Move to ATAR rankings for Year 12 students a positive step
The new assessment and tertiary entrance system for senior school students starting next year is attracting good feedback from students, parents, teachers, while universities are looking forward to the changes as well, writes Grace Grace.
Opinion
Don't miss out on the headlines from Opinion. Followed categories will be added to My News.
AS EDUCATION Minister, I am determined to ensure young Queenslanders get the best possible education, giving them a strong foundation upon which to build their future.
That’s why I am excited about the introduction of the new assessment and tertiary entrance system for senior school students.
The feedback is that students, parents, teachers and universities are looking forward to the changes as well.
The biggest change of the new system is the replacement of the Overall Position (OP) score with an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) from 2020.
The ATAR is the standard measure of overall school achievement used in all Australian states and territories. It is a rank indicating a student’s position overall relative to other students.
Instead of an OP score of between one and 25, the ATAR will be expressed on a scale from 99.95 (the highest) to zero, in increments of 0.05. ATARs below 30 will be reported as “30.00 or less”.
For example, a student who would be eligible for an OP 1 would potentially receive an ATAR of between 98.85 and 99.95.
An OP10 is roughly equivalent to an ATAR of 78.00.
The way student achievement is assessed in Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) subjects is also changing.
They’ll complete four assessments that count towards their final grade in a subject, three of which will be developed and marked by schools. The school assessments will contribute 75 per cent to a student’s result in most subjects.
In mathematics and science subjects they will generally contribute 50 per cent.
The final piece of assessment will be an external assessment that is common to all schools.
Schools will prepare their students for the assessment by teaching the subject matter specified in the syllabus.
While about 40 per cent of Year 12 students take subjects leading to university, many others study for vocational education and training (VET) qualifications leading to TAFE and skilled work.
That’s why VET will remain an important part of senior schooling and will continue in its current form.
It’s an area where Queensland has led the country for more than a decade.
Queensland’s new assessment and tertiary entrance system for senior students is the culmination of more than three years of research, trials, and training for nearly 17,000 teachers
Students and parents seeking more information should visit the QCAA website, which hosts a wide range of information about the new system as well as frequently asked questions.
I look forward to continuing to work with my Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance Implementation Taskforce to ensure a smooth transition for students, parents and schools.
Grace Grace is Minister for Education and Industrial Relations