School Based Assessment and Reporting Unit Curriculum Directorate

1. Reporting School Based Assessment and Reporting Unit Curriculum Directorate

2. Reporting Aims • To develop familiarity with the five point achievement scale and processes for allocating grades or word descriptors • Clarify application of the five point achievement scale both within and at the end of a stage • Promote professional judgement in allocating grades or word descriptors

3. Reporting New Reporting Requirements • parents … formal and informal opportunities to receive information about and discuss their child’s learning • procedures for reporting to parents based on Department’s policy, time efficient and manageable, and developed in consultation with parents/carers and teachers • written report … at least twice per year • information on how a child’s achievement compares with the child’s peer group at the school • disseminate to parents the reports from state-wide testing programs

4. Reporting Written reports • use plain language • provide information on a student’s learning in each of the key learning areas (KLAs) or subjects • compare the student’s achievement in each KLA or subject against state wide syllabus standards • include teacher comments for each KLA or subject ; comments will identify areas of student strength and for further development • have information about the student’s attendance at school • provide information about student achievement in relation to school programs that extend or are additional to syllabus requirements • provide information about the student’s social development and commitment to learning.

5. Reporting Key messages (1) • the five point achievement scale, are judgements about a student’s performance at a particular point in time. • A-E grades or word descriptors are “part of the total picture”, or overall assessment and reporting tapestry. • While there will be support material, including grade descriptions and student work samples available to assist, we are ultimately relying on the professional judgements of our teachers to make the most appropriate point in time against the five point achievement scale judgements.

6. Reporting Key messages (2) • It is important to have assessment information, possibly including examples of work on hand when discussing reports with parents, but we must stress the importance of overall professional judgements being made. These judgements are based on not just assessment tasks, but observations, ongoing anecdotal records etc. and other contextual information known by the teacher. Evidence from research data is available locally and interstate that demonstrates the high correlation between teacher judgements and the outcomes of state-wide tests.

7. Reporting Key messages (3) • None of us should work in isolation as we approach these important tasks. Dialogue needs to occur with colleagues across year / stage levels, at department and whole school staff meetings and beyond our own school, through regional and state-wide networks. This is how we will enhance the level of consistency in our student reporting.

8. Reporting Key messages (4) • It helps when we consistently use plain language as we discuss, determine and report on the five point achievement scale. This can and should include references to quality teaching principles such as “depth of understanding” as we differentiate how students are performing at a given point in time.

9. Reporting What is the five point achievement scale? • A common grading scale which is based on clearly defined state-wide syllabus standards drawn from the Board of Studies syllabuses • The Common Grade Scale developed by the BOS contains descriptions and associated grades form the basis of the five point achievement scale, which can be used to report student achievement in Years 1-10

10. Reporting Policy … statewide syllabus1 standards … • Syllabus standards are described by the components of a syllabus. The components that contribute to teachers’ understandings of syllabus standards include objectives, stage or foundation statements, syllabus outcomes and syllabus content or indicators. Foundation statements (K-6) and Stage statements (Years 7-10) encompass, at a broader level than syllabus outcomes, the nature and scope of learning in each stage.

11. Reporting Policy Policy Standards – reporting 3.2.2 Years 1 – 10 Schools will use the following achievement scale to report to parents for students in Years 1 – 10. The achievement of students is to be assessed in relation to syllabus standards. A or Outstanding The student has an extensive knowledge and understanding of the content and can readily apply this knowledge. In addition, the student has achieved a very high level of competence in the processes and skills and can apply these skills to new situations. B or High The student has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content and a high level of competence in the processes and skills. In addition, the student is able to apply this knowledge and these skills to most situations. C or Sound The student has a sound knowledge and understanding of the main areas of content and has achieved an adequate level of competence in the processes and skills. D or Basic The student has a basicknowledge and understanding of the content and has achieved a limited level of competence in the processes and skills E or Limited The student has an elementary knowledge and understanding in few areas of the content and has achieved very limited competence in some of the processes and skills

12. Reporting C – Sound The student has a soundknowledge and understanding of the main areas of content and has achieved an adequate level of competence in the processes and skills.

13. Reporting In practice, a “C” would be awarded if the student is performing reasonably well with the work that has been taught. Some of the work may have needed some extra revision or even some individualised instruction, but the student has understood the main concepts and has demonstrated an adequate level of competence in the desired skills.

14. Reporting D – Basic The student has a basic knowledge and understanding of the content and has achieved a limited level of competence in the processes and skills

15. Reporting In practice, a “D” would be awarded if the student’s performance is inconsistent. There will be some gaps or lack of depth in his or her understanding of the work that has been taught and there is evidence that this has been occurring across a range of assessments. For example, a student awarded a D may well have demonstrated a sound grasp of some mathematics concepts covered in a semester, but may be having difficulties with the work involving measurement and space.

16. Reporting E – Limited The student has an elementaryknowledge and understanding in few areas of the content and has achieved very limited competence in some of the processes and skills

17. Reporting In practice, an “E” would be awarded if there is a high level of concern about the student’s performance. He or she will have experienced difficulty in most of the assessment tasks. It is likely that the student will only have an elementary knowledge in a few areas of what was taught.

18. Reporting B – High The student has a thoroughknowledge and understanding of the content and a high level of competence in the processes and skills. In addition, the student is able to apply this knowledge and these skills to most situations.

19. Reporting In practice, a “B” would be awarded if the student is performing very well with the work presented and has consistently met the outcomes at a high level for the reporting period. This has been evident across assessment tasks. For example, the student has achieved very good results in the aspects of the Creative Arts program that have been taught during the semester. The student demonstrates the confidence, skills and understandings which are going to enable them to easily extend their learning in the area.

20. Reporting A – Outstanding The student has an extensiveknowledge and understanding of the content and can readily apply this knowledge. In addition, the student has achieved a very high level of competence in the processes and skills and can apply theseskills to new situations.

21. Reporting In practice an ‘A” would be awarded if the student is performing extremely well and is regularly applying their skills, extensive knowledge and deep understanding to new situations. The student is demonstrating outstanding achievement.

22. Reporting Discussion • What are current practices for assessing individual pieces of student work and judging overall achievement? • How is the judgement linked to learning expectations for the stage / semester? • How is a judgement about what a student has achieved different when using the five point achievement scale

23. Reporting Discussion What are the similarities and differences between the five point achievement scale and what is currently used in schools?

24. Reporting Understanding standards Consider • What students have had the opportunity to learn … spelt out in syllabuses and school teaching / learning programs • How well students have achieved … what they have had opportunity to learn

25. Reporting How do we make a point in time judgement? • Many schools currently use a graphic representation to indicate a student’s current achievement or progress toward the end of a stage. • Teachers are able to indicate whether this represents what is expected at this point in time e.g. at the beginning of the stage or halfway along or at the end of the stage. Teachers are now answering the question ‘is this student achieving as expected at this point in time’? • Teachers will now address how well students have achieved against the five point scale.

26. Reporting Planning school action

27. Reporting • DET web based reporting software (SBSR3) is available to all DET schools. • For further information go to; • CEC schools will need to contact the relevant diocese. http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/timetoteach/software/index.htm