Outstanding School Certificate results

The 2008 School Certificate results for St Joseph’s College were outstanding, with achievements that clearly indicate the high academic potential of this year’s Year 10 cohort.

Once again the students rose to the challenge and maintained above average academic performance in all disciplines in the state wide tests – an accomplishment that has now come to be expected from St Joseph’s College each year.

The School Certificate, held in November, saw 179 St Joseph’s College students complete their Stage 5 schooling. The boys sat tests in English - literacy, Mathematics, Science, Australian History Civics and Citizenship, Australian Geography Civics and Citizenship and Computing Skills.

In addition to the Year 10 cohort, 27 students from Year 9 completed the Mathematics course as accelerated students and sat for the Mathematics test one year ahead of their Year 9 peers with much success.

The college average examination mark was above the state average in all six tests, with the difference above ranging from 7.34% for Australian History Civics and Citizenship and 6.52% for Australian Geography, Civics and Citizenship through to 3.77% for English - literacy.

The number and percentage of SJC students to score a Band 6 (90% or better) in each course were:

• English – literacy  –  11 students (6.14% of SJC candidates);
• Mathematics – 17 students (9.18%):
• Science – 20 students (11.17%);
• Australian History Civics and Citizenship – 23 students (12.84%);
• Australian Geography Civics and Citizenship – 26 students (14.52%); and
• Computing Studies – 125 students [69.83%] were judged to be Highly Competent (over 80%).

The number of students just to miss out on a Band 6 by scoring 89% in the different examinations included 4 students in English - literacy, 7 students in Mathematics, 8 students in Science, 7 in Australian History and 13 in Australian Geography.

The percentage of SJC students in the top two bands (80% – 100%) was consistently and significantly above state figures (as follows):

59.21% in English – literacy compared with 38.55% across the state;

46.47% in Mathematics compared with 25.39% across the state;

42.45% in Science compared with 31.92% across the state;

45.24% in Australian History compared with 22.98% across the state;

47.48% in Australian Geography compared with 28.17% across the state;

69.83% in Computing Skills (Highly Competent) compared with 57.27% across the state.

Even more notable in the English – literacy results was that 92.17% of SJC students scored a Band 4 or above (a mark of 70% or better) compared with a corresponding figure of 76.33% across the state.

 48.2% of all results for all students sitting the English - literacy, Mathematics, Science, Australian History Civics and Citizenship, Australian Geography Civics and Citizenship tests (901 results in total) were Band 5 or 6 results. That is, just under half the results for all students across all of Year 10 and the Year 9 Accelerated Mathematics students were marks of 80% or better.

Headmaster, Mr Ross Tarlinton, said the School Certificate results were a wonderful achievement by the students and their teachers. “Once again, the college has shown it is committed to striving for excellence across a wide range of disciplines,” he said. “The 2008 School Certificate results are outstanding and the students, their families and their teachers are to be congratulated on the effort, hard work and support that have been so integral to this success. We look forward to great things from these students in the future.”