1.3 – Assessment and Reporting Policy – Bellarine Secondary College

RATIONALE

Accurate and comprehensive assessment and reporting of student performance against state-wide standards aids in establishing open communication, guides improvements in student learning, assists in establishing future direction, and helps to identify areas of exemplary performance, as well as those areas in need of support and assistance.

PURPOSE

To ensure that there is ongoing assessment, monitoring and recording of each student’s performance and provide each student and parent with access to accurate information about the student’s learning

POLICY STATEMENT

Assessment and reporting practices will include both formative and summative assessment
Bellarine Secondary College teachers will assess school and student performance accurately and comprehensively against state-wide standards.
Formative and summative assessments are used to improve student learning by accurately determining current performance as well as areas of future need and development.
Bellarine Secondary College reports school and student performance accurately and comprehensively.
Bellarine Secondary College provides formative assessment feedback continuously within the classroom program
The College provides at least 2 written reports to parents per year

IMPLEMENTATION

Bellarine Secondary College staff accurately assesses student achievement against achievement standards detailed within the Australian Curriculum, the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (AusVELS), the Victorian Curriculum and the learning outcomes in Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) and Vocational Education and Training (VET) packages.
Assessment requires a mix of summative assessment of learning to determine and report what the student has learned, formative assessment to guide future learning, and ongoing assessment to focus teacher feedback alongside student self-assessment and reflection. Fundamentally, assessment is used primarily to guide future lessons and learning, rather than simply a prelude to reporting achievement.
As part of the review of the College Curriculum, staff will develop a whole-school assessment schedule for teachers which will include a variety of assessment strategies, including online and on demand assessment tools, providing multiple sources of information about student achievement. These may include tests and assignments, projects, portfolios, performance observations, discussions and involvement in national standardised testing processes such NAPLAN and school entry assessment tests.
Bellarine Secondary College has a manageable system of keeping records (XUNO) that will provide a rich mixture of observations, results, reflections and discussions.
Teachers use the data they collect to make judgements about, and report on, student achievement in the AusVELs, Vic Curriculum, VCE, VCAL and VET.
College staff participate in moderation professional development involving assessment maps and annotated work samples so that staff can apply consistent judgements of student progress against achievement standards across the school.
College staff develop individual learning improvement plans for students identified as needing additional learning support, those of aboriginal decent and those in out of home care in consultation with students, parents and where appropriate with others having specific expertise.
Self-assessments by students against individual learning goals is a component of the College assessment regime.
Item analysis of NAPLAN results will focus both individual and cohort future learning.
The College assesses the achievements of students with disabilities in the context of AusVELS, the Victorian Curriculum, VCAL, VET and VCE. Program support groups help develop individual student profiles containing learning goals for each student. Progress towards learning goals will be assessed and reported by the program support group.
Students for whom English is an additional language have their progress in English reported against the English as an Additional Language (EAL) achievement standards
Bellarine Secondary College accurately reports student achievement against the standards outlined in AusVELs, the Victorian Curriculum, VCE, VCAL and VET to the students themselves, to parents, other teachers and schools, to College Council, and to the Department of Education.
Each year Bellarine Secondary College provides parents with at least two written Student Reports indicating their child’s academic progress against VCE, VCAL, VET, Victorian Curriculum and AusVELs standards and progression points. Where necessary, translations into other languages will be provided.
Bellarine Secondary College provides two formal student/parent/teacher interviews per year (known as 3 Way Conferences)
Bellarine Secondary College participates in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) so as to gain information for staff, parents and students on students’ progress in relation to the AusVELS levels and to inform teaching practice.
Bellarine Secondary College provides all required performance data to the DET and the community by means of an annual report.

REFERENCES: Nil

EVALUATION

This policy will be reviewed every three years or more frequently if necessary due to changes in regulations or circumstances

Policy number	1.3
Approval date	September 2014
Review date	May 2016
DET/VRQA required	Yes