Assessment & Reporting

Assessment and reporting are integral to planned approaches to teaching and learning. Their purpose is to assist the improvement of student learning by:

• allowing students to confirm what they have learned and find out where improvement may be needed
• informing teachers of areas where additional assistance is needed
• providing a basis for program evaluation and continuing curriculum improvement
• developing a sense of partnership in learning among parents, teachers and students.

This purpose can only be realised when the cycle of teaching, learning, assessment and reporting includes reflection on past teaching and learning that shapes future work.

At all levels, and particularly in the primary years, schools teach many of the key learning areas in an integrated way. Students may develop their literacy and numeracy skills while working on strands in several key learning areas simultaneously.

Curriculum planning processes need to ensure that the approach to the eight key learning areas across the P–10 years is balanced and sequential, and that CSF learning outcomes are addressed. Assessment strategies are an essential aspect of this planning.

Reporting Responsibilities of Schools

Each year schools are required to provide parents with at least two written reports on student achievement. Schools are required to include in these reports information about student achievement in relation to CSF levels for English and Mathematics. 

Schools are required to give parents the opportunity to attend at least one formal interview focusing on their child’s progress each year and to provide other opportunities for informal discussions between teachers and parents when requested. Where necessary, interpreters should be provided.

In 2006 Jells Park Primary School is introducing Portfolios. Students will be able take examples of their work home at the conclusion of each term. This allows students time to reflect on their work and their progress with their parents.

Schools should progressively develop learning improvement plans for individual students in consultation with parents and, where appropriate, with others with specific expertise.

In Years 3 and 5, the Achievement Improvement Monitor (AIM) provides parents and teachers with reports on students’ progress in relation to English, Mathematics. Schools are responsible for providing AIM reports to parents.

Schools are required to assess the achievements of students with disabilities and impairments in the context of VELS. Program support groups help develop individual student profiles containing learning goals in each key learning area for each student. Progress towards learning goals will be reviewed and reported by the program support group.

All schools are required to use VELS Progression points for reporting levels of student achievement in English and Mathematics in their annual reports.  It is expected that schools will also report on other key learning areas on a cyclical basis and in accordance with their charter. Schools are required to report as follows:

 

At Jells Park we have an initial "Getting to Know You" report night for parents at the beginning of the year.  In addition to this there are two written reports and two parent/teacher interviews, held mid-year and at the end of the year.

Assessment

Schools have the responsibility to ensure that all students have a balanced and comprehensive curriculum based on VELS. For most schools, a curriculum audit will confirm the value of their current curriculum, showing a need for modifications rather than major changes. Similarly, planning for assessment based on VELS should be seen as a process of confirmation and continuous development and modification rather than the replacement of current procedures. Schools are encouraged to retain those elements that contribute to the success of their present programs and which are compatible with VELS.

Planning

In planning for assessment, schools need to ensure that:
Teachers include a variety of assessment strategies in teaching programs to provide multiple sources of information about student achievement.

Teachers develop a manageable system of keeping records that can provide a rich mixture of observations of student learning.

Teachers are able to use the data they collect to make judgments about student achievement.

Within schools, this may be developed by teachers discussing their assessments of students’ work, developing assessment criteria together or keeping files of representative student work. Across schools common understandings could be developed by teachers discussing and assessing sample student work together.

Assessment methods

Assessing the full range of learning outcomes requires a variety of assessment methods, given that achievement of different types of learning outcomes will be demonstrated in different ways. The following list links a range of assessment methods to some of the skills they can provide evidence about.

Tests and assignments: Students’ knowledge, ability to solve problems or think logically.

Projects: Students’ skills in collecting and analysing information and in writing reports.

Portfolios: Students’ ability to apply their skills in a range of situations or to write for a range of audiences.

Performance observations: Students’ skills in, for example, playing a musical instrument, speaking to an audience, participation in a group activity or manipulating equipment.

Product observations: Students’ skills in, for example, preparing food, painting, drawing or model building.

Student/teacher discussions: Students’ understanding of concepts and acquisition of skills.