Nsla term 3 sdd

NSW Department of Education & Training

NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way www.det.nsw.edu.au

NSLA– Investigating Alternative Curriculum Pathways

SDD Term 3 2011(School Identifications have been removed)

Liz HemmingsNew School Leaving Age CoordinatorWestern Sydney



NSW NSLA Policy• A child who has completed year 10 and is below the

age of 17 years must continue his or her schooling unless he or she participates on a full-time basis in:

• approved education training, or• paid work or a combination of approved education

or training and paid work (the child must be above 15 years to be in employment).

• Parents of a child who is subject to these new provisions can be prosecuted if their child does not satisfy this requirement.



Why have states introduced later school leaving ages?

“There is compelling Australian and international research which highlights the enhanced life choices and outcomes for people who have completed higher levels of education and training. The research demonstrates that early school leavers are two and a half times more likely to be unemployed, earn lower wages and have poorer quality of life outcomes.”

Excerpt from preamble of Raising the School Age by Trevor Fletcher, July 2009.



Changing Directions

Video: Changing school paradigms http://youtu.be/zDZFcDGpL4U

http://youtu.be/zDZFcDGpL4U



Challenges for Schools

• Greater diversity of student abilities in senior school.

• Disengaged students.• Reluctant or poor attendees.• Procedures surrounding NSLA.



• A research project about the NSLA 2009 – 2011.

• 90 students across SW Sydney, Central Coast and Riverina

• Targeted students who wanted to leave school.

UWS Research ProjectConducted by Professor Margaret Vickers



• One of the most important findings emerging from the study is that positive relationships between students and teachers appear to boost student engagement and academic motivation: this emerges from the quantitative data, the student interviews, and the teacher interviews.

Findings



Engaging Reluctant school Attendees.

• Availability of Stage 5 Vet, variety of electives particularly work studies electives combined with work experience placement.

• The study also found that students who could see a greater choice for their senior pathway were more engaged in Stage 5.



Alternative Pathways Stage 5

There are pathways available to students to complete Stage 5 or a School Certificate equivalent who are not coping with or suited to a fulltime school environment.



Currently Approved Alternative Courses of Study Equivalent to School Certificate

• AQF Framework Certificate 2 – requires approval from Principal and TAFE director.

150 Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) vocational Certificate II qualifications have been approved as the “equivalent of Year 10” for this purpose. https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/tafe/strategy/media/Yr10_Equiv_Courses_update_280910.pdf

• Completion of Year 10 outside NSW

• Exceptional Circumstances eg. Full time traineeship or apprenticeship before the completion of Year 10.

https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/tafe/strategy/media/Yr10_Equiv_Courses_update_280910.pdf



When issuing a Certificate of Exemption for the special circumstance ofundertaking a full time apprenticeship or traineeship, Principalsneed to detail the 3 following conditions in the “Conditions of theExemption‟ section of the certificate: a) the training contract is approved by State Training Services,

b) if the arrangement with the employer ceases the young person mustsatisfy compulsory schooling requirements (i.e. complete Year 10 atschool or at TAFE), and

c) the employer must notify DET (through the Principal) if the youngperson does not complete the qualification or departs the programbefore the age of 17.

Certificate of Exemption(Section 3.5, Guidelines for Exemption from School)



Board of Studies

• The Board is investigating the notion of credentialing 'alternate educational experiences' in lieu of the School Certificate.

• Schools and other organisations may seek to deliver a Board Endorsed Alternative Education Program

Note: For 2011 the closing date for applications has been extended to 29 July

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/manuals/equivalent-alternative-study.html

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/manuals/equivalent-alternative-study.html



• Year 10 alternative pathways in WSR Schools

• Combine work experience and study at school to gain a life skills school certificate.

• The board of studies provides flexibility for schools to run programs that are in the student’s best interest.

Stage 5 – In School Alternative Pathways



• 12 students are in a dedicated transition class one day per week.

• Students attend school 3 days per week including the one day dedicated to transition lessons.

• 2 days per week they attend TAFE or work experience.

• In 2010 the program had 100% of participants gain apprenticeships.

Yr 10 Transition Program - __HS



• 18 students in a dedicated class.• Students complete their numeracy and

literacy SC requirements through an onsite project run by an IA teacher.

• 1 day per week work experience.• Each year approximately 16 of the 18

students gain apprenticeships.

Yr 10 Transition Program –__HS



Engagement Strategies• Planning My Future • Student Pathways Survey.• STW online log book.• STW KLA support documentation.• Student leadership programs.• e-Me (Pilot program 2010).• Career Search Program.



Engagement Strategies• Partnerships Brokers / Youth Connections.• IEA: provide reengagement and job

readiness programs. • TAFE: S-Vet and T-Vet.• Private Providers – eg. Royal Lifesaving

Society.• School based apprenticeships.• School based traineeships.



KLA STW support documents

https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/directorates/vet_schools/school-to-Work/vocational-and-Enterprise-Learning/kla.html





https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/directorates/vet_schools/logbookonline/index.php

STW logbook

https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/directorates/vet_schools/logbookonline/index.php



My Future Website

http://www.myfuture.edu.au/

http://www.myfuture.edu.au/



Planning My Future

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/docprs/publicViewEvent.do?eventId=27206

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/docprs/publicViewEvent.do?eventId=27206



Greater Diversity of Abilities

How do you provide a pathway to enhance learning and engagement for students who traditionally would not have continued into year 11?



Benefits of Alternative Pathways

• Engagement and retainment of more students.

• Improved educational environment for students following a traditional ATAR pathway.



Examples of Alternative Pathways

• JS Class at ___• Compacted curriculum models • Non-ATAR stream offered at __HS• Combination of Pathways, Work and TAFE

totaling a minimum of 25 hours.



Job Seekers Classes –

• Identified students apply to be included in the program and are interviewed with their parents.

• Targets students who have a history of very poor attendance or have been identified through Year 11 reviews at the end of Term1.

• Aim of the program is to have these students employed or ready to enrol in TAFE by age 17. There will be options available for them to continue into Year 12.



Staying Connected

• Positives: provides some creativity and flexibility for students who have become or who are likely to become disengaged and want to leave school.

• Students who are particularly disengaged in a particular class are withdrawn and placed in work studies.

• They work 1:1 with a teacher who is employed 2 days per week and complete the work online utilising their laptops during their free periods.



Compacted Curriculum Models• Some high schools offer a Vet qualification via a compacted

model that students can achieve during Year 11.

• ____offers Hospitality – Cert III- Students in the program are engaged and have not left as

they turn 17.- Students have the opportunity to continue into Year 12 if

they carry a preliminary subject.

• ____offers Business Services – Cert III- Students are enrolled in 4 units of Business Services delivered by a Vet Certified Teacher at the school.- They also are enrolled in Work Studies.- TAFE will deliver the Cert III component during Term 3.



1-5%

5-10%

80-90%

Intensive, Individual Interventions• ILP’s• External providers• Prepare for Yr11 or work classes

Targeted Group Interventions• Non academic stream• English Studies, Work Studies,

Applied Maths, Life Skills courses• T-Vet, S-Vet and board endorsed

courses.• Compacted curriculum options

Universal Interventions• ATAR pathway• T-Vet and S-Vet• Non-ATAR HSC pathway



NSW Education Act 1990 No 8Current version for 7 December 2010 to date (accessed 20 June 2011 at 09:26)

4 Principles on which this Act is basedIn enacting this Act, Parliament has had regard to the following principles: (a) every child has the right to receive an education, (b) the education of a child is primarily the responsibility of the child’s parents, (c) it is the duty of the State to ensure that every child receives an education of the highest quality, (d) the principal responsibility of the State in the education of children is the provision of public education.



Online Resources

http://nsla-in-wsr.wikispaces.com/

http://nsla-in-wsr.wikispaces.com/



http://vet-in-wsr.wikispaces.com/School-to-Work

Online ResourcesSchool to work

http://vet-in-wsr.wikispaces.com/School-to-Work



1. What programs exist at?2. Are these programs catering

for the needs of our students? (How do we know?)

3. What else could we put in place?

Thinking outside the square:



Reverse Thinking

http://youtu.be/MWSYPDh7O5QThe Lost Generation Poem

http://youtu.be/MWSYPDh7O5Q



http://www.scoop.it/t/engagement-and-attainment

Online Resources