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Essential Educational Resources for Australian Teachers and Students

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This website holds the official version of documents produced by the Board of Studies NSW.

Copies of these documents that are found elsewhere on the internet might not be correct.

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HSC Advice Line The HSC Advice Line is a telephone service that provides course assistance and support by experienced teachers in 26 of the most popular HSC courses. The Advice Line will be open every day from Saturday, 11 October to Thursday, 6 November. Call 13 11 12.
Board of Studies supports sustainability The Office of the Board of Studies NSW is continually investigating ways to reduce its carbon footprint and supports the NSW Government Sustainability Policy. The policy sets targets and strategies for NSW Government agencies to employ sustainable water and energy use, reduce greenhouse emissions, use vehicles more efficiently, increase recycling and more. Read about the NSW Government Sustainability Policy.
2008 Media Guide A record 67 931 students are enrolled in HSC courses this year. Written exams begin on 16 October 2008. Find out key enrolment trends by subject, statistics for each course and region as well as information on support services and the release of results in the 2008 Media Guide.
Read and respond to HSC proposals The Board of Studies NSW is seeking your response to proposals about some aspects of HSC exam specifications and assessment tasks. The proposals are designed to reduce unnecessary stress and workload for students and teachers, to improve consistency between exams, and to give clearer advice on the number and scope of assessment tasks. The proposals aim to provide clear and manageable expectations for students and teachers and deliver the best and fairest outcomes for all students. Read all about the proposals and how to give feedback here. Comments should be submitted by Tuesday 28 October 2008. If adopted, the proposed changes would apply no earlier than the Year 12 of 2010.
Krystel Gabuat of St Andrews College, Marayong, (front) the third student to receive a Co-op Bookshop voucher, shows School Captains Katherine Generalao and Cesar Comissi the features of Students Online. Attention HSC students! Log in to Students Online for past HSC exam papers, course syllabuses, instant multiple choice quizzes and more. Until the end of November logging in also gives you the chance to receive a $50 voucher from The Co-op Bookshop. Join HSC students Ashlee Walker (Beverly Hills Girls High), Emily Rahme (Bethlehem College, Ashfield), Krystel Gabuat (St Andrews College, Marayong), Jamie Wyatt (Narromine High School) and Aisha Khan (Sydney Girls High School) who have already received a voucher for logging in. See the Video demo of Students Online and read the Media Release to learn more.
	Students and parents - The 2008 Higher School Certificate (HSC) examination timetable is now available. The examination period is from Thursday, 16 October 2008 to Thursday, 13 November 2008.
	Honesty in Assessment - the Standard Honesty in Assessment - the Standard is an overarching statement of requirements concerning students submitting their own work in Higher School Certificate assessment. The Standard is part of a series of Board of Studies initiatives designed to help students to complete HSC assessment tasks and examinations honestly and with confidence. It is an important statement for HSC students and for their teachers and others who may guide them.
	Parents’ Guide to the NSW Primary Syllabuses The Board of Studies has developed the Parents’ Guide to the NSW Primary Syllabuses to help parents follow their child’s early learning and to help them talk with teachers about day-to-day classroom activities and their child’s progress. The guide provides some examples of the kinds of things children can learn in each of the key learning areas in each stage of primary school. You can read the Parents’ Guide on this website or download it as a PDF document that can be printed. The Guide is also available in several community languages.
	Teachers and students - The HSC: All My Own Work program is designed to help Higher School Certificate students to follow the principles and practices of good scholarship. This includes understanding and valuing ethical practices when locating and using information as part of their HSC studies. The program consists of five modules and is available in online and downloadable formats. From 2008, all students entered for one or more HSC courses with an external examination will be required to have satisfactorily completed the HSC: All My Own Work program, or its equivalent.
	Initial Teacher Education Committee Panels The NSW Institute of Teachers is seeking applications from interested classroom and executive teachers to participate on ITEC Panels and to work with universities and other tertiary providers to review and assess initial teacher education programs. Each panel will include a practising teacher and an executive teacher, experts in initial teacher education, a curriculum specialist, and the Manager Initial Teacher Education or other Institute staff as executive officer. Appropriately skilled and qualified teachers will receive training as panel members. Further details including essential criteria and application form may be found at the NSW Institute of Teachers website.
	Teachers and parents - Student work samples in the Assessment Resource Centre will assist teachers in reporting student achievement using grades A to E. Samples that illustrate the standards at each grade are available for Stages 1 to 5. New samples have recently been added. Also available Reporting using Grades FAQ's (PDF) and Standards-based assessing and reporting (PowerPoint).
	The Office of the Board of Studies provides replacement statements for lost or mislaid certificates issued by the Board of Studies, past Boards or the New South Wales Department of Education. Replacement statements can be provided for: Intermediate Certificates (to 1964), Leaving Certificate (to 1966), School Certificate (from 1965), Higher School Certificate (from 1967), TER (Tertiary Entrance Rank) (to 1996 only) and Year 10, 11 or 12 Statement of Attainments/Result Notice.
	Students and teachers - Visit the HSC and School Certificate multiple choice quiz self-testing service. 29 HSC course examinations and the 5 School Certificate tests contain multiple choice sections. Selections from these past papers are available here to assist you in your studies. Examples from recent exams and tests have been added.
	Principals - The Results Analysis Package (RAP) has been specially developed to help principals and teachers analyse their Higher School Certificate and School Certificate results. Download a Results Analysis Package order form.
	Mathematics Stage 6 Review and Development Project - Endorsed Writing Briefs and Consultation Reports The Writing Brief Development phase of the Mathematics Stage 6 Review and Development Project has concluded, following the Board's endorsement of the syllabus writing briefs. The endorsed writing briefs and associated consultation reports are now available. The writing briefs outline five Board-developed courses. Draft syllabuses, in accordance with the writing briefs, are currently being developed.
	Teachers - Mapping of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) integrated into the outcomes and content of the new mandatory Years 7-10 syllabuses. This mapping is designed to assist schools to plan programs and units of work. It shows where ICT references occur in each of the mandatory Stages 4 and 5 syllabuses. Search an online database and/or download an Excel file.
	Teachers - NSW Primary Curriculum Foundation Statements are a response to the recommendations of the Eltis evaluation and the following public consultation. Foundation Statements are short, clear descriptions of the knowledge and skills that each student should develop at each stage of primary school. They answer the question 'What must be taught?' in all schools.
	Teachers, students and parents - As part of the NSW Government's action plan for values education, the Board of Studies coordinated a project during 2006 focusing on the values of Respect and Responsibility. This included a Schools Forum involving students, teachers, parents and community members from government and non-government schools. This website contains excerpts from the Forum on Respect and Responsibility in audio, video, and text formats. Other aspects of the project on this site are curriculum mapping K-10 which identifies opportunities to incorporate respect and responsibility into teaching as well as resources to promote respect and responsibility in education. There are also links to other websites on values education.
	The Aboriginal Educational Contexts website includes teaching and learning resources for all secondary key learning areas, for the primary curriculum, and in literacy and numeracy. It covers specialist areas such as Aboriginal Languages and current research on Aboriginal education; it showcases examples of school-developed, context-based teaching and learning projects created in collaboration with teachers, Aboriginal education workers and members of the local community. Journey with each school to learn how they grew as a team, combined to evolve teaching and learning activities and units of work, and developed strong partnerships with their Aboriginal communities.