appendix 1

Malvern Primary School

ASSESSMENT
POLICY

RATIONALE:

The primary purpose of assessment is to improve student performance. Good assessment is based on a vision of the kind of
learning we most value for students, and how they might best achieve this.
Good assessment sets out to:
Gather information about student competencies
Help learners realise how they should change and develop their learning behaviours.
Help learners obtain satisfaction from indications of success and progress.
Provide a basis for decisions on future directions for learners.
Help teachers judge the effectiveness of the teaching program.
Provide information for review of the school curriculum as a whole.
Provide a basis for information provided to parents.

GUIDELINES:
Assessment for improved student learning and deep understanding requires a range of assessment practices to be used for the
following purposes:
Assessment for learning- occurs when teachers use information about student progress to inform their teaching
Assessment as learning- occurs when students reflect on and monitor their progress to inform their future learning goals
Assessment of learning- occurs when teachers use evidence of student learning to make judgements on student
achievement against goals and standards.
Assessment should:
Promote a positive attitude towards learning, encourage the pursuit of excellence and contribute to success for all
students.
Reflect the educational policy of the school and Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
Be based on cumulative information throughout the period of study and so reflect the dynamic nature of learning.
Assist in the diagnoses of student strengths and weaknesses and hence provide a basis for future planning.
Provide students with the opportunity to participate in goal setting and self assessment.

IMPLEMENTATION:
Teachers will be required to:
Develop clear, progressively achievable goals to be assessed throughout the program.
Clearly convey these goals to the students.
Follow the procedures set out in the schools assessment schedules.
Use a variety of strategies and techniques for gathering assessment information. This may include curriculum profiles,
teacher-set tests, check-lists, observations, childrens self-evaluation, diagnostic tests, attainment tests, and dated samples
of work.
Assess continuously and systematically.
Provide children with constructive feedback on their progress.
Use assessment as a basis for reporting student achievement to parents.
Use assessment to provide cumulative background information about students for subsequent teachers.
Administer external assessments (e.g. NAPLAN) and other assessment deemed appropriate and useful.
Analyse data from all areas of assessment and use this information to inform the teaching and learning program.

EVALUATION:
This policy will be reviewed as part of the schools three year cycle.

This policy was last ratified by School Council in December 2012

Appendix 2a

Appendix 2b

$APPENDIX$3$
!
Notes!taken!from!mentor!teacher!interview!!
M*=$mentor$teacher$$
!
How!do!you!feel!about!assessment?!
M:#Assessment#can#be#extremely#useful#when#done#for#a#purpose,#ie#.to#inform#
teaching,#provide#feedback#to#students#and#report#progress#to#parents.#I#definitely#
feel#that#we,#at#times,#over#assess.##
$
How!do!you!plan!for!assessment?!
M:#Specific#assessments#are#done#at#certain#times#of#the#year#as#per#the#LITERACY#
and#NUMERACY#ASSESSMENT#SCHEDULES.#Ongoing#assessment#is#planned#to#
regularly#assess#progress#in#mathematics#topics#throughout#the#year#in#line#with#
our#mathematics#planner.##
$
What!role!does!assessment!play!in!your!teaching?!
M:#Assessment#can#be#used#to#inform#teaching#throughout#a#unit.#PreLtests#before#
teaching#a#new#topic#can#be#highly#informative#to#assist#in#planning.#Also#useful#for#
streaming,#grouping#students#and#identifying#support/extension.#
$
What!is!the!purpose!of!assessment?!
M:#Assessment#is#supposed#to#be#a#tool#for#to#aid#us,#as#teachers,#in#progressing#
students#learning.#It#is#a#way#to#assess#and#reflect#on#the#learning#that#has#taken#
place#and#this#informs#future#practice#and#identifies#areas#for#development.##
$
How!do!you!plan!assessment?!What!strategies!do!you!use?!
Assessment#is#generally#planned#to#assess#progress#when#new#topics#are#introduced#
and#when#they#are#completed,#for#example:#term#projects#on#integrated#units,#preL#
and#postLtests#when#new#maths#topics#are#covered,#spelling#(DIPL)#tests#on#letter#
patterns#and#sounds,#multiplication#tables#progression#each#week,#etc.#We#plan#in#
year#level#teams.##
$
How!do!you!support!student!diversity!with!your!assessment!design?!

appendix 3
Offer#various#ways#of#presenting#students#final#products,#meaning#assessment#can#
occur#in#different#forms.#Student#selfLassessment,#peer#assessments#and#providing#
rubrics#are#all#used#at#various#stages#of#the#year.#
$
What!is!moderation?!How!do!you!do!it?!
Moderation#occurs#during#the#assessment#process#when#teachers#wish#to#ensure#
that#their#methods#are#fair#and#consistently#reflect#expectations.#For#example,#we#
moderate#writing#samples#for#midLyear#and#end#of#year#assessments#across#our#
grade#level#teams.#
$
What!effects!do!external!national!and!international!testing!have!on!your!
school!community?!
NAPLAN#testing#occurs#in#term#2#for#grades#3,5,7and#9.#As#the#results#dont#arrive#
until#late#term#3,#they#do#not#provide#much#value#for#teaching#and#planning#
purposes#but#they#are#certainly#a#valuable#source#of#assessment#for#teachers.#
Parents#are#usually#most#interested#in#the#results#as#it#provides#a#snapshot#of#where#
their#child#is#compared#with#the#national#average#and#acceptable#ranges.#
ICAS#tests#are#paid#for#privately#by#parents#and#as#such#only#completed#by#roughly#
a#quarter#of#our#students.#I#dont#use#the#results#from#these#as#the#sample#is#skewed#
towards#children#whose#parents#decided#to#take#the#tests.#
$
Do!you!promote!self!or!peer!assessment?!Why/why!not?!
Yes,#but#in#a#very#broad#sort#of#way.#I#like#getting#the#students#to#peer#assess#
another#childs#project#presentation#but#I#always#encourage#them#to#err#on#the#side#
of#generosity.##
SelfLassessment#is#used#in#that#the#students#write#their#personal#reports#to#be#
included#in#midLyear#and#end#of#year#reports.#In#written#form,#they#evaluate#their#
own#progress#and#feeling#towards#each#curriculum#area#and#set#goals#for#their#own#
development.#I#feel#that#its#a#valuable#method#of#promoting#selfLmotivation#and#
accountability.#
#
What!do!you!use!to!evaluate!student!performance!for!mid!and!end?of!year!
reports?!

appendix 3
M:#we#use#a#synthesis#of#information#from#various#assessment#tasks#throughout#the#
semester#to#make#teacher#judgments#on#progress#and#give#this#feedback#in#written#
form#to#the#parents.#We#also#use#these#to#put#the#children#at#progression#points#
according#to#VELS,#and#this#is#then#translated#to#their#achievement#grade#in#their#
end#of#semester#reports.#The#end#of#year#report#also#gives#a#representation#of#six#
months#progress#at#the#end#of#the#year#so#that#parents#can#see#individual#
progressions#made#by#their#child.#This#is#all#derived#from#informal#and#formal#tests,#
diagnostic#tests,#and#summative#and#formative#assessments#we#have#done#in#class.#
Parents#also#receive#their#childs#NAPLAN#results#when#they#are#distributed#usually#
around#September.##
$
$
How!do!you!feel!parents!at!the!school!respond!to/feel!about!assessment?!
M:#The#school#is#in#a#highLsocioeconomic#status#area,#and#a#lot#of#the#parents#at#this#
school#take#a#keen#interest#in#and#are#active#in#seeking#out#results#from#
assessments#and#teacher#feedback#on#their#childs#development.#The#parents#are#
what#we#would#say#assessment#literate,#and#they#are#fully#behind#the#assessments#
we#use#and#do#their#best#to#help#facilitate#a#positive#attitude#in#their#children#about#
development#as#a#way#to#help#them#learn.##
#
$

Appendix 4
Reflective)notes)on)student)interaction)with)pre4service)teacher)on)matter)of)
assessment,)beginning)term)one)2016)
Im)really)excited)to)do)my)timestables)tests)and)move)up)the)ice)cream)block)
(19th)February)2016))(visual)used)for)each)student)in)moving)through)their)
timestables,)pasted)into)the)back)of)their)books))
I)want)to)be)up)to)my)9)times)tables)soon!)(19th)February)2016))
I)think)that)when)we)do)tests)its)a)bit)nerve)wracking)but)our)teacher)says)its)
to)help)them)decide)what)to)teach)us)(19th)February)2016))
Sometimes)we)mark)each)others)spelling)tests)and)its)good)because)we)can)tell)
each)other)where)we)went)wrong)and)how)to)spell)it)next)time)(interaction)on)
19th)February)2016))
I)think)its)important)to)do)tests)and)projects)because)then)you)can)see)what)you)
have)learned)and)your)teacher)and)your)mum)and)dad)can)see)what)youve)been)
learning)about)too)(19th)February)2016))
I)get)a)bit)nervous)about)my)report)but)my)mum)and)dad)said)that)as)long)as)my)
teacher)says)I)try)my)best)then)they)will)be)really)happy)with)that)(February)
2016))
I)think)my)report)tells)my)mum)and)dad)about)what)Im)like)at)school)and)the)
things)that)Ive)learned.)We)have)to)make)our)own)goals)as)well)and)then)helps)
me)because)it)makes)me)think)about)what)else)I)want)to)learn)(February)2016))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)

Appendix 5
Reflective)notes)on)Parent)Teacher)Interviews,)20th)February)2016)
)
Parents)eager)to)engage)with)ways)to)encourage)their)childs)learning)
Particular)interest)in)the)multiplication)tables)tests)being)conducted)every)week)
in)grade)three)and)how)they)can)alleviate)any)test)anxiety)but)still)be)helping)
students)to)progress)through)their)times)tables)tests)
Interested)in)teacher)judgments)and)any)recommendations)that)can)be)made)for)
further)learning)they)can)do)at)home)with)child)
Teacher)suggests)that)it)is)not)necessary,)but)gives)advice)on)what)will)be)done)in)
the)classroom)to)monitor)development)and)promote)learning)
A)lot)of)talk)about)setting)goals,)predominantly)those)identified)with)teachers)
from)last)year)and)that)parents)were)eager)to)help)facilitate)that)progress)in)any)
way)they)could,)communicating)with)the)teacher)what)progress)the)child)has)
made)thus)far)
)
)
)
)
)

Appendix 6

Appendix 6

Appendix 6

Appendix 6

appendix 7