Neil McDonald, Acting Chief Executive Officer

Secondary School Leaders Forum

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

Townsville

Cairns

Mackay

Rockhampton

Maryborough

Sunshine Coast

Brisbane-Ipswich

Gold Coast

Mt Isa

Longreach

Bundaberg

Toowoomba

The Queensland Studies Authority’s vision is to provide quality, innovative and future-focused products and

services to assist all Queensland educational communities.

QSA Improvement Plan

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

Individual Education Plans

Queensland Certificate of

Education (QCE)

Queensland Certificate of

Individual Achievement (QCIA)

Learning expectations for the QCIA

Some useful new resources

• Fractions Paper• NAPLAN Test Reporting Handbook• QCS Test guide for parents/carers and sample

maths questions

Australian Curriculum

The 3-dimensions of Australian Curriculum

F-10 Learning areas:

Discipline learning

Gen

eral

cap

abil

itie

s:21

St C

entu

ry S

kill

s

Cross-curri

culum priorit

ies:

Contemporary issues

P–10 Australian CurriculumTimelines Learning areasPhase 1

completed 2010

English

Mathematics

Science

History

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

General capabilities

Literacy

Numeracy

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

Critical and Creative Thinking

Ethical Understanding

Personal and Social Capability

Intercultural Understanding

Cross-curriculum priorities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia

Sustainability

P–10 Queensland implementation

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

English History Geography The Arts

Mathematics Health & Physical Education

Science Civics & Citizenship

Technologies

Economics and Business

Languages

Implementation challenge

72%72% 79%79% 49%49%

Australian Senior Curriculum

QSA

“course”•integrate national content and achievement standards

•add assessment and certification requirements

ACARA

“subject”•content

•achievement standards

School

“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

Implementation strategy

Consultation

Syllabus and resource development

Implementation

Professional development

Consultation

• Staged implementation or all at once?

• Sequencing subjects – which ones first?

• Develop design briefs or wait till reviews are finalised?

• What resources do schools need?• How do we engage relevant

people in the process?• What is the role of principals and

curriculum leaders?

• When is the best time for PD?

• Who should attend?