PROGRESS REPORTS & ABSENCES 

Every 5 weeks, students and families receive progress reports. These reports are designed to report clearly and consistently to families and students on student achievement and student progress. These reports should act to improve the learning of our students. They should provide concrete, accurate information on each student’s learning growth and achievements in each subject, and against MESC’s Teaching and Learning Framework.

These progress reports provide feedback on 5 learning behaviours:

• Evidence of Learning measures the standard of the student's work that has been submitted, class participation, application of skills and knowledge, effective use of class time and the completion of learning tasks.
• Personal Learning measures the student's ability to meet learning expectations, set learning goals, management of equipment and the ability to reflect on their learning.
• Working with Others measures the student's ability to cooperate in a group, respect differences of others and manage conflict.
• Orderly Behaviour measures the student's ability to follow teacher instruction, adhere to rules and show respect for the learning environment.
• Learning Outside the Classroom measures the student's ability to complete homework tasks, conduct independent learning outside the classroom and to seek teacher assistance outside the classroom.

When completing these reports, staff consider a range of data sources, depending on what work has been undertaken in the previous 5 weeks. This can at time, reflect summative assessment tasks, such as CATs or SACs, at other times they may reflect ongoing, formative assessment by a teacher.

Attendance

When students are absent for periods of time, or have frequent absences, this will impact the student’s ability to engage in the teaching and learning that is occurring in classes, which in turn, impact’s their ability to demonstrate progress in their subjects. MESC works closely with families to avoid these absences as much as is possible, in order to avoid this interruption to a student’s learning. Families are asked to be mindful of this when planning family holidays and other activities that will withdraw students from school. It is not in the student’s best interest for them to miss classes, especially for periods of time. 

On the progress reports, if teachers have been unable to determine a student’s progress across the previous 5 weeks due to extended absences, then they will record ‘Not demonstrated’, to reflect the impact that these absences have had on the student’s learning progress for that 5-week period.

Families are encouraged to read any reports in conjunction with relevant Learning tasks on compass for feedback on areas of strength and areas of improvement. We encourage students to reflect on their progress and set a goal for the next 5-week period. If parents have questions about progress reports or learning tasks, then please email the classroom teacher via compass.

Cath Scott and Carrie Bloomfield 

Leading Teachers – Curriculum & Pedagogy