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The Standard | Term 3 2023

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Message from Chief Executive

Dear Colleague,

It’s hard to believe we’re already looking toward the end of year.

Firstly, I’d like to congratulate all your students who completed Stage 1 and 2 subjects in the recent mid-year results. Students across South Australia, the Northern Territory and Asia completed over 100,000 Stage 1 enrolments, and over 10,000 Stage 2 enrolments. On top of that I warmly congratulate the 11 South Australian students who completed their SACE in these mid-year results. I wish them the best in their future pathways.

The end of the semester also saw the completion of second pilots for both Exploring Identities and Futures (EIF) and Activating Identities and Futures (AIF). The interest and participation in these pilots have enabled the co-design and testing of these subjects across our system. These revitalised subjects embody the elements of ‘Thrive’ and support students for successful future pathways. You can read more about these pilots below.

Pilot 2 for both Capabilities & Learner Profile and Recognition of Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Learning have now begun with greater scope and scale. Both projects support our ambition to develop a system that recognises the knowledge, skills, and capabilities of the whole student. 

Our pilot projects are part of our journey to ensure students are recognised for more than the specific subjects they learn in a classroom, more than their grades, and more than their final score. We’ve heard our education community would like more information on our pilot projects and we will share our updates more widely into the future to ensure all schools are aware of the progress and direction of these key initiatives. I look forward to sharing more about this journey.

Speaking of the future, we communicated our position on emerging technologies like AI earlier in the year, and made commitments to help you prepare for possible scenarios that may present themselves. I encourage you to read our update below, which includes some of the steps we have taken so far and some important operational information for e-exam readiness.

I’ve been connecting with schools and sector associations in various forums as we partner on enriching curriculum and assessment. These forums have provided insightful feedback and discussion on our common interests and challenges. We are planning curriculum forums to support schools in the new year, and we’re working to further improve our online information. We are also exploring mechanisms for more responsive ways to share feedback on external assessment outcomes with teachers and schools.

Finally, as we prepare for the end-of-year assessment cycle, I wanted to acknowledge how much I value the partnership between the SACE Board, schools and teachers in helping students thrive. Whilst you may have noticed that we have changed the way we respond to your enquiries, we are here to support you. Our askSACE team is the first point of contact for all enquiries, but if you require specific educational expertise, the askSACE team will ensure one of our education consultants resolves your enquiry. You can read more about how we support you below.

I appreciate the ongoing collaboration across the system that gives our young people the chance to realise their potential.

Regards,

Michaela Bensley
Chief Executive
SACE Board of South Australia

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Exploring Identities and Futures (EIF) and Activating Identities and Futures (AIF) update

The second pilots for both Exploring Identities and Futures (EIF) and Activating Identities and Futures (AIF) finished at the end of semester 1, with the evaluation phase now in progress. More than 60 schools and over 4,000 students across all sectors in South Australian and the Northern Territory were resulted in the EIF and AIF pilot programs.

Both EIF and AIF challenge students to take control of their learning and deeply explore the things that matter to them. The new subjects support students to develop their capabilities and increasing levels of agency and self-awareness so they are best prepared for their future pathways. The subjects foster an environment that strengthens the relationship between teacher and student. Students have used a broad variety of passions to drive their learning and capability development, from novel writing, creating performance showreels, and learning instruments, to experimenting with special effects makeup, creating vegan croissants, and Olympic equestrianism. We have loved hearing the range of creativity and passion your students are showing through this subject.

As an education community, we can draw confidence from the diversity of schools and students who participated in the extensive testing in pilot 2 which informs our next steps in each subject.

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EIF implementation in 2024

On 13 June, we announced the systemwide implementation of EIF for South Australia in 2024. Schools, teachers and students who experienced EIF during its creation across 2022 and 2023, have told us: 

  • there were more opportunities for students to deeply explore the things that matter to them
  • students’ learning shifted from passive to active
  • relationships between students and teachers strengthened
  • the learning was deeper, more authentic, and better reflected the volume of work required for a 10-credit subject
  • they were able to transfer learning to other subjects
  • they were challenged to take control of their learning

Early insights from the second pilot have led us to co-develop a modified version of EIF in partnership with schools. In the first instance, however, we strongly encourage schools to consider whether students may be able to access learning via the non-modified version, if individual reasonable adjustments are made, so that students can access their learning entitlement with their peers.

We are excited to support you and your students in implementing EIF in your sites. During July and August, our Education Services team conducted information sessions state-wide, supporting curriculum leaders to prepare their schools for the change. Educator workshops for teachers, which focus specifically on teaching EIF commenced on 23 August 2023. Teachers can sign up for workshops via our events page.

We encourage you to visit our website for further subject information, implementation timelines and relevant forms. We will continue to update our site and communicate with schools about evaluation insights, professional learning activities and subject support materials throughout semester 2.

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Next steps for AIF

The final activity for pilot 2 was a learning event with teachers and leaders on 21 August. Following the review and pilot evaluation, learnings and insights will be shared with all schools. We will continue to explore aspects of AIF in 2024, with the intention that the first cohort of EIF students will continue into AIF in 2025. Further information and regular updates are included in the Innovating the SACE section of our website.

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Recognition of Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Learning project update

The Recognition of Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Learning project is committed to fulfilling the learning entitlement of Aboriginal students and is a core component of our Thrive strategic vision. Aboriginal students should be able to draw on their cultural knowledge and competency to demonstrate their learning and have that learning formally recognised. 

Pilot 2 is currently underway throughout semester 2, with an increased scope and scale from the first pilot with 15 schools from South Australia and the Northern Territory. Our focus for pilot 2 includes:

  • developing our understanding of community led cultural learning for a more inclusive learning framework
  • improving access for students who are disconnected from Community or with limited school resources
  • increasing student agency through more opportunities to self-identify recognition pathways
  • increasing awareness and understanding of the project amongst schools and Communities

Monitoring and evaluation is embedded in our responsive design approach. Our aim is to provide evidence of:

  • increased student belonging through building connections with country, family, kinship and community
  • Aboriginal students feeling their culture is valued at school
  • improved relationships between students, teachers, schools and Communities
  • students’ sense of pride, confidence, and self-determination
  • utility and value for local Community

The SACE Board is excited to continue growing our learning, thanks to the generosity of our Aboriginal Allyship, Aboriginal communities and our SACE Change Network schools. To our understanding, we are the only system expanding our understanding of education in this way.

Further information and regular updates are included in the Innovating the SACE section of our website.

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Capabilities & Learner Profile project update

The Capabilities and Learner Profile project is committed to developing and evidencing a range of student capabilities that will provide better matching for young people to post-secondary opportunities. Our aim is to design a certificate that fairly and formally recognises more of what young people know and can do.

“The learner profile is valuable as it shows the capabilities of students as individuals as opposed to simply a number” — pilot student.

Our second pilot commenced in term 2 with 42 schools and approximately 1,000 students. During this pilot we are focused on hearing from students to better understand their perspective of the benefits and associated challenges. Through a series of focus group sessions, we asked students about:

  • the value of recognising capabilities alongside subject achievement
  • opportunities to showcase their capabilities
  • support systems they need
  • considerations of student wellbeing

Some of the encouraging responses from the students include:

“It accurately shows who you are as a person compared to what subject you chose”.

“It means that students are not just defined as a number and that learning is able to be appreciated as something beyond the classroom, and not just as a transferring of information”.

“It allows for the work I do out of school to be acknowledged and valued”.

Students also looked for assurance that their efforts in developing capabilities will be valued by universities, industries, and employers. The SACE Board has been working with these systems as part of the pilot to ensure that a learner profile will be valued in offering students post-school opportunities.

Our work with teachers during pilot 2 is focused on the assessment and recording of capabilities with access to online tools.
We are excited to continue our work in partnership with SACE Change Network schools to navigate curriculum innovation. Working in partnership, we celebrate the unique capabilities of individual students and work towards a way to demonstrate these to others.

Further information and regular updates are available via the Innovating the SACE section of the website.

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Working with the system to innovate learning

The SACE Board has collaborated to facilitate two major events in Adelaide this month, focusing on the emerging local and national evidence that will help us understanding what conditions are needed both in South Australia, and nationwide to broaden education so students thrive. 

Cultivating Conditions for Thriving Learners
This 14 August event involved pilot schools sharing their stories of challenge and success from the Exploring Identities and Futures, Activating Identities and Futures, Capabilities and Learner Profile, and Recognition of Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Learning pilots to engage in what it means for schools and the future of education.

The event was attended by 170 school leaders from 89 schools to authentically engage, learn, and provide feedback. Representation included schools with significant experience in the pilot projects, those starting their journey in this space, and those who have not yet started.

The themes that emerged lay a solid foundation for the next steps the SACE Board will be working on with schools. Evolution in areas such as curriculum, assessment, recognition, quality assurance and certification resonated well with participants and the event provided confidence in the proposed directions and ideas on what school leaders and educators need.

The SACE Board will synthesise the content and learnings from the event to provide information to all schools irrespective of attendance, by the end of term 3.

We Are More
On 15 August the SACE Board co-convened a national event, with an alliance of more than 170 participants including schools, students, First Nations communities, academics, employers, higher education and training providers, admissions centres, and government bodies representing every jurisdiction in Australia. The We Are More event was organised by Learning Creates Australia, the South Australian Department of Education, the SACE Board, National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition, and Melbourne Assessment (the University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Education).

We showcased our continued work in student recognition with both Capabilities & Learner Profile and Recognition of Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Learning pilot projects. The alliance is working collaboratively over the next year to build an evidence base for an education and learning system that is fit for purpose, and better designed to support young people to thrive in further learning, community, work, and life.

A commitment statement was crafted throughout the day by the participants of the event. To read the full statement, visit the Learning Creates Australia website.

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SACE Board preparation for e-exams

The SACE Board has been working in partnership with schools to provide confidence for end of year examinations so that students can show what they know and can do without avoidable disruptions. Student wellbeing is an important consideration for the SACE Board and schools when we manage the examination period.

AI in e-exams
On 9 June 2023, the SACE Board updated its resources related to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in assessment and our position on AI in exams.

The integrity of SACE exams is managed in partnership with schools and relies on established academic integrity policies and practices. The security setting of the e-exam platform is one component to support this. It works alongside existing academic integrity measures and active invigilation of examinations.

The SACE Board has taken steps to block Grammarly and ChatGPT in e-exams in 2023. Despite this, we acknowledge the fast growth of emergent and generative AI and as such, there are unknown factors regarding yet-to-be developed or released AI products. 

In partnership, we prepare students and teachers for exam day and offer clear guidance on how to respond to anything unexpected or out of their control. We will continue to collaborate with teachers and school leaders to focus on prevention, detection, and investigation of potential breaches. We have navigated these challenges since we implemented e-exams in 2018.

For any further questions regarding the use of AI in assessments and exams, please contact the askSACE team on
+61 8 8115 4700 or via email.

Operational updates
In June we conducted a Zoom session with ICT managers to collaborate on and understand items like:

  • responsibilities in delivering e-exams
  • timing and dates for installing/upgrading the SACE Exam Browser (SEB)
  • upcoming practice windows
  • emergent generative AI technology.

The session was well attended by representatives across the school system, who expressed their confidence in the information and updates provided. The group agreed to reconvene after the examination practice window to report on their experience and identify any shared concerns. 

The SACE Electronic Examination Instruction Guide [PDF 4.3MB] and Phase 2 and Phase 3 PLATO courses have been updated this year. All Exam School Administrators and Exam Invigilators are encouraged to undertake the PLATO training, regardless of their experience or prior knowledge of the e-exam system.

The next major step for e-exams in 2023 is the practice window 28 August - 22 September. Participation is strongly recommended to ensure your school is best prepared to deliver e-exams.

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Business operations update

Following a successful delivery of midyear results, the SACE Board’s Business Operations team is now focusing on preparation for end of year exams and results release. In the lead up to the end of year the SACE Board is supporting schools by:

  • Conducting SACE coordinator information sessions to build a strong and collaborative support system. Our next Zoom session, Community Connections: Supporting Student Success, can be booked online.
  • Conducting an e-exam practice window. It runs from 28 August to 22 September and participation is strongly recommended to ensure your school is best prepared to deliver e-exams. The SACE Board will also conduct in-person visits to a sample of schools.

At this time of year, we encourage schools to access some key resources on our website including:

This time of year also sees us collaborating with our panels of educators to support the upcoming marking and moderation process. The SACE Board highly values the extraordinary professionalism and dedication this community demonstrates and appreciate the ongoing commitment to our collective work in helping students achieve their goals and our ability to deliver timely results.

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How the SACE Board supports schools

With term 3 well under the way and preparations for the end of year in full swing, we want to acknowledge how much we value our partnership with schools and teachers. Thank you for your continued collaboration. We are committed to supporting you to ensure our current and future students thrive.

We are here for you
We’ve heard from you that you want to know how you can access support from the SACE Board team. Questions from schools and teachers range from technical and operational questions to inquiries that are more complicated and require education expertise. To ensure that we respond in the most accurate and time efficient way, we have a team of people to support you.

Meet the askSACE team
Our askSACE team are the first point of contact for all inquiries from teachers, SACE coordinators and school leaders. If your question is about the day-to-day operations of the SACE, they’ll be able to help you. This may include questions about navigating the SACE website, assessment word counts, submitting results sheets and uploading student work etc. Additionally, askSACE oversee special provisions, recognition, VET and equivalency. 

school onlineL-R: Lisa, Amelia, Ella

Meet the Education Services team 
If your inquiry requires specific educational expertise, the askSACE team will ensure an Education Consultant is able to support you with your enquiry. Our education consultancy support is organised into four faculties to provide coverage for all subjects offered in the SACE. The faculty approach provides access to a team of consultants who have expertise in assessment and curriculum working together to support our teachers.

Our Education Services staff can consult with you to clarify educational aspects of your SACE subject. The team will assist you with assessment inquiries, flexibilities, modified subjects, subject adjustments and other educational aspects. Our Education Consultants work with our Lead Practitioners and our Exam Management Team to ensure our exams provide quality assessment for our young people undertaking the SACE. 

Our Education Consultants facilitate workshops with teachers in support of curriculum and assessment and provide support to our SACE International schools. Our team works with teachers and students and our Innovation and Change teams in the delivery of SACE Board’s strategic projects such as EIF, AIF, Capabilities and Learner Profile, and Recognition of Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Learning.

school online Back row L-R: Natalie Maddern, Mel Scherwitzel, Mike Askem, Ben Heathcote, Jason Bobis, Sally Letcher, Emma Wegner, Kate Leadbeater
Front row L-R: Carmen Cibi, Annalisa Barry, Virginia Steele, Deanna Isles, Karen Collins
Not pictured: Billy Kanafani, Louise Linn, Alison Thompson, Leanne Jarvis.

Our askSACE service is one way the SACE Board is supporting schools. We are also committed to communicating and engaging with schools through the SACE website, targeted communications, PLATO, and online and face-to-face workshops.

Phone +61 8 8115 4700 or email askSACE@sa.gov.au.

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SACE International update

Educator workshops
The SACE Board recently conducted two face-to-face professional learning workshops for the international school network at Taylor’s College, Malaysia, and Hanoi Adelaide School, Vietnam. The workshops were the first offered face-to face since COVID, with 90 participants representing 13 schools from China, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka.

We know our international colleagues value in-person engagements and our Education Services and SACE International staff enjoyed meeting teachers, hearing student success stories, and discussing how best to develop teacher-student relationships. They were also treated to some incredible student performances.

school onlinePerformance by students of the Hanoi Adelaide School

We were thrilled to have special guests and supporters attend from the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur: Fiona Morris (Counsellor Education and Research) and Srii Gunaseelan (Business Manager Education Austrade); and the Australian Embassy in Hanoi: Jen Bahen (Counsellor, Education and Research) and Mr Mark Tattersall (Deputy Head of Mission).

We thank Ms Josephine Tan (Taylor’s College) and Ms Pham Thi Cuc Ha (Hanoi Adelaide School) and their teams for generously hosting and supporting the workshops.

Taylor’s 40th anniversary celebration
The SACE Board proudly celebrated its longstanding partnership with Taylor’s College at the Lakeside Campus in Subang Jaya on 29 July, commemorating 40 years since their first SACE graduate in 1983. The event was attended by senior officials of the Australian High Commission in Malaysia, Taylor’s College staff, students, alumni, and our SACE International team. The current Malaysian Minister for Tourism and Youth, Hannah Yeoh, is an alumnus of Taylor’s SACE program.

Since our records began 30 years ago in 1993, over 21,000 students have completed their SACE at Taylor’s College. Many Malaysian students have benefited from the program and gone on to attend universities in South Australia, Australia and around the world. We are grateful for the strong collaboration between our institutions in recognising capabilities and thriving student success. 

school onlineMs Josephine Tan Lian Lei, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Taylor's University, Campus Director, Taylor’s College with Matthew Taverner, Director of SACE International

WEBINAR: Adelaide 36ers Academy & XVenture Schools Program
We are pleased to invite SACE International school to an upcoming webinar on the SACE accredited Adelaide 36ers Academy & XVenture Schools Program.

Date: Tuesday 12 September
Time: 3.30 pm – 4.30 pm (Adelaide ACST time)
Please register your attendance by close of business, Friday 8 September

Book now

The new SACE Stage 1 accredited - Certificate in Emotional Agility, Resilience & Leadership (EARL) is a  60-hour program that has been codesigned through a partnership between the Adelaide 36ers, a professional men's basketball team in the Australian National Basketball League & XVenture, which works with athletes and businesses to create high-performing individuals and winning minds.

This program aims to equip young people with emotional intelligence, resilience & leadership skills, giving them important life skills for greater success in life whilst getting a rare insight into what’s involved in an elite sports organisation.

Full details on the program will be shared during this webinar session together with how to implement this program in your school. The webinar will be delivered by the Adelaide 36ers Academy and is exclusively for SACE International schools.
School leaders and SACE Coordinators, please extend this invitation to your colleagues.

Please contact askSACE@sa.gov.au if you have any further queries.

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