Undertake moderation to confirm decision making is consistent

Conduct professional discussions to confirm that decision making has been applied consistently (for example, meetings with teachers at the school/with other schools). Discussions and moderation meetings reference the latest national professional learning material as the primary source.

Moderation refers to using teachers’ professional judgements to create a uniform standard about student achievement. When moderating, teachers calibrate their judgements through professional conversations and by reviewing samples of student work or other student data. The moderation process enables teachers to develop a shared understanding of curriculum and student achievement and enhances fairness and consistency in teacher judgements.

What is the NCCD moderation process?

The NCCD moderation process can be understood as an extension of existing school moderation practices. When moderating school-based decisions for the NCCD, teachers discuss students’ level of adjustment and category of disability to make decisions that are consistent, reliable and defensible.

In the NCCD moderation process, staff review all evidence and build a shared understanding of:

• the level of adjustment being provided for each student to meet the identified educational needs arising from their disability
• the broad category of disability for which support is provided.

The NCCD moderation resource for schools This link will open in a new window is a useful tool.

Key activities of the NCCD moderation process

1. Establish a moderation team.
2. Select sample students for moderation.
3. Summarise student information.
4. Independently examine student cases.
5. Compare judgements.
6. Reach consensus.
7. Complete the NCCD process.

1. Establish a moderation team

The NCCD moderation team consists of two or more people involved in educational planning for, and in support of, students with disability at the school. In small schools, external moderators may be invited to support the process. Everyone in the moderation team should have a good understanding of:

• the Disability Discrimination Act 1992
• the Disability Standards for Education 2005 This link will open in a new window
• the NCCD model
• the criteria for a student’s inclusion in the NCCD
• the levels of adjustment and broad categories of disability as defined in the current NCCD guidelines This link will open in a new window.

2. Select sample students for moderation

The moderation team selects a small sample of students to moderate, drawn from students included in the school’s NCCD reporting. If possible, select a minimum of eight students, ideally including:

• students receiving varying levels of adjustment across the four levels of adjustment
• students from a range of NCCD categories of disability. In smaller schools, all students receiving adjustments should be considered.

3. Summarise student information

Without making a decision about the NCCD level of adjustment or category of disability, a member of the moderation team summarises the documented evidence and data for each sample student.

4. Independently examine student cases

Each summarised student case is then independently examined by a minimum of two moderators. After careful examination of the evidence, each moderator decides the level of adjustment and the broad category of disability.

5. Moderators compare judgements

Moderators discuss and compare their judgements and the data and evidence informing their judgements.

6. Reach consensus

Moderators reach consensus by discussing judgements where there were disagreements, drawing on evidence, and referring back to the NCCD descriptors of the levels of adjustment and categories of disability. Where consensus is not reached, it is recommended that moderators note why the student was placed in a particular level of adjustment and disability category so that this information is available to inform the subsequent year’s moderation process.

7. Complete the NCCD process

Once the moderation process has been completed and the team is confident that they are making reliable and consistent judgements, they can now complete the process for the remaining eligible students.

When does moderation occur?

Moderation occurs well before the official data entry period of the NCCD. This enables schools to address significant discrepancies that could affect the consistency and reliability of the data.

Moderation diagram

Download the Moderation diagram This link will open in a new window (PDF).