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Media Release
COMPARING YEAR 12 STANDARDS IN KEY SUBJECTS - TERMS OF REFERENCE ANNOUNCED
23 November 2005 MIN 2047/05
The terms of reference for an independent comparative study of Year 12 assessments throughout Australia have now been released.
The study, which I announced in September this year, will examine the content, curriculum and standards in English (including Literature), Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
The terms of reference outline the criteria by which each of the selected subjects will be measured, compared and analysed, so that a clear picture can be drawn of comparative standards in subjects for the Year 12 certificate across States and Territories in Australia.
They include:
- an examination and description of the variety of subject options available in the selected Year 12 certificate subjects in terms of content, curriculum and standards;
- a comparison of the relative strengths and weaknesses of subject offerings across jurisdictions; and
- a description of the extent of the involvement of university discipline specialists in the development of content, curriculum and assessment criteria.
I have consulted with peak educational groups in the four learning areas in developing the terms of reference for the study, which will be the subject of a Government tender to be announced shortly.
It is clear that standards vary from State to State. It is also clear that curriculum has been altered in recent years, in some cases to the detriment of content and standards.
This proposed study will closely examine the facts and inform Australian parents about the level of standards of select subjects being studied by their children.
Recent research of high performing Year 12 students enrolled at the Australian Defence Force Academy, which found only one in six could achieve a 70% rating in grammar, is but one cause for concern.
Similarly, the International Centre of Excellence for Education in Mathematics, based at Melbourne University, has expressed deep concern about inconsistent and falling standards in Year 12 mathematics across Australia.
Moves away from classical literature to emphasise contemporary texts is also causing concern for many parents.
Although Australia performs well in international comparisons, as many as 30% of Australian children are leaving the school system with significant educational defects, especially in reading, grammar and spelling.
The Australian community has a right to be informed about what is being taught in key subject areas in our schools, how it is being assessed and how to meaningfully compare standards across State and Territory borders.
Earlier this year I commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to consider options for an Australian Certificate of Education (ACE) that will establish a nationally consistent high standard assessment of student skills and knowledge.
The findings of this comparative study will inform work on Year 12 standards that may arise from recommendations in the report on the ACE.
I look forward to the cooperation of the State and non-government school authorities in driving our schooling system towards greater consistency and higher standards.
The terms of reference for the comparative study of selected subjects for the Year 12 certificate are attached.
Media Contacts:
Dr Nelson’s Office: Yaron Finkelstein 0414 927 663
Dept of Education, Science & Training: Virginia Cook 0412 971 323
Comparative Study of Selected Subjects for the Year 12 Certificate
Terms of Reference
The study will examine and compare the content, curriculum and standards of studies in English (including Literature), Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry for the Year 12 Certificate in every Australian State and Territory. For each of the selected learning areas, the study will:
1. Examine and describe the variety of subject options for the Year 12 Certificate available in English (including Literature), Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry across Australia in terms of content, curriculum and standards.
a) In terms of Content, the study will:
- Identify and describe for each of English (including Literature), Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry:
- the specific topics and areas of study within these subjects;
the depth and breadth of coverage within each subject;
- the specificity of the content and the extent to which it is prescribed or optional;
- the extent to which structures for identifying and supporting high performing students, including through extension subject offerings, are available; and
- any significant gaps.
b) In terms of Curriculum, the study will:
- Identify and describe for each of English (including Literature), Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry:
- the structure and organisation of the subjects, for example the conceptual organisers used to describe each area of study;
- how clearly and explicitly learning goals and outcomes are articulated and whether these are appropriate and clear to teachers and parents;
- the rationale for the specified learning goals and the education philosophy underpinning the curriculum overall;
- the level of guidance provided to teachers in the implementation of the curriculum (for example in the form of support materials);
- how links are made between content, curriculum, standards and assessment;
- any indication of the number of study hours required for each unit or, in its absence, an assessment of the hours required based on the content; and
- the sequencing of units within each subject area, pre-requisites to be met and, for the Year 12 Certificate in question, the allowable combinations of subjects.
c) In terms of Standards, the study will:
- Identify and describe for each of English (including Literature), Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry:
- the standards of student achievement, how clearly the levels of expected knowledge, skill and understanding in the selected subjects are articulated and how they are assessed;
- the curriculum standards, whether jurisdictions have identifiable areas of fundamental knowledge, principles and ideas that should be taught in the selected subjects;
- assessment requirements for each subject, including external examinations, school based assessment and methods of establishing grades. This will require analysing, where available, copies of examinations and other assessments and marking, scaling or mapping schemes for translating raw data into final marks. Where external examinations are not used, the study should examine samples of work and assessment procedures;
- the comparative expectations as can be inferred from examination questions and assessments across jurisdictions;
- any moderation procedures conducted either at system or school level and how effective these are in assessing with accuracy and confidence student achievement against the specified standards;
- guidelines, procedures and other mechanisms to assist teachers in the interpretation of standards and their assessment; and
- how different levels of achievement within and across subjects are determined.
Specifically for Chemistry and Physics, the study will identify and describe:
- the relevance of the content to current scholarship and potential careers in these fields;
- the extent to which the learning of skills, such as, in Chemistry, the ability to undertake chemical calculations, balance equations, use scientific calculators and perform experiments, and in Physics, the ability to analyse graphs or use numerical methods to solve problems, forms part of the content across jurisdictions;
- the amount and type of mandated practical work and the extent to which the subjects are taught through closed experiments that confirm a known theory or whether open experiments driven by student questions are used; and
- determine the degree to which the curriculum requires topics to be taught contextually, conceptually and/or historically.
Specifically for English (including Literature), the study will identify and describe the extent to which English curriculum is focused on alternative textual forms as opposed to the reading of literature and provides experiences which have creative, cultural, humanistic, moral or ethical dimensions.
Specifically for Mathematics, the study will identify the extent to which graphics or algebra calculators are used and compare the assessments and examinations in the various jurisdictions in terms of the technical fluency and conceptual understanding expected of students by reference to whether calculators are permitted or not.
2. Identify and describe the nature and extent of the involvement of university discipline specialists in the development of content, curriculum and assessment criteria.
3. Identify any correlation between the level of the options available in the subjects in question and the Tertiary Entrance Rank, or equivalent, score awarded.
4. Analyse the distinctions among English (including Literature), Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry offerings for the Year 12 Certificate in terms of content, curriculum and standards, including an analysis of the range of options available within each subject and where possible, quantify the current uptake of various options.
5. Compare the content, curriculum and standards among States and Territories and provide an overall assessment of the quality, or relative strengths and weaknesses of offerings for the Year 12 Certificate in English (including Literature), Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. This will not be solely inferred from the official curriculum documentation.
6. Provide a report about the study that clearly sets out the findings of the study and is accessible to parents, schools and educators, covering all the areas described above.
In undertaking this study a variety of information sources will need to be considered, including, for example, official school curriculum and other relevant documentation, and the input of curriculum and assessment authorities and school authorities will need to be sought.
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