NSW Record of School Achievement A pathway to the HSC A pathway to employment Implementing a proposed NSW Record of School Achievement Board of Studies NSW

Some students will still want to leave school before receiving their HSC. Currently, around 18 percent of students who complete Year 10 do not go on to receive their HSC.

Background SPC paper guided the Board of Studies paper. There was also general agreement that the external tests be replaced by an enhanced system of schoolbased assessment, moderated to ensure that statewide comparability is maintained.

Changes arising from earlier consultation and already agreed The new credential will: be a record of achievement for students who leave school prior to receiving their HSC report results of moderated, schoolbased assessment, not external tests be available when a student leaves school any time after they complete Year 10 be cumulative and recognise a student’s achievements until the point they leave school show a result for all courses completed in Year 10 and Year 11 be able to be reliably compared between students across NSW give students the option to take online literacy and numeracy tests be comprehensive and offer the ability to record a student’s extracurricular achievements

With the abolition of the School Certificate credential, the pattern of study and other requirements will, from 2012, become the minimum requirements for the proposed NSW Record of School Achievement. The abolition of the external School Certificate tests does not alter the end date for Year 10. Students would still need to have a satisfactory record of attendance up until the final day of the school year, as defined by their school principal or school system authority. Without the external tests, schools will have additional time in Term 4 to complete Year 10 course requirements.

To Qualify for the Award of a Record of Achievement, a student must have - attended a government school, an accredited nongovernment school or a recognised school outside NSW undertaken and completed courses of study that satisfy the Board’s curriculum and assessment requirements for the Record of School Achievement complied with any other regulations or requirements (such as attendance) imposed by the Minister or the Board and completed Year 10.

Proposals Report on Stage 5 using A-E grades Current Performance descriptors be retained in stage 5 Grades submitted at the end of November for Stage 5.

Stage 6. A- E Reporting – Preliminary course New descriptors introduced for awarding grades in the Preliminary Course Grades submitted in October Starts Year 12 but doesn’t finish – it wuld be recorded on the Record of Achievement.

When a student has completed HSC courses and has met eligibility requirements they receive the HSC testamur and would have their Preliminary and HSC results recorded on the HSC Record of Achievement. This credential would supersede the proposed Record of School Achievement. It is proposed that students would be able to request both a Record of School Achievement showing their earlier grades and an HSC Record of Achievement. Where a student has achieved competencies in a vocational course, they would also receive a VET Statement of Attainment/Certificate, as appropriate. Students not entitled to receive the proposed Record of School Achievement or an HSC Record of Achievement, or students who need a statement of their most up to date courses/results for other

Method of issue of Record of School Achievement Currently the School Certificate testamur and related Record of Achievement are mailed in hard copy to schools. The new cumulative information can be made available electronically.

NSW Record of School Achievement – Proposals for implementation STAGE 6 It is proposed that the Board would provide support to strengthen schoolbased assessment in Years 10 and 11. This support would include: case studies/exemplars of a variety of valid assessment approaches to support deep learning, engagement with areas of interest and the development of selfdirected learning additional material on the Board’s Assessment Resource Centre (ARC) website, including assessment tasks in subjects and across the curriculum that schools may choose to use, modify or use as templates for developing their own tasks. To help ensure statewide comparability of school assessments, the Board proposes to enhance the support it provides to teachers to help them understand and apply statewide standards. The primary focus would be on assisting teachers to make grading decisions that are consistent across all schools. This support could include: the development of course performance descriptors for Year 11 Preliminary courses additional material on the Board’s Assessment Resource Centre (ARC) website, including assessment tasks and annotated graded work samples.

Moderation and monitoring of grades A number of moderation and monitoring strategies would be used to provide statewide comparisons to ensure that the allocation of grades is consistent both within and between schools. It is proposed that: Additional tools be developed to assist schools in monitoring their awarding of grades, based on sources of evidence such as variations in patterns of grades awarded by the school over time, the relationship between grade patterns and NAPLAN test scores and, for Year 11 grades, performance of school cohorts in the HSC. Moderation workshops be conducted where groups of teachers work together to develop a common understanding of the standards represented by each grade in each Stage 5 or Stage 6 Preliminary course.

The Board proposes to monitor actual grades awarded and, where patterns of grades awarded are outside the expected range, may require schools to demonstrate that they are awarding grades consistently with the Board’s statewide standards or may require schools to vary their grades. This may involve the submission of student work samples or other supporting evidence.

Literacy and Numeracy Tests Reporting on literacy and numeracy The Board proposes making online literacy and numeracy tests available to school leavers. Students who leave school prior to the HSC would have the option to take online literacy and numeracy tests at a point close to their departure. This measure would provide participating students with a current supplementary assessment of these key skills.

How additional achievements could be recorded It is proposed that this measure be provided on an optin basis for schools. Eligible students would be given a page to record additional achievements in their Students Online account. This page will provide a dropdown menu of all forms of activity that are approved by the Board for inclusion. Students would select from the dropdown menu, record the nature of their achievement, the date achieved and upload evidence. Students would then be able to access this record for adding, deleting or printing out at any time.

Proposed timelines

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