1. The Basics Behind an Overall Position (OP)

2. To be OP Eligible a student must:
Complete 20 semester units of Authority subjects (equivalent to 5 subjects for 2 years)
Three of the subjects must remain the same for the two years
Complete all mandated subject assessments tasks
Sit the Queensland Core Skills (QCS) test

3. The three major factors which contribute the students’ OPs are:
Individual Subject results
Subject QCS results (OP eligible students only)
Whole school QCS results (OP eligible students only)

4. Student Subject results:
Subject course delivered from an approved work program
Common assessment items
Criteria sheet
Within school moderation
Student profiles
District Monitoring and Verification
Exit (final) LOA rung placement (see handout)

5. The QCS Test
All OP eligible students must sit
Four test over two days – WT, MC1, SRT, MC2
Used to equate and compare students across the state (different schools, different subjects)
Hmmm and Questions

6. To have a better understanding of how an OP is calculated we first need to understand a little about what a Z-Score is.

7. A Z-Score is simply a number that indicates if you are above or below the average in a subject and by how much.
If the number is positive you are above the average and if negative you are below the average.

8. See Handout Z Score Meaning 1.5 + Excellent 1 – 1.5 Very good
0 – 0.5 OK
Below 0 Not helping much
A Z score is a measure of the standard deviations from the mean
See Handout

9. A student can use Z-Scores to compare their performance in each of their subjects.
Subject LOA Z-Score
English SA6 (C6) Z +0.73
Maths SA6 (C6) Z
PE HA 1 (B1) Z +0.75

10. 5 As & 1B Ben – OP 1 English VHA3 2.17 Maths B VHA3 1.53
Biology VHA
Chemistry VHA
Physics HA
Home Ec. VHA
5 As & 1B

11. 3Bs & 2Cs Lisa – OP 9 English SA7 Z 0.00 Maths B HA9 Z 1.15
Geography HA9 Z 0.21
Physics HA8 Z 0.45
PE SA8 Z -0.71
3Bs & 2Cs

12. Mary – OP 19
English SA
Maths A LA
Biology SA
PE HA
Drama SA
1 B, 3Cs & 1D

13. Hmmm and Questions Implications
Z scores are a good way to compare how well students are going in each subject
It gives students feedback as to how they are performing in terms of other students in the group
It tells students if they are above or below the average for that subject
It may help when making decisions to change subjects or not
Hmmm and Questions

14. Calculating an OP

15. At the end Year 12 students receive a final Exit Rung Placement
A Subject Area Indicator (SAI) is then applied so that the top student in the subject receives 400 and the bottom student receives Numbers are applied to all other OP students in between
See handout

16. Implications for Students
They must try to get as far up the R6 ladder as possible to receive the highest SAI value possible.
The SAI presents the numerical value each student gained from the subject (before scaling)

17. Calculations are made to determine how far each student is away from the average in each subject.
i.e. Z-Scores are calculated which is determined by the student SAI compared to other students in the subject group in all your subjects

18. HOMER (QCS mean, SAI, Z score = Scaled SAI)
Subject
LOA
SAI
Z-Score
Scaled SAI
English
HA3
341
1.38
Maths B
VHA 7
400
2.57
Accounting
VHA 3
1.76
Geography
HA 2
366
1.19
Biology
HA 7
378
1.27 PE
389
1.61

19. Maggie
English SA
Maths A LA
Biology SA
PE HA
Drama SA
Every student will end up with a Z score
for each subject they studied.

20. The Mean and MD from the QCS test are calculated for each subject
The Mean and MD from the QCS test are calculated for each subject. These raw scores are scaled so that the average score for all subjects in the state is 175. e.g. Subject – QCS means
See Green number on next page. This represents how well this subject group of students did on the QCS test

21. HOMER (QCS mean, SAI, Z score = Scaled SAI)
Subject
LOA
SAI
Z-Score
Scaled SAI
English (171.39)
HA3
341
1.38
Maths B (184.63)
VHA 7
400
2.57
Accounting (168.04)
VHA 3
1.76
Geography (164.88)
HA 2
366
1.19
Biology (171.45)
HA 7
378
1.27 PE
(167.25)
389
1.61

22. Subject QCS Mean and Mean Difference

23. Within School Scaling (comparing student performance and subject performance within Helensvale High
Students get their SAIs SCALED using their Z-Score (student performance) and the scaled Mean and MD (subject QCS performance) from the QCS test for each subject.
RED number is produced

24. HOMER (QCS mean, SAI, Z score = Scaled SAI)
Subject
LOA
SAI
Z-Score
Scaled SAI
English (171.39)
HA 3
341
1.38
201.84
Maths B (184.63)
VHA 7
400
2.57
239.06
Accounting (168.04)
VHA 3
1.76
208.16
Geography (164.88)
HA 2
366
1.19
196.54
Biology (171.45)
HA 7
378
1.27
209.82 PE
(167.25)
389
1.61
200.81

25. Implications for Students
They must work as a team to perform well in the QCS test. Their aim is for their subjects to have a QCS Mean above the State QCS Mean (above the 175 value).

26. The scaled SAIs from your best five subjects are then averaged to produce a student Overall Achievement Indicator (OAI).

27. HOMER OAI = 211.93 Subject LOA SAI Z-Score Scaled SAI English (171.39)
HA3
341
1.38
201.84
Maths B (184.63)
VHA
400
2.57
239.06
Accounting (168.04)
1.76
208.16
Geography (164.88) HA
366
1.19
196.54
Biology (171.45)
378
1.27
209.82
PE (167.25)
389
1.61
200.81
OAI =

28. The QSA uses this OAI to RANK all Helensvale High students against each other to get a final rank for the students in the school
This ranks students at our school irrespective of their individual subject combinations. The QCS test is used to compare and scale the student performance across subjects (how does an ‘A’ in PE compare to a ‘B’ in Maths B
Hmmm and Questions

29. This OAI ranking process sorts out and compares student performance within individual schools (Helensvale High).
The next step is the compare our performance to all other schools in Queensland. This is called 2nd Stage scaling.

30. Between School Scaling
Each student’s OAI is then re-scaled using the mean and mean difference of the whole school QCS result
Each student will then get a final OAI that will determine the OP that they are assigned

32. The scaled OAIs are put into bands and OPs are allocated.
20011 Cut-offs Cut-offs
OP1 – OP1 –
OP2 – OP2 –
OP3 – OP3 –
Emily’s scaled SAI (214.93) will get her an OP?
OP 3
Hmmm and Questions

33. Some Points to Think About

34. To Do Well Students Need To:
Move as far up the rank order in each subject as they can
Work hard in each subject and contribute the best that they can to the subject QCS test score
Perform as well as we can as a whole school on the QCS test

35. WE will continue to:
Design a QCS program which caters to individual and group needs
Teach strategies for the test
Support students to be successful in their subjects
Share all the information we can about performance – students and parents as insiders in the process and NO secrets

36. We expect students to:
Understand that QCS performance is vital to your success and other Helensvale High students
Attend every QCS preparation session
Take practice tests seriously and to do their best
Work hard in their subjects by participating and performing to the best of their ability

37. Support them especially in the last weeks of each term
What can parents do:
Encourage hard work and resilience (2 to 4 hours of homework each night and some time on the weekends)
Support them especially in the last weeks of each term
Monitor and support their wellbeing
Advocate for them when required

38. Questions