HSC FAQs - What help will be available?

Following the conduct of the 2001 HSC various questions about the operation of, and support for, the HSC have been sent to the Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate. These questions and responses to them are provide below.

In some case, questions have been forwarded to the Office of the Board of Studies for their consideration and the answers will be posted on the Board's website.

• What training is available for principals in school based assessment in a standards framework?
• What financial support and/or staffing support from DET is available to schools whose teachers or head teachers are identified as potential curriculum leaders at local, district or state levels?
• How can DET assist teachers to share best practice for teaching programs interpreting Stage 6 syllabuses, School based assessment and Reporting in Stage 6?
• What online support is available from DET for consistent teacher judgement if there are, for example, 6 standard English classes in Year 12?
• Who and how will guide me to make best use of the examiners comments on the Board website and the standards package for my subject if I am the only subject teacher in a small school with no head teacher, no one in my school has done any HSC marking or I am a new head teacher with little HSC experience?

Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate and Student Assessment and School Accountability Directorate personnel are able to provide information and training sessions at meetings of principals.

The Office of the Board of Studies is able to provide training sessions in some circumstances.

Where teachers or head teachers, who have been identified as curriculum leaders, are asked by the Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate to facilitate any necessary travel and relief costs will be provided by the Directorate.

District meetings of teachers and professional association meetings provide excellent opportunities for sharing best practice in these and other areas.

If teachers are willing to have their ideas shared more widely they should contact the relevant KLA manager who could arrange for the material to be published on the website or made available at meetings of teachers.

Online support from DET for Standard English classes in Year 12 is available from New HSC Website. In Curriculum Support for teaching English 7-12 from 1999 to 2000 there are several relevant HSC articles. The LIG materials from 2000 & 2001 are also relevant. Other sources of information include the Module C Standard sample unit and Assessment Bulletins. NSW HSC Online has units of work for students and is updated regularly. Board of Studies 2001 HSC English exams and reports from marking centres for Standard, Advanced, ESL & Extension 1.

In each of these scenarios consideration should be given to:

• Working with other teachers in the school. While there will be subject matter differences the assessment, examination marking and standard setting processes have much in common.
• establishing contact and an ongoing relationship with a head teacher and /or teachers in another school. It might be possible to attend meetings with teachers from the other school or to participate in discussions via telephone or using communication facilities available through computers and the internet. KLA managers and curriculum officers from the Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate are available to attend district meetings to support teachers to workshop these issues.
• identifying if and when district or professional association meetings are planned and to attend these meetings. KLA managers and curriculum officers are available to attend district meetings