Everything You Need To Know About The New ATAR System

It has finally happened… ATAR is here!

At the start of 2019, the Queensland Government introduced a new Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) system. Previously known to many schools, parents, and students as “the OP system including QCS”, the new approach is called the “Australian Tertiary Admission Rank” (ATAR) system.

This new system is based on an educational model proposed by Robert Marzano. This Model is known as ‘The New Taxonomy’, which essentially allows teachers to enhance students’ thinking skills through six levels of processing.

Now, while this is a positive step in the right direction for education Queensland, it has unfortunately been subject to much controversy. Many parents are overwhelmed, fuelled by confusion and concern about the newly introduced educational system. This uncertainness has parent’s feeling apprehensive about the implications of ATAR on their children’s education.

However, do not fear… A Team Tuition is here!

At A Team Tuition, we pride ourselves in our ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Our Academic Personal Trainers (APTs) similarly impart this adaptability onto our students in light of imminent transitions between grades, teachers, and styles of learning. 

Recognising these potential issues, we sought to become equipped with all the necessary information about the ATAR system! We want to provide you with the ingredients to succeed in school by leveraging the implementation of this new system to our advantage – our tutors are all always huge fans of being one step ahead!

With that being said… we have compiled a brief overview and summary of the six levels of the processing, regarding the ATAR system below for anyone else who is lost!

 

Contents:

1. What the ATAR system
2. The New Taxonomy by Robert Marzano
3. Level 6: Self-Belief Level
4. Level 5: Metacognitive Process Level
5. Level 1: Retrieval Level
6. Level 2: Comprehension Level
7. Level 3: Analysis Level
8. Level 4: Utilisation of Knowledge Level
9. Benefits of ATAR

 

1. What is the ATAR system?

IATAR is a system in Secondary School that gives students’ a score to be compared to others and essentially get into University with.

The new ATAR system includes a total of 16 semesters of ATAR subjects and 4 semesters of a general subject. These subjects will each have 3 internal assessments that constitute 50% of the total grade for that specific subject. The remaining 50% will result from 1 external exam.

E.g. Assessments per subject:

3 x Internal Assessments = 50%

1 x External Assessment = 50%

Students generally receive practice assessments for both internal and external exams, the year before they conduct it officially. 

As A Team Tuition recognises that assessments are slightly different with the ATAR system, we recommend students develop strong relationships with their teachers and continually ask for feedback to assist them in completing the task.

 

How are ATAR scores calculated?

ATARs are individual academic scores that are expressed on a 2000-point scale from 99.95 (highest) down to 0, in increments of 0.05.

The score is calculated by the formula:

ATAR = S₁ + S₂ + (10% x S₃)

Key:

Subject₁ = English

Subject₂ = 3 other ATAR subjects

Subject₃ = General subject

When your proficiency in English greatly enhances, you will be thankful that it counts for 50% of your score – after all, you speak the language every day in school. So, scoring flying colours in the subject should not be a problem with the guidance and support of your APT!

 

 

 

2. The New Taxonomy by Robert Marzano

Originally created by Robert Marzano, the ‘new taxonomy of education’ model provides teachers the methodology to enhance student’s thinking skills through 6 levels of processing:

• Level 6: Self-Belief Level
• Level 5: Metacognitive Process Level
• Level 1: Retrieval Level
• Level 2: Comprehension Level
• Level 3 Analysis Level
• Level 4: Utilisation of Knowledge Level

Now, if you OCD – this isn’t a pretty numbering system! You are probably asking… ‘why are they partially numbered backwards’? However, please bear with me.

Put simply, there are three systems at play… self system, metacognitive system, and cognitive system.

Level six is the self system – which is the starting point for each student.  Next, level five is the metacognitive system. Then we have the cognitive system, which includes levels one to four. If you are more a visual learner, please feel free to refer to the diagram above, setting out each system!

This new model also forms the ‘Domains of Knowledge’, which includes: Psychomotor, Analytical Processes, and Information. This sounds confusing… however, it is essentially how we categorise knowledge into its different domains and therefore process it accordingly.

The term “psychomotor’’ refers to physical activity as governed or affected by mental processes (https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-psychomotor-activity-380165), which are also known as the Analytical Processes. For example, a student demonstrates analytic skill by constructing a generalisation or principle about the nature of a certain topic based on specific events that have been addressed in class.

The next important domain is possessing the information necessary to understand what exactly the student is learning – without information, the psychomotor domain can hardly be carried out.

It is therefore evident that the levels of processing have significant interaction with the domains of knowledge – they essentially must co-exist.

 

 

3. Level 6: Self-Belief System

The starting point… is the self system… level six. Also referred to as the ‘self-belief’ level.

It ensures that students are motivated and interested in learning the content, as well as being at school. Without this, the other levels are hard to achieve.

While schools address this level through leadership programs and school culture, self-belief forms the very result of what we seek to achieve here at A Team Tuition.

APT’s are trained to encourage students’, develop self-belief, and provide mentorship. The A Team model has a large focus on mentoring in the program and this addresses self-belief on a 1-on-1 level.

Here, we are very much dedicated to mentor, guide and help our students through their schooling years, especially as all of our APTs have walked down that same path, thus obtaining first-hand experience and knowledge. This way, we ensure that all our students have the right support, strategies, and mindset to succeed by keeping them engaged both in school and at their own homes.

 

 

4. Level 5: Metacognitive Process Level

The next step is the metacognitive system, which refers to level 5.

The metacognitive process is essentially “thinking about thinking”!

The term originates from the root word meta, which translates to “beyond” or “on top of”. This level involves using techniques and strategies to address the content provided and, in turn, maximise students’ ability to process information.

However, Level 5 is largely “untapped” by schools, which leads to the possible association of them with the idea of unfamiliarity by students, parents, and even schools.

But fear not… A Team Tuition has a solution!

A Team Tuition has made the ‘Creating A Students’ (CAS) 2.0; a program that consistently creates A students by providing them with the right support, strategies, and mindset.

The terms ‘techniques and strategies’ that form the metacognitive process is KEY here – because they form a huge part of the CAS!

The nine modules created in the Creating ‘A’ Students Blueprint are designed specifically to help students develop study techniques that are individually effective for themselves, rather than being one that is standardised for all students.

Therefore, we strongly encourage students to utilise the CAS manual to their advantage to ensure all students have the means to succeed!

Now for the tricky bit… the cognitive system. As aforementioned this includes levels one to four.

 

5. Level 1: Retrieval Level

To start number one is the Retrieval level, also defined as the knowledge level.

“Knowledge, as defined here, includes those behaviours and test situations which emphasize the remembering, either by recognition or recall, of ideas, materials or phenomena”

This level includes the requirement of knowledge of specifics (terminology and facts).

Further, it also refers to the ways and means in dealing with those specifics (trends, sequences, criteria, and methodology).

It is based on the idea that such knowledge should be readily ‘recalled or retrievable’ especially during the end of year assessments.

 

6. Level 2: Comprehension Level

 

The second level concerns the intake of new information by students. This occurs through some form of communication that allows the student to grasp the meaning and intent of the material.

The three forms of comprehension are:

1. Translation
2. Interpretation
3. Extrapolation.

Firstly, translation refers to circumstances where students summarise the respective information in their own words.

Secondly, interpretation refers to the act of explaining, reframing, or otherwise showing your own understanding of something. This requires a reorganisation of ideas into a new configuration in the mind.

Thirdly, extrapolation occurs when students make inferences and predictions based on literal information in the communication and principles and generalisation already possessed by the students.

 

 

 

7. Level 3: Analysis Level

 

The third level involves a detailed examination of the elements:

• Relationships among the elements
• Organisational principles that govern the elements.

This step is incredibly important and highly tested at school. Why? Because the quality of the analysis will consequently affect the comprehension of the new material.

 

 

 

 

8. Level 4: Utilisation of Knowledge Level

 

Next is level four! It’s time for the utilisation of knowledge!

It requires students to be able to correctly apply their newly learnt knowledge.

In other words, this level requires that students comprehend the material in order to proceed to the next level and achieve application.

Easy… right?

 

 

9. Benefits of ATAR

It is undeniable that the ATAR system better prepares students for University and the workforce, as it is based on an educational model that encompasses more depths than the old OP system.

It encourages independence, as well as a deeper level of cognitive function.

A Team Tuition has recognised the importance of this change and has developed a program that addresses each level of the new taxonomy model that ATAR is based on!

It provides our APTs the resources need to mentor our students and prepare them for not school examinations, but also a life-long career.

Given the support and resources, A Team Tuition can provide to help you leverage this system to your advantage, there is no need to hesitate on improving your academic future – seek out the most effective techniques and soar!

The post Everything You Need To Know About The New ATAR System appeared first on A Team Tuition.

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5 Things the Government Hasn’t Told You About ATAR!

It has happened…

Queensland has finally decided to ditch the controversial OP system and follow the lead of the rest of Australia.

At the beginning of 2019, Queensland introduced a new Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) system… the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). This is just one of the MANY changes that will happen with this new system.

Dean of Education, Professor Bahr has revealed the main reasons for this change. Highlighting that it allows student’s outcomes to be more easily comparable and understood by the rest of Australia.

It is also a much fairer model. The old OP system was controversial, as it was a broad ranking, dependent upon the overall school cohort. Unfortunately, this meant that if a student attended a private school they were more likely to get a better OP than if they were to attend a rural state school.

On the bright side, the ATAR model is a ‘fine-grained’ score that is dependent ONLY on the student’s individual success in school and external standardised testing.

So, this is a POSITIVE change and a step in the right direction! But… come on you knew there was ‘but’ coming… why have parents and teachers been left angry, confused and outraged?

Excellent question! Well… there has been a severe lack of effective implementation, resource distribution, and awareness.

So, for all the lost parents out there, A Team Tuition has decided to shed light on 5 things the Government has ‘forgot’ to tell you about ATAR

Contents:

1. Your kid is the Guinea Pig!
2. Where to get the information about ATAR?
3. Different approach to learning and follows the new taxonomy of education!
4. Teachers can no longer baby students to good grades!
5. Only if it is implemented well… will it better prepare students for life after graduation!

 

1. Your kid is the Guinea Pig!

It seems that the 2019 year 9, 10 and (specifically) 11 students have drawn the short straw!

Term 1 of the new ATAR system is over, and student’s grades have already plummeted. Students have been left feeling confused, anxious and apprehensive. They do not understand why this is happening and how to fix it. They are the Guinea Pigs of the new system!

One student reported that they went from an A+ in English last year to a B in term 1 on the new ATAR system.

Another student dropped from a C+ in biology to a D.

Clearly, this is not working, and we need to address it before it permanently affects our children’s results. So, why is this happening?

• It happened fast!
• Failure to sufficiently educate teachers, parents, and students on the new process, prior to the change.
• It is a massive change from OP (see ‘Different approach to learning and follows the new taxonomy of education’ section).
• It is unprecedented – Even though ATAR is used by the rest of Australia, Queensland’s version differs slightly. This means that it is unprecedented. No one knows ‘exactly’ what the outcome will be.

How do we fix this? Well, first thing first… we need to follow A Team Tuition’s lead and become ATAR experts!

2. Where to get the information about ATAR?

If you wanted to find out information about the ATAR system, where would you get it?

Has the government made any announcements? Has your child’s school sent out an information pack? Or do you feel like you have been left alone wandering aimlessly in the dark, depending on only a basic google search to reveal the answer?

One of the main reasons for all of this ‘ATAR’ confusion is due to the little information that has been distributed to teachers, parents, and students.

Teacher’s don’t know what’s going on. Parent’s don’t know what’s going on. AND students don’t know what’s going on!

This is not good enough. If a change like this happens (no matter how good the overall aim is), it needs to be implemented well. The system needs to be understood by everyone involved.

At A Team Tuition, we have already seen the reality of this issue first hand. When I asked one of my new year 11 students what ATAR is, he replied with “I have no idea, I even asked one of my teacher’s, and he said that he is just winging it.”

To address this issue, A Team Tuition services have been specially designed to cover every aspect of the new ATAR system. Our Academic Personal Trainers (APTs) are trained by the experts to understand, apply and simplify ATAR so that our students can easily comprehend what they are being asked to do. APT’s main objectives are to provide mentorship, support, and confidence to students during this transition.

So, search no longer… A Team Tuition has everything you need to know about the new ATAR system! Please see below for more details.

 

3. Different approach to learning and follows the new     taxonomy of education!

First, what is ATAR?

Put simply, ATAR is a system that gives students’ a score to be compared to other students and get into University with.

This score is on a 2000-point scale from 99.95 (highest) down to 0 (0.05 increments).

How is this score calculated?

 

The golden rule is: ATAR = S1 + S2 + (10% x S3) Key: Subject1 = English Subject2 = 3 other ATAR subjects Subject3 = General subject

 

Different marking criteria?

Already, within the first term of the new ATAR system, APTs have already noticed the assignments and exams are marked differently from previous years.

On the OP system, the assessments used to be marked on the categories: Knowledge, Problem Solving, and Communication and Justification/Reasoning.

Now, according to ATAR assessment is marked on the objectives: Recall/ Retrieval and Comprehension, Analysis, and Knowledge Utilisation.

Luckily, these criteria are quite similar. Student’s just need to know, understand, apply and communicate the content.

 

Different approach?

This system is based on the ‘Taxonomy of Educational Objectives’ by Robert Marzano.

It sounds scary, but really it is just an education model (see below) that includes thinking skills, referring to factors affecting how learners think. It is aimed at helping teachers improve students’ learning.

 

So, what is the issue?

The current school system fails to address all the levels the model is based on. The self-belief and metacognitive processes remain untapped by schools.

But do not fear, A Team is here! The A Team Model does address all the levels, through mentoring and the new CAS 2.0 Program.

Utilising A Team Tuition’s training and approach, I was able to help my year 11 student skyrocket from a D in biology to a B+.

APTs are more crucial now than ever. Not only to help students understand the new system but also because teachers are now limited in the type of help they can provide students.

 

4. Teachers can no longer baby students to good grades!

Remember the days when the teacher’s pet always got good grades? Or when you would smile when teachers quietly gave major exam hints?

The old OP system relied on teachers moderating assessments and exams with other teachers. Further, teachers always knew what was on the upcoming exams and could prepare their students for it.

However, this new system strips this hand-holding process. Normal School assessments are now combined with external exams. This means that the teachers don’t know what is on the exams. They are now limited to the extent that they can help their student’s, no matter how much they want to.

While this is a much fairer solution in theory, in practice the Queensland Guinea Pigs of ATAR, which have been cultured by 10 years of teacher’s holding their hands are lost.

Student’s feel like they are all on their own. They can’t ask their teachers or their friends for help. They feel isolated, alone and hopeless.

From talking to our new students, A Team Tuition has identified this issue early. We understand the limitation teacher’s face with the new ATAR system, thus have implemented strategies that overcome this issue. Specifically, this includes:

• Encouraging the student to have a good teacher-student relationship, so that they can clarify any concerns regarding unit content.
• Ensure the student understands how to meet the new criteria.
• Develop fundamental skills, approaches, and strategies that can be implemented in all types of exams.
• Provide constant mentorship, encouragement, support, clarification, and belief.

Together, we can overcome these transitional issues!

 

5. If it is implemented well… it will better prepare students for life after graduation!

While we have spent most of this article critiquing the implementation of the ATAR system in Queensland that is not to say that it is a bad system.

ATAR is much better than OP! Once it has got through its teething stage, it will be a much fairer, equitable, comprehensive, and practical system. Academics believe that it is a step in the right direction for Education Queensland!

It allows universities to equitably compare students’ academic performance, providing a comprehensive ranking tool for entry into tertiary education.
Most importantly… the ATAR model is specifically designed to better prepare students for life after graduation in either University or the work-force. How? In addition to developing fundamental academic skills, ATAR encourages the development of key attributes such as:

• Independence
• Self-reliance
• Self-belief
• Work-ethic

So, the issue is not the ATAR system itself, but how it is implemented.

This is why at A Team Tuition, we have made a proactive effort to educate all our staff and APTs. We have developed key tools that successfully address the new ATAR model. This provides APTs the means and ability to best prepare their students for success.

Knowledge is power!

So, there you have it… the five things the Government hasn’t told you about ATAR!

If you are still not sure about the ATAR system, then you are in luck. At A Team Tuition our team has made a short 5-minute video that not only explains ATAR… but simplifies it!

Alternatively, if you want to get your child ahead of the rest of the pack, enquire at A Team Tuition now! Feel free to contact one of our friendly staff on (p: 07 3154 6180) or visit the website: https://ateamtuition.com/.  

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