The South Australian Government has outlined its response to the first South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) first evaluation.

 

The Government outlined extra incentives for students to study a fifth Year 12 subject and improvements to the research project, while also announcing extra support for teachers and schools to help teach and mark the SACE program.

 

Minister for Education and Child Development Grace Portolesi said these changes make the SACE more rigorous and strengthen the assessment process while providing additional assistance to teachers and students in relation to the research project.

 

“It was always planned to evaluate the first year of the new SACE, because we wanted to be sure to address any unintended consequences of the reforms,” Ms Portolesi said.

 

“We have worked together with Catholic, Independent and public school sectors, school principals, the tertiary sector and the SACE Board in developing this response.”

 

Other changes include requesting South Australia’s universities to consider moving to a 90 point score for calculating university entry.

 

“Should this proposal be approved by the universities, it would enable students to count their best score from five subjects towards the university score,” Ms Portolesi said.

 

Other changes include:

 

  • Changing the Year 12 Research Project to include more practical research options for students. This has been done to address the issue that girls seemed to perform better in the Research Project than boys as raised in the evaluation.
  • Introducing a new optional ‘preparatory’ research skills subject worth 10-credits at Year 11 in 2014. This would prepare students for their year 12 subjects, particularly the research project.
  • Working with school sectors and universities to establish an Institute of Educational Assessors to recognise and assist professional practice in assessment, while also supporting rigorous performance standards and quality assessment of student work.

 

Details of the SACE Board’s response and measures to support teachers, school leaders and students are outlined in a SACE Directions and Actions document, available on the SACE website  http://www.sace.sa.edu.au/