Assessment & Reporting 

At Hughesdale Primary School a variety of assessment tools are used both to improve student learning outcomes, and to monitor student progress by providing important evidence of improved learning outcomes i.e. assessment 'for' and assessment 'of' learning.

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Assessment for learning is designed to enhance teaching and improve learning. At Hughesdale Primary School we believe that assessment is an essential and integrated part of teaching and learning and that a range of assessment approaches are necessary to identify what a student knows and can do. By accurately pinpointing “where to next” students are supported with personalised learning goals to extend their learning.

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Assessment is ongoing and helps teachers to shape high quality teaching practices and appropriate learning experiences which will develop students' knowledge, skills and understandings and promote effective learning. Through professional learning teams, the results of assessment also contribute to the continuing development of a whole school approach in support of improved student learning outcomes.

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Teachers access assessment opportunities in the context of everyday classroom activities, as well as through explicitly planned assessments to document progress.

Assessment outcomes allow teachers to report effectively to parents on their child's progress in an ongoing manner.

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Hughesdale Primary School provides all parents with regular online access to their child’s assessment feedback and results with ‘Continuous Online Reporting’, an online facility accessed through the School’s Learning Management System, Compass.

Continuous Online Reporting reflects Hughesdale Primary School’s effective integration of ICT into education planning and delivery. The system increases responsiveness to individual learning needs, provides better-quality and timelier information to parents, and improves classroom and administrative efficacy.

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This system is founded on a wealth of research in assessment/reporting and student learning. It draws on the work of Professor John Hattie from the University of Auckland and his analysis of 180,000 studies representing over 50 million students, which found that ‘informative feedback’ had the greatest effect on student learning.

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Students at Hughesdale Primary School receive feedback through discussing strengths and areas for future learning. Continuous Online Reporting also makes feedback available to parents in a secure online environment. Parents can view results for key assessments, as well as progress and participation indicators, without waiting until the end of term. The online assessment information is not designed to replace semester reports, but rather to complement them by providing a fuller picture to parents.

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Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), which tests literacy (reading, writing and language connections) and numeracy skills. The results of these tests, in conjunction with a range of data from other assessment strategies and data collection, give you information on how your child is progressing and where s/he could benefit from greater challenges or extra help.

 

National Assesment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)

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National assessment and reporting are the responsibility of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). In Victoria, NAPLAN is administered by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). For more information, see www.nap.edu.au, call 1300 895 563 (ACARA) or email info@acara.edu.au. 

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Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)

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The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) sets the guidelines for what students learn and when it is reported on from Prep to Year 12 in all Victorian schools, following the Victorian Curriculum. 

 

For more information see www.vcaa.vic.edu.au, call 1800 134 197 or email vcaa@edumail.vic.gov.au.

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Aaron Richards and Amanda Seach

Assessment and Reporting coordinators