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What is the ACME Scale?
The ACME scale describes a learner’s progress in relation to the curriculum’s knowledge, skills, and conceptual understanding, as well as their ability to apply that learning across contexts.
ACME stands for:
A – Approaching
C – Consolidating
M – Meeting
E – Expanding
It is not a grade or a score. It is a learning progression that reflects how understanding develops over time.
MS Updates Feb 2026.mp4Why We Updated the ACME Language
Previously, the College used terms such as 'mastery' and 'exemplary'. These words did not fully reflect how learning develops in a concept-based model. They also unintentionally implied:
learning is something that can be “finished”
only some students can reach the highest levels
understanding is fixed rather than growing
In a concept-based curriculum, understanding deepens and expands as students make connections, form generalisations, and apply learning in new contexts.
The updated terms — Approaching, Consolidating, Meeting, Expanding — better match this vision of learning.
“Mastery” → Meeting
We replaced “mastery” because:
it suggested learning was complete
it conflicted with the idea of lifelong learning
it did not reflect deepening conceptual understanding
it implied a fixed endpoint
Meeting communicates that a student is
consistently demonstrating the knowledge, skills, and conceptual understanding expected for the course
can apply these within its familiar contexts.
It is the expected level for most students.
“Exemplary” → Expanding
We replaced “exemplary” because:
it implied comparison with others
it aligned with ranking rather than growth
it suggested only a few could reach it
Expanding reflects depth and breadth. A learner at this level:
applies ideas independently in new or unfamiliar contexts
demonstrates higher-order thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation)
makes original and meaningful connections
shows flexibility in using knowledge, skills, and conceptual understanding
Expanding recognises how learners stretch their understanding, not how they compare with peers.
Why Transfer Is Now in “Meeting”
In the previous scale, the ability to transfer understanding — to apply learning to new situations, the heart of a concept-based, future-focused curriculum — appeared only in the top descriptor.
However, in Concept-Based Teaching and Learning (CBTL) transfer is central for all learners, not an extension or bonus. Applying learning is what makes knowledge meaningful and durable. Students must be able to use understanding, not only recognise or describe it.
Placing transfer in the Meeting descriptor:
reflects our curriculum philosophy
aligns with our definition of deep understanding
ensures all students aim toward flexible, meaningful application
prevents transfer from being misunderstood as “only for advanced students”
Why We Separated Knowledge/Skills from Conceptual Understanding
This is one of the most important shifts. Learners often:
develop knowledge first (facts, vocabulary, procedures)
strengthen skills through practice (methods, strategies)
build conceptual understandings later (relationships, generalisations, principles)
transfer understanding last (flexible application)
By separating these, teachers and students can see:
what the student already knows
what they can already do
how deeply they understand
where the next step lies
This allows feedback to be clearer, more accurate, and more actionable. It avoids situations where a learner is strong in skills but still developing a deeper understanding - or vice versa.
How ACME Connects to Assessment and Reporting
ACME may be used year-round in feedback, rubrics, and learning conversations.
ACME levels in reports are summaries, not averages or totals.
A student may show different ACME levels across different tasks — this is normal.
Teachers use professional judgement and a broad body of evidence to determine report levels.
Please note: We do not include Not Yet or Not Assessed on rubrics because rubrics describe the learning progression (Approaching → Consolidating → Meeting → Expanding), not the absence of evidence. If either category applies, teachers communicate this separately with parents and students.
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