The NSW Board of Studies has a K-12 standards framework that is progressively being developed and implemented.

NSW syllabuses contain a standards framework of outcomes at stages of schooling. The stages relate to years of schooling as follows:

• Early stage 1 Kindergarten
• Stage 1 Years 1 and 2
• Stage 2 Years 3 and 4
• Stage 3 Years 5 and 6
• Stage 4 Years 7 and 8
• Stage 5 Years 9 and 10
• Stage 6 Years 11 and 12

All K-6 syllabuses and all New HSC syllabuses now include clear statements of outcomes and content that students are expected to learn. Currently, the Office of the Board is engaged in the development of a K-10 curriculum framework that will include evaluation and revision of the Years 7-10 syllabuses.

In the Board’s statewide examinations for the New HSC from 2001 and in the School Certificate Tests in English, Mathematics and Science student performance will be assessed and reported in terms of standards achieved. From 2002 the School Certificate Test in Australian History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship will be added to this group of tests.

For government schools, Departmental policy requires that schools report in terms of the standards expected by the syllabuses produced by the NSW Board of Studies. Student achievement and progress are judged against the K-12 standards framework. Judgements of student achievement are based on a wide range of evidence gathered throughout the teaching and learning process. Schools are encouraged to report to parents in terms of attainment of syllabus outcomes for any reporting period.

Statewide tests conducted by the Department of Education and Training (DET), report in terms of a performance scale linked between years that allows comparison of levels or standards of performance over time. The tests are reported in terms of specific syllabus content included in each particular year’s test. These tests include the Basic Skills Tests in literacy and numeracy in Years 3 and 5, the English Literacy and Language Assessment (ELLA) in Years 7 and 8, the Writing Assessment Program (WrAP) in Years 3 and 5, and the Secondary Numeracy Assessment Program (SNAP) in Year 7.

The National Benchmarks in Year 3 reading have been assessed through the Basic Skills Test. The other National Benchmarks in literacy and numeracy in Years 3, 5 and 7 will be progressively assessed through the Department’s statewide testing programs. These statewide tests assess much more than the benchmark standard.

As syllabuses in NSW set the standards, teachers in government schools do not refer to the National Benchmarks standard when designing their teaching and learning programs. The outcomes in stages define a much higher level and students in NSW will certainly achieve the benchmark standard when they achieve the outcomes of the syllabuses.