GCSEs, AS, and A levels in England are undergoing reforms to make content more challenging and better prepare students for university or employment, with GCSEs being graded on a 9-1 scale instead of A*-G and AS levels becoming standalone qualifications. The reforms will be phased in between 2015 and 2020, affecting different subjects in different years, and changes include more practical assessment and resits available for English, maths, and some science GCSEs until 2018.
On Thursday 23rd March, we hosted our first Ryedale School Parents’ Forum. The evening was well attended with over 30 parents involved. The feedback received was overwhelmingly positive and having the opportunity to hear from the leadership team on the rationale behind key school decisions was welcomed by those in attendance. The date for next term’s forum will be published within the Easter newsletter. Please see below the powerpoint presentation from the evening.
Rising to Your Highest Potential: The A-G RequirementsRebecca Joseph
I presented this to 350 juniors at the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts High School in LAUSD. They must still voluntarily complete the A-G requirements required for admissions to the UCs and CSUs. This presentation demonstrates the importance of not only completing these requirements but also in rising to their highest potential in this prime year of high school.
On Thursday 23rd March, we hosted our first Ryedale School Parents’ Forum. The evening was well attended with over 30 parents involved. The feedback received was overwhelmingly positive and having the opportunity to hear from the leadership team on the rationale behind key school decisions was welcomed by those in attendance. The date for next term’s forum will be published within the Easter newsletter. Please see below the powerpoint presentation from the evening.
Rising to Your Highest Potential: The A-G RequirementsRebecca Joseph
I presented this to 350 juniors at the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts High School in LAUSD. They must still voluntarily complete the A-G requirements required for admissions to the UCs and CSUs. This presentation demonstrates the importance of not only completing these requirements but also in rising to their highest potential in this prime year of high school.
Presentation to current Freshmen for course planning and selection for Sophomore year. Presentation includes development of student's education plan through for high school based on individual student's after high school goals.
Presentation to current Freshmen for course planning and selection for Sophomore year. Presentation includes development of student's education plan through for high school based on individual student's after high school goals.
Introduction to Advanced Placement for ParentsCollegeBoardSM
The College Board hosted a webinar for parents to engage with parents about what the Advanced Placement (AP) program is, what it's like in an AP classroom, and what AP means in college. Speakers included Edward Biedermann from the College Board, Dr. Gail Kaplan from Towson University, and Kelly Stromberg from North Central High School
To be considered college ready, students must complete the A-G Requirements. This presentation includes required and suggested high school coursework for students to be ready for college.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
A Strategic Approach: GenAI in EducationPeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
Embracing GenAI - A Strategic ImperativePeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
2. Contents
■ What is happening, when?
■ Reformed GCSEs
■ Reformed AS and A levels
■ Changes to practical science
■ Resits
■ Information about my school/college
■ Changes to marking, reviews and appeals
■ Further information
4. Why and how are GCSEs, AS and A levels changing?
GCSEs and A levels in England are being reformed, to match the best systems
in the world and keep pace with universities’ and employers’ demands.
■ GCSE content will be more challenging but still suitable for all abilities
■ GCSEs will be graded on a new scale of 9 to 1 rather than A* to G as now,
with 9 the highest grade, to distinguish clearly between the reformed and
unreformed qualifications
■ A levels will allow more time for studying and better prepare students for
university
■ AS levels will be stand alone qualifications to reduce exam burden on students
and teachers.
5. When do these reforms affect GCSE students?
Level Start course in
2015, exams
2017
Start course in 2016, exams 2018 Start course in 2017, exams 2019 Start course in 2018,
exams 2020
GCSE English literature,
English language
and maths only.
English and maths plus…
Art and design, biology, chemistry,
citizenship studies (and short course),
combined science, computer science,
dance, drama, food preparation and
nutrition, French, geography, German,
classical Greek, history, Latin, music,
physical education, physics, religious
studies (including short course), and
Spanish.
2015 and 2016 subjects plus…
Ancient history, Arabic, astronomy,
Bengali, business, Chinese, classical
civilisation, design and technology,
economics, electronics, engineering,
film studies, geology, Italian, Japanese,
media studies, modern Greek, modern
Hebrew, Panjabi, PE short course,
Polish, psychology, Russian, sociology,
statistics, and Urdu.
All previous subjects
plus…
Gujarati, biblical
Hebrew, Persian,
Portuguese, and
Turkish.
6. When do these reforms affect AS and A level students?
Level Start course in 2015, A
level exams 2017, AS level
exams 2016
Start course in 2016, A level
exams 2018, AS level exams
2017
Start course in 2017, A level exams
2019, AS level exams in 2018
Start course in 2018,
A level exams 2020;
no AS level exams
available in these
subjects
AS and A
Level
Art and design, biology,
business, chemistry,
computer science,
economics, English
language, English language
and literature, English
literature, history, physics,
psychology, and sociology.
2015 subjects plus…
Dance, drama and theatre,
French, geography, German,
classical Greek, Latin, music,
physical education, religious
studies and Spanish.
2015 and 2016 subjects plus…
Accounting, ancient history,
archaeology, Chinese, classical
civilisation, design and technology,
electronics, environmental science,
film studies, further maths, geology,
history of art, Italian, law, maths,
media studies, music technology,
philosophy, politics, Russian, and
statistics.
All previous subjects
plus…
Arabic, Bengali,
biblical Hebrew,
Gujarati, modern
Greek, modern
Hebrew, Japanese,
Panjabi, Persian,
Portuguese
Polish, Turkish, and
Urdu.
7. Reformed GCSEs
■ Content New and more challenging content
■ Structure All exams at the end of the course
■ Assessment Mainly by examination
Non-exam assessment only where necessary
■ Tiering Foundation and higher tier permitted
only in maths, science and modern foreign languages
■ Grading New numbered scale (9 to 1 plus U), 9 is the highest
New Government ‘good pass’ set at grade 5
9. New GCSE grading structure
In the first year, the
same proportion of students will as currently get A and above
achieve a grade 7 and above
achieve a grade 4 and above as currently get C and above
achieve a grade 1 and above as currently get G and above
10. What does the GCSE ‘good pass’ mean?
■ In the future, for the reformed GCSEs, the Government’s definition of ‘good pass’ will be set at
grade 5.
■ Grade 5 will be awarded to around the top third of pupils gaining the equivalent of a grade C and
bottom third of a grade B. This means that there will be fewer pupils achieving a ‘good pass’ than in
previous years.
■ Grade 4 will continue to be a level 2 achievement (equivalent to a low grade C now). We would not
expect employers, colleges and universities to raise the bar to a grade 5 if, for example, a grade 4
would meet their requirements.
■ Important to remember that the GCSE ‘good pass’ allows parents and students to hold schools and
the Government to account – it is currently set at a GCSE grade C.
11. What a GCSE certificate might look like in 2017
12. The National Reference Test
■ Designed to inform GCSE awarding
■ Preliminary test held in March 2016
■ First live test planned for 2017
■ Could be used to inform awarding in
2018 and beyond
■ Students and schools do not get results
■ Different schools selected each year:
□ 300 schools
□ 30 students take the maths test and
another 30 take the English test
14. Reformed AS level
§ Content Drawn from the new A level content
§ Demand Same as current AS qualifications
§ Structure AS is now a separate qualification with the marks no longer
counting towards A level
May not be offered in all subjects in your school or college
Taught over 1 or 2 years
Exams at end of the course
§ Assessment Most subjects have no non-exam assessment
§ Grading Remains A to E plus U
15. Reformed A levels
§ Content Changes to better prepare students for university
§ Demand Same as current A levels
§ Structure All exams at the end of the two-year course
Marks from the AS do not count towards the A level
§ Assessment Mainly by examination
Non-exam assessment only where necessary
§ Grading Remains A* to E plus U
A separate grade for science practical work
16. Awarding
■ The standards of AS and A levels are not being changed; on average students
who would have got Bs previously will get a B in reformed subjects.
■ Exam boards will still use predictions (based on GCSE prior attainment) to
guide their awards
■ Key grade boundaries will be set, as now, using predictions and senior
examiner judgement of students' work
■ No UMS (uniform mark scale) – decoupling means there is no need for UMS
which helped standardise results across units, qualifications and boards in a
modular system
■ The effect of decoupling AS on entry cohort
18. Practical Science Assessment
A level:
§ More practicals – at least 12 in each science subject
§ Written questions about practical work will make up at
least 15% of the total marks for the qualification
§ Students will need to record their experiments as they do
them
§ Students' competence in practicals will be reported
separately (‘pass’ or ‘not classified’)
§ Practical ‘pass’ for A level science likely to be required by
universities – check admissions information
GCSE:
§ Students do at least 8 practical activities (16 for
combined science) covering specific techniques
§ Written questions about practical work will make up at
least 15% of the total marks for the qualification
§ There will be no separate grade for practical skills
§ Students studying combined science will receive one of
17 grades from 9-9 (highest) to 1-1 (lowest)
20. Will there be an opportunity to resit?
Unreformed qualifications
■ GCSE resits available for:
□ English, English language and maths in November 2016 AND summer 2017
□ All science and additional science qualifications (not individual sciences) no later than
summer 2018
□ Exam boards may also offer resits in any other subject – including biology, chemistry
and physics – in the year after the last sitting.
■ AS and A levels resits available for all subjects in May or June of the year following the
last legacy exam
■ There are restrictions on who can take these resits
21. Will there be an opportunity to resit?
Reformed qualifications
■ Students will be able to resit GCSE maths and English language in a November exam
series.
■ For all other GCSE and all AS and A levels, as now, students will resit by taking the
qualification again the following year
23. Key stage 4 measures
A set of secondary school/key stage 4 measures encourage a broad and
balanced curriculum with a strong emphasis on an academic core:
§ New focus on pupil progress – Progress 8 measures pupils’ progress in 8
qualifications. These are:
§ Attainment 8 measures pupils achievements in the same subjects
§ Percentage of pupils achieving a ‘good pass’ in English and maths
§ Percentage of pupils achieving the EBacc.
English maths
Three of: science, computer science,
history, geography and languages
Any three other
approved qualifications
24. The English Baccalaureate measure
EBacc – measures the percentage of pupils
who achieve A*-C (9-5 for reformed GCSEs)
in:
English: either English
(unreformed) or one of
English literature and
English language (where
pupils have entered both)
maths
science: core and additional
(unreformed); double award
(unreformed); combined science
(reformed); or two of biology,
chemistry, physics and computer
science (where pupils enter any
combination of 3 of the single
sciences and achieve A*-C or grades
9-5 in at least two of them)
history or
geography
Language –
ancient or
modern
25. Post-16 school/college measures
§ As for secondary schools, the Department for Education’s new post-16
performance measures place more emphasis on the progress of students.
§ There will be five headline measures:
▪ Progress – how well are students progressing?
▪ Attainment – are they getting good grades?
▪ Retention – are they dropping out?
▪ English and maths – for students who did not get a good pass in these
subjects at GCSE
▪ Destinations – are they getting university/college places, apprenticeships
and jobs?
27. The Quality of Marking
■ The exams system is very large; around 8 million GCSEs, AS qualifications
and A levels are awarded each year
■ Exam outcomes are increasingly high stakes – for students, teachers and
schools/colleges
■ Growing number of reviews of marking being requested – typically where the
mark is just below the grade boundary
28. Ofqual's aims:
■ Marking errors are found and corrected
■ Review and appeal arrangements are more transparent and consistent
■ The system is as fair as it can be for all
Ofqual's decisions:
■ Trained reviewers will check the original marking
■ If they find an error they must correct it – however large or small
■ Otherwise they must leave the mark unchanged
30. Responsibilities for Qualifications
§ Government:
▫ Policy, purposes and priorities
▫ Curriculum and subject content
▫ Use of qualifications for school/college accountability purposes
§ Ofqual:
▫ Standards
▫ Validity
▫ Efficiency and value
▫ Oversight of the system
§ Exam Boards:
▫ Design and delivery
▫ Award qualifications to students
