The document summarizes the process and progress of the SACE Evaluation Reference Committee. It discusses that the committee has met three times to guide the work of the Evaluation Panel. The panel received around 100 submissions from schools and educators and will release its final report at the end of June. The report will evaluate key aspects of the new SACE arrangements implemented in the first year such as the research project, teacher workload, moderation, and impacts on subjects and student groups.

1. PRO CES S
AN D
PRO GRES S
Malcolm McInerney, CEASA rep on SACE
Evaluation Reference Committee.

2. SACE EVALUATION REFERENCE COMMITTEE
• Three meetings have been held (approx. 2 hour
meeting) since 21 March
• Meetings chaired by Bill Cossey and attended
by Evaluation Panel members:
• Professor John Bennett (Professor of Education
University of NSW)
• Mrs Miriam Silva (Deputy Chair of the SA Training and
Skills Commission)
• Dr Petra Lietz (ACER Principal Research Officer)
• The role of the Reference Committee was to
guide the Evaluations Panel’s work.

3. AN EVALUATION
“The purpose of the SACE First Year
Evaluation is to analyse and interpret the
initial effects of the new arrangements
for the SACE following the first year of
full operation.”
“an evaluation is to gather data evaluate
current processes and a review is to
make changes to structures and
fundamentals.”

4. SUBMISSIONS
• The panel received about 100
submissions: the majority of submissions
from schools, associations and individual
educators.
• Final report due at the end of June.
• “Whether the evaluation becomes a
government report depends on the
Government.”

5. BIG TICKET ITEMS
• The Research Project
• Concerns over research fatigue with all subjects
still having research assignments.
• The difficultly using performance standards to
discriminate grades
• The standard of exemplars and professional
learning support to schools.
• Impact on teacher workload of new assessment
models/procedures.
• The quality of moderation feedback
• Impact on Humanities subjects

6. BIG TICKET ITEMS
• Concern about the impact on students with
special needs and disabilities.
• Impact of New SACE on Aboriginal students.
• Impact of New SACE on country students.
• Lack of support for teacher implementation.
• The issues raised by the removal of statistical
moderation.
• PLP less of a concern but still to be evaluated.
• VET in SACE

7. STUDENT SURVEY
• 800 student surveyed in May.
• 55% female and 45% male.
• 57% government, 72% metro and 89%
completed.
• Asked what they liked about SACE, suggestions
for improvement, how they would have done
things differently, usefulness of the Research
Project

8. NEXT STEPS
The report is to be released at the end of June this
year and it will be interesting to see how the panel has
responded to the big ticket items such as the :
•Research Project
•Professional learning to support the teaching of
SACE subjects.
•Performance Standards.
•Moderation procedures.
•The impact on the Humanities as a result of the
changes to the number of subjects and pattern at
Stage 2 (response to this issue is likely to be too radical for the
evaluation. Does not fit the definition of evaluation).