Coordinating the SACE | Admin | Information sheets | 01
Previously Information sheet 01 Assessment groups — Stage 2
School assessment results, predicted results for external assessment, and quality assurance processes are organised by assessment group. The term ‘assessment group’ is used in addition to ‘class’ on SACE enrolment and results information.
Results sheets in Schools Online for school assessment and for predicted examination results (external assessment) are displayed by assessment group, and are available to the teaching school and the assessment school. Each class involved in an assessment group is listed sequentially on the results sheet for that assessment group.
Results sheets in Schools Online for external assessment investigations are displayed by class.
An assessment group may consist of:
- a single class
- classes that are combined within a school
- classes that are combined from two or more schools.
Combining classes
An assessment group that includes two or more classes may be formed within a school or across schools. Classes are combined in order to support a consistent understanding and application of the performance standards.
Schools Online will automatically create one assessment group, whenever two or more classes of the same subject have the same teacher in a school.
It is essential that schools with an assessment group that includes two or more classes establish processes early in the year to ensure consistent understanding and application of the performance standards.
In a subject that has an examination or a performance as the external assessment, teachers of classes with enrolments of fewer than 10 students are advised to combine with other classes within or across schools to form a single assessment group.
In all other subjects, teachers of classes with enrolments of fewer than 10 students may choose to combine with other classes within or across schools to form a single assessment group.
Reasons for forming assessment groups
Students should not be excluded from the procedures for which a derived result is required.
Assessment groups that have a small number of students at the start of the year sometimes finish the year with fewer than the minimum number of three required for these procedures.
Schools with a small number of students enrolled in a subject that has an examination as the external assessment are advised to combine with one or more schools to form an assessment group that will have sufficient students to participate in the procedures for which a derived result is required.
External assessment
In a subject that has an examination as the external assessment, an assessment group of fewer than three places students at a considerable disadvantage because they are precluded from participating in the procedures that require a derived result. If any of these students apply for special provisions for their external assessment, the SACE Board will have insufficient data to confirm a derived result.
Refer to Form 31 and Information sheet 58 for further advice on the submission and use of derived results.
On this page
Procedures for teachers
Teachers should initiate arrangements for combining classes to form an assessment group early in the year, and inform their respective SACE coordinator of these arrangements.
Once the assessment group has been formed, teachers:
- may share a common learning and assessment plan, or develop a different learning and assessment plan for each class in the assessment group
- should agree on a common interpretation and application of the performance standards, by exchanging student assessment work
- may agree to use one or more common assessment tasks, or assessment tasks that address the same specific features of the assessment design criteria, but are based on different themes or topics.
Teachers may exchange student work with the other teacher(s) in the assessment group:
- before it is assessed, to interpret and apply the performance standards to the same student work, and discuss their assessment decisions
- after it is assessed, to give each other feedback on their interpretation and application of the performance standards.
Teachers must agree on assessment results for all students in an assessment group that is made up of combined classes.
At the end of the teaching and learning program, schools submit school assessment results sheets in Schools Online for each assessment group. Using these results sheets, the teacher(s) select(s) the sample of students whose evidence of learning for school assessment will be submitted for final moderation.
Procedures for schools
Schools notify the SACE Board of the forming of assessment groups for each subject in Schools Online.
When two or more schools combine to form an assessment group, the principal and the SACE coordinator in each school must be notified.
Teachers and school leaders decide which school will be the ‘assessment’ school.
All students in an assessment group will be included on the results sheets in Schools Online for school assessment and, where relevant, predicted results.
The ‘contact’ and ‘teaching’ schools for the students should remain unchanged.
See Information sheet 33 for details of school categories.
Schools are required to have an approved learning and assessment plan for each Stage 2 subject offered, except Community Studies and Research Project. Schools have the option of using a pre‑approved learning and assessment plan, a school-developed learning plan, or a combination of these two options. Learning and assessment plans are authorised by the principal or the principal’s delegate and kept at the school.
Enrolment confirmation
Stage 2 Enrolment and Assessment Confirmation Class Lists can be printed from Schools Online to assist teachers to check their classes before the cut-off. Teachers are encouraged to log into Schools Online before the cut-off to view their classes to ensure SACE code, assessment school/assessment group, and the students enrolled are correct.
From Term 1 2023, administration fees may be charged for late class changes for Stage 2 that occur after the results sheets are closed. Please refer to the SACE Board of South Australia (Fees) Notice [PDF 131KB] for information on charges. SACE Coordinators will need to contact the askSACE team to complete and submit a Late Stage 2 Changes form.
Results sheets
Results sheets in Schools Online
Schools access most results sheets in Schools Online.
Where two or more teachers combine to form an assessment group, the teacher at the assessment school liaises with the teacher(s) at the other school(s) to agree on the:
- school assessment and, where relevant, predicted results for all students in the assessment group
- sample of students whose school assessment work will be submitted for final moderation.
Each teacher accesses results sheet(s) in Schools Online to:
- record the final results for the students at their school
- select a sample of students whose school assessment work will be submitted for final moderation according to the Stage 2 moderation sample selection
- access and print the ‘Stage 2 school assessment result sheet — moderation samples report’ to begin packaging student materials for moderation
- submit the results sheet, including the teacher-selected sample to the principal’s delegate of the assessment school for authorisation.
The principal’s delegate at the assessment school authorises and submits the completed results sheets to the SACE Board.
Consent is required from all principals involved before any changes can be made to students’ school assessment results.
Exceptional circumstances
Where a school requires an extension to a results and materials submission deadline because of circumstances beyond their control, then an application for exceptional circumstances can be requested by the principal of the school and directed to askSACE. Eligible applications will not incur late fees.
Late Stage 2 changes
From Term 1 2023, administration fees may be charged for late class changes, late results changes, and incorrect submission of materials, for Stage 2 that occur after the results sheets are closed. Please refer to the SACE Board of South Australia (Fees) Notice [PDF 131KB] for information on charges. SACE Coordinators will need to contact the askSACE team to complete and submit a Late Stage 2 Changes form.
Sample for final moderation
All schools involved in an assessment group can access and print the ‘Stage 2 school assessment results sheet — moderation samples report’ in Schools Online. Each school separately submits the materials for final moderation to the SACE Board.