A |
|
| accreditation: The
process of development of curriculum statements that
leads to endorsement and approval by the Board. |
| accredited subjects: Subjects
approved by the Board that consist of 1 or 2 units
of programmed time and are approved and assessed
by the Board. These subjects are fully documented and
undergo careful scrutiny before accreditation. Once
accredited they are available for implementation by
schools and school authorities in South Australia,
the Northern Territory, and Asia. |
| adult students: Those
students who are at least eighteen years old by 1 January
of their final year of Stage 2 study and who have left
school for at least one continuous year (i.e. one continuous
year's absence from any enrolment with SSABSA—this
could include two contiguous semesters). Students with
all 'deleted' enrolments and enrolments with a result
of 'withdrawn' may apply to SSABSA for consideration
as meeting the continuous year's absence requirement. |
| apparent retention rate :
A measure used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics
(ABS). The 'Year 12 apparent retention rate' is defined
by the ABS as 'the percentage of full-time school of
a given cohort group who continue from the first year
of secondary schooling to Year 12'. Schools, Australia
(ABS Cat. No. 4221.0) in Australian Social Trends
2002, Education – Definitions and references. |
| articulation: The process
of joining together two related aspects of curriculum.
This has several applications to the SACE. The main
one is the relationship between Stage 1 and Stage 2,
but articulation also refers to the relationship between
R–10 and the SACE, and between the vocational
education and training sector, the university sector,
and the SACE. |
| Arts/Humanities/Social
and Cultural Studies subjects: A group of subjects
classified for SACE purposes at Stage 1 and Stage
2 as emphasising an understanding of the ways in
which human experience is shaped by culture, heritage,
and environment. These subjects are also known as
Group 1 subjects. |
| assessment: The process
of collecting, interpreting and using evidence of student
achievement of curriculum statement learning outcomes.
See also 'authentic
assessment', 'diagnostic assessment',
'formative assessment', and
'summative assessment'. |
| assessment
component: A component of an assessment scheme
that indicates the way in which assessment tasks
for that subject are organised. |
| assessment criteria: See 'criteria
for judging performance'. |
| assessment plan: A
statement of intention regarding assessment, developed
for a teaching program derived from a SSABSA curriculum
statement. |
| assessment report: The
Chief Assessor for each Stage 2 subject provides a
report on student performance against the assessment
requirements of that subject. They provide advice for
teachers, students, and parents/caregivers on the examination
and/or school assessment. |
| assessment school: The
assessment school is the school responsible for submitting
the assessment results for the student. |
| assessment task: An
instrument for collecting evidence of student achievement
of curriculum statement learning outcomes. See also 'assessment
component'. |
| Australian Qualifications
Framework (AQF): A unified system of national
qualifications in schools, vocational education and
training, and the higher education sector. The SACE
is a qualification within the AQF. |
| authentic
assessment: Assessment of a student's abilities
while he or she is demonstrating learning in practical
settings or settings emulating real-life contexts
(rather than assessment based on, for example, standardised
tests). Authentic assessment is sometimes called
performance assessment. Source: Resnick, L.B. & Resnick,
D.P. (1992) 'Assessing the thinking curriculum: New
tools for educational reform' in B.R. Gifford & M.C.
O'Connor (eds) Changing Assessments: Alternative
Views of Aptitude, Achievement and Instruction,
Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston: 57–75. |
|
|
| benchmark: A level of performance used as a checkpoint to monitor
progress towards performance goals and/or achievement
of learning outcomes or standards. Source: Ebel, R.L. & Frisbie,
D.A. (1986) Essentials of Educational Measurement,
4th edn, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. |
| block status: The granting
of 12 units towards the SACE for a bona fide full year
of study or equivalent at Stage 1 level. |
|
|
| central moderation: See ‘final
moderation (central)’. |
| collaborative learning: Learning
occurring while a student is a member of a group and
contributing to the group's as well as the student's
own achievement of learning outcomes. |
| community-based learning: See 'Recognition
of Community Learning'. |
| community-developed
programs: Structured
community-based programs through which young people
gain learning that can count towards SACE completion.
Examples of such learning include first aid and emergency
services training. See also ‘personal
learning programs’ and ‘Recognition of Community
Learning’. |
| community of practice: A
group of people and/or organisations with similar interests
in a particular field (e.g. teachers of a particular
language). The existence of a community of practice
does not imply legitimacy but it may have authority
in the eyes of others prepared to trust its judgments.
Source: Wenger, E., McDermott, R. & Snyder, W.
(2002) Cultivating Communities of Practice,
Harvard Business School Press, Boston, Mass. |
| constructivist curriculum: Curriculum
that acknowledges the student as being active in the
process of taking in information and building knowledge
and understanding (i.e. constructing his or her own
learning). Source: Zahorik, J. (1995) Constructivist
Teaching, Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation,
Bloomington, Ind. |
| contact school: The
school where students spend most of their time, where
their overall progress is monitored, where they are
given counselling and pastoral care, and where SSABSA
communications can most easily reach them. |
| credit: The process
of granting credit (a result with a score) towards completion of the SACE on
a subject-by-subject basis. |
| criteria
for judging performance: Qualities or features
of performance in an assessment task that are used
to measure or describe the extent of student achievement
of learning outcomes. |
| criterion-referenced
assessment: The process of using criteria for
judging performance to measure or describe the extent
of student achievement. |
| curriculum statement:
A comprehensive published document describing a particular
SACE Stage 1 or Stage 2 subject. It includes common
learning intentions and ways of organising learning,
as well as the assessment requirements of the subject. |
|
|
| DATEX: Data Exchange
software system developed by SSABSA to assist schools
with the management of the administration of the SACE,
for example, student registrations, subject enrolments,
results data, and SACE tracking for students. |
| DATEX Online: Internet facility
to manage data exchange between schools and SSABSA |
| DATEX Online schools:
Schools that use DATEX Online. |
| DATEX schools: Schools
that use DATEX. |
| diagnostic
assessment: A type of formative assessment that
is used to identify specific learning difficulties
and to indicate the nature of the difficulties. Source:
Griffin, P. & Nix, P. (1991) Educational Assessment
and Reporting: A New Approach, Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich, Sydney: 264. See also 'formative
assessment'. |
|
|
| equivalencing: The
process of comparing other learning (e.g. from curriculum
that is outside the Australian Qualifications Framework)
with SSABSA curriculum statement learning outcomes,
to determine if they are of an equivalent standard. |
external assessment: Assessment
that involves SSABSA-appointed marker(s) for marking
all student responses. There are four categories of
external assessment:
- written examinations - SSABSA sets and
marks examinations;
- performance and practical examinations - SSABSA sets specifications
and marks examinations;
- studies - SSABSA sets specifications and
marks studies;
- investigations - SSABSA sets specifications
and SSABSA and teachers mark investigations.
|
|
|
| final moderation: A process of ensuring that final assessments are comparable across all schools and teachers, and that standards have been met. It may involve central, statistical, or visit moderation. |
| final moderation (central):
A form of final moderation, involving samples of student work (which has been marked by teachers in schools) being moderated by trained SSABSA moderators The moderation takes place at a central venue. |
final moderation (statistical): A form of final moderation. The process by which class examination marks are used to adjust school assessment marks and predicted examination marks for Stage 2 subjects with external examinations, for the purpose of achieving comparability across schools. Statistical moderation maintains the students’ rank order given by the school. |
| final moderation
(visit): A form of final moderation, involving samples of student work (which has been marked by teachers in schools) being moderated by SSABSA moderators, at the school site. |
| Flexible
Learning Programs: The Flexible Learning Programs area complements the eight general-education learning areas. It comprises Community Studies, Extension Studies, Integrated Learning, SSABSA-VET subjects, and Work Education. |
| formal
learning: See ‘community-developed
programs’ and ‘Recognition
of Community Learning’ |
| formative
assessment: Assessment that is designed to provide
feedback to students on how to take action to improve
their achievement against learning outcomes. See
also 'diagnostic assessment'. |
|
|
| goal: A broad, aspirational
aim that students work towards, and from which the
curriculum statement learning outcomes are derived. |
| Group 1 subjects: See 'Arts/Humanities/Social
and Cultural Studies subjects'. |
| Group 2 subjects: See 'Mathematics/Science/Technology
subjects'. |
|
|
| informal
learning: See ‘personal
learning programs’ and ‘Recognition
of Community Learning’. |
| Intensive English
Learning Program: An accredited English-language and cross-curriculum learning program (e.g. ISEC), for which students may gain up to 4 units of status granted towards SACE completion. |
|
|
| key competencies: A set of generic skills or competencies considered essential
for people to participate effectively in the workforce.
Key competencies apply to work generally, rather than
being specific to work in a particular occupation or
industry. The Finn Report (1991) identified six key
areas of competence that were subsequently developed
by the Mayer committee (1992) into seven key competencies:
collecting, analysing and organising information; communicating
ideas and information; planning and organising activities;
working with others and in teams; using mathematical
ideas and techniques; solving problems; and using technology.
Source: Department
of Education, Science and Training, National Training
System Glossary. |
|
|
| learning area: One of the eight general-education learning areas into which SACE subjects are organised: Arts, English, Health and Personal
Development, Languages, Mathematics, Science, Society
and Environment, and Technology. The eight general-education
learning areas are complemented by the Flexible Learning
Programs area. See also 'Flexible
Learning Programs'. |
| learning area manual: SSABSA
publishes annually nine documents (one for each learning
area plus one for Flexible Learning Programs) that
contain subject-specific information relating to assessment,
support moderation, and final moderation. |
| learning outcomes: The
knowledge and understandings, and their underlying
skills and attitudes, that are fundamental to a subject. |
| levelled result: A
result that is reported as either Satisfactory Achievement
(SA) or Recorded Achievement (RA) without an accompanying
score out of 20 or grade. All Stage 1 subjects, and
Stage 2 Community Studies, Languages 'A' Pathways subjects,
and SSABSA-VET 'A' subjects are reported as levelled
results. In Stage 2 Community Studies and Stage 2 SSABSA-VET
'A' subjects, the result of Outstanding Achievement
(OA) is also reported. |
|
|
| Mathematics/Science/Technology
subjects: A group of subjects classified for
SACE purposes at Stage 1 and Stage 2 as emphasising
the development of an understanding of mathematical
or scientific principles and techniques, and/or the
application of those principles and techniques in
appropriate ways. These subjects are also known as
Group 2 subjects. |
| Memorandum of Assessment
Principles and Practices (MAPP): An agreement
between SSABSA and individual schools, covering Stage
1 assessment and moderation practices. |
| Merit Certificate: A
document issued by the Board to those students who
obtain outstanding achievement in any Stage 2 subject. |
| moderation: Procedures designed to ensure that assessments within a subject are comparable across all classes and schools. SSABSA also uses the terms ‘support moderation’ and ‘final moderation’ for moderation procedures. See also ‘final moderation (central)’ and ‘final moderation (visit)’. |
| moderator: A person undertaking support and/or final moderation. |
|
|
| non-formal
learning: See ‘personal
learning programs’ and ‘Recognition
of Community Learning’. |
| norm-referenced
assessment: Assessment of performance based
on comparing one student's achievement with that
of other students attempting the same or similar
tasks. Source: ERIC database (1989) 'A glossary of
measurement terms', ERIC Digest. http://ericae.net/edo/ED315430.htm Accessed
on 12/02/03. |
| Northern Territory Certificate
of Education (NTCE): A certificate of senior
secondary education awarded by the Northern Territory
Department of Employment, Education, and Training
(NT DEET) to students in the Northern Territory. |
| NTCE: See Northern
Territory Certificate of Education (NTCE). |
|
|
| online community: The
SSABSA online community consists of email discussion
groups that use the Internet to exchange information
and discuss issues. www.ssabsa.sa.edu.au/comms-info.htm |
| Operations Manual: See 'SACE Operations Manual'. |
| outcomes-based education: An
educational system focused on and organised around
clearly defined outcomes that students are expected
to demonstrate upon completion. Source: Department
of Education, Science and Training, National Training
System Glossary. |
|
|
| paper schools: Schools
that use a paper system to manage students' personal
details and enrolment and results data, and to exchange
data with SSABSA. |
| partial assessment: Assessment
that is based upon partial completion of the assessment
requirements of a Stage 2 subject. |
| PEB: The former Public
Examinations Board. |
| performance assessment: See 'authentic
assessment'. |
| performance standards: A set of descriptors of what student performance in different grade bands will look like for the various components of a subject. Performance standards are developed using the criteria for judging performance from the curriculum statement. |
| personal learning
programs: Learning
that young people gain through participation and experience
in community activities, such as sports coaching and
carer responsibilities. See also ‘community-developed
programs’ and ‘Recognition
of Community Learning’. |
| private candidate: A
student who completes a subject without formally enrolling
in a teaching program, or who is ineligible for a school
assessment mark, and therefore does not complete and
submit the school-assessed components. Private candidature
must be approved by the Chief Executive and is available
only in certain Stage 2 subjects where an examination
measures the same learning outcomes as the other assessment
components. |
| program: The
interpretation of a curriculum statement into a teaching
and learning plan. |
| Public Examinations Board
(PEB): Until 1984, the Public Examinations Board
administered the examination of matriculation subjects.
With the establishment of SSABSA, the Public Examinations
Board ceased to exist. |
|
|
| Recognition
of Community Learning: A term used by SSABSA
to encompass learning through a community-developed
program and/or a personal learning program. See also ‘community-developed
program’ and ‘personal
learning program’. |
| recognition of prior learning
(RPL): The acknowledgment of a person's skills
and knowledge acquired through previous training,
work, or life experience, which may be used to grant
status or credit in a subject or module. Source: Department
of Education, Science and Training, National Training
System Glossary. |
| Record
of Achievement: The record of a student's results
in SACE Stage 1 and Stage 2 that can be counted towards
completion of SACE requirements. The record is produced at the end of each year, for students with Stage 2 results. |
recorded achievement (RA): A
result of 'recorded achievement' against a unit means
that:
- at Stage 1 – the student has demonstrated
evidence of achievement that is equivalent to a
score of between 3 and 9 out of 20 in an approved
unit of study, according to the criteria for judging
performance in the relevant curriculum statement.
In Community Studies, the student must present
evidence of having attempted some of the tasks
agreed to on his/her contract of work.
- at Stage 2 – the student has gained
a Subject Achievement Score of between 3 and 9
out of 20. In Community Studies, the student must
present evidence of having attempted some of the
tasks according to the criteria negotiated in his/her
contract of work. In the SSABSA-VET 'A' subjects
and the Languages 'A' Pathways subjects, the student
has demonstrated evidence of achievement that is
equivalent to a score of between 3 and 9 out of
20 in an approved unit of study, according to the
criteria for judging performance in those curriculum
statements.
Students may obtain recorded achievement in up to 6
of the 22 units required for the SACE. |
| Register of Results: A
report sent to a school (with signed student permission)
that lists the results for all students enrolled at
that school who are undertaking the SACE. |
| registration: The process
by which a new candidate advises SSABSA of his
or her personal details. The candidate is issued a
SACE registration number (comprising six digits and
a letter, e.g. 123456A), which ensures the correct
identification of the student for as long as he or
she is doing any SACE studies. |
| registration slip: Acknowledgment
of registration and advice to a new candidate of the
SACE registration number he or she has been assigned. |
| reliability: The extent
to which an assessment would produce a similar score
on several occasions or when undertaken by
different assessors. Source: Wright, P.W.D. & P.D.
(2003) Glossary of assessment terms, Wrightslaw Associates. http://wrightslaw.com/links/glossary.assessment.htm Accessed
on 12/02/03. |
| requirements not met (RNM): When
RNM is reported on the SACE Statement of Results it
indicates that a student has not gained satisfactory
achievement or recorded achievement in a unit for which
he or she was enrolled. RNM is not reported on the
Record of Achievement. |
|
|
| SACE: The
South Australian Certificate of Education.The
certificate is the formal recognition that a student
has completed the stated requirements. |
| SACE
Operations Manual : An annual SSABSA
publication for schools containing a calendar of
events, information sheets to support the events
listed, and relevant forms to be used in conjunction
with the information sheets. |
| SACE registration number: A
SACE registration number is assigned to a student for
all of his or her SACE studies. It identifies the student's
records in the SSABSA database and ensures that the
student is credited with his or her SACE achievements
for as long as he or she is doing SACE studies. |
SACE
unit: A SACE unit consists of 50–60 hours of programmed time devoted to a subject. This includes classroom and school-based activity, fieldwork, and practical work. It excludes homework, time for examinations, and programmed time interrupted by other school activities and by holidays. Subjects can be either 1-unit (half-year) subjects, or 2-unit (full-year) subjects.
- 1-unit (half-year) subject: A 1-unit SSABSA-accredited subject consists of 50–60 hours of programmed time. It is a semester-length or half-year subject. In some circumstances, half-year subjects may be ‘stretched’ to occupy a full year of less intensive study. Alternatively, subjects may be ‘compacted’ and the 50–60 hours delivered in a more intensive way.
- 2-unit (full-year) subject: A 2-unit SSABSA-accredited subject consists of 100–120 hours of programmed time. This is normally an annual or full-year subject occupying four terms or two semesters of the school year.
|
| SAM: See 'South
Australian Matriculation (SAM) program'. |
satisfactory achievement
(SA): A result of 'satisfactory achievement'
against a unit means that:
- at Stage 1 – the student has demonstrated
evidence of achievement that is equivalent to a
score of 10 or more out of 20 in an approved unit
of study, according to the criteria for judging
performance in the relevant curriculum statement.
In Community Studies, the student must present
evidence of having completed all the tasks agreed
to on his/her contract of work.
- at Stage 2 – the student has gained
a Subject Achievement Score of 10 or more out of
20. In Community Studies, the student must present
evidence of having completed all the tasks according
to the criteria negotiated in his/her contract
of work. In the SSABSA-VET 'A' subjects and the
Languages 'A' Pathways subjects, the student has
demonstrated evidence of achievement that is equivalent
to a score of 10 or more out of 20 in an approved
unit of study, according to the criteria for judging
performance in those curriculum statements.
Students must gain satisfactory achievement in at least
16 of the 22 units required for the SACE. |
| school-based moderation: See ‘final
moderation (visit)’. |
| school sector: A group
of schools or colleges forming part of the same system.
The three sectors represented on the SSABSA Board are
the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools
(SACCS), the Department of Education and Children's
Services (DECS), and the Association of Independent
Schools of South Australia (AISSA). |
| scope: A description
of the knowledge, skills, and values to be taught,
which are organised in a range of contexts, such as
topics, key ideas, or areas of study. |
| semester: One semester is normally equal to a half-year. |
| Senior Secondary Assessment
Board of South Australia (SSABSA): SSABSA is
the statutory authority in South Australia responsible
for SACE curriculum and assessment, and for issuing
the SACE. |
sequence of 2 units: At
Stage 2 of the SACE, students are required to obtain
Satisfactory Achievement in at least three sequences
of 2 units. A 2-unit sequence can be:
- any program of study which runs for a minimum
of 100–120 hours, for which there is only
one reported result; or
- any 2 units of study which are taken from the
same Stage 2 curriculum statement, and for which
1-unit results are reported and linked to form
a 2-unit sequence. In subjects for which scores
are given, the level of achievement for meeting
the SACE requirements is derived from the average
of the scores for the 2 separate units. In subjects
that do not have scores, a result of SA (Satisfactory
Achievement) is required for each unit in order
to count them both as a 2-unit sequence. These
2-unit sequences do not have to be completed
in the same calendar year.
|
| South Australian Certificate
of Education: See 'SACE'. |
| South
Australian Matriculation (SAM) program: A 1-year
version of the SACE designed for students doing a
pre-university program in countries other than Australia.
The program is administered by SSABSA. |
| special provisions: Special provisions are available to students whose capacity to participate in an assessment component is adversely affected in a significant way by illness, impairment, or personal circumstances. Special provisions allow for appropriate, fair, and reasonable alternative arrangements. |
| SSABSA: Senior Secondary
Assessment Board of South Australia. |
| SSABSA–VET subjects: Subjects
approved by the Board of SSABSA that are formed from
VET units of competency contained in particular nationally
endorsed training packages. |
| Stage 1: The first
of the two stages of the SACE. Students usually undertake
Stage 1 in Year 11. |
| Stage 2: The second
of the two stages of the SACE. Students usually undertake
Stage 2 in Year 12. |
| standard: A statement
that describes a level of attainment or excellence.
Educational standards can be specified in terms of
performance criteria (i.e. criterion-referenced) or
performance of target groups (i.e. norm referenced).
Sources: Hambelton, R.K. (1997) 'Standard setting in
criterion-referenced tests' in J.P. Keeves (ed.)
(1997) Educational Research, Methodology, and Measurement:
An International Handbook, 2 nd edn, Pergamon:
798 –802. Wright, P.W.D. & P.D. (2003) Glossary
of assessment terms, Wrightslaw Assocs. http://wrightslaw.com/links/glossary.assessment.htm Accessed
on 12/02/03. |
| standardised test: A
test formulated through trial, analysis, and revision
and administered and scored in a prescribed way. Validity,
reliability, and norms have been established. |
| standards-based assessment: Assessment
based on well-defined standards in a particular area
of knowledge or skills. This assessment can be competency-based
(a student must achieve a set standard to be considered
'competent' and gain credit for the learning) or achievement-based
(a student's performance is measured, usually by a
number or grade, across a number of progressively more
demanding standards). Sources: Hambelton, R.K. (1997)
'Standard setting in criterion–referenced tests' in J.P.
Keeves (ed.) (1997) Educational Research, Methodology,
and Measurement: An International Handbook, 2 nd
edn, Pergamon: 798–802. Wright, P.W.D. & P.D.
(2003) Glossary of assessment terms, Wrightslaw Associates. http://wrightslaw.com/links/glossary.assessment.htm Accessed
on 12/02/03. See also 'criterion-referenced
assessment' and 'norm-referenced
assessment'. |
| Statement of Results: The
progressive record of all studies undertaken and results
achieved in SACE studies. An individual student's Statement
of Results is provided by SSABSA at times determined
by the Board, and regularly brought up to date. |
| statistical moderation: The
process by which class examination marks are used to
adjust school assessment marks and predicted examination
marks for Stage 2 subjects with external examinations,
for the purpose of achieving comparability across schools. |
| status: Provisions allowing for recognition of previous studies when a student is enrolling for SACE studies. Status granted is regarded as a result (without a score) for SACE completion purposes. |
| strand: A strand describes
an essential dimension of a subject. It is a broad,
organisational structure that defines a way of approaching
learning in a particular subject. |
| subject: A study with
a SSABSA enrolment code. |
| Subject Advisory Committee: A committee of subject experts appointed by SSABSA, to give advice on curriculum and assessment matters. |
| Subject Achievement Score: This
is the score out of 20 reported on the SSABSA Record
of Achievement. It represents an assessment of the
student's achievement of the learning outcomes of the
curriculum statement. |
| subject enrolment: The
process by which students advise SSABSA of which subjects
they are studying. |
| summative assessment: Assessment that is designed to measure the extent of student achievement of curriculum statement learning outcomes. Results of student performance in summative assessment tasks contribute to or form the SACE final assessment for the unit. |
| support moderation: A process of moderation of school-based assessments, to support teachers during the school year in ensuring that standards will be met. |
|
|
| teaching school: This
identifies a teacher's school location and is used
by SSABSA to distribute results sheets and to enable
Stage 2 moderators to visit teachers in their teaching
situation. Most students study all their subjects at
one school (their contact school). |
|
|
| unit: A clearly defined
segment within a curriculum. Units may be organised
sequentially or in independent modules. See also 'SACE
unit'. |
|
|
| validity: A measure of the relationship between an assessment task or test and what it is purported to measure. The term is also used to refer to interpretations of the measurement and the uses to which the interpretations are put. |
| verification: A process
of determining that evidence presented in an assessment
is authentic. |
| VET: Vocational education
and training. See 'vocational
education and training (VET)'. |
| VET units of competency: Units
accredited by the vocational education and training
sector. At present, status towards SACE completion
may be granted for up to 8 free choice units (400 nominal
hours), which may include stand-alone VET units of
competency. |
| vocational education and
training (VET): Curriculum accredited by the
VET sector. Students can participate in VET as part
of their studies for the SACE. If completed independently
of the SACE, VET may be counted towards SACE free-choice
units (up to a maximum of 8). VET provides opportunities
to meet the differing needs of Year 11 and 12 students
and it enables students to make an early start on
study with registered training organisations and
on career pathways in industry. |
