Standards-based Assessing
and 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?
2
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
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Grading Student Achievement (3)
• The grading scale lets teachers report
student academic achievements in terms
of clear, common standards.
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The Grade Scale
Grade or Word
Grade Descriptions
A
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
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
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
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.
E
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.
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What are standards? (1)
• There are two aspects to standards
• These can be thought of in terms of
– what
and
– how well
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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
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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.
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The Assessment Resource Centre supports
assessing and reporting student achievement
relative to standards
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Assessment activities and graded samples of
work from real students are provided for each
stage of learning
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For each work sample the Grade Commentary
explains why the work is considered to be
representative of that standard.
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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.
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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.
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Work Samples (2)
The samples:
• come from a range of schools.
• have been graded by teams of
experienced, practicing teachers.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Important Messages
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Using the grade scale
Monitoring student progress
Obtaining consistent teacher judgement
Reporting to Parents
Allocating grades for the School
Certificate
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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