Secondary School Leaders Forum
Neil McDonald, Acting Chief Executive Officer
What is QSA?
• Essentially a partnership of teachers, principals,
public servants and other education stakeholders
who perform functions defined in legislation.
– The Authority is a 20-person representative board
– The Office is responsible for implementing the
decisions of the board
– The many thousands of teachers in hundreds of
schools.
2013 Forums – working closely with principals
and stakeholders
Cairns
Townsville
Mt Isa
Mackay
Rockhampton
Longreach
Bundaberg
Maryborough
Sunshine Coast
Toowoomba
Brisbane-Ipswich
Gold Coast
QSA Improvement Plan
The Queensland Studies Authority’s vision is to provide quality, innovative and future-focused
products and services to assist all Queensland educational communities.
Snapshot of educational landscape
Review of QSA legislation
Review of QSA legislation and functions:
• Conducted by Department of Education, Training
and Employment
• Education (Queensland Curriculum and
Assessment Authority) Bill 2013 was introduced
into the Parliament for its first reading – 29 October
• The Bill has been referred to the Education and
Innovation Committee for consideration
• New legislation planned for 1 July 2014.
Parliamentary inquiry
• Parliamentary inquiry into assessment methods
used in senior mathematics, chemistry and physics
in Queensland schools.
• Report containing 16 broad recommendations was
released on14 October 2013.
Parliamentary inquiry
• The Parliamentary Committee considered three
main issues:
– whether current assessment processes are
supported by teachers
– student participation levels
– ability of assessment processes to support valid
and reliable judgements of student outcomes.
• The Government to respond within 3 months.
Review of senior assessment and tertiary
entrance
• Review of senior assessment and tertiary entrance
processes.
• ACER – Gabrielle Matters and Geoff Masters.
• Report due in July 2014.
• Terms of reference very broad.
• Widespread consultation with stakeholders.
Terms of reference for the review
• The review will consider the effectiveness of the
systems and identify ways to improve, revitalise or
reform them.
• With respect to assessment and reporting, the
review will consider:
– comparability of student standards of
achievement
– appropriateness, validity and reliability of various
types of assessment instruments
– form and content of reporting
– implications of the Australian Curriculum.
Terms of reference for the review
•
With respect to tertiary entrance, the review will consider:
– alternatives to the OP system
– how to include a wider range of achievements in the TE
rank
– the role and effectiveness of the QCS Test
– roles of QSA and QTAC.
•
The review will also consider communication messages and
strategies to help students, parents and others to
understand the systems of senior assessment and tertiary
entrance.
The real story about eligibility rates
Evidence that it is working
Percentage of population receiving an OP1
Percentage of population with an OP 1 to 5
QCS Test marking….
500+ Markers
QCS Test marking…
• Each aspect of SR testpaper is marked by at least
2 markers.
• Each WT response is marked by at least 3
markers.
• Analysis team monitor and identify discrepancies
between markers.
Analysis of marker consistency…
2013 online release of results and OPs
• Student Connect website
(www.studentconnect.qsa.qld.edu.au)
• From 9.00 am on Saturday 14 December 2013
• LUI and password to login
• QSA needs your help to:
– make sure students have their LUI
– encourage students to log in and activate their
learning account before they leave school.
QSA — Responding to stakeholder needs:
Secondary schools:
• strengthening the review panel system
• supporting implementation of EEIs
Industry and schools:
• Essential Mathematics for the Trades
Working with our stakeholders
Primary schools:
• overcrowded curriculum
• resources to support schools.
Working with our stakeholders
Special needs:
• curriculum offerings
• certification.
Working with our stakeholders
• Special needs actions:
– Develop a small suite of adjusted subject area
syllabuses (SASs).
– Develop of a curriculum framework (learning
expectations) for QCIA.
– Provide information about recognised studies.
– Develop and implement communication strategy
for the current QCIA requirements.
– QSA continues to work with special education
stakeholders to progress the actions and provide
professional development.
Curriculum for students with special needs
Authority Syllabuses
Overall Position
(OP)
Subject Area
Syllabuses (SASs)
Subject areas syllabuses
for students with special
needs
Learning expectations for
the QCIA
Individual Education
Plans
Queensland
Certificate of
Education (QCE)
Queensland
Certificate of
Individual
Achievement (QCIA)
Some useful new resources
• Fractions Paper
• NAPLAN Test Reporting Handbook
• QCS Test guide for parents/carers and sample
maths questions
Australian Curriculum
General capabilities:
21St Century Skills
The 3-dimensions of Australian Curriculum
P–10 Australian Curriculum
Timelines Learning areas
General
capabilities
Cross-curriculum
priorities
Mathematics
Literacy
Science
Numeracy
Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Histories
and Cultures
History
Information and
Communication
Technology (ICT)
Capability
Phase 1
completed
2010
English
Phase 2 and 3
to be
completed
2013
Geography
The Arts
•
Visual Arts
•
Media
•
Dance
•
Music
•
Drama
Health and physical education
Technologies
•
Digital technologies
•
Design and technologies
Civics and citizenship
Economics and Business
Languages
Work Studies Year 9-10
Critical and Creative
Thinking
Ethical Understanding
Personal and Social
Capability
Intercultural
Understanding
Asia and Australia’s
Engagement with Asia
Sustainability
P–10 Queensland implementation
2012
2013
2014
English
History
Geography
Mathematics
Science
2015
2016
The Arts
Health & Physical Education
Civics & Citizenship
Technologies
Economics and Business
Languages
Implementation challenge
72%
79%
49%
Australian Senior Curriculum
ACARA
“subject”
• content
• achievement
standards
QSA
“course”
• integrate national
content and
achievement
standards
School
• add assessment
and certification
requirements
“work
program”
• outlines how the
course is
implemented
Senior secondary Australian Curriculum:
Ministerial decision
• The next step towards national consistency.
• The agreed and common base.
ACARA is working with states and territories:
– common content
– validation of the draft achievement standards
– processes and timelines
– further senior secondary curriculum.
15 endorsed senior secondary Australian
Curriculum subjects
Australian Curriculum
Current Queensland Syllabus
Essential English
English Communication SAS – 33%
English
English – 74%
Literature
No Qld equivalent
English Extension (continued)
English as an additional
language/dialect
English for ESL Learners – 1%
Essential Mathematics
Prevoc Mathematics SAS – 24%
General Mathematics
Maths A – 56%
Mathematical Methods
Maths B – 36%
Specialist Mathematics
Maths C – 9%
15 endorsed senior secondary Australian
Curriculum subjects
Australian Curriculum
Current Queensland
Syllabus
Chemistry
Chemistry – 20%
Physics
Physics – 15%
Biology
Biology – 29%
Earth and Environmental
Science
New Subject – will replace
Earth Science – 1%
Modern History
Modern History – 12%
Ancient History
Ancient History – 10%
Geography
Geography – 11%
Developing Queensland courses
• What resources do schools need?
• How do we engage relevant
people in the process?
• What is the role of principals and
curriculum leaders?
Consultation
Implementation
strategy
Consultation
• Staged
implementation or all
at once?
• Sequencing subjects –
which ones first?
• Develop design briefs
or wait till reviews are
finalised?
Syllabus and resource
development
Professional
development
• When is the best time
for PD?
• Who should attend?
Implementation