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Monitoring Student Performance S•A•M subjects comprise a judicious mix of external and school assessment. External Examinations External examinations are developed by examination panels, which include secondary and university representatives under the leadership of a Chief Assessor appointed by SSABSA. Close supervision, strong evaluative processes, and sound security measures produce high-quality and valid examination papers to fairly measure the academic achievement of S•A•M program students. The examination marking process is undertaken by trained markers, with ‘double-marking’ a feature of all subjects using essay-type responses. Most examinations use a variety of modes of assessment, including multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions, and extended response or essay questions, providing an ideal opportunity for all students to demonstrate their higher level cognitive ability. Supervision of the examinations is carried out by SSABSA curriculum and assessment officers, and the examination scripts are sent to Australia to be marked in the same pool as those of all students from South Australia and the Northern Territory. Trained markers ensure that all students are fairly assessed and that high standards are maintained. School Assessment The school assessment component enables students to develop the independent learning and study skills necessary for successful university study. Teachers set a number of assessment tasks throughout the school year and assemble the total marks for submission to SSABSA at the time of the final examination. The results for most assessment components are then statistically moderated against the examination, that is, they are subject to a process by which examination marks are used to adjust school assessment marks in order to achieve comparability and consistency across schools and colleges in South Australia, the Northern Territory, and Malaysia. Some subjects include assessment components that are centrally rather than statistically moderated. Teachers submit materials to a central location, where they are evaluated by trained teachers on the Moderation Panel. The Moderation Panel also provides feedback to the teacher. The purpose is the same – to ensure that standards are comparable for all students, whichever school or class they are in. Assessment Standard The assessment standard expected of S•A•M students is illustrated by the curriculum statements and recent past examination papers.
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