the document you include in the blue/red bag with your candidates’ portfolios)