Year 12 outcomes report
explained
Queensland secondary schooling has undergone some
dramatic changes over the past two decades.
The information published for each school includes:
From studying university and TAFE courses while at
school, to undertaking school-based apprenticeships
or traineeships, senior students can now choose from a
wide variety of learning options. Senior schooling is no
longer simply about preparing students for university.
• percentage of students eligible for an OP who
gained an OP between 1 and 15 – about 80 percent
of students in the OP 1-15 range are offered a
tertiary place
This is evident from the Year 12 outcomes data
published in The Courier-Mail and major regional daily
newspapers. This is the most comprehensive report ever
released on the achievements of Queensland Year 12s.
The report, compiled by the Queensland Studies
Authority, presents the results of last year’s graduating
seniors across a range of measures alphabetically
by school. It shows the majority of Queensland
school leavers are walking out the school gate with
qualifications, training and experience that will put them
on the road to further study or employment.
Report does not rank schools
The report provides an overview of the outcomes Year
12s are achieving across the wide range of learning
options schools now offer, whether it be an academic
program leading to an OP (Overall Position), vocational
programs leading to Certificate level qualifications, or a
mix of both.
It’s important to remember that the outcomes report is
not a league table – it does not rank schools. It doesn’t
tell parents or the community which is Queensland’s
‘best school’.
Queensland the Smart State
• breadth of curriculum offered
• number of certificates of post-compulsory school
education awarded to students with special needs
• number of senior certificates awarded and how
many of these students also obtained an OP
and vocational education and training (VET)
qualification
• number of VET qualifications awarded, and
• number of students completing or continuing a
school-based apprenticeship or traineeship
What the data shows is that Queensland high schools
have not adopted a one-size-fits-all approach.
They are as diverse as the communities they serve.
Some high schools primarily offer an academic
program, while others provide a mix of academic and
VET programs to cater for the different interests and
abilities of their students.
School success cannot be measured by
one factor
It’s important to read each school’s data as a whole.
School success cannot be measured by one single
factor such as the number of OP 1-15s students
achieve or the number of tertiary offers students
receive.
Not all schools will place the same emphasis on
university entry because not all students aspire to go
to university.
The better measure of a school’s success is its ability
to work with students to help them identify and
achieve their goals, whatever they may be.
Young Queenslanders to be ‘learning or
earning’
The publication of the Year 12 outcomes report
coincides with an historic shift in senior schooling in
Queensland.
Young people starting Year 10 this year are the first to
be affected by new laws that require them to stay at
school until they finish Year 10 or turn 16, whichever
comes first. They must then stay in education and
training for two more years, or until they obtain
the new Queensland Certificate of Education, a
Certificate III vocational qualification or they turn 17.
To support students in meeting these new
obligations, schools are working with Year 10
students to help them develop a plan that identifies
their career aspirations and the courses or subjects
they need to study to achieve their goals.
Year 10 students will also be registered with the
Queensland Studies Authority so their achievements
can be tracked and recorded towards the new
Queensland Certificate of Education, which replaces
the current Senior Certificate from 2008.
These reforms are about ensuring young people
leave school with skills and experience that lead to
further study, training or employment and that are
valued by tertiary institutions and industry.
The Year 12 data will help schools and the
Government monitor the impact and success of the
senior schooling reforms.
More information for parents
The release of the Year 12 outcomes report is part of
wider Government reforms to provide more information
to parents and the community about student and
school achievements.
As part of the reforms, last year’s graduating seniors
will also be surveyed to find out about their study, work
and life choices since leaving school. The survey results
will be released later this year to give parents and
the public another level of information about senior
schooling in Queensland.
In addition from this year schools are also required to:
• Publish a wide range of information on their
websites, including Years 3, 5 and 7 literacy and
numeracy results and Year 12 retention rates
• Provide parents with a written report on their child’s
performance at least twice a year, and
• Offer parent-teacher interviews every semester
Parents can use the Year 12 outcomes data in
conjunction with other information schools provide
about themselves to help inform their decision about
their child’s senior schooling.
A school that provides school-based apprenticeships
and traineeships may be important to one parent,
while a school that offers a mix of programs that lead
to vocational qualifications and university entry may be
important to another.
It’s important to remember that the Year 12 data
cannot tell parents everything about a school. It
doesn’t tell them the school’s philosophy, their
policy on homework or uniforms or whether it has a
strong pastoral care program. It is only one piece of
information.
Parents should contact schools directly to obtain more
information about their programs and policies.
To access the Year 12 outcomes report go to: www.qsa.
qld.edu.au/
Queensland the Smart State