QCE and QSA presentations for school communities

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QCE and QSA presentations forschool communities

• Part 4 Tertiary pathways

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Our focus for the presentation

• The QCS test
• How OPs are calculated
• How FPs are calculated
• Alternative pathways to tertiary study

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What is the QCS test?

• The Queensland Core Skills (QCS) test is a
  Queensland test, designed for Queensland
  students, developed by the QSA and administered
  in schools.

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What is the QCS test?

• The QCS Test is
• a common statewide scaling test for Queensland
  Year 12 students
• an achievement test, not an intelligence or
  aptitude test.

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What the QCS test assesses

• It assesses the 49 Common Curriculum Elements
  scanned from the Queensland senior curriculum.
• It does not assess subject-specific knowledge.
• The test assumes basic levels of general
  knowledge and vocabulary, and a Year 10 knowledge
  of mathematical operations.

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The 49 Common Curriculum Elements

The 49 Common Curriculum Elements

• Classifying
• Interrelating ideas/themes/issues
• Reaching a conclusion which is necessarily true
  provided a given set of assumptions is true
• Reaching a conclusion which is consistent with a
  given set of assumptions Inserting an
  intermediate between members of a series
• Extrapolating
• Applying strategies to trial and test ideas and
  procedures
• Applying a progression of steps to achieve the
  required answer
• Generalising from information
• Hypothesising
• Criticising
• Analysing
• Synthesising
• Judging/evaluating
• Creating/composing/devising
• Justifying
• Perceiving patterns
• Visualising
• Identifying shapes in two and three dimensions
• Searching and locating items/information

• Recognising letters, words and other symbols
• Finding material in an indexed collection
• Recalling/remembering
• Interpreting the meaning of words or other
  symbols
• Interpreting the meaning of pictures/illustrations
  
• Interpreting the meaning of tables or diagrams or
  maps or graphs
• Translating from one form to another
• Using correct spelling, punctuation, grammar
• Using vocabulary appropriate to a context
• Summarising/condensing written text
• Compiling lists/statistics
• Recording/noting data
• Compiling results in a tabular form
• Graphing
• Calculating with or without calculator
• Estimating numerical magnitude
• Approximating a numerical value
• Substituting in formulae
• Setting out/presenting/arranging/displaying

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How are QCS Test results reported?

• It is theoretically possible for all students to
  receive an A provided they fulfil the specified
  criteria for an A on the QCS Test.

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QCS Test results and OPs

• An individual students OP is not determined by
  their individual QCS Test results.
• It is very important that all OP-eligible
  students in a school perform to the best of their
  ability, as the group result is used to determine
  individual OPs.

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What is an Overall Position (OP)?

• An Overall Position
• gives a students rank order position based on
  overall achievement in Authority subjects
• requires that students study at least 20 semester
  units (usually 5 subjects) in Authority subjects
  with at least 3 subjects studied for 4 semesters.

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What is an Overall Position (OP)?

• An Overall Position
• requires the student to sit the QCS Test and
  remain at school until the final day for Year 12
• is divided into bands, with Band 1 being the
  highest and Band 25 the lowest.

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How are OPs reported?
Band 1 about 2 of students Band 2 to 6 about 15
of students Band 7 to 21 about 70 of
students Band 22 to 24 about 11 of students Band
25 about 2 of students
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How is the OP calculated?

• Main factor ? Levels of Achievement
• SAIs (QSA) (400?200)
• Scaling using QCS Test results
• Statewide rank order
• OP in 25 bands

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Year 12Ancient History
SAIs

• 400 Jane
• 399 Tom
• 385 Alice
• 372 Michael
• 370 Bill
• 368 Ann

VHA
HA
VLA
200
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Year 12Modern History
SAIs

• 400 Tom
• 399 Jane
• 385 Alice
• 383 Bill
• 370 Michael
• 368 Ann

HA
SA
LA
200
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Field Positions

• What are Field Positions?
• Why do I need them?
• How many do I need?
• How are they used?

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What are Field Positions (FPs)?

• Field Positions
• give a students rank order position in Authority
  subjects in up to 5 different fields
• are only relevant to students who are OP-eligible
• are banded into 10 bands, with 1 the highest and
  10 the lowest

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How are FPs used?

• Field Positions are used by universities and
  TAFEs to further discriminate between students
  when there are more students applying for a
  course than there are places. These are not often
  used.

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What are the different fields?

• Field Positions are given in up to 5 of
• the following areas
• Field A ? extended written expression
• Field B ? short written communication
• Field C ? basic numeracy
• Field D ? solving complex problems
• Field E ? practical performance.

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Field Position A
Extended written expression, complex analysis and
synthesis of ideas
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Field Position B
Short written communication involving reading,
comprehension and expression in English or a
foreign language
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Field Position C
Basic numeracy involving simple calculations and
graphical and tabular interpretation
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Field Position D
Solving complex problems involving mathematical
symbols and abstractions
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Field Position E
Substantial practical performance involving
physical or creative arts or expressive skills
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Field weights some examples
Subject FIELD A FIELD B FIELD C FIELD D FIELD
E English 5 3 1 N/A 4 German 1 5 1 N/A 4 Biolog
y 4 3 5 3 1 Physics 4 3 5 5 3 Drama 4 3 2 N/A 5
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Field Position eligibility
To be eligible in a particular field you require
60 weighted semester units.
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Field Position eligibility

• e.g. Field A Extended written expression
• English 5 x 4 semesters 20
• French 1 x 4 semesters 4
• Ancient History 5 x 4 semesters 20
• Mathematics A 1 x 4 semesters 4
• Accounting 3 x 4 semesters 12
• A total of 60 weighted semester units.
• Eligible in this field.

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Field Position eligibility

• e.g. Field C Basic numeracy
• English 1 x 4 semesters 4
• French 1 x 4 semesters 4
• Ancient History 2 x 4 semesters 8
• Mathematics A 5 x 4 semesters 20
• Accounting 5 x 4 semesters 20
• A total of 56 weighted semester units.
• Not eligible in this field.

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How is the FP calculated?

• The best scaled SAIs whose weights total to 60
  are counted, i.e. the best 60 weighted semester
  units.

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How is the FP calculated?
e.g. Field A English Scaled SAI x 5
FAI French Scaled SAI x 1 FAI Ancient
History Scaled SAI x 5 FAI Maths A Scaled
SAI x 1 FAI Accounting Scaled SAI x 3
FAI FAI Field Achievement Indicator
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How is the FP calculated?

• The Field Achievement Indicators (FAIs) are then
  averaged.
• Students are ranked in each field and cut-offs
  applied.
• The highest FP is 1 and the lowest is 10.

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How are field positions used?
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Student result sample
Student A Student B Student C English SA SA SA M
athematics B SA SA SA Mathematics
C SA SA SA Chemistry SA SA SA Physics SA SA SA Bio
logy SA SA SA OP 14 19 8
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The range of OPs (20022006)

• LoA Max(OP) Min(OP)
• 6 VHAs 1 7
• 6 HAs 2 17
• 6 SAs 8 23
• 6 LAs 16 25
• 6 VLAs 22 25

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Patterns of study resulting in an OP 1

• English VHA
• Ancient History HA
• Japanese HA
• Graphics HA
• Art VHA
• Maths A VHA

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Patterns of study resulting in an OP 1

• English VHA
• Ancient History HA
• Modern History VHA
• Geography VHA
• Legal Studies VHA
• Drama VHA

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Patterns of study resulting in an OP 1

• English VHA
• Drama VHA
• Art VHA
• Legal Studies VHA
• Maths A VHA

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Patterns of study resulting in an OP 1

• English VHA
• Physics VHA
• Chemistry VHA
• Biology VHA
• Maths B VHA
• Maths C VHA

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Alternative pathways

• Some students choose a pathway that does not lead
  to an OP or university entrance directly from
  school.

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Some alternatives

• School-based traineeships and apprenticeships
• Certificate level studies undertaken at school

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Take advantage

• Students with completed or partially completed
  VET certificates, traineeships or apprenticeships
  will
• complete courses in less than prescribed time
• have nationally recognised work skills
• have an advantage when entering the workforce
• receive credit towards further related
  certificate/diploma study

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Samantha is not OP-eligible

• Religion and Ethics VHA
• English SA
• Art VHA
• Maths A VLA
• Hospitality Studies VHA
• BCT VHA
• Child care studies SA
• Authority Subject Authority-Registered
  Subject

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Schedule for determining a rank for OP-ineligible
students

• Authority subjects based on
• VHA 8.9, HA 6.3, SA 4, LA 2.3, VLA 1.3
     
• Authority-registered subjects (including Subject
  Area Specifications) based on
• VHA 5.3, HA 3.5, SA 2, LA1.4, VLA 1   
• Recorded Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  modules based on Successful (J) 3.5
• Embedded modules based on Successful 4.4

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Samantha is not OP-eligible

• Religion and Ethics VHA 5.3
• English SA 4
• Art VHA 8.9
• Maths A VLA 1.3
• Hospitality Studies VHA 5.3
• BCT VHA 8.9
• Child care studies SA 2
• GPA 6.48
• Subject Used in calculation of rank (best 20
  semester units)

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Possible rank for Samantha
Ranks based on Schedules S1350-S1354 2007
Seniors only
QCS test result
Equivalent to an OP

• E or did not sit 78 (11)
• D 81 (10)
• C 84 (9)
• B 87 (7)
• A 91 (6)

This rank is issued by QTAC. OP-ineligible
students will need to contact QTAC
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Common myths
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OP myths

• I must do Maths and Science to get a good OP ?
  Myth
• If I get 5 VHAs I will get an OP1 ? Myth
• If I do poorly on the QCS Test I will get a poor
  OP ? Myth
• The hardest courses have the highest OP cut-off ?
  Myth

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Music, Speech Drama and Dance exams ? Myths

• If I dont have an OP I cant go on to further
  study ? Myth
• Ill get an extra OP point ? Myth
• I dont have to apply through QTAC if I want to
  study these areas at university ? Myth

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Scenarios
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Scenario 1

• OP 20
• Completes TAFE Diploma
• QTAC allocates selection rank
• Possible credit towards university degree

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Scenario 2

• OP 16
• University degree not first preference
• Successfully completes 1 year full-time
  equivalent
• QTAC allocates rank

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Scenario 3

• Employed as bank teller for 5 years
• QTAC allocates rank
• Sits STAT
• QTAC may allocate a higher rank

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Find out more
Queensland Studies Authority www.qsa.qld.edu.au