From the Chief Executive

Dear colleague

I hope this finds you well. Firstly, thank you for the support and confidence you have shown me as I move into the interim Chief Executive role. I’d like to formally acknowledge and celebrate the massive impact Martin Westwell made to senior secondary education in his time as Chief Executive of the SACE Board. His appointment to lead the Department for Education is an incredibly positive appointment for the broader South Australian education system, and for the aspirational purpose of shaping education so that students thrive.

What a Term 1! I’ve heard many of you describe it as the toughest term you have ever experienced. I would like to recognise the incredible challenge that Term 1 presented and the steadfast professionalism, resilience and agility you and your teachers have demonstrated in order to ensure you can continue the learning for students.

In response to these disruptions, the SACE Board released a suite of subject outline adjustments focussed on relieving some of the pressure of the evolving challenges of COVID-19. Details of all subject adjustments remain on our website. As always, the SACE Board is committed to supporting you and your teachers every step of the way. We will continue to monitor the situation closely in the event that further considerations are required. Please don’t hesitate to make contact if you have questions or need specific support.

Despite these challenges, the SACE team have continued to work with schools on two key strategic projects aimed at delivering on our promise of shaping education so students thrive.

Commencing in January this year, Exploring Identities and Futures (revitalised Personal Learning Plan) and Activating Identities and Futures (revitalised Research Project) are now halfway through the pilot, involving 30 schools. 

Currently, the Learner Profile is in the pre-pilot phase, with the aim of trialling the key features in earnest with teachers and students in Semester 2. You can read more about these projects below.

I look forward to working in partnership with you as we work with the opportunities and challenges these projects present.

All the best for Term 2.

Michaela Bensley
Interim Chief Executive
SACE Board of South Australia

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Revitalisation of RP and PLP

Pilot update for new subjects

We are now halfway through the pilot of the revitalised Personal Learning Plan (now Exploring Identities and Futures) and Research Project (Activating Identities and Futures) subjects being trialed in participating government, independent and Catholic schools across South Australia.

We have completed 3 workshops and 2 check-ins with the pilot teachers. Workshops covered key themes around co-agency, metacognition, natural evidence of learning, feedback, and a deconstruction of the performance standards for each subject.

The check-ins enabled pilot teachers to discuss their experience teaching the new subjects and provided an opportunity to ask questions. For both the project team and the teachers it was great to share some of the students’ ‘light bulb’ moments where the new subjects enabled them to explore an initiative differently to the current PLP and RP.

Next steps include working with pilot teachers in clarifying and calibrating standards for both new subjects.

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Learner Profile update

Progress toward pilot

The Learner Profile and the Capabilities projects have now been united to progress the goal of a Connected Qualification. The combined project will continue to be known as the Learner Profile, and will offer a holistic view of SACE graduates’ achievements that extend beyond a recognition of their knowledge to evidence their capabilities, enabling them to better match with potential employers and further education providers.

The project team have worked on a collaborative process with stakeholders, actively engaging with them to gain feedback and develop prototypes. These include exploring data visualisation to develop a graphic representation of each students’ Learner Profile, software development to create a Learner Profile dashboard on Schools Online, developing assessment protocols and artefacts, creating capabilities curriculum maps, and a suite of five SACE capabilities.

As we progress towards the pilot, we have identified over 30 schools and 100 teachers representing all sectors across South Australia, Northern Territory and SACE International to participate and work with us collaboratively to assess the suite of capabilities that will inform a Learner Profile for students. We are also working with university admissions to use Learner Profile data to inform a pilot for the 2023 entry process into a limited range of further education courses.

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Students Online reminder

It’s time to support students to activate their account to ensure they are prepared to access Students Online to view their Semester 1 results on 26 July results release day.

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Semester 1 Stage 2 enrolments cut-off

The deadline for submission of enrolments for Research Project A and B is TOMORROW Friday 13 May. There will be no access to modify enrolments after this time.

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Community Studies A and Community Connections mid-year completion

Students can submit Stage 2 Community Studies results to complete their SACE mid-year.

Please email askSACE by TOMORROW Friday 13 May to advise if any of your students intend to submit results for Stage 2 Community Studies in order to complete the SACE mid-year. When notified, the SACE Board will ensure that a mid-year results process is in place for these students.

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Community Studies A and Community Connections resulting

Teachers are reminded that there have been recent changes to moderation, marking and resulting for Community Studies A and Community Connections. Operational changes applied in 2021 continue to apply in 2022 for these subjects.

For more information, view the operational changes document for details on scanning and uploading of student work, combining assessment groups for moderation, and using the A+ to E- scale for reporting grades.

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VET Skill Sets update

The policy for recognition of VET in the SACE has been enhanced to recognise Skills Sets from nationally endorsed training packages. From May 2022 onwards, the SACE Board will be including Skill Sets in the VET Recognition Register and in Schools Online.

The addition of Skill Sets in the SACE complements the SA Government’s VET for Secondary Students policy to provide students with increased pathway opportunities. This also responds to industry needs and concepts for ‘stacking’ relevant and appropriate learning in shorter forms of VET credentials.

Alongside Flexible Industry Pathways (FIPs) and stackable VET options like Skill Sets, SACE has endorsed a new Industry Connections subject that values practical skills and knowledge in and about an industry. Industry Connections provides opportunities for students to develop, practice and refine skills that enable them to explore and support their career pathways, capabilities and employability skills, particularly where VET options may no longer be accessible, available or appropriate.

Stay tuned for more information later this month.

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Prescient resumes

It’s been a quiet start to the year for Prescient, but professional learning workshops are planned for Term 2. Beginning with the return of two popular face-to-face workshops presented by Jeremy LeCornu.

Using Video to enable Active Learning is an interactive, practical and hands-on workshop that will provide you with tools and strategies for engaging your students more deeply in their learning by using video.

Maximising Challenge and Active Learning is a highly interactive and engaging workshop where participants will develop their knowledge and skills in using technology for active learning.

Meanwhile, refresh your knowledge by watching the online lecture Seeing is Believing: the Future School is here presented by Valerie Hannon. The session includes a Q&A with Professor Martin Westwell and SASPA Chief Executive Peter Mader. You can also download an edited version of the lecture transcript, which covers the design principles and two examples of future focused schools.

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PLATO Stage 2 calibration activities are live

SACE teachers can now access school-assessment and external calibration activities for most Stage 2 subjects through the SACE Board’s online professional learning platform PLATO. New activities have been (or are in the process of being) developed for new subjects only. Calibration activities support teachers to ensure their marking is on standard. All teachers are encouraged to revisit calibration activities to check their assessment decisions are on standard.

Implementation courses for renewed subjects being taught for the first time in 2022 are also available (Community Connections, Industry Connections, Psychology, and Spiritualities, Religion and Meaning).

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SACE Art Show winners announced

The physical exhibition of the 2022 SACE Art Show may be finished for the year, but access to over 100 art and design works continues in the online gallery.

Winners were announced at the closing ceremony on Friday 22 April at the Light Square Gallery, thanks to the generosity of sponsors Credit Union SA, Minister for Human Services, Adelaide Central School of Art, Eckersley’s Art and Craft, Flinders University, the Independent Education Union SA and the Australian Education Union.

The Teacher’s prize was presented to Electra Montiadis from Adelaide High School for teaching both the overall winner and runner up in the Credit Union SA Community Awards.

Thanks to all teachers, principals, SACE Coordinators and school communities for guiding students and supporting the 2022 SACE Art Show.

Winners for each category were:

Credit Union SA Community Awards

• First Prize: Elise Capasso from Adelaide High School for her work Misandry
• Runner up: Byron Ashfield-Smith from Adelaide High School for his work A Call to Save our Ocean
• Teacher’s prize: Electra Montiadis from Adelaide High School
• Voter’s prize: Monique Cheffirs

Other sponsor awards

Eckersley’s Art and Craft Encouragement Award: Jemha Dimas from Mary MacKillop College for her work The Controversy of Life

Adelaide Central School of Art Award: Esther Cheng from Eynesbury Senior College for her work Wail of a Swan 

Australian Education Union Award: Sophie Couldrey from Grant High School for her work Touched 

Independent Education Union Award: Jasmine Meldrum from Immanuel College for her work The Women Who Came Before Me

Flinders University Visual Arts Award: Meghan Lau from Loreto College for her work The Nature of Sleep 

SACE Art Show Poster Award: Alexandra Matters from Endeavour College for her work Sea The Change 

Minister for Human Services Regional Encouragement Awards:

• Whitney Cheffirs from Kingscote campus of Kangaroo Island Community Education for her work Fires can’t destroy love and community spirit!
• Matt Majores from Balaklava High School for his work Philippines Monopoly Board
• Zoelene Cook from Centralian Senior College (NT) for her work Coexistence

Visit the online gallery to view the winning artworks.

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SACE International

Welcome to the new SACE International schools

We are delighted to announce the expansion of the SACE International school network with the recent addition of three more schools: 

• Gateway College in Columbo, Sri Lanka
• Taipei Municipality Zhong Zheng Senior High School in Taipei, Taiwan
• Scotch College Australian Grammar School in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

We extend a warm welcome to you all and look forward to building strong and successful partnerships.

The Future of Schools webinars now online

Two popular online webinars designed for the South Asia education sector were recently presented by SACE International, examining how the transformation of education is critical to meet the needs of an ever-changing world.

Principals, teachers and officials from top educational institutions across India and Bangladesh joined the webinars to find out how the SACE Board is actively leading educational reform in Australia and how this innovative curriculum approach could be introduced into their schools.

The webinars featured a keynote address by distinguished scholar Professor Martin Westwell and an opening address by Austrade Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner Dr Monica Kennedy.

The recorded sessions can be viewed on the SACE International website.

Congratulations to Northern Hemisphere graduates

Northern Hemisphere end-of-cycle SACE results were released to students and schools on Tuesday 26 April. Congratulations to all Northern Hemisphere students on their well-deserved success in achieving their SACE qualification in yet another challenging year where everyone has been tried and tested in so many ways.

By completing the SACE International program students have demonstrated their drive, tenacity, dedication and resilience, and have shown a depth of knowledge while sharpening their research and problem-solving skills.

Thanks to all those who have guided and supported graduates to successfully achieve their SACE, including teachers, principals, family and school communities. 

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