Our teachers use a variety of strategies to assess student learning. These include observing work in class and looking closely at tasks throughout the year.
Twice a year, teachers formally assess a student’s achievement based on the outcomes described in the syllabus of each subject. A written report using the common grade scale is sent home in the first half of the year, usually near the end of Term 2, and again in Term 4. This gives a clear picture of your child’s learning.
Assessments
We provide detailed information to students about what we expect from them throughout the year and how their work will be assessed. Students have a number of formal assessments throughout their schooling.
- Best Start – a mandatory, one-to-one assessment that identifies a student’s literacy and numeracy skills at the beginning of Kindergarten.
- National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) – reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, punctuation and grammar) and numeracy tests for students in Years 3 and 5. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) holds the tests in May each year. Results and student reports are released in August. Marayong Public School will be one of around 500 schools in NSW that will be transitioning to NAPLAN Online this year. This means our students in Years 3 and 5 will complete the NAPLAN assessments online this year rather than pencil and paper. The Year 3 writing test will continue to be paper-based, but all other Year 3 NAPLAN tests will be online.
- Some students may elect to sit the opportunity class or selective high school placement tests. For more information, visit selective high schools and opportunity classes.
Support unit reporting
The support unit educational program has been personalised to accommodate individual learning needs that require access to content and competencies that are at a different level from the students age peer group, as such the support unit reports use the following grade scale:
- Independent - The student can complete a task independently, without assistance. The student maintains the skill or knowledge over time. The student generalises the skill or knowledge to new settings, people or materials.
- Occasional - The student relies on partial prompts to complete a task. The student can regularly perform the skill or demonstrate knowledge. The student uses the skill or knowledge in a variety of familiar settings and situations.
- Frequent - The student understands information, concept and/or can perform skill. The student often relies on physical or verbal assistance when participating in a task. The student has begun to demonstrate the skills in selected, familiar settings and situations.
- Dependent - The student has some existing prior knowledge and/or necessary pre skills for the task. The student requires maximum teacher assistance to participate in the task. The student uses skills and knowledge in a single setting.
- None - The student has no knowledge and/or necessary pre skills for the task. The student requires maximum teacher assistance to participate in the task. The student is developing skills and knowledge to use in a single setting.
Effort is assessed for each student in relation to the student's program and according to his or her stage of development. Teachers make professional judgements about children's level of participation from their observations of classroom behaviour. Effort is reported using the key below:
Low:
- reluctant to try new activities
- completes some tasks with close supervision
- rarely contributes ideas
- never or rarely assists others
Satisfactory:
- completes many tasks
- appropriately seeks assistance
- occasionally suggests ideas
- assists others when asked
High:
- attempts all set tasks
- seeks assistance when needed
- participates fully in class
- often suggests ideas
- willingly assists others