Standards-based Assessing and Reporting

Standards-based Assessingand Reporting An explanation of grading student achievement in relation to standards for Stages 1 to 5

Grading Student Achievement (1) What is expected? How will it work?

Grading Student Achievement (2) Teachers • collect assessment information on the achievement of each student • use their professional judgement to decide which grade best matches the standards their students have achieved

Grading Student Achievement (3) • The grading scale lets teachers report student academic achievements in terms of clear, common standards.

The Grade Scale

What are standards? (1) • There are two aspects to standards • These can be thought of in terms of • what and • how well

What are standards? (2) • The NSW syllabuses state what students at each stage are expected to learn. • The grade scale summarises how well students achieve at each grade by describing • the depth of knowledge and understanding and • the range of skills that students working at that standard typically show

How can I see the standards? • The Board of Studies and sectors are working together to gather the work of real students who have done some syllabus-based tasks and activities. • These work samples and other advice and support materials are published on the Board’s Assessment Resource Centre website.

The Assessment Resource Centre supports assessing and reporting student achievement relative to standards

Assessment activities and graded samples of work from real students are provided for each stage of learning

For each work sample the Grade Commentary explains why the work is considered to be representative of that standard.

Grade Commentary Casey has shown a thorough understanding of volume, capacity and 3D space through labelled diagrams and numerical expressions. This knowledge has been demonstrated in visual form but Casey has not included a written explanation. The factors of 24 have been used to come up with other examples but these have not been drawn. Although Casey has not justified the reasoning, there is clear evidence of understanding. This work sample demonstrates characteristics of work typically produced by a student performing at grade B standard.

Work Samples (1) • The collections of work samples provided for a grade, show the quality of work typically produced by students who will receive that grade at the end of the stage.

Work Samples (2) The samples: • come from a range of schools. • have been graded by teams of experienced, practicing teachers.

Getting to know the standards (1) You become familiar with the standards by studying the • descriptions for each grade • tasks and activities • work samples, and • grade commentaries.

Getting to know the standards (2) • While reading, think of your experiences with students you have taught, who have produced work of a similar standard. This will give you a ‘mental picture’ of the knowledge, skills and understanding represented by that grade.

Getting to know the standards (3) • Discussions with your colleagues may be helpful, particularly for • New teachers • Where a teacher is not experienced with that stage

Choosing the right grade (1) • Allocating grades requires teachers to use their on-balance judgement in relation to standards. • This is a key professional skill.

Choosing the right grade (2) • An on-balance judgement does not just focus on a single piece of work. • Teachers weigh up the assessment information collected for a student up to that point in time. • This information will come from both formal assessment activities and informal observations and will be built up over time and in different situations.

Using the grade scale (1) At any point, you can look at what your students have covered in the teaching/learning program and how well they have achieved.

Using the grade scale (2) This means that at any time you can: • Consider the knowledge and skills covered up to that point in time, • compare each student’s achievement with the standards represented by each grade, and • make an on-balance professional judgement and give the grade that best matches the standard the student has achieved.

Important Messages • Using the grade scale • Monitoring student progress • Obtaining consistent teacher judgement • Reporting to Parents • Allocating grades for the School Certificate

1. When using the grade scale (1) Remember, in a standards-based system • A grade labels a standard not a student • Students get the grade that best matches the standard of their achievement • Teachers are not limited to set numbers of each grade within their class or school

When using the grade scale (2) • The full range of grades can be awarded at any point in the course or stage. • Early in a course or stage students are NOT limited only to grades D and E.

When using the grade scale (3) • A student will receive a grade A if, in what has been taught up to that point, they have shown extensive knowledge and understanding of the content; can readily apply this knowledge; has a very high level of competence in the processes and skills and can apply these to new situations • Always consider what has been covered so far, and how well the students have achieved.

2. Making progress (1) • If a student receives the same grade for two consecutive reports they have made progress. • For example, if a student receives a Grade C in the middle of the year and again at the end of the year they will be making progress.

Making progress (2) Between the two reporting periods the student will have learned new knowledge and skills of a more advanced nature. To receive a Grade C on the second occasion the student must have a sound knowledge and understanding of the main areas of content and has achieved an adequate level of competence in the processes and skills in relation to this new and more challenging material.

3. Consistent teacher judgements (1) The consistency of judgements about grades within and between schools comes from • following teaching programs based on common syllabuses • using the common grade scale • considering shared samples of student work • discussions with colleagues

4. Reporting to Parents (1) • The grades that students receive are only one aspect of the report to parents and students. • Grades need to be supported by: • teacher comments – both written and verbal • other information the school provides on the student’s achievements, activities, effort and application.

Reporting to Parents (2) • The school sector and/or school will provide details about the specific requirements and advice for assessing and reporting to parents

5. Allocating Grades for the School Certificate (1) • The common A to E grade scale replaces the scale based on the General Performance Descriptors that has been used been used since 1991 • The Course Performance Descriptors developed for the new Years 7 – 10 syllabuses replace those used previously

Allocating Grades for the School Certificate (2) • To allocate grades for 100 or 200 hour SC courses teachers • Become familiar with the standards by using the Course Performance Descriptors (based on the A to E grade scale) and the work samples provided in the ARC • Use a similar approach to those already described to determine the most appropriate grade to allocate to each student

Allocating Grades for the School Certificate (3) • In Mathematics, three pathways, referred to as 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3, have been identified in the Stage 5 syllabus to cater for the differing needs of students • For the SC, the grades A to D are sub-divided in Mathematics so that teachers award the grade A10, A9, B8, B7, C6, C5, D4, D3 or E2 that best represents the student’s achievement

Standards-based Assessing and Reporting