Download Phase 2

3 June 2016
Dear Principal
Australian Curriculum Integration and Subject Renewal: Update
This letter features an update about the Australian Curriculum integration and subject renewal
process, including the driving principles, consultation, accreditation, and implementation timelines.
To assist with the preparation of course counselling materials, accompanying this letter is a Leader
Update containing subject descriptors for Stage 1 Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental
Science, Physics, Ancient Studies, Geography and Modern History, as well as information about
implementation workshops.
Overview
By August 2013, the Ministers of Education had endorsed 15 senior secondary subjects as the
agreed and common base for development of state and territory senior secondary Australian
curriculum subjects.
Integration of these subjects into the SACE is occurring in two phases between 2014 and 2018:
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Phase 1 has involved four English and four mathematics subjects
Phase 2 involves four science subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental
Science, Physics), Geography, Ancient Studies, and Modern History.
The process of integrating senior secondary Australian Curriculum into SACE subjects has been
shaped and informed by the SACE Board’s strategic objective of promoting quality curriculum,
teaching, learning, and assessment, and by the Board’s principles of subject renewal:
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Worthwhile learning
Engagement
Innovation
Diversity
Manageability.
Consultation (Phase 2)
In Phase 2, the four science draft subject outlines, and the Ancient Studies, Modern History, and
Geography draft subject outlines were released for consultation from 15 February to 30 March 2016.
The subject outlines were revised taking into consideration feedback from teachers, schools, and
other stakeholders.
Ref: A536939
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Community feedback
The SACE Board wishes to thank the teachers, schools, higher education and training institutions,
and community members for providing valuable feedback on the draft subject outlines in Phase 2 –
for Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, Physics, Ancient Studies, Geography, and
Modern History. This feedback has been critical in reshaping and preparing the subjects for
accreditation.
Summary of consultation feedback
When analysing and responding to the consultation feedback, SACE Board officers, subject
reference groups, writing teams, and subcommittees of the Board sought to strengthen the SACE
Capabilities and reflect the Board’s principles of curriculum renewal, in particular highlighting
opportunities for innovative thinking and practice.
The feedback from teachers, school leaders, and other subject experts showed a range of views on
specific issues. For example, feedback on the reduction of the overall number and the individual
length of assessment tasks was divergent. However, the Board’s direction on reducing student
workload is clear – to reduce the number of assessments and allow more teaching and learning time,
so the overall number and length of assessment tasks remains less than in the current subject
outlines.
A summary of the key consultation feedback and amendments to the Board-accredited, pre-edited
draft subject outlines is available online at:
https://www.sace.sa.edu.au/learning/australian-curriculum/consultation
Accreditation (Phase 2)
At Stage 1, the Board has accredited for teaching from 2017:
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Biology
Chemistry
Earth and Environmental Science
Physics
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Ancient Studies
Geography
Modern History
At Stage 2, the Board has accredited for teaching from 2018:
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Biology
Chemistry
Earth and Environmental Science
Physics
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Ancient Studies
Geography
Modern History
The Board-accredited, pre-edited subject outlines are available online at
https://www.sace.sa.edu.au/learning/australian-curriculum/board-accredited-subject-outlines for
planning purposes, and for use at the implementation workshops, and will be replaced by the
edited, versions early in Term 4, 2016. The edited Stage 2 subject outlines will be published as
drafts, ‘for teaching in 2018’.
Implementation
Timelines
Phase 1
Stage 1 – English and mathematics are being taught for the first time in 2016. Implementation
workshops for these subjects were held in Term 3, 2015 and Term 1, 2016. The first Stage 1
moderation meetings for these subjects will be held in Term 2, 2016.
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Stage 2 – English and mathematics will be taught in 2017. Implementation workshops for these
subjects are currently being held in Term 2, 2016.
Phase 2
Stage 1 – Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, Physics, Ancient Studies,
Geography, and Modern History will be taught for the first time in 2017. Implementation workshops
for these subjects will be held in Term 3, 2016.
Stage 2 – Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, Physics, Ancient Studies,
Geography, and Modern History will be taught for the first time in 2018. Implementation workshops
for these subjects will be held in Term 2, 2017.
Implementation, exemplars, and opportunities for further feedback
For all subjects in Phase 1 and Phase 2, the SACE Board is working with teams of subject experts
to develop exemplar plans, programs, and tasks for inclusion in implementation workshops and
web publication to highlight in particular those aspects of the curriculum that are innovative and
those that exemplify new directions in learning and assessment practices.
These include, for example, opportunities for integrated approaches to teaching and learning; how
students’ capabilities are being strengthened through their learning; and ways in which evidence of
student learning can be presented successfully in multimodal form.
Stage 2 implementation workshops include sample examination papers that enable the SACE
Board to illustrate changes in learning and assessment directions and approaches.
Workshop material, including sample examination papers, will be made available for web
publication immediately following the implementation workshops. This allows for incorporating
suggestions for improvement that come out of the workshops.
Importantly, the workshops provide further opportunities for refinement of the subject outlines.
Advice is being sought on both the Stage 1 and Stage 2 subject outlines at the current workshops
for the English and mathematics subjects, and will continue to be sought at the Stage 1 and Stage
2 workshop for the sciences, Ancient Studies, Geography, and Modern History workshops.
Yours sincerely
Dr Neil McGoran
Chief Executive
cc SACE Coordinators
Attachments: Leader Update 3/16 – includes subject descriptors for Stage 1 science subjects, Ancient
Studies, Geography, and Modern History, as well as information about implementation workshops.
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