New student report cards in 2007
From this year, all Victorian government schools will be using the new student report
cards which were launched by the Premier and the then Minister for Education and
Training in August 2005.
They aim to address many of the features parents have sought through recent state
and national consultations. They include a format that is common to all Government
schools in the State. The format includes:
 a graphical representation that shows achievement against the state-wide
standards during the reporting period, as well as an indication of achievement in
the preceding 12 months
 a 5-point scale (A to E) indicating achievement against the expected standard at
the time of reporting.
 a child’s work habits (effort and behaviour in class).
 written information about what a child knows and can do, where the child may
need additional support, how the school will provide that assistance and what
parents can do at home to help their child’s learning.
 student and parent comment
In 2006, over 750 schools implemented the new report cards. Feedback was sought
from schools during term 3. Schools indicated that the majority of parents who
responded to requests for feedback found the report cards to be clear and
comprehensive. Most schools also commented favourably on the reports
themselves, and the accompanying software. The monitoring did however raise a
number of issues which have resulted in some changes which were outlined by
Minister Lenders in February 2007.
Changes for 2007
The changes which are to be introduced this year affect
 the A rating,
 reporting of progress in mathematics and
 the assessment of Prep students.
For all areas studied, a top ‘B’ rating will now become an ‘A’, with more students
expected to receive an ‘A’ rating this year.
The changes in mathematics are designed to provide parents with an even clearer
picture of their child’s progress. Rather than one overall A to E rating and one solid
dot for mathematics as a whole, there will be a separate A to E rating and dot for
each of the areas of mathematics (space, number, measurement, chance and data,
working mathematically and structure).
It will now also be school based decision as to whether an A-E rating is used for Prep
students. All other information for Prep students will continue to be required – what a
student has achieved, areas for improvement, how the school will support them.
It is expected that schools will be discussing these changes with parents and school
communities during semester 1.
A-E ratings
The introduction of common A-E ratings linked to statewide standards is a major
feature of the new reports. The A-E ratings and comments on your child’s report
show what your child has achieved in Years P-10, not against the other students in
your child’s class or year level, but against common state-wide standards (as
outlined in the .Victorian Essential Learning Standards
http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/essential/index.html). The A-E ratings indicate whether
your child’s progress is at, above or below the statewide standard expected for
students in a particular year level at the time of reporting.
For some school reports this may mean that when you receive your child’s new
report card for the first time you may notice that their grades are different from
previous reports. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your child’s achievement has
changed. It could simply mean that your child’s school has up to now been using the
A-E ratings in a different way. Your child’s teacher will go through the new report
card with you during your parent-teacher interview.
Outlined below you can find some important information about the new A-E ratings to
assist you in the transition to the new report cards.
A-E ratings reflect a common approach that is consistent from school to
school
In the past, schools have reported achievement using a number of different scales.
Some schools, for example, have used scales such as ‘beginning’, ‘consolidated’ and
‘established’ or ‘excellent’, ‘very good’, ‘satisfactory’ etc. With the introduction of the
report cards, all schools will report using A-E.
In addition, all schools will use this scale in the same way, and against the same
state-wide standards. This means that you can be sure that a B, for example, that is
awarded in one school will mean the same as a B awarded in all other government
schools across the state.
An A-E rating is a summary
The A-E ratings provide you with a summary snapshot in time of your child’s
achievement. It is therefore important to read the written comments that provide the
detail about the particular strengths and any weaknesses that underpin the overall
rating.
An A-E rating is a band of achievement
It is important too to understand that any one rating covers a band of achievement.
This band is clearly shown via the shaded section on the report card graphic. .
What the ratings mean
An ‘A’ indicates achievement that is well above the standard expected for your child’s
year level at the time of reporting. It means that your child understands and is able to
successfully work with knowledge and skills that are significantly more complex than
would normally be expected. They can apply this deeper and more complex level of
knowledge and skills to successfully complete a range of very challenging tasks.
A ‘B’ indicates achievement that is above the standard expected for your child’s year
level at the time of reporting. It means that your child understands more complex
ideas and has a broader range of skills than would normally be expected. Your child
demonstrates this through their completion of a range of challenging tasks.
A ‘C’ indicates achievement that is at the standard expected for your child’s year
level at the time of reporting. It means that your child’s learning is on track and that
they understand and can apply the range of knowledge and skills expected for their
year level at the time of reporting.
A ‘D’ indicates achievement that is below the standard expected for your child’s year
level at the time of reporting. It means there are some skills and knowledge that your
child has yet to acquire before they can be said to be achieving at the expected
standard.
An ‘E’ indicates achievement that is well below the standard expected for your child’s
year level at the time of reporting. It means there are significant areas of knowledge
and skills your child needs to acquire before they can be said to be achieving at the
expected standard.
If your child receives a ‘D’ or ‘E’, the school will be working closely with your child to
assist them to make progress.
A ‘C’ means your student’s learning is on track
It is important to remember that if your child receives a C on the new report card it
indicates that their learning is on track and they are achieving the statewide standard
that is expected of them at the time of reporting. In the past, a C in some schools
might have meant the child was performing below the standard expected.
Many students will be above the standard expected, and many will be working
towards it.
It is important to remember that the standards reflect a movement from simple to
ever more complex learning - not simply ‘time served’ - so there is every good reason
why, in any one class, children will be reaching a range of different standards at
different points in time. Statewide tests such as the AIM, and international tests
confirm that there is often a wide range of achievement in any one class in a school.
In other words, while level 5 is the standard expected for students in the second
semester of year 8, there are likely to be many students at the end of year 8 who
achieve well beyond that standard, and many who will still be working towards
achieving it.
Further information
Further information on the new report cards is available from:
 your school Principal
 the Department of Education’s website
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/aboutschool/studentreports/default.htm
Additional queries can be forwarded to student.reports@edumail.vic.gov.au