After last year’s successful HSC marking workshops in English, the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) has developed HSC marking workshops for Mathematics and Biology teachers.

BOSTES President Tom Alegounarias said “The NSW HSC is an international credential that relies on the quality of classroom teachers delivering the syllabuses and assessing student achievement.

“The HSC marking workshops developed by BOSTES is another way we are assisting teachers help their students prepare for the exams at the end of the year.

 “I encourage Mathematics and Biology teachers to take advantage of this valuable professional development opportunity.”

Three of the workshops are in regional centres, part of BOSTES commitment to supporting teachers, schools and students across the state.

• 2 May – Sydney: Sydney Church of England Grammar School (SHORE)
• 9 May – Southern Highlands and Tablelands: Goulburn High School
• 16 May – Central West: James Sheahan Catholic High School, Orange
• 23 May – New England: Armidale High School

In the workshops teachers will engage in a hands-on simulation of the HSC marking process, most particularly the application of the marking kit to ensure valid and reliable results. They will develop an understanding of the principles of assessment and an ability to apply marking guidelines to make valid and consistent judgements. They will learn about the relationship between school assessment marks and final HSC marks, how the school assessment marks are moderated, and an overview of standards setting process. They will also see how various functions within the Results Analysis Package (information provided by BOSTES to schools on their students’ results) can be used by teachers to help improve teaching and learning outcomes.