2.4.2 Essay
Weight: 40%
Type of Collaboration:
Individual
Submission: Submit as a 1,500 word WORD document (NOT A PDF) to Turnitin
Format: – Your tone will be formal, using an active voice. Avoid a passive tone and personal
pronouns.
– Use inclusive terminology (person-first language) and Australian English.
– You are not writing an essay or an opinion piece. You will need to demonstrate an
understanding of the key issue or barrier and critically analyse the current literature, so
that you can take a thoughtful stance.
– The word count of 1,500 words includes in-text referencing but NOT the reference list.
– Word limits are +/- 10% of the total listed. Marking will be based on these limits. Any
words over the limit will not be marked.
– The distribution of words for each section (see below) is a guide only.
– Format your paper using the APA 7 style guide, e.g. include a title, use double line
spacing, 12 Arial font and a footer with your student ID and page numbers.
– You can use headings.
– Use APA 7 Referencing Style Guide to format your in-text references and reference list.
An APA style guide is available on the library website.
– As a future teacher, it is important for you to demonstrate proficient academic literacy.
Edit your work carefully paying close attention to structure, paragraphing, grammar,
syntax and punctuation.
– Assignments submitted after the due date and time, without an approved extension, will
be penalised 10% per day for late submission.
– You must keep a copy of your assignment.
Length: 1,500 words
Curriculum Mode:
CONTEMPORARY ISSUE
At the start of Term 4 2022, the NSW Inclusive Education Policy for students with disability came into effect.
The new Inclusive Education Policy for students with disability has been developed by the Department of Education
to reinforce their commitment to creating an inclusive education system that provides every student with an equitable
opportunity to access high-quality education. Read the policy here
https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/pd-2005-0243 . It can also be found in Assessment folder 2.
The policy defines inclusive education as:
The means that all students, regardless of disability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, nationality, language, gender,
sexual orientation or faith, can access and fully
participate in learning, alongside their similar-aged peers, supported by reasonable adjustments and teaching
strategies tailored to meet their individual needs. (p. 1).
The policy draws on the legal obligations under the Disability Standards for Education 2005 and the standards such
as the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Teacher Standards.
According to the policy, all students with disability:
12
are entitled to enroll in their local government school if they are eligible to attend
are welcomed and included in all aspects of school life
can access and fully participate in learning alongside their peers
are supported to express their views, set goals and self-advocate
are supported by reasonable adjustments and personalized support so they are engaged and learning to their
fullest capability.
The policy spells out the following roles and responsibilities for all teachers in implementing inclusive education.
Teachers:
1. ensure students with disability are included in all aspects of school life
2. communicate and engage with students and their parents or carers on their education and adjustments on an
ongoing basis
3. plan to meet students diverse learning needs and maintain records of teaching strategies, including differentiation
and evidence-based practices
4. collaborate with the learning and support team and other department staff and seek advice from external service
providers to make reasonable adjustments, as needed
5. regularly monitor and review the use and effectiveness of reasonable adjustments
6. monitor the progress of individual students with disability against their learning goals, focus on strengths, and
address areas for improvement where needed
7. assess and report progress to students, parents, and carers.
Scenario:
The NSW Department of Education has asked all early childhood education, care settings, and schools how they will
contribute to the achievement of the roles and responsibilities. Your manager/principal has asked you to select one
role/responsibility and develop a position paper that sets out how your team should achieve the selected role/responsibility
in your context (educational setting). The principal/manager has said that each setting must provide a
response to the Secretary, NSW Department of Education and it is intended your position paper will be submitted
as evidence of what needs to be done to contribute to the achievement of this role/responsibility in your context
(educational setting). It is important that the response considers the issues at a local level.
You will prepare a 1,500-word position paper advocating an appropriate and thoughtful response to ONE of the roles
and responsibilities under Teachers in relation to your area of teaching (early childhood, primary or secondary). The
position paper will have 4 aligned components:
1. Title: Role/responsibility and Teaching Area.
2. Your position: The statement clearly identifies what needs to be done, by your educational setting, to achieve
the role/responsibility you have selected (what needs to happen if this role/responsibility was to be achieved).
3. Your Justification: Justify this position (this identifies the current issues, that is the barriers, challenges, and
possibilities to achieving the role/responsibility, and therefore this is the right way forward) for your educational
setting.
4. Two specific recommendations: (this is what your team will specifically do to contribute to achieving this
role/responsibility. It must not be vague. The recommendations must be actionable in your educational setting
and supported by evidence that they will achieve the stated role/responsibility by your team.
PREPARATION
This assignment often takes more time to prepare as you will need to think deeply about your response. Allow
sufficient time to develop your argument and edit your work.
Review the information available on the government website https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/
policies/pd-2005-0243 in particular, read the Summary of Inclusive Education for students with disability policy
that can be found on the website. There will be a link in the Assessment 2 folder.
Select one of the seven roles and responsibilities to focus on for your position paper.
13
Identify which educational setting you will focus on.
Review the resources in the vUWS Assessment 2 folder.
Undertake your own research about the current issues, challenges, and possibilities in Australia in relation to
the implications for inclusive education in this role/responsibility. Investigate examples of best practices.
Write a statement, that reflects your position on the selected role/responsibility, and then justify your position by
elaborating on the key issues, referencing the literature to support your argument. Write two recommendations
that align with your position statement and justification.
Check that your position, justification, and recommendations align. Is the argument logical, credible, and based
on evidence?
When undertaking your research ensure your references are current (the majority should be less than 5 years
old), mostly Australian; relevant to your (early childhood, primary or secondary) context; and peer-reviewed
literature and not websites. It is wise to reference your text.
Remember this is not an opinion piece, it is a formal position paper responding to policy, which will be read
by the relevant Departmental officers, and consequently it should have a succinct and formal tone.
A good starting point is to reflect on some of these questions as you explore the complexities of your
response:
How does the role/responsibility influence the implementation of inclusive education?
Why should we care about the role/responsibility?
How realistic are the roles and responsibilities, do they go far enough, or do they go too far?
What are some of the underlying issues and barriers to achieving this role/responsibility?
How likely is it that the achievement of the role/responsibility will influence the way children/students with
disabilities and their families experience inclusive education?
How do the issues or barriers influence the achievement of the role/responsibility?
What does the research say might ameliorate these barriers? What can we learn from international practices?
What other measures and mechanisms will promote the inclusion of children/students with disability in education
and learning?
Lastly, a word about why we have asked you to write a position paper. Yes, it is true as a graduate teacher you
may not be asked to write a position paper. However, as a leader in the community and an advocate for individuals
with disabilities, you must be able to communicate your ideas. In your career, you will also be asked to contribute to
discussions and working groups. For instance, your team may be asked to decide how you will respond to changing
policies and procedures. It is important that as a graduate you can critically analyze the literature and synthesise
information to present your ideas in a logical and thoughtful way. This assignment asks you to do just that. It is
more like a persuasive essay, one where you adopt a position and provide evidence to convince the reader (in this
case the Department) that your position is the right one, based on all the evidence you have gathered.
WRITING YOUR POSITION PAPER
There are 4 sections to your paper:
Title: Role/responsibility and Teaching Area
1. Your position (Approximately 100-200 words): In a clear outcome statement of 1-3 sentences identify your
position relating to the role/responsibility you have selected. The statement explains what you think should
happen, it states the best-case scenario. You are identifying concisely what you think the response should be
to achieve the selected role/responsibility in your educational setting. It should be written in the affirmative.
2. Justification (Approximately 800 words): In this section, you are justifying why you have taken this position
relating to the policy priority. This is where you explain what is/is not working, what could be done better, and
why. Your argument should be logically aligned and supported by the literature: this is the issue or problem;
therefore, it is a problem, this is what needs to change, and therefore your position is the most appropriate.
You will need to consider the implications for inclusive education and identify relevant theories, research, other
legislation, and policies to substantiate your claims. The justification supports your recommendations.
14
3. Recommendations (approximately 500 words): You will make two clear and specific evidence-based recommendations.
These recommendations will identify key stakeholders in your educational setting and what they
should pursue to realize the position you are advocating. What innovative ideas do you have that would lead
to change at a local level?
Your recommendations will:
link specifically to your selected role/responsibility and teaching area.
align clearly with your position relating to the role/responsibility and justification.
expand and provide more detail about how the recommendations can be achieved at a local level.
reference to and be supported by current research.
be clear and detailed enough that the government can implement the changes you are suggesting; and
be specific and avoid broad, generalized statements or strategies that are already being implemented, that is
they go beyond what is already happening now (because we know that is not working).
5 References:
Use a minimum of 5 current academic journal articles or texts.
At least one of your references should be a chapter in your text book (referenced correctly).
At this level of study, you are expected to move beyond using websites to substantiate your claims.
Use correct APA7 style with attention to detail including punctuation, spacing and italics.
What do I need to submit?
Submit your WORD document to Turnitin labelled as either DRAFT or FINAL as appropriate.
Resources:
Preparation
– On vUWS you will find a template to help you prepare your position paper.
– On the vUWS site you will find past exemplars/excerpts of assignments and relevant resources in the Assessment
folder.
– Help with Turnitin is available through the Library. You will find links to video clips, FAQ and help sheets at
http://library.westernsydney.edu.au/main/guides/turnitin – Help with the American Psychological Association
(APA) referencing style is available through the Library. For APA7 see http://library.westernsydney.edu.au/main/
sites/default/files/cite APA.pdf and use this guide as a reference when preparing your assignment. USE APA7.
– You can also seek help from a librarian go to www.westernsydney.edu.au/library to find out library opening hours
at your nearest campus.
– For help with academic literacy, assignment preparation, PDF resources, go the Study Smart Zone https://
westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart/home – For individual help with your assignment and to refine your academic
literacy contact a Study Smart Officer, go to https://westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart/home/study_smart_zone/
officers
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|