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P&C Northern Sydney Region |
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News |
Background
News
Includes media releases behind some of the
stories on this page
Contact Us pc-nsregion-owner@yahoogroups.com
Join Email Newsletter Group –
email: pc-nsregion-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Last
Year’s HSC 2005 Congratulations
to all the students, teachers and school communities in Northern Sydney
Region. Students from our public high schools have performed extremely well
in this year’s Higher School Certificate. It
is not possible to draw conclusions about the quality of the development and
learning experience at each school based on the limited information available
on the HSC results – but our public schools appear have performed very
favourably in the HSC compared to the fee-paying private schools in our
Region. Most
of the statistics published in the newspapers from the HSC can be found at
the Board of Studies web site I have downloaded the HSC All
Rounders List from this site and placed it in excel files
– one for the whole state and one for just the public schools in Northern Sydney. I have sorted these
files by school, but you can readily search or sort in whatever way you wish.
See
also newspaper
stories and the Herald’s list of the top schools David Hope –
President, P&C Northern Sydney Region |
For more recent information, see ENews
Ø
Federal Government’s Investing In Our Schools (IIOS)
Grants
Updated 24 March,
2007
Investing In Our Schools - 2007 Round NOW OPEN Opened 21 March – Closing 2 May
NB: New restrictions apply To give all state government schools
the opportunity to access the new funding, schools that have already received funding at or above $100,000 will not
be eligible to apply in 2007. In 2007, schools that have
not yet received any funding or that have received smaller amounts are a
priority. Government schools will be able to
apply for projects which will take their total approved grants from all
rounds of the Investing in Our Schools Programme up to a maximum of $100,000. Schools that meet the eligibility
criteria can apply for up to a maximum of $100,000, depending on the
amount already received from this Programme. To be eligible, total project costs cannot
exceed $175,000 – the school
can use its own funds, P&C or other contributions, etc to make up the
difference between the $100,000 grant and the total project estimate up to
$175,000 (as in previous years). See Clause 2 and Clause 6.7 of the Guidelines. Also, projects must be
estimated to be able to be completed within twelve months. The Program does not fund projects that are
expected to be funded by the responsible state or territory government
within the next twelve months. Tip: Don’t leave it until the last minute
to start your submission. Get going NOW and that will allow you time to find
errors or enhance your first attempt. The DEST website will be busy in the
week leading up to the closing date, as three states close on the same day.
On the closing day, the help-line closes at 8 pm. More Investing In Our Schools Information Investing In Our Schools Grants announced for the 2006
Round (Updated December
2006) Most
successful schools received calls from their local Federal MP’s in late
November, 2006. This was followed soon after by official letters.
The full list of results usually goes up on the web soon after – but there is a delay this time, and the full list is unlikely to be available until some time in early 2007.
Schools should ring
local federal MP’s if they have not yet been contacted. (Note:
Parents in public schools in NSW are welcome to join the Email newsletter,
which includes the News on this page. Subscribing and unsubscribing is easy
– email pc-nsregion-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
with your name and
school). History of Assessment
for Round 3 The 2006
Round closed on 10th May, 2006, with a total of 3,050 projects. All
projects were checked by DEST for compliance and then checked by the
DET’s Asset Management Unit against DET requirements. The State
Assessment Advisory Panel (SAAP), which consists of one co-ordinator each
from the P&C Federation, and from the Primary Principals and Secondary
Principals Councils, began the assessment (or scoring) process on 24th
August. P&C
Federation had eight volunteer assessors and we finished our task on 25th
September. Assessments are done remotely via a DEST web portal. DEST is
now in the process of collating all the scores, and bringing projects to
meetings of the SAAP Co-ordinators for final recommendation. The next part
of the process involves DEST writing up the recommendations for the Minister.
There is still about $125m left in the budget for NSW public schools (out of
$233m), and the Minister will determine how much of the remaining budget is
applied to the 2006 Round. You may recall that the funds for the 2008 Round
were brought forward to 2005, and so the only remaining round, under current
legislation, is 2007. The successful
projects will be notified after Ministerial approval, which at this stage is
expected by late November or early December. Due to
the demand, the success rate for projects in this round may be lower than
previously. Previous
rounds yielded total grants of: Round 1,
2005: $33m Round 2,
2005: $76m For
more information see the DEST
website President, P&C
Northern Sydney Region NSW P&C
Federation’s representative on the IIOS Program Awards for NSW schools for Round
2 were placed on the DEST website 4.5.2006. The Minister for Education, Science and Training,
the Hon. Julie Bishop has approved over 1000 projects to the value of approximately
$75 million recommended by the NSW Assessment Panel for the Investing in
Our Schools Programme for Round Two, 2005. Letters to successful and
unsuccessful applicants were sent out via express post, with school parent
body recipients due to receive payment in around 4-6 weeks and GSCO
recipients 8 weeks. Applicants for the 2006 Round must have their
applications in on or before 10th May. Whilst there will be no
extension of time, school communities should submit what they can by the due
date. If you don’t have the requisite quotes, this will be picked up by
DEST when they are doing their compliance check, at which time you will be
able to rectify that deficiency. The vast majority of projects submitted for Round 2
were worthy projects, and were recommended by the Assessment Panel. If you
were recommended but missed the cut based on the limited funds available,
don’t lose heart – make sure you resubmit for the 2006 Round. Powerpoint
Presentation – things you need to know for your 2006 Submission. 39 overheads
– you may have to save the file to see them all.
DEST Hotline: 1300 363 079 or email: investinginschools@dest.gov.au Also see the latest DEST Newsletter Scroll down this
page, or click here for
Further Updates
The one-only 2006 round now closes on the
revised date of 10 May for NSW
Extra funding was announced by Minister
Bishop for 2006 – scroll
down this page for more information.
Ø
A – E Reporting to Parents
Information
from the NSW DET on A – E reporting is on the web click here or http://tinyurl.com/rjy6q Schools now have a choice of using Grades A to E or an equivalent
five-band scale describing achievement levels (outstanding, high,
sound, basic or limited). Reports cards are required to include a key showing
the A to E scale, alongside the five-band descriptive scale. There are some
exemptions to using the standardised reports, such as Kindergarten, newly
arrived ESL students, and students with significant learning difficulties. Schools may, if they wish, retain all the information that they previously reported as an added extra – but, irrespective, the NSW Government requires schools to report in accordance with the standardized A to E / equivalent five-band scale methodology.
The
Teachers Federation maintains its ban on using A-E Grades but has been
directed by the industrial court to lift its ban. School Principals should also have consulted with parents before implementing the new system.
Other
information up on the web: A new report by Bronwyn Ridgway called “Parents have their say on the new reports” (pdf 1.25 Mb)
Example Report http://tinyurl.com/efoo2 School Bulletins - No 8 is the latest and probably most worth looking at http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/timetoteach/bulletins/index.htm http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/timetoteach/bulletins/bulletins/school_bulletin_08.pdf The NSW Board of Studies has a website with student
work samples aligned to the A-E Grade Scale are available for each stage and
Key Learning Areas (Maths, Science, Visual Arts, etc). These work samples are
designed to assist NSW teachers to consistently report student achievement
against standards when using grades A to E. Also very useful for Parents. See
http://arc.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au
There is
an article on Page 30 of the Term 4 P&C
Journal by Robert Randall, the DET’s Director of Curriculum,
and also an article by Leanne Taylor, a P&C Federation Councillor,
regarding the need for real consultation with parents. Ø
Major NSW School Road
Safety Package 21 May, 2006. Safety at school zones across NSW will be upgraded with state-of-the-art technology and new education programs in a major school student safety initiative, Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal announced today, 21 May, 2006. The five-point plan includes: ► Electronic school safety alert systems, incorporating flashing 40km/h signs and lights, will be developed and rolled out across NSW, with the first 100 to be fast-tracked ► A combination of 50 fixed and mobile speed cameras will be installed and rotated between all NSW school zones – operating only in school zone hours ► Increased fines and demerit points for driving offences in school zones ► A ‘Drop-off-and-go, Pick-up-and-go’ system will allow parents to become more involved in student safety and ease congestion around participating schools ► A School Child Safety Roundtable will address further initiatives raised by parents, schools, community groups and the Roads and Traffic Authority. Full Media Release Word file 92kb Ø
Foundation Statements
– NSW Primary Curriculum more The 24 Foundation Statements are short, clear descriptions of the knowledge and skills that each student should develop at each stage of primary education, regardless of which school they attend. They answer the question: ‘What must be taught?’ Ø
NSW DET’s Futures Project
Ø
$19.4 Million Boost for Boys Education - First Round of
Success for Boys Grants Announced
(follows from original announcement below)
Successful schools pdf 232 kb Ministerial Press
Release 21 December 2005 MIN 2071/05 The education of boys received a significant boost today with the
announcement that 801 schools across Australia will receive grants in Round
One of the Australian Government’s $19.4 million Success for Boys
programme. More of the Press Release What’s next? Excerpt from the email sent to
schools by the Federal Government’s Boys education Grants Project
Manager: “Unsuccessful Round 1 applicants may apply for Round 2 funding for 2007 in mid 2006. Stay tuned to the website for further details, as they become available. Schools can receive feedback regarding their first round application by contacting the Success For Boys Help Desk on 03 9207 9600 or by sending an email to successforboys@curriculum.edu.au. It should be noted that with in excess of 2100 applications for 800 grants it was not possible to fund all worthy applications in 2006. Grants will be available to a further 800 schools in 2007.
Successful schools will receive an email regarding the details of
their grant shortly. Final grant amounts were determined by the size of the
applicant school or cluster school members and the location of the school.
Larger grants were provided to schools in rural and particularly remote
locations across Australia. Further advice to successful schools will be
posted on the website from Monday 9 January 2006. You will be required to
confirm your proposed budget on the basis of the grant amount proposed, as
well as confirm your proposed project programme.” School Project Leaders may contact the project by email or by calling
the Help Desk which will be open until COB Thursday 22 December and
re-open on Tuesday 3 January. (Scroll down for the previous item on this topic) Ø
Federal Education Minister announces $19.4 Million Success For
Boys Programme Success for Boys funding grants will be provided to around
800 schools per year in each of 2006 and 2007. Schools will be selected to receive Success for Boys
funding through a competitive, transparent and equitable selection process
conducted in two rounds. Schools may also apply for funding in clusters or groups
of schools (comprising a minimum of two schools). Clusters need not be
geographically defined. Online or other communication may be used to enable
collaboration within Success for Boys clusters which are widely dispersed
geographically. Clusters may be formed around a common need, shared interests
or the opportunity for mutual enrichment through collaboration. Schools or clusters funded through Success for Boys must
use their grants to:
Schools can only receive one grant for Success for Boys.
Schools cannot receive a grant in more than one of the two funding years of
the programme. Grants
to schools will be distributed as follows:
More information and application
details for the Success for Boys
Programme Ø
Update: Federal Government’s “Investing in our
Schools” $700m Grants Program The assessment of first round
applications (those closing on 31st May, 2005) was completed on 12th
October, 2005 ready for approval by the Federal Minister. It is hoped that applicants will
be advised of the outcomes towards the end of October. Local federal
MP’s will also be advised. This is a great opportunity for P&C’s
to build on their relationship with their local federal MP, and to promote
the needs of their school. Details of all successful projects
will be posted on the DEST website – so it is worth checking
this site from time to time. Some successful applicants may
find that the approved funding is insufficient for the project due to the
fact that applicants haven’t allowed, in their budgets, for cost
escalation, project management fees, contingencies, etc. If you are unable to
resolve any such issue, please advise the P&C Federation office, or email
me at the “Contact Us” address on this page. P&C NSW is also keen to
monitor any difficulties which may occur following the award of grants, and
take up any broader problems with DEST, the NSW DET or the appropriate
Minister. I am the P&C Federation’s representative for this
program, so you may contact me directly, or the P&C office. Processing of second
round projects (those closing on 2nd
August) has commenced. There are about 3,700 applications nationwide,
including 1,200 in NSW in this round. It is very likely that announcements of
successful projects for the second round will not be made until well into the
new year. The P&C will be involved with
the DEST, NSW DET and the Principals Councils in a review of the first
year’s process with a view to making improvements for next year. David Hope. President, P&C Northern Sydney
Region. PREVIOUS
POSTINGS – “Investing in Our Schools” Continuing on from below: First round submissions are now being
assessed by the State Assessment Advisory Panel – the last stage in the
process, involving representatives from the P&C and the Principals
Councils. For more details on the process see the attached Word file below. 9 August, 2005. For the first round of submissions
closing on was 31st May, the Federal Department
of Education, Science and Training (DEST) received 4,537 applications from all
states, including 1,465 from NSW. The first closing date was for grants of
$50,000 or less. The second closing date for
projects up to $150,000 was 2nd August. Australia-wide, there has
been about 4,000 more submissions received. Projects up to $50,000 were
originally excluded from this round, but the rules were changed along the
way. Summary of applications from the
first round:
The
assessment process for the first closing date is now underway, but is running
well behind time due to the volume of submissions received, and the number of
applications needing to be returned for further information. Returns have
been especially high for applications which have not been submitted online. Originally, the Government was hoping to
announce successful projects by the end of July, but it now looks like these
announcements will be delayed until at least early October for NSW, and
possibly later. Results for the smaller States may be announced earlier. DEST is
looking for ways to improve the process next year, so I’d appreciate
any feedback. Report 10
July + Q&A Word File 60 kb David Hope
– President, Northern Sydney Regional Council of P&C Associations
Feedback via
Contact Us, please.
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P&C Northern
Sydney’s
ENews
NSW P&C
Federation
Council
Reports
2006 HSC
News + Links
On this
page…..
A-E Reporting to
Parents Investing in Our Schools Grants (several
articles)
2006 Grants announced
(see below)
Major NSW School Road
Safety Package Foundation
Statements – Primary Curriculum
NSW
DET’s Futures Project
Boys’
Education Grants (two articles)
HSC 2005
(in the left hand column opposite)
Investing In Our Schools
Approved grants for 2006
Full lists for all States now available 22 Feb,
2007.
Contact details
for MPs
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