1. SACE Management Conference
Maximising Student Success
February 2015
Today’s conference will focus on the improving phase of the quality assurance cycle, with reference to data and the interdependent responsibilities of schools, the SACE Board and schooling sectors for student success. There will be opportunities to discuss key issues and learning from 2014 and share improvement strategies to plan for further success in 2015.
In 2013, we sought feedback from SACE Coordinators regarding the quality management systems in schools and the indicators SACE leaders use to monitor the effectiveness of the procedures, practices and processes of those systems.
Based on this feedback in 2014, we introduced 4 criteria for evaluating quality management in schools. These were: Assessment Practices, Within-school Quality Assurance (QA), Data management and Communication. At the 2014 SACE Leaders forum school leaders were provided with a full improvement framework called the SACE Self-review Tool (SRT).
This year, support materials (case studies, exemplars and advice) to complement the SRT are being introduced. SACE leaders can use these materials to improve assessment practices, within-school QA, data management and SACE communication in their schools.

2. SACE Board Schools Maximising Student success through the SACE
Our work . . .
Schools
SACE Board
Maximising
Student success
through the SACE
The SACE Board and schools work in partnership to maximise student success through the SACE.
What do we mean by success?
Ensuring the SACE is accessible for the full range of students in our schools
Delivering a SACE that sets students up for further learning, work and community life
…. In other words – delivering a SACE that matters for each student

3. What did we achieve in 2014? Participation Completion Pathways
Achievement
Participation – the number of students completing their SACE
13,985 students completed the SACE in an increase from 13,558 in 2013
Completion – the proportion of students completing their SACE
the proportion of Year 12 students achieving their SACE was the highest ever, with 94.4 % successfully completing in an increase from 93.6 % in 2013 and 92.2 % in 2012.
The proportion of Year 12 students using VET qualifications in 2014 as part of their SACE remains high. 40.7% of students completed their SACE used VET qualifications as part of their SACE in 2014, compared to 41% in 2013.
the Aboriginal Year 12 students SACE completion rate decreased slightly to 90.6 % –down from 92.6 % in However, more Indigenous students received their SACE in 2014, 250 compared to 238 in 2013.
Pathways – where are our students going?
a total of students gained an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, a decrease from in 2013.

4. Activity 1
In 2014, SACE Officers Schools visited schools upon request to provide support with their 2013 data analysis. As well as looking at moderation effects reports and other reports available, SACE Officers provided the reports shown on page 3-4 of your booklets.
Activity 1
Using the:
School Data Analysis Template , and
2012 – 2014 School Measures data that will be distributed for your school.
Complete the template and analyse longitudinal trends. You may wish to note some observations with others in your school.

5. Activity 2
This next activity involves analysis and interpretation of an example SACE Completion data set. The completion rate shown on screen is made up for demonstration purposes.
With a colleague at your table, identify and discuss the factors that may have influenced the year-to-year SACE completion rate shown on the screen.
Ask participants to report back to the group the factors they identified.
Issues raised at SACE Management Conferences included:
D+ or below results
Completion of VET competencies
Staff changes
Differences in cohorts
Parental expectations
Luck, for some schools for every student who just missed completing their SACE there is a student who only just completed their SACE. For example in one year a school may have 5 students who did not complete their SACE, an analysis of their data can sometimes show that there were another 5 students who only just completed their SACE. So sometimes the fluctuations of a couple of percent from one year to the next reflect whether a few more or a few less students in the near miss / near pass category ended up just achieving their SACE.
What might explain a decrease in rate and increase in numbers? Would you say this school is more or less successful in 2014 compared to previous years?
The improvement challenge for schools is to increase the number SACE ‘completers’ and managing the students in the near miss just pass category to ensure the completion rate is also high.

6. SACE completion – common issues
Within-school quality assurance
Low achievement
Variable achievement
Retention
Now, using state level data, let’s explore some issues that affect SACE completion.
Particularly,
within-school quality assurance i.e. how final quality assurance adjustments to school assessment results can impact on individual students’ SACE completion.
Low achievement of students i.e. D and E grades
Variable achievement i.e. students who have significant differences in achievement across the range of subjects they undertake.
Retention, i.e. retention from year 11 to year 12, from year 10 to year 12

7. 153,853 1,440 887 Within-school quality assurance
school results submitted
85% confirmed
1,440
≥ C- school results adjusted to ≤ D+
887
≥ C- investigation results adjusted to ≤ D+
153,853 school assessment type results were submitted. 85% of which were confirmed.
1,440 A+ to C- school assessment type results were adjusted to D+ to E- and I results.
887 A+ to C- investigation results were adjusted to D+ to E- and I results
These data highlight QA issues that impact individual students and potentially their SACE completion.
1440 represent ~1% of total results ( ), however, for students in the potential near miss / just pass category it only takes one result to be adjusted downwards for it to impact on SACE completion.
Note: 887 represent ~ 1% of total results (88734 ) but 887, again, it only take one result to be adjusted downwards for it to impact on SACE completion.

8. Are final adjustments to results placing students at risk of
not completing
their SACE?
When monitoring student achievement and considering the risk adjustments to student results may have on SACE completion, it is useful to understand that the majority of adjustments made to students results are single grade level adjustments. This means that single grade level adjustments for students with high C results are not likely to impact on an individual student’s completion. Whereas, a single grade level adjustment for a student on a C- can have an effect, not only on the final subject grade, but also on SACE completion. As a SACE manager it is important to identify Stage 2 students likely to achieve a C- result and consider their potential ‘completion’ risks in light of the previous years moderation outcomes.
Some schools that have high achievement and SACE completion outcomes actively work towards ensuring students achieve more than a C- grade for the school assessment component. This policy provides a buffer if the student achieves a poor result in the external assessment component or if there are adjustments to the student’s results at moderation. The student is still likely to achieve a C- or higher for their final subject results.

9. Low achievement
8,413
≤ C- school results submitted and confirmed
Is low achievement placing students at risk of not completing their SACE?
8413 D+ to E- and I school assessment type results were submitted by schools and confirmed by the moderation process.
These data highlight low student achievement.
Key questions to explore are:
Did your school submit results in the D and E grade bands or I’s as final school assessment results?
Were these results expected in August when enrolments were finalised?
What types of intervention were considered and employed?

10. Variable achievement
1,854
students ≥ C- in Research Project and ≤ D+ in another Stage 2 subject
Why do students achieve satisfactory results in the Stage 2 Research Project and unsatisfactory results in other Stage 2 subjects?
Is it fair to assume that if a student can be successful in the Research Project that they can be successful in a range of Stage 2 subjects. To some extent we should be able to. Whether you believe it is fair assumption or not, what can we learn from the Stage 2 Research Project? What factors can explain such differences in achievement?
compulsory nature of subject?
Is the subject more engaging and relevant?
Are teachers more supportive?
Is the school investing more resources into one subject?
Peer group influences? All students are enrolled in the Stage 2 RP, Are they motivating each other?
Nature of assessment?
How might you explore these factors in your school? Survey students? Focus group?

11. Retention
How do we improve the number of SACE completers? How do we support students that have completed their PLP to be successful in Year 11 and beyond?
How do we improve the number of SACE completers? How do we support students that have completed their PLP to be successful in Year 11 and beyond?
This is our challenge and one we will always need to work on.
The following section of the presentation will focus on support materials that might be used to improve SACE completion.

12. Student monitoring
Student monitoring, i.e. systems used by schools to monitor and support individual student achievement is one useful strategy employed by schools to maximise student success throughout the SACE. Monitoring processes enable schools to use brief, timely and easily-administered snapshots of student performance to make informed decisions about teaching practice, learning support and student pathways after SACE. This information can then be used by schools and students to determine if students are learning and performing appropriately to meet their end-of-school goals. Schools can then implement suitable levels of support for students as required.
Last year the School Assessment Services team worked with some schools that were in various stages of implementing their student monitoring systems. The purpose of this work was to collect resources that can be shared with other schools that may be developing or reviewing their student monitoring systems. What we discovered is that these systems were not covert, they were transparent. They improved students’ awareness of their performance, they improved and they supported all students, not just the students with ‘problems’.

13. Student Monitoring - Videos
The following videos follow three schools during various stages of implementing their student monitoring systems. Participants discuss how their monitoring systems operate and how staff and students view and use them.
We thank the SACE leaders involved for sharing their practice with us.
These videos are available for viewing on the SACE website.
Please note: the sharing of sensitive information regarding students on applications such as Google Docs (as mentioned in one of the videos) should be considered in light of school and sector policies and protocols.

14. Student Monitoring - Schedule
Another resource developed for schools is an example of a student monitoring schedule. The schedule exemplifies only a few possible approaches that can be applied (or adapted) by any schools interested in developing systematic and proactive student monitoring systems.

15. Screenshot of the student monitoring home page
There are schedules for each of years 10, 11 and 12.

16. Screenshot of the year 11 schedule
The schedules are organised term by term for each year. Remember this is only one possible approach that could be used or adapted.

17. For each schedule entry there are a number of support materials (school-developed policies, templates, exemplars).

18. For example, see the Work Completion and Submission of Work Policy
For example, see the Work Completion and Submission of Work Policy. Work completion is often a performance indicator that is monitored.

19. Activity 3
In your booklets, on pages you will find a copy of the Work Completion and Submission of Work Policy developed by a school. You may have a similar policy in your own school.

20. Activity 3
Does your school have a similar philosophy about work completion and submission?
Is there a policy in place to support your philosophy?
How is the policy communicated to staff, students and parents?
How consistently is the policy implemented?
What are the strengths of your policy?
Please spend some time at your tables discussing the following questions:
Does your school have a similar philosophy about work completion and submission?
Is there a policy in place to support your philosophy?
How is the policy communicated to staff, students and parents?
How consistently is the policy implemented?
What are the strengths of your policy?

21. SACE Improvement Support
Last year the SACE Self-review Tool (SRT) was developed and released to schools.
The SRT is designed to support school leadership teams to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their school assessment practices. It was based on feedback we received from SACE Coordinators in 2013 and from looking at similar frameworks offered by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and ACER.
On page 13 in your booklets. You will see the four criteria the tool evaluates:
Assessment Practices
Do school assessment practices provide students with the best opportunity to demonstrate their learning?
Within-School Quality Assurance
How effective are the school’s quality assurance processes?
Data Management
How effectively does the school manage assessment-related data?
Communication
How effectively are the school’s assessment policies and procedures communicated to staff, students, and families?
Our next step is to develop and share resources that support improved assessment practices, quality assurance, data- management and communication. We are doing this by developing a SACE webpage dedicated to SACE improvement. The following slides contain screenshots of the webpage.

22. SACE Improvement Support
Insert screen shot of SACE Improvement webpage
The SACE Improvement section of the website will support schools to use the SRT by providing support materials including presentations, advice and activities which relate to the 4 criteria of the SRT.

23. SACE Improvement Support
Insert screen shot of SACE SRT – Assessment Practices
For example, under Assessment Practices a task design evaluation template developed by a school has been provided.

24. SACE Improvement Support
This is an example of a task design evaluation template. The template supports teachers or faculty leaders to evaluate tasks by focusing on important task design questions.

25. SACE Improvement Support
Continued……Task design evaluation template.
There are other materials including workshop materials, power points and exemplars.

26. SACE Improvement Support
A number of audit tools will be available. For example, this audit tool is designed to support teachers to review their assessment practices by using achievement data to audit their learning and assessment plans and tasks.

27. Activity 4
On your tables you will find A3 copies of three audit tools developed to support schools to focus on single aspects with thin the SRT. The audit tools at your tables focus on the assessment practices criterion.
We are keen to receive your feedback regarding their usefulness in anticipation of developing audit tools for other aspects of the SRT.
Are the tools useful?
Do they audit the most relevant aspects?
Once these audit tools are released we would welcome your feedback and suggestions if you use them.

28. SACE Improvement Support
Insert screen shot of SACE SRT – Assessment Practices – Feedback and Ideas sharing
We want the SACE Improvement pages to provide schools with useful support materials. The Feedback and ideas sharing page is one way you can provide the SACE Board with ideas about future resources that would support your work in schools.
You can also let us know about materials you have developed that have worked well for your school. We aim to collect a range of support resources from schools in different contexts. This will provide schools with options when designing and refining their own practices.

29. Operational Management
We would like to move from SACE Improvement to SACE Operational Management. Two resources that may support SACE operations in your school. The first is a Results Cycle Issues Report and the other is an idea for setting and communicating assessment deadlines at a school-wide level.

30. How did your school manage the 2014 Results Cycle?
From the SACE Board perspective, the 2014 Results Cycle was smooth. This is not to say there were no issues, there were issues. However we worked quickly and efficiently together with leaders in schools to ensure the integrity of students’ results.
For the purposes of making sure we follow up on each issue raised during the results cycle the SACE Board records when, for example:
The grades provided on the students' school assessment materials did not match the final results submitted to the SACE Board on the Online Results Sheets
School assessment results were submitted after the due date
Late requests were received to change school assessment results that had been submitted to the SACE Board
Extensions to the submission date of external assessment materials were requested
School assessment materials were missing without a Variation - Moderation Materials form being provided
Enrolments were withdrawn after results had been submitted
Requests to recognise verified VET qualifications were received after results release
Materials required for moderation were missing.
We recognise that some of these issues are due to truly exceptional circumstances and that some could have been avoided. In the spirit of continuous improvement your SACE Officer- Schools will you and the school principal later this term to ask if your school would like to be provided with a record of the issues recorded for the school during the 2014 results cycle.
Please refer to page 14 of your booklet for an example. The information may help you reflect on the 2014 results cycle and consider the one-off issues versus issues that may reoccur in If you require any advice about how to avoid issues this year then please contact your allocated SACE Officer – Schools.

31. Using Google Docs to set and share assessment deadlines
Ask participants if they use Google Docs (or something like Google Docs) to collaboratively develop and share information within their schools.
This is an idea only, individual schools will need to consider the use of Google docs within their own information security frameworks and requirements. Please note: the SACE Board does not recommend the use of cloud-based technologies for storing and sharing sensitive personal data.
Refer participants to their booklets, pages Walkthrough a suggested process for using Google Docs to share assessment deadlines.

32. Updates. Space for notes is available on page 19 of your booklet.
Professional Learning
Stage 1 planning for English, mathematics and PLP now open for registrations. The focus will be on learning and assessment plan and task development. Two forums will be offered at the SACE Board (18 & 23 February, 4-6pm). Video Conference for remote participants is scheduled for 25 Feb pm.
Planning forums for Stage 1 and Stage 2 Modified Subjects are now open for registrations. Teachers will have the opportunity to further develop their understanding of setting personal learning goals, designing assessments and developing learning and assessment plans. There will be two metropolitan forums: 19 and 26 February 4-6pm. Places are filling fast.
SACE Board in partnership with 3 schooling sectors is offering Teachers New to the SACE Workshops. The workshops will cover the key information teachers require to plan, teach and deliver assessments within the SACE.
Metropolitan and country workshops will be offered Tuesday 17 February – Tuesday 14 April. 3-hour workshops will be delivered for metropolitan participants and 5-hour workshops for country participants. Now open for registrations.
Stage 1 Clarifying. Targeted clarifying support will again be provided for teachers of Stage 1 English and mathematics subjects and the PLP. Later this term principals will be asked to nominate teachers if:
the subject is new to the school and there are no teachers in the school to provide support; or
moderation shifts were recommended in the subject last year.
Stage 2 clarifying forums will be offered for all Stage 2 subjects. Some subjects already open for registration. Others will progressively open during Term 1. The forums will be delivered late Term 1 and early Term 2.
Self-directed Community Learning Assessor Training workshops will be offered in Term 2. Details and information will be communicated to schools at the start of Term 2.
Australian Curriculum
Work is being finalised on the revised Stage 1 and Stage 2 English (including English as an Additional Language (ESL)) and mathematics subjects.
Online consultation on the revised Stage 1 and Stage 2 English and mathematics subjects is scheduled from early March to April 2015 (about 6 weeks).
Implementation workshops for Stage 1 English and mathematics subjects will occur in term 3 this year – in preparation for teaching in Stage 2 implementation workshops will be conducted in 2016 in preparation for teaching in 2017.
All Stage 1 English and mathematics LAPs will expire in December New plans will need to be submitted in 2016, to reflect the updated subject outlines.
All Stage 2 English and mathematics LAPs, if approved beyond 2015, will be set to expire December 2016.
From this month the SACE Board will also be working with subject experts on integrating Australian Curriculum into the Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, Physics), Geography, and History.
Please refer to the SACE website for updates and progress reports.
FYI - The SACE Board will be integrating the seven general capabilities across all subjects by This year we will be looking at the other subjects in the Science learning area.
Personal Learning Plan
New subject outline in 2015.
Both versions of the Personal Learning Plan (the current subject outline and the re-accredited subject outline) can be taught in 2015, using the same subject code (1PLP10).
The topics have been amended to reflect the seven capabilities.
Assessment Type 2: Reflection, has been changed to Review.
Approved learning and assessment plans for the current subject outline will be rolled over until December However, schools offering the revised subject outline in 2015 will need to submit their learning and assessment plans to the SACE Board for approval.
Both 2014 and 2015 PLP programs can be submitted for moderation in 2015.
From 2016, only the revised, re-accredited subject outline with the seven General Capabilities can be offered.
Stage 2 Mathematical Applications
Changes have already been communicated to schools.
No longer 10-credit option at Stage 2.
One 2-hour examination at the end of the year. No mid-year examination.
Please refer to the Stage 2 Mathematical Applications minisite and 2015 subject outline.
The minisite has 3 exemplar learning and assessment plans and an exemplar examination. Please ensure that students are familiar with the structure of the examination – one booklet only.
Research Project Expo
Due to the huge success of the 2014 Research Project Expo, the SACE Board will again in 2015 hold a Research Project Student Expo on 12 and 13 August.
In the next month, the SACE Board will be in contact with schools asking for expressions of interest in nominating students to present their work at the Expo and to book classes for a visit.
ORS
New online results sheets for 2015: Stage 1, Investigations, Predicted Results for examinations.
Principal’s delegates will only need to set up their Stage 1 only and new teachers – everyone else should have accounts from last years
Similar processes to School Assessment Results Sheets ORS that was successfully implemented last year i.e. teachers login, PD checks and submits to SACE Board, opening and closing dates.
Biggest difference is that Stage 1 enrolments will now have a cut-off date of Friday 19 June so results sheets can be generated and will be available from Monday 22 June. Submission date of online results sheets for Stage 1 will be Wednesday 1 July.
Stage 1: If no approved LAP, will not be able to enter results. Students will need to be withdrawn and LAP submitted in subsequent semester. Very important to check the Enrolment Against Learning and Assessment Plan Status report in Schools Online.
NOTE: The status of learning and assessment plans for classes that have not yet been created will not be shown.
Stage 1: If no class created, no result sheet generated. Can add and withdraw students on results sheet (same as Stage 2 ORS).
Investigations: Only scores from 1 – 30 can be entered; ‘0’ score cannot be entered; if there is no work for the investigation then select ‘withdrawn’.
Investigations: Selecting ‘withdrawn’ will withdraw the student from the entire subject enrolment. In the exceptional circumstance where a student does not submit an investigation but will submit school assessment work, mark student as withdrawn and contact Assessment Operations. Assessment Operations will then add the student name to the school assessment online results sheet.
Investigations: Investigation packing list can be printed by teacher or Principal’s Delegate and must be packed and submitted to the SACE Board along with the investigations.
Further information will be sent to schools over the next coming months.
Schools Online cycle, Operational Documents, Online Calendar all reflect timelines consistent with ORS dates
Special Provisions
The Special Provisions in Curriculum and Assessment Policy has been updated for 2015.
No significant changes to the policy or process, only that in the policy we have amended some wording to better fit with legislation and in the evidence section we are highlighting that we require at least one Task 2, and would prefer end of year 11 exams for these.
A range of new resources have been uploaded to the Special Provisions minisite.
The minisite contains useful information for parents, students and schools.
Schools may wish to provide a link to the special provisions minisite in a school newsletter or on their website for parents.
The due date of special provisions applications for long term impairments is Thursday 2 April. Important to submit these applications early in the year with all the required evidence as per the front cover so students are aware of the provisions that have, or have not been approved.
It is beneficial for schools to submit applications at the end of the school year for students in Stage 2 the following year, by using the “Model of Good Practice” checklist on the website.
For consideration later in the year – it is important to submit applications for extensions for investigations in prior to submission dates. The reason for this is because the entering of online results for investigations will not allow a results sheet to be submitted with ‘blank’ results unless an application has been received by the SACE Board.
Modified Subject Changes
The process for the review of Stage 1 and 2 SACE modified subjects (the confirming phase of the Quality Assurance cycle) has been changed to align more with Stage 1 moderation.
From 2015, schools will be requested to participate in Stage 1 and Stage 2 Modified Subjects review until their results in modified subjects are confirmed in two consecutive years.
If your school’s ‘completed’ and ‘not completed’ assessment decisions were confirmed in Modified Subjects in both 2013 and 2014, your school will be moving to a triennial cycle of review for the suite of Modified Subjects (i.e. review occurs once every 3 years). This cycle will be staggered in the same way the triennial cycle was staggered for Stage 1 moderation initially.
The review sample to be submitted will include the work of up to 12 students representative of the Modified Subjects offered and the assessment decisions made. Page 14 of the Stage 1 Modified Subjects Information and Guidelines 2015 provides details of how to select the sample for review.
90-credit aggregate & revised Bonus Points Scheme 2015
The ATAR will be calculated from the 90-credit aggregate from 2015.
Two new bonus schemes will replace all previous existing subject and equity schemes for entry into all three SA universities.
The two new schemes are the SA Universities Equity Scheme and the SA Language, Literacy and Mathematics Bonus Scheme.
SATAC sent a letter to all schools in July 2014 advising of these changes and if their school attracted “whole of school bonuses”.
If your school does not attract a “whole of school bonuses” then individual students are able to apply directly to SATAC for bonuses, based on their individual circumstances.
Please refer to the Fact Sheet on the SATAC website.
VET
VET Contacts in 2015 will be Adele, Louise and Celia (Melissa Sherman no longer at SACE Board).
(Use this if you cannot find qualifications or units of competency on Schools Online).
VET results
In 2015, the due date for VET Results to be reported to the SACE Board is Monday 30 November.  Please ensure your partnering RTO is aware of this date so appropriate planning can be undertaken for the VET results to be received at your school and entered into Schools Online by 30 November 2015.
VET for tertiary entrance
For VET Certificate III or above qualifications recognised at Stage 2 to be included as ‘Recognised Studies’ for tertiary entrance calculations, the VET Qualification Verification form (generated in Schools Online) must be received at the SACE Board by 30 November Schools must also attach evidence from the RTO of each student’s completed VET qualification.
At 2014 Results Release, this was by far the biggest VET issue – even though students had completed their Cert III qualifications, many were not verified so did not contribute to the ATAR.
From 2015 (for tertiary entrance in 2016 onwards), a verified and completed Cert III that is Stage 2 can only count a maximum of 20 credits in the Flexible Option (now out of 30).  The scaled score applied to the VET is the average of the best 70 credits of TAS.
VET foundation qualifications
From 1 January 2016, some VET qualifications considered by the Board as ‘Foundation-type VET Qualifications’ will have a new maximum number of SACE credits allowed for recognition.  Further details will be communicated to schools, school sectors and RTOs throughout the first half of 2015.
Those qualifications that have a general education focus, for example, the Certificate II in Education Skills Development, Certificate III in English Proficiency, Certificate II Driver Competence.
More information will be communicated to schools in the upcoming months.