Overview

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QACI Queensland's top academic state school

The Queensland Academy for Creative Industries is positioned at the top of the academic ladder according to the Queensland Studies Authority 2008 Report on Year 12 Outcomes.

QACI's results in the two criteria: 'Percentage of OP/IBD students who received an OP 1 to 15 or an IBD' and 'Percentage of Year 12 students who were awarded one or more QCE, IBD or VET qualification;' are the highest of any state school in Queensland.

Click to view The School 2009 Report newspaper feature [PDF 178MB] and the QSA Year 12 Outcomes Report [PDF 367KB].

Diploma program

At the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries, we have established an educational environment most likely to guarantee student success in the future.

This is demonstrated through a form of learning that is higher level and designed to produce the most effective and equitable outcomes.

Through the key components of our higher learning frame, we provide an opportunity for students to develop their creative capabilities.

This, in turn, will afford them a greater ability to reconceptualise knowledge, solve problems and thus unearth innovations.

Download the Nov 2011 Session QACI IB Handbook (PDF 892KB)

Learning at the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries is the catalyst for new ways of seeing, knowing, doing and being that will underpin life in the 21st century.
Developing skills

At the Academy, we value the development of a range of social and collaborative skills that enable networking and sophisticated teamwork to occur. It is through this collaboration, networking and alliances that new ideas emerge and strategic partnerships develop that allow the sharing of knowledge and transdisciplinary innovation to occur. Active citizenship and global perspectives are encouraged in each area of the curriculum.

Our students are challenged by exposure to research and development experiences that prepare them well for a future where discovery and invention are critically important in a highly competitive global economy. They will make significant contributions to Queensland's future as a prosperous, vibrant and socially progressive state.

Our Curriculum has 10 characteristics:

Rigour
Academy students undertake the internationally recognised International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. Students are also afforded opportunities to concurrently enrol in university and other programs to enrich their overall program.

Balance and Breadth
The Academy is an academic institution that also gives students the opportunity to specialise in their areas of interest. To this end all students will pursue a broad and balanced program that, in most cases, will include the study of English, a foreign language, Science, Mathematics and a range of creative subjects.

Flexibility
Within this framework there is sufficient flexibility to allow students to pursue their areas of specialisation as well as to supplement their formal program with enrichment activities, enterprise experience and further tertiary study.

Interdisciplinary
All students will study Theory of Knowledge (TOK) for 100 hours over two years. This subject stimulates critical reflection on knowledge and experiences and provides a link between the subjects studied.

Acquisition of an International Perspective
It is argued that no education is complete in the 21st century if students do not develop an understanding of cultural and ethnic sensitivity and an understanding of international issues.

Personal and Social Development
While students at the Academy are young adults they still require opportunities and assistance to develop the personal and social skills required of all citizens. The Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) Program is a compulsory and assessable component of the program and requires students to perform community service, participate in individual and team pursuits and be involved in creative activities of some description.

Accelerated Learning
By the conclusion of this three-year program it is anticipated that many students will have had the opportunity to complete up to the equivalent of first year university.

Specialisation
Students will have the opportunity to pursue their area of specialisation. This can be achieved in a variety of ways including undertaking a non-regular IB Diploma Program, gaining advanced placement at university, through industry placement and the completion of the extended research essay (EE).

ICT Capability
Students will develop high-end ICT capability through the use of the most advanced ICT applications available.

Enterprise Experience
An important activity for students who will become the entrepreneurs of the future is the industry placement component ,where students have the opportunity to develop insights, build networks and learn the enterprise and collaboration skills of the 21st century knowledge worker.

Approach to learning

At the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries we seek to create an educational environment that is most likely to guarantee student success in the future.

This is demonstrated by learning which is higher-level and designed to produce the most effective and equitable learning outcomes.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program provides a wide range of opportunities for our students to exhibit high levels of abstract thinking and the ability to understand concepts deeply and at an accelerated pace.

We recognise and value the complex research that has been undertaken into the needs of gifted and talented learners.

By engaging in professional development and collegiate reflection our staff are committed to supporting all our students in achieving the best learning outcomes for their appropriate learning styles and talents.

IB Diploma

The rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, a two-year course of study, requires students to prepare for examinations and external assessment which is held in November of their final year.

External assessment is graded on a scale of one to seven.

A minimum score of 24, across the six subject groups, plus satisfactory completion of the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course, the Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) activities, and the Extended Essay (EE), are required for the awarding of the IB Diploma. (for full details se Nov 2011 Session QACI IB Handbook, Examination Results p9) <link>

Three of the subjects from the six groups are undertaken at the standard level (SL) and three at the higher level (HL).

All examinations are conducted in strict adherence to the procedures and protocols established by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO).

The Academy provides a supportive yet challenging environment that integrates the conceptualisation of knowledge, both developmentally and sequentially, with a focus on electronic and online learning.

We recognise and value the complex research concerning the needs of high performance learners.

By engaging in professional development and collegiate reflection, our staff are committed to supporting all our students in achieving the best learning outcomes for their appropriate goals and talents.

External Assessment

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is a two-year course of study that leads to examinations and external assessment which is held in November of the final year.

Students are assessed in each of the six subject groups. This may take the form of external written examinations or submissions which are outlined in the syllabus documents.

Students will sit external examinations for English, Biology, Design Technology, Languages, Mathematics and Music at the end of Year 12.
Submissions

The following submissions are required for external assessment for Film Studies, Languages, Music, Theatre Arts and Visual Arts.

  • Film Studies : Short film and trailer; Independent Study, a short documentary production presented as a shooting script; a recorded oral presentation of a textual analysis of an extract from a prescribed film.
  • Languages : A recorded oral examination.
  • Music: Musical Investigation.
  • Theatre Arts: Portfolio including Independent Project, Practical Play Analysis and a Research Commission.
  • Visual Arts: Individual exhibition of studio work, including a 30-minute interview with the external examiner; Written Artist Statement; excerpts from research workbook.
  • Business and Management : If selected as an anticipated subject, students will complete written external exams at the end of Year 11. Students also have the option of choosing Business and Management at Higher Level or Standard Level over two years.

Grading

External assessment is graded on a scale of 1-7. A minimum score of 24, plus satisfactory completion of the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course; the Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) activities; and the Extended Essay (EE) are required for the awarding of the IB Diploma. Three of the subjects are taken at the standard level (SL) and three at the higher level (HL). All examinations are conducted in strict adherence to the International Baccalaureate Organisation's Handbook of Proceedures for the Diploma Program protocols.

Examination procedures

Oral and written examinations are prepared by the International Board of Examiners. The Examiners assess students on criterion-based standards which are the same worldwide. The aim of the assessment process is to ensure fair treatment for all students. To ensure consistency and accountability, senior Examiners convene after each assessment to award grades and monitor special consideration applications.

The Chief Examiners have international authority in their fields and utilise a moderation process of remarking a sample of every examiner's marked papers to achieve consistency. The grading system reflects the attainment of knowledge and skills relative to set standards that are applied equally to all schools, and consequently the highest grades are not awarded to a certain percentage of students. The examination system allows valid university entry credentials for students moving from one country to another.

To prepare students appropriately for the IB Diploma examinations, the Academy assessment practices will, at key junctures, model formal examination procedures.

REFERENCE
International Baccalaureate Organization 2002, Schools' Guide to the Diploma Programme, IBO, Cardiff.