Subject Selection and the Higher School Certificate

1. Subject Selection and the Higher School Certificate Duval High School

2. RoSA?

3. What is RoSA? • Record of School Achievement, awarded to all eligible students when they leave school. • An exit credential ie issued when students leave school • A cumulative credential – recognising all academic achievements. Instead of just showing what student’s results were at the end of Year 10, the RoSA includes further coursesthey may enrol in and complete.

4. The RoSA will show Year 10 grades, as well as any grades for Year 11 (Preliminary) courses completed after that. If a course is started but the student leaves school before completing it, their RoSA will show evidence of their enrolment. • The RoSA will also show results of any VET or Life Skills courses completed in Year 10 and/or Year 11.

5. Students will have the option of sitting an online literacy and numeracy test • The concepts of literacy and numeracy to be tested have an emphasis on work readiness and have been drawn from the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), developed by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

7. CHOICES English is the only compulsory subject

8. The Basics

9. UNITS UNITS

10. Units All courses in Preliminary and HSC have a unit value • Most courses are 2 Units • 2 Units = 120 hours per year • 2 Units = 100 marks All 2 unit HSC courses have equal status • 1 Unit = 60 hours; 50 marks in HSC exam • I unit courses are extension courses and Studies of Religion 1

11. Requirements for the HSC • Preliminary Course • minimum of 12 units • HSC Course • minimum of 10 units • students must satisfactorily complete the Preliminary course before they are eligible to commence the corresponding HSC course

12. Levels in Courses • In English and Mathematics there are two levels of two unit courses and a Board Endorsed Course • Music and Languages courses depend on your level of skill • Teachers will help choose the most appropriate

13. Extension Courses • 1 unit courses which build on the content of a corresponding 2 unit course • Designed for students with a particular aptitude and talent

14. Extension Courses Preliminary Extension Courses: • English • Mathematics HSC Extension Courses: • English 1 and 2 • Mathematics 1 and 2 • History • Music • Languages • Vocational Education courses

15. TYPES OF COURSES

16. Types of Courses • Board Developed Courses • Board Endorsed Courses • Content Endorsed Courses • School Developed Courses • TAFE Developed Courses • Life Skills Courses

17. Board Developed (BDC) Board Endorsed Courses (BEC) Board Developed course • HSC exam • assessment mark submitted to the Board • count toward HSC • count towards ATAR • VET & TVET Frameworks Board Endorsed Course • no external HSC exam • assessment mark not submitted to the Board • count toward HSC • does not count towards an ATAR • TVET courses

18. Human Services InformationTechnology Metal and Engineering Primary Industries Retail Services Tourism and Events VET Curriculum Frameworks Board Developed Courses • Automotive • Business Services • Construction • Financial Services • Electrotechnology • Entertainment Industry • Hospitality Students must complete 35 hours of mandatory work placement per 120 hours of coursework One of these may be used in ATAR Calculation

19. Vocational Education and Training Courses Industry Curriculum Frameworks Vocational Context Requirements from the Industry Training Package Competency based assessment Workplace credential Qualifications are recognised by industry and employers Australia-wide HSC Context Requirements from the Board of Studies Assessment mark not required Students must complete mandatory work placement Optional HSC Examination

20. Board Endorsed Courses • English Studies • Mathematics General 1(HSC) • Exploring Early Childhood • Sport Lifestyle and Recreation • Visual design • Photography, Video and Digital Imaging TVET courses also fall into this category Children’s Services Sports Coaching Screen etc

21. Course Delivery • School • TAFE (TVET) • Distance • Outside provider • On Line • Video Conferencing

22. Putting It All Together

23. Requirements for the HSC Both the Preliminary and HSC Courses must include: • At least 6 units from Board Developed Courses including at least 2 units of a Board Developed Course in English • At least three courses of 2 units value or greater • At least four subjects (including English) At most 6 units of courses in Science can count towards Higher School Certificate eligibility

24. HSC: All My Own Work

25. HSC: All My Own Work is a program designed to help HSC students follow the principles and practices of good scholarship is a short guide to help you complete your assessment tasks honestly and with confidence. includes understanding and valuing of ethical practices when locating and using information as part of HSC studies. All students must complete HSC: All My Own Work or its equivalent before they can be entered for any Preliminary or HSC course.

26. Pathways • Most students follow a two year program of study • Want to combine studies with employment or other commitments? • Accumulation: HSC up to five years, no time limit on the accumulation of Preliminary courses • Repeating courses • Program for students with special needs: Life Skills • School-based traineeships and apprenticeships

27. Assessment Vs Exams

28. Assessment • All subjects have an assessment program • Students will be given grades at the end of Preliminary subjects. • And final HSC Mark? 50% derived from internal assessment 50% derived from external HSC exam 100% HSC mark

29. Preliminary and HSC Course completion criteria • Regardless of the subject a student must have: • Followed the course developed or endorsed by the Board • applied himself/herself with diligence and sustained effort to set tasks and experiences provided in the course by the school • achieved some or all of the course outcomes • If students are not meeting requirements TWO written warnings will be sent home which gives students the opportunity to correct any problems. Failure to correct the problems may lead to an “N” Determination in the subject

30. HSC VS ATAR

31. The HSC and the ATAR

32. “The ATAR is all about position, whereas the HSC mark indicate standards achieved in individual courses.” All About Your ATAR

33. ATAR Eligibility Requirements • Satisfactory completion of at least 10 units of Board Developed Courses including the best 2 units of English • Satisfactory completion of at least 8 units of Category A courses • No more than two units of Category B courses • The Board Developed Courses must include at least three courses of 2 units or greater and at least four subjects

34. Category B Courses • All VET Frameworks • Automotive • Business Services • Construction • Electrotechnology • Entertainment Industry • Financial Services (new 2012) • Information Technology • Metal and Engineering • Primary Industries • Retail Services • Tourism and Events • Hospitality • Human Services • Only 2 units of Category B courses can be included in the calculation of the ATAR

35. Calculating the ATAR Board of Studies Raw Moderated Exam + Assessment Marks UAC Based on the quality of the candidates in that course in that year Rescaled 2 units of English + next best eligible 8 units ATAR

36. All About Your ATAR

37. The scaling process is carried out afresh each year. • There is no set mean, standard deviation or top mark. These will be determined by the candidature EACH year. • The ATAR depends upon position in the courses and the ability of the other students in the courses. • It does not assume that one course is intrinsically more difficult than another or that the quality of the course candidature is always the same. If the quality of the candidature changes the scaled mean will also change. • The same marks in the same course in two different years will not necessarily produce the same ATARs

38. Myth or Fact? MYTH I can study certain subjects (such as Extension Maths and Physics) to maximise my ATAR. The only way you can maximise your ATAR is by achieving the highest possible assessment ranks and exam marks in all the courses you study. You can achieve high HSC marks and a high ATAR regardless of the courses you study or the school you attend. FACT

39. Myth or Fact? MYTH If I am studying 11 units, the single-unit course won’t be counted in my ATAR calculation. All your courses are converted to single units, and the best 8 units (after your best 2 units of English) are used to calculate your ATAR. FACT

40. Myth or Fact? MYTH I can work out my ATAR from my trial or HSC marks. The ATAR is about position, and even high HSC marks don’t necessarily mean a high position and therefore a high ATAR. Fred and Laura’s results show the large difference in ATARs arising from much smaller differences in HSC marks. FACT

41. Fred and Laura Performed better than…%of other students in that course ATAR 57.05 80.15

42. 2011 VET Courses

43. For more information on ATAR • go to • www.uac.edu.au

44. Let’s have a closer look at how students can choose their options

45. Key considerations for Course Selection • Abilities • Interests/Motivation • Career aspirations and needs • Consider university subject recommendations Courses should be selected carefully as most coursesextend over 2 years Your strengths and weaknesses?

46. Practical considerations • Syllabus requirements • Practical/Major work components • Subject combinations

47. Consider: • What do I want for my future? • What ‘pathway’ best suits me? Listen To The Right People

48. Forgotten all this already?

49. www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au

50. The rest is in your hands now.