| This is a common question of many students | | | | marks. |
| who wonder whether attending a 'normal' | | | | Another suggestion is to find a quality tutoring |
| non-selective government school would | | | | service and attend their classes. Reputable |
| disadvantage them in any way in their HSC. | | | | tutoring colleges will have no problem attracting |
| The short answer is: there is no technical reason | | | | bright students who are keen to do very well in |
| why you should be disadvantaged as a result of | | | | their HSC. Students can benefit from the |
| attending a 'normal' school. | | | | structured environment a class offers, and being |
| However there may be other factors that can | | | | able to learn at the same level as other bright |
| affect the correct answer to this question. | | | | students will be beneficial to your marks. |
| The system is technically fair | | | | The quality of teachers and teaching |
| The way in which your ATAR / UAI is calculated | | | | Generally speaking, students at 'good' schools |
| is technically fair. It implements statistical methods | | | | receive a better learning experience. This is due |
| of scaling to equate achievement levels in | | | | to a number of factors. For example, in 'bad' |
| different HSC subjects on a common scale, in the | | | | schools, teachers need to spend more class time |
| form of scaled marks. The process of scaling for | | | | on classroom management (managing the |
| different subjects is the same, and applies in the | | | | disruptive students, making sure their behaviour is |
| same way to all students attending all schools. | | | | acceptable etc), leaving less time for actual |
| But what about your internal marks? The | | | | teaching. Disruptive students also pull the class |
| component of your HSC that is assessed from | | | | behind in terms of schedule, as teachers are |
| internal school assessments are calculated from | | | | forced to move at a slower pace to cater to all |
| your rank at school. That is, how well you did (as | | | | students. |
| a rank, not a mark) relative to your peers at | | | | The extreme example is that in particularly 'bad' |
| school. The process that converts your school | | | | schools, teachers are so fed up with disruptive |
| rank for each subject into a scaled mark is called | | | | students that their motivation to teach diminishes, |
| the process of moderation. | | | | and these situations despite being very |
| Basically, with moderation, your internal HSC | | | | unfortunate, are quite common. |
| assessment component is mapped to your school | | | | Generally speaking, many teachers gravitate |
| rank for each subject, from the pool of external | | | | towards transferring to the 'good' schools, mainly |
| marks. For example, suppose Amanda, a | | | | because the easier classroom management (less |
| Chemistry student, comes 5th overall in | | | | need to manage disruptive students) provides a |
| Chemistry within her school. Her external HSC | | | | more pleasant working environment for them. |
| exam mark was 92/100, which was the 2nd | | | | Now, this does not apply to all teachers, but it is |
| highest in her school. The 5th highest external | | | | likely to be true on a wide scale. Such teachers |
| exam mark in her school was 84/100. Then for | | | | represent a migration of quality teaching from the |
| Amanda's overall HSC mark, it would consist of | | | | 'bad' schools to the 'good' schools, as their |
| 50% of her own mark of 92/100, and 50% of | | | | transfer requests to the DET are granted over |
| the 5th highest exam mark (because her rank | | | | time. |
| was 5 th in Chemistry), which was 84/100. This | | | | This leads onto the second point of teacher |
| leads to an overall mark of 88/100. However, | | | | retention. Retention rates tend to be highest at |
| note that in fact, this is an approximation only | | | | well-off private schools or high-ranking selective |
| (Amanda would actually receive a mark close to | | | | schools. Most teachers working at such schools |
| 84/100 for her internal component, as there is an | | | | are happy where they are, and would not seek |
| adjustment made due to the fact that marks | | | | to leave their post until they retire. However, |
| distributions are not the same across different | | | | retention rates at other schools tend to be lower |
| schools). | | | | for various reasons that we will not go into. For |
| Basically, what this means is regardless of | | | | example, how many times have you noticed |
| whether your school is considered 'good' or 'bad', | | | | 'good' teachers leaving for another (often higher |
| your end result should not be affected, since your | | | | ranked, or private) school? |
| internal component is solely based on your school | | | | However, this is NOT to say that there are no |
| rank. If you do significantly better than your | | | | 'good' teachers in 'normal' schools. There are |
| peers in a 'normal' school, your ranks would be 1t | | | | countless dedicated teachers out there that do |
| or close to 1 st for all your subjects. In this | | | | not work at high-ranking selective or well-off |
| situation, you would end up receiving your own | | | | private schools, and they are rightly well |
| external HSC exam mark as your internal | | | | respected for the good work they do. |
| component. Effectively, this means that those | | | | What can I do? |
| students passing from any institute could count | | | | This problem is a tricky one to solve or avoid. If |
| their final HSC exams for their final assessment. | | | | you find that there are no good teachers for |
| Now, other than the risk of placing too high | | | | certain subjects you are taking, we really suggest |
| weighting on the final exams, there is no inherent | | | | seeking a tutoring service, or even a good private |
| direct source of unfairness in this system - that | | | | tutor. Reputable tutoring colleges will always have |
| is, you are not being 'pulled down' in a direct way | | | | high quality teachers as part of their academic |
| by your peers in a 'normal' school. | | | | staff. |
| However, as we see certain schools perform well | | | | Conclusion |
| year after year, there must be other factors in | | | | Although the technical details of the scaling and |
| play, despite the system being technically fair. | | | | moderation processes are inherently fair, and that |
| The positive effect of being in a competitive | | | | there are no direct sources of disadvantage to |
| environment | | | | students attending schools that are neither |
| Schools that tend to do well consistently (e.g. look | | | | high-ranked selective or private schools, there are |
| at the list of the top 50 schools in NSW) would | | | | other factors that may cause a disadvantage in |
| have a culture of academic excellence. From this | | | | real terms. While not every student can have the |
| culture, students in these schools are more | | | | luxury of being surrounded by other hard working |
| focused on their studies. Students have an | | | | bright peers that push and motivate each other |
| amazing effect of pushing each other, motivating | | | | to do well, this effect could be emulated by |
| each other and the mutual competition drives | | | | attending a reputable tutoring college, or by |
| students in these schools to high standards. | | | | seeking like-minded individuals at school. Students |
| What can I do? | | | | and parents should also consider seeking a |
| If you find you go to a school where students | | | | tutoring service if they feel that their school |
| are not primarily interested in doing well in their | | | | teacher is not offering adequate support. |
| HSC, you should firstly identify the few of your | | | | But most importantly, don't leave it until too late! |
| peers that are keen to do well, and form working | | | | Every assessment in year 12 counts to your HSC |
| relationships with them. Study together, motivate | | | | and UAI / ATAR, so make sure you receive |
| each other, share notes etc. These things are | | | | adequate support from day one of year 12, at |
| mutually beneficial, and the healthy competition | | | | the very least! |
| you get from each other will be beneficial to your | | | | |