Standard 5:
Assess, Provide Feedback and Report on Student Learning
5.1 Assess student learning
Develop, select and use informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative assessment strategies to assess student learning.
This standard addresses the need to measure each student's knowledge and understanding of content relevant to the appropriate curriculum area, their ability to apply this learning in a range of familiar and unfamiliar settings and to think critically and creatively. Three types of assessment occur in the school setting:
I have designed, administered and marked a range of diagnostic, formative and summative tasks in English, History and Geography classes at a Year Nine and Ten and Eleven (Stage One) level. Pictured below are a selection of these tasks.
Develop, select and use informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative assessment strategies to assess student learning.
This standard addresses the need to measure each student's knowledge and understanding of content relevant to the appropriate curriculum area, their ability to apply this learning in a range of familiar and unfamiliar settings and to think critically and creatively. Three types of assessment occur in the school setting:
- Diagnostic: Assessment that is used to identify what level an individual or group of students is perfoming at, what they already know and where there are gaps in knowledge, in order to plan future learning activities.
- Formative: Assessment that is continual, often informal and designed to check student learning.
- Summative: Assessment that is formal, graded and used for reporting and normally implemented at the end of a particular unit or as the focal point of the unit.
I have designed, administered and marked a range of diagnostic, formative and summative tasks in English, History and Geography classes at a Year Nine and Ten and Eleven (Stage One) level. Pictured below are a selection of these tasks.
5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning
Provide timely, effective and appropriate feedback to students about their achievement relative to their learning goals.
This standard refers to the importance of promptly providing students with constructive and relevant feedback on their work so that they are aware of their strengths and weaknesses within a particular unit and build on that knowledge. I have found this to be especially important in multi-staged assessment pieces or when one piece of work builds on the previous piece. For example the feedback on the left was for only the first part of a three staged assignment. I made sure that all students had this feedback before the due date for part two so that they would now which areas they needed to work on in order to lift their marks.
Provide timely, effective and appropriate feedback to students about their achievement relative to their learning goals.
This standard refers to the importance of promptly providing students with constructive and relevant feedback on their work so that they are aware of their strengths and weaknesses within a particular unit and build on that knowledge. I have found this to be especially important in multi-staged assessment pieces or when one piece of work builds on the previous piece. For example the feedback on the left was for only the first part of a three staged assignment. I made sure that all students had this feedback before the due date for part two so that they would now which areas they needed to work on in order to lift their marks.
5.3 Make consistent and comparable judgements
Understand and participate in assessment moderation activities to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
This standard refers to the need for marks to be consistent, valid and reliable across the board. In the humanities assessment responses tends to be variable - there is no one clear correct answer as there often is to a math or science problem but rather a variety of possible responses that have to be assessed for validity. The best way to mark this variable assessment is, in my my opinion, to construct a matrix or rubric similar to the one displayed (which I created and used to assess a Year Nine English task on News Media). Marking rubrics clearly demonstrate what elements are being assessed and what level is considered an A or B etc. Marking is then just a matter of ticking the appropriate boxes (and can even be done name blind) depending on the standards that the student is meeting. Providing students with this rubric before they submit the task is important because then students know exactly what they are being marked on.
Understand and participate in assessment moderation activities to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
This standard refers to the need for marks to be consistent, valid and reliable across the board. In the humanities assessment responses tends to be variable - there is no one clear correct answer as there often is to a math or science problem but rather a variety of possible responses that have to be assessed for validity. The best way to mark this variable assessment is, in my my opinion, to construct a matrix or rubric similar to the one displayed (which I created and used to assess a Year Nine English task on News Media). Marking rubrics clearly demonstrate what elements are being assessed and what level is considered an A or B etc. Marking is then just a matter of ticking the appropriate boxes (and can even be done name blind) depending on the standards that the student is meeting. Providing students with this rubric before they submit the task is important because then students know exactly what they are being marked on.
5.4 Interpret student data
Use student assessment data to analyse and evaluate student understanding of subject/content, identifying interventions and modifying teaching practice.
This standard refers to the need to respond to, rather than just collect,student assessment data in order to assess the teaching of lessons and units, the effectiveness of the assessment and consequently to improve teaching practice in future. The purpose of assessment is to make meaningful data that can inform future action be it student improvement, teacher and unit improvement or policy improvement on a school, state and/or national level.
During my practicums I have taken raw assessment data, collated it and converted it into scores to provide students with quantitate feedback which supplements the qualitative feedback (comments) supplied for summative assessment pieces. I have also asked students to reflect on summative assessment pieces (pictured), both to consolidate their knowledge and so that I know which areas I need to improve in my own pedagogical practice.
Use student assessment data to analyse and evaluate student understanding of subject/content, identifying interventions and modifying teaching practice.
This standard refers to the need to respond to, rather than just collect,student assessment data in order to assess the teaching of lessons and units, the effectiveness of the assessment and consequently to improve teaching practice in future. The purpose of assessment is to make meaningful data that can inform future action be it student improvement, teacher and unit improvement or policy improvement on a school, state and/or national level.
During my practicums I have taken raw assessment data, collated it and converted it into scores to provide students with quantitate feedback which supplements the qualitative feedback (comments) supplied for summative assessment pieces. I have also asked students to reflect on summative assessment pieces (pictured), both to consolidate their knowledge and so that I know which areas I need to improve in my own pedagogical practice.
5.5 Report on student achievement
Report clearly, accurately and respectfully to students and parents/carers about student achievement, making use of accurate and reliable records.
This standard addresses the need to keep accurate records of and report student results in order to meet school and state reporting requirements. Teachers are required to submit marks and comments for each student at regular intervals (normally four times a year) for student report cards. As many schools compile reports electronically (this was certainly the case at the schools I have worked at) having those marks and comments recorded electronically in a spreadsheet (pictured above) can make reporting extremely easy as all the information is already compiled and organised and all that is required is export it. By uploading results as you go, you are making report time much less stressful than it is traditionally, allowing you to spend more time and energy on the actual business of teaching. Keeping scanned copies of student work and hard copies of student marks are also important back ups in times of technological problems or disputes about marks.
Qualitative feedback is also an important part of the reporting process. Pictured above is a report I wrote on a semi-fictional student as part of a university assignment. It demonstrates the need to be concise and to the point in report comments but still illustrate your knowledge of the student as an individual. It also balances comments on the student's strengths and areas that could warrant improvement.
It is very important to remember that report cards should never be a shock to a student or his or her parents. If issues have arisen that have meant that the student was unable to complete the work to the expected standard or if the teacher suspects that the student may have a diagnosable learning or behavioural difficulty/disability than contact with parents or caregivers should be made as soon as possible, through email, a phone call or a meeting depending on the severity of the situation.
Report clearly, accurately and respectfully to students and parents/carers about student achievement, making use of accurate and reliable records.
This standard addresses the need to keep accurate records of and report student results in order to meet school and state reporting requirements. Teachers are required to submit marks and comments for each student at regular intervals (normally four times a year) for student report cards. As many schools compile reports electronically (this was certainly the case at the schools I have worked at) having those marks and comments recorded electronically in a spreadsheet (pictured above) can make reporting extremely easy as all the information is already compiled and organised and all that is required is export it. By uploading results as you go, you are making report time much less stressful than it is traditionally, allowing you to spend more time and energy on the actual business of teaching. Keeping scanned copies of student work and hard copies of student marks are also important back ups in times of technological problems or disputes about marks.
Qualitative feedback is also an important part of the reporting process. Pictured above is a report I wrote on a semi-fictional student as part of a university assignment. It demonstrates the need to be concise and to the point in report comments but still illustrate your knowledge of the student as an individual. It also balances comments on the student's strengths and areas that could warrant improvement.
It is very important to remember that report cards should never be a shock to a student or his or her parents. If issues have arisen that have meant that the student was unable to complete the work to the expected standard or if the teacher suspects that the student may have a diagnosable learning or behavioural difficulty/disability than contact with parents or caregivers should be made as soon as possible, through email, a phone call or a meeting depending on the severity of the situation.