BOS 37/08 (Vol 17 No 3)

The Board wishes to advise that the Mathematics K–6 Support Document for Students with Special Education Needs has been published on the K–6 website.

The online document supports teachers in the planning, programming, assessment, implementation and evaluation of learning experiences that enable all students to demonstrate achievement in relation to the outcomes and content of the Mathematics K–6 Syllabus.

A printed introduction to the online document will be sent to all primary schools.

Effective: Immediately

Contact:
Susan Jones
Senior Curriculum Officer, Special Education
(02) 9367 8148
susan.jones@bos.nsw.edu.au

The Mathematics Stage 6 Draft Syllabuses are now available for consultation. Draft Syllabuses are available for Mathematics General 1, Mathematics General 2, Mathematics Advanced, Mathematics Extension 1 and Mathematics Extension 2, together with Sample HSC Examination Questions. Surveys are also available, to gather views on the Draft Syllabuses. Completed surveys are due to the Board of Studies by 27 June 2008.

[More]

Board Bulletin (Vol 17 No 1)

Draft syllabuses for the revised suite of Stage 6 Mathematics courses are currently being developed based on the syllabus writing briefs endorsed by the Board in September 2007.

The draft syllabuses will incorporate a number of new topics to be studied. For example, data analysis and mathematical modelling will be introduced into the calculus-based courses.

The draft syllabuses and associated surveys will be distributed to stakeholders, including all schools in NSW offering Stage 6 Mathematics courses, for consultation during May and June 2008. Focus group meetings will be conducted throughout NSW with teachers, academics and representatives of a range of other interest groups.

The final syllabuses will be distributed to schools in November 2008 for familiarisation and programming during 2009 and implementation in 2010 for Year 11.

The first HSC examinations based on the new syllabuses will take place in 2011.

The following publications have been added to the Board of studies website in February 2008:

Notes from the Marking Centre (including Marking Guidelines) for the following HSC 2007 Examination papers:

• Arabic Continuers and Extension
• Biology
• Chemistry
• German
• Geography
• Mathematics
• Mathematics Extension 1 and 2
• PDHPE
• Physics
• Senior Science

The following 2007 School Certificate test papers are now available for download:

• English-literacy
• Mathematics
• Australian History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship

Board Bulletin (Vol 16 No 4)

The Board of Studies endorsed the Stage 6 Mathematics syllabus writing briefs at its September meeting. The next phase of the review, development of the draft syllabuses, has now begun.

The development of the writing briefs was undertaken by teams of experienced teachers and academics from January to August this year.

The writing briefs cover all five Board-developed Stage 6 Maths courses. Mathematics General 1 is a new course in the suite of Board-developed Stage 6 Maths courses.

The data collected from surveys, written submissions and focus groups during consultation on the writing briefs were analysed to identify issues that needed to be considered in the development of the new syllabuses.

Consultation reports comprising key issues and associated actions in relation to each of the writing briefs were also presented to the Board at its September 2007 meeting. The consultation reports and endorsed writing briefs are available for download from the Board website.

Key Dates – Stage 6 Maths syllabus review

BOS 30/07 (Vol 16 No 2)

Teachers and students of the General Mathematics HSC course are advised that the writing booklets provided to students for the 2007 General Mathematics HSC examination will have centre numbers, student numbers and question numbers printed on the covers.

[More]

More than 270 activities and almost 1000 work samples aligned to grades are now on the Assessment Resource Centre (ARC) for Stages 1 to 5.

Almost 500 primary work samples are now on the ARC across all key learning areas. More than 80 activities are also available on the site to assist teachers in awarding A to E grades in Semester 1 reports.

[More]

The Board has a commitment to consultation in the syllabus development and review process, ensuring quality syllabuses that meet the needs of teachers and students.

Teachers have the opportunity to contribute to up to six syllabus reviews during Term 2: one primary and three secondary syllabus projects as well as the development of two new industry frameworks in consultation phases.

[More]

The Writing Brief Development phase (Phase 2) of the Board's Mathematics Stage 6 Review and Development Project commenced in January 2007. Draft writing briefs for the Stage 6 calculus-based courses and non-calculus-based courses are now available for comment via the accompanying surveys.

The draft writing briefs and surveys have also been distributed to secondary schools and other key stakeholders by mail. (Survey responses can also be submitted by mail or email.)