What is the project?

The SACE Board’s Capabilities & Learner Profile project introduces the assessment of capabilities alongside academic achievement (grades) to provide a more holistic view of graduates’ achievements. 

This project is central to the SACE Board’s commitment to enable all students to thrive through provision of a connected, future-focused, and internationally sought-after qualification.

The Learner Profile will provide a demonstration of students' capabilities that will showcase their achievements following 13 years of schooling and to enable them to make better decisions about their post-school pathways that match with potential employers and further education providers.

Pilot 1

During 2022, 23 SACE Change Network schools partnered with us to undertake a pilot to recognise students’ capabilities and to demonstrate this in a Learner Profile. 

Pilot 1 worked with teachers, school leaders, SATAC, TAFE, business, and industry to test how the education system could work together to recognise and celebrate a 360-degree view of student achievement. The project also looked to explore how the capability data could support students to make better decisions about their future pathways, and how universities and employers might use this data to better match students to their organisations.

There were over 200 pilot students who received capability assessment data in the form of a Learner Profile visualisation at the end of 2022. To support the confidence, consistency, and reliability of this data the pilot schools worked with the SACE Board through a series of quality assurance activities including: 

• developing teacher assessment literacy
• making assessments of capability evidence presented by students
• benchmarking teachers’ assessment decisions to support making reliable judgements
• supporting within-school and across-school consistency and comparability.

What’s Next?

The project team has been working to capture emerging learning alongside the analysis and evaluation undertaken directly following the conclusion of the pilot. Learnings and insights will be shared with all schools via the Innovating the SACE section of the website and will inform further development and future pilot projects.

SACE Change Network schools that have expressed interest in participating in a 2023 pilot will be invited to an information session during term 1, where they will be provided with the findings and recommendations of Pilot 1 and the terms of reference for participation in Pilot 2.

Professional Learning

Assessment for Learning Masterclass with Professor Helen Timperley

This workshop aligns with our strategic direction of supporting thriving learners and with the teacher practices being developed in our Capabilities and Learner Profile and, Revitalisation of the Research Project (Activating Identities and Futures) and Personal Learning Plan (Exploring Identities and Futures) pilots.

Adelaide Entertainment Centre, 9 March.

Please visit our Professional Learning page for further information and bookings.

The following materials are provided to help familiarise you with the Capabilities and Learner Profile project.