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31 October 2013 Number: 062/13
Senior secondary
QSA contact with schools about subject achievement indicators (SAIs)
Purpose
To advise schools that a staff member with responsibility for final decisions about Year 12 subject achievement indicators (SAIs) must be nominated and available to speak to Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) staff until Tuesday 3 December 2013.
Background
Once QSA receives data submission 5 on 21 November 2013, officers from the Analysis and Reporting Branch will check all SAI data used to produce Tertiary Entrance Statements.
Schools with Year 12 students are asked to ensure that a staff member responsible for SAIs is available for telephone discussions with QSA officers who may have questions about aspects of the school's SAI distributions and may ask for folios of student work. This staff member must be able to convey information to other school staff and implement decisions as QSA is unable to talk to teachers of individual subjects about SAIs. A staff member responsible only for data entry is not a suitable contact person.
Information
We expect schools will use the BonSAI program to assign and check SAIs. If QSA staff call to discuss SAIs, it will facilitate the checking process if the school contact person uses BonSAI.
BonSAI is the only computer program produced or endorsed by the QSA to assist with assigning and checking SAIs. The BonSAI program and an easy-to-follow user guide are available on the QSA website (www.qsa.qld.edu.au/4903.html).
Five short video tutorials and a set of five fact sheets about using BonSAI to assign and check SAIs are also available to assist schools and can be viewed online at www.qsa.qld.edu.au/4903.html. The fact sheets cover information about SAIs and BonSAI, how the QSA checks SAIs and what schools should do if they are contacted by the QSA about SAIs.
As part of the checking process, QSA officers make comparisons between SAIs and information on Forms R6. In recent years, potential problems with SAIs have often been the result of inaccurate information on Forms R6. Ensuring these forms are completed properly and checked carefully will reduce these problems and the likelihood of the QSA calling the school.
What you need to do
• Enter the details of the contact person who will be performing this role in the school for 2013 on the SAI school contact form at https://naplan.qsa.qld.edu.au/naplan/saicontact.jsp. Details may be entered from Wednesday 30 October 2013 and must be finalised by Tuesday 12 November 2013.
• Ensure that the contact person is able to view all SAI distributions in BonSAI.
QSA contact with schools about subject achievement indicators (SAIs) 31 October 2013 | Page 2 of 2
More information
Please email Margaret Veerman at [email protected] or telephone 3864 0363.
Glen Whitaker
Acting Assistant Director Analysis and Reporting Branch
