The Newlands Times

Understanding how your Child's Learning is Assessed

It’s an exciting time of year! Over the past six weeks, our teachers have been working hard to prepare your child’s end-of-year report. This newsletter will give you a behind-the-scenes look at how teachers decide your child’s progress in their learning. In next week’s newsletter, we’ll explain how to read and understand your child’s report.

What Are Progression Points?

Progression points show how your child is progressing in their learning based on the Victorian Curriculum. Teachers use a variety of tools, like assessments, observations, and classroom activities, to determine these progression points. They compare results from these tools to get a complete picture of your child’s learning journey.

How Do Teachers Decide Progression Points?

Teachers gather information from different sources, such as test results, classroom activities, and notes they’ve made about your child’s learning. They then combine all this information to make sure the progression points are a fair and accurate reflection of your child’s progress.

Assessments Your Child Completed This Year

Here are some of the assessments your child completed and how they help teachers understand your child’s learning:

Mathematics

  • Mathematics Online Interview: A one-on-one interview where students solve maths problems. This helps teachers see how students think about and solve problems.
  • ACER PAT Maths: An online test that compares your child’s maths skills to other students across Australia. It shows your child’s strengths and areas for improvement.
  • Essential Assessment: An online test aligned with the Victorian Curriculum. It gives teachers an idea of your child’s overall progress and suggests areas for future learning.

English Literacy

  • Little Learners Love Literacy Decodable Reading: A reading activity that checks your child’s ability to read fluently and understand stories.
  • Fountas and Pinnell Reading Benchmark: A one-on-one reading session that measures your child’s reading skills.
  • ACER PAT Reading: An online test that compares your child’s reading abilities to other students across Australia.
  • Writing Snapshots: At the start and end of each term, students complete a writing task. This helps teachers understand their writing skills, including strengths and areas to work on.
  • NPS Spelling Tests: These tests are based on spelling patterns your child has learned and help track their progress in spelling.

Spanish Literacy

  • NPS Reading Assessments: Spanish teachers check your child’s reading skills, like fluency and understanding, using texts designed for each year level.
  • Writing Snapshots: Students write about a topic at the beginning and end of each term. This helps teachers see how their writing has improved.

How Do Teachers Use This Information?

Teachers use special tools to bring all this information together, so they can see a complete picture of your child’s progress. This makes sure their reports are accurate and balanced. The below image shows an example of one child's learning progress in a variety of assessments, and how teachers bring together your child's learning to make one informed progression point.

 

If you have any questions about your child’s assessments, please reach out to your child’s teacher during the Parent-Teacher Interviews.