SACE Leaders Forum February 2012

WELCOME

Achievements Lessons Learned SACE First Year Evaluation Freedom of Information Program

Achievements and Yes! Celebration!

2011 SACE RESULTS RELEASE OVERVIEW

SCALE OF THE CHALLENGE 12,311 students completed the SACE in 2011 Approximately 18,300 students completed a Stage 2 subject in 2011

SCALE OF THE CHALLENGE The 2011 assessment of Stage 2 subjects was undertaken by: 1009 Investigation and Examination Markers 155 Supervisors Examiners 167 Language Oral Examiners 1045 Moderators

SCALE OF THE CHALLENGE Printing of over; 44,000 student examination labels 15,200 examination attendance slips 141,201 examination mark sheets 53,000 investigation mark sheets

SACE Completion South Australian student analysis completion rate* of 91.6% (88-90% over last 5 years) 85.9% received an ATAR (81-85% over last 5 years) 93.8% received a TAFE SA Selection Score(97-99% over last 5 years)

SACE Completion South Australian Aboriginal student analysis ^ completion rate of 84.3% (73-81% over last 5 years) 57.2% received an ATAR (40-50% over last 5 years) 68.3% received a TAFE SA Selection Score(57-75% over last 5 years) * completers/potential completers (those who based on their enrolments were attempting to complete the SACE ^total numbers are very low so caution should be used when extrapolating from percentages

Question …. What is the proportion of SACE completers who go to university?

Stage 1 Compulsory Requirements Personal Learning Plan Semester 1 –5,299 students –65.1% achieved a C grade or better –26.5% had a grade of ‘pending’

Stage 1 Compulsory Requirements Personal Learning Plan Semester 2 –19,220 students –83.8% achieved a C grade or better –11.9% had a grade of ‘pending’

Stage 1 Compulsory Requirements Literacy Subjects Semester 1 –18,656 students –84.1% achieved a C grade or better –10.1% had a grade of ‘pending’

Stage 1 Compulsory Requirements Literacy Subjects Semester 2 –20,717 students –90.9% achieved a C grade or better –2.0% had a grade of ‘pending’

Stage 1 Compulsory Requirements Numeracy Subjects Semester 1 –19,883students –76.7% achieved a C grade or better –7.3% had a grade of ‘pending’

Stage 1 Compulsory Requirements Numeracy Subjects Semester 2 –20,027 students –82.9% achieved a C grade or better –1.1% had a grade of ‘pending’

Stage 2 Compulsory Requirements Research Project –16,628 students completed this subject in 2011 –94.1% achieved a C- grade or better –5.9% achieved a grade less than a C- –Of those students with at least 200 completed or enrolled credits, 543 did not meet the Research Project requirement.

Stage 2 Compulsory Requirements 60 Stage 2 Credits at C- or better –Of those students with at least 200 completed or enrolled credits, 986 did not gain at least a C- in 60 credits of Stage 2.

Board Recognised Courses Of those that received an ATAR in 2011; –242 students (1.9%) used a completed Certificate III in their ATAR calculation –2 students used a completed Certificate IV in their ATAR calculation –36 students (.2%) used at least one higher education subject in their ATAR calculation

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SACE FIRST YEAR EVALUATION

Evaluation as distinct from review SACE Board of South Australia Act Legislative functions of the Board

SACE FIRST YEAR EVALUATION Independent evaluation panel –Mr Bill Cossey –Professor John Bennett –Ms Mirian Silva –Dr Petra Lietz (ACER)

Evaluation Reference Committee –Key Stakeholder Groups –Chaired by Bill Cossey Time line: February - June SACE FIRST YEAR EVALUATION

Table Talk

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Your Questions How many Research Project B results were used to calculate the ATAR? 94.1% pass rate for RP looks good, but how many students withdrew? What were the challenges of the Research Project? Do you think there is an over use of research methodology in the SACE? Why didn’t the NT make the research project compulsory?

Your Questions 986 didn’t achieve the compulsories for the new SACE. How does this compare against old SACE, percentage wise? How is an A+ with merit determined against other A+? It would be useful to have info and comparisons of SACE and international qualifications. How do you respond to comments that the SACE is less rigorous than HSC or VCE? Or that a student with a SACE is less competitive than other state certificates?

Your Questions A short article that could go in school newsletters would be very useful to send schools when we are sent the evaluation brief. It’s a worry when curriculum officers tell staff that assignments didn’t allow enough scope for A & B grades when it was taken from the website exemplar. Are there plans to review the moderation feedback process & implement a more staff individualised approach? Therefore ensuring meaningful feedback that will in turn improve teacher and student achievements.

Your Questions Validity in school based assessment is, as you have mentioned, based on the professional standards of teachers. They need guidance and lots of clarification, particularly at the ends of the continuum. Can you provide more ongoing support during the year, maybe a full year clarifying moderation, not a forum? Teachers need to know how to interpret performance standards.

Your Questions I think that the drop in total number of students completing the SACE, approx 3%, is a concern. The increased % in completion rate is at least partly caused by fewer students reaching the Stage 2 starting line. Given that a large motivator for change is to achieve success for more students, does that data really show a failure in this regard?

Your Questions Will there be a review of the subjective marking of specific features within science and maths type subjects? Can we still achieve valid assessment through appropriate programming of these specific features and objective assessment of work? Need to look at transition to Australian curriculum. Need an evaluation of the implementation of the performance standard. Need to look at Australian curriculum achievement standards. Industrial issues. Need to look at how the final result is determined through the collection of evidence through “tasks”

Your Questions Need to look at whether the separation of SACE completion and ATAR ahs really happened. Need to look at whether there is consistency of application of performance standards and whether the SACE has achieved its goal of rigour.

Your Questions If the FOI exemptions are lifted this year, what protocols and delineations will be explicit around individual schools use of the SACE data? Who will own what in terms of data so that we can ensue that School A does not produce league tables at the expense of using school B’s data?

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

Freedom of Information The SACE Board is an "Exempt Agency" under the Regulations to the Freedom of Information Act It is not required to provide access to any information under the Act.

Freedom of Information The SACE Board is reviewing its Exempt status, in line with government policies of openness and accountability. The Board has given in-principle approval for the removal of the Exemption.

Freedom of Information A working group met throughout 2011 to advise the Board on the removal of the Exemption, and protocols for managing FOI requests. The SACE Board has consulted with the SACE Principals Partnership Strategy Group, the Australian Education Union and parents' groups on the removal of the Exemption.

Freedom of Information Some SACE Board data will remain exempt - the SACE Board is opposed to the use of SACE achievement data which maybe used to construct school rankings ("league tables").

Freedom of Information The SACE Board is currently identifying: - which information and data sets will remain exempt; - which information and data sets will be published on the SACE Board website; - what information will be provided upon request through FOI. The removal of the Exemption is likely to occur by mid-2012.

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