2015 SAC Data

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Topline figures for 2015 Special Assessment Conditions (SACs), released to DFNZ by NZQA, show that more than 100 New Zealand secondary schools last year failed to make a single application for special assistance at NCEA exam time for their students with learning differences. The 2015 figures also paint a stark picture of no progress in closing the huge equity gap between high and low decile schools in applying for SACs.

SACs, whereby students are granted accommodations such as reader or writer assistance, computer use, or extra time, are critical to NCEA success for students with learning differences such as dyslexia.

Overall, total SAC applications increased by 27% in 2015, up from 5544 students to 7039. However, 23% (108) of New Zealand’s 466 secondary schools made no SAC applications for any of the 7541 students that attend those schools. In addition, the equity gap between high and low decile schools continues, with high decile schools rapidly growing their SAC candidate numbers year on year. .

While the overall increase in total SAC applications is very pleasing, exceeding DFNZ’s target of a 20% increase year on year, the figures also detail issues that need to be urgently addressed – with the equity gap between high and low decile schools remaining as wide as ever. The equity gap is also reflected in the make-up of the 108 schools with no SAC applications, with half of these (53 schools) falling into decile 2 and under.

The percentage increases for SAC applicants against total NCEA students in both decile 1 and decile 10 schools was 1.5% in 2015, showing no change in the equity gap. The number of SAC applications made by decile 1 schools increased to about 2% of total NCEA students in 2015, up from 0.5% in 2014. The decile 10 rate for SAC applications increased to 8%, up from 6.4% in 2014. Download the SAC 2015 topline data here.

Figures from the top ten schools indicate just how many students may be missing out on SAC exam help across the board. If the average rate of total number of approved SAC applications from the top ten schools by total SAC candidates (7.95%) was applied to all deciles, then nearly 14,000 NCEA candidates should have had SAC. With the actual SACs figure at 7039, potentially there are close to 7000 more students out there who would have benefitted from SAC assistance – achieving NCEA when they would otherwise fail, or have achieved a higher endorsement level.

The top ten schools by total number of SAC approvals were:

St Kentigern College. Decile 10. Approved NCEA SAC candidates, 129 out of total 983 NCEA candidates, or 13.4%
St Andrew's College. Decile 10. Approved NCEA SAC candidates, 113 out of total 636 NCEA candidates, or 18.1%
Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu [The Correspondence School]. Decile 99*. Approved NCEA SAC candidates, 104 out of total 3581 NCEA candidates, or 2.9%
Diocesan School for Girls. Decile 10. Approved NCEA SAC candidates, 103 out of total 639 NCEA candidates, or 16.4%
Burnside High School. Decile 8. Approved NCEA SAC candidates, 96 out of total 1574 NCEA candidates, or 6.2%
Mt Albert Grammar School. Decile 7. Approved NCEA SAC candidates, 91 out of total 1764 NCEA candidates, or 5.3%
Green Bay High School. Decile 8. Approved NCEA SAC candidates, 89 out of total 808 NCEA candidates, or 11.1%
Kristin School. Decile 10. Approved NCEA SAC candidates, 86 out of total 513 NCEA candidates, or 17.3%
Paraparaumu College. Decile 8. Approved NCEA SAC candidates, 78 out of total 707 NCEA candidates, or 11.2%
King’s College. Decile 10. Approved NCEA SAC candidates, 77 out of total 335 NCEA candidates, or 23.3%

Top 10 average percentage of SAC approvals: 7.95%

*Decile 99 is a category of school which has not been allocated a decile by the Ministry of Education, including those private schools which opt not to be part of the decile system, new schools and correspondence schools.

Check out the 2015 top 50 SAC schools here.

Read the full DFNZ media release on this issue here.

Check out the 2015 topline data for all secondary schools here.

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