Curriculum Support
Simplifying Assessment
Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Policy Update 18/09/09
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D09/0506011
ALL DIRECTORS
ALL PRINCIPALS
ALL TEACHERS
CURRICULUM, ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING POLICY
On 26 February the Director
General announced that a review of the Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Policy would be undertaken to address matters
associated with simplifying assessment for all teachers. A consultation draft
version of the policy was published online in March 2009 and all staff were invited to provide feedback.
Extensive face to face
consultation sessions, involving more than 1 000 teachers and administrators from schools and professional associations, took
place throughout Terms 2 and 3. As a result, amendments were made to the consultation
draft and additional support requirements identified.
The simplified policy comes
into effect from 2010, and is published on the Curriculum Support website.
It provides schools and
teachers with an increased level of flexibility.
The following information
is an overview of support available over the coming months to help schools and teachers implement the policy.
A balanced curriculum
The Curriculum Framework
provides advice on what constitutes a balanced curriculum at key stages of schooling.
The K-10 Syllabuses provide further guidance for teachers and, being strongly underpinned by national Statements of
Learning, will help all teachers as we make the transition towards a national curriculum.
Support for curriculum planning is on the Curriculum Support website.
Additional support to help
teachers plan a balanced curriculum is under development and will be available before the start of the 2010 school year.
A to E work samples
Student work samples to help teachers make judgements of student
achievement in relation to expected standards are online.
Teachers were provided with samples of students’ work
at the start of Semester 2 that illustrate the standards that earn an A to E grade in Years 1 to 10. Samples for Years 3,
5, 7 and 9 English and Mathematics and Years 5, 7 and 9 Science are already available.
Samples for all learning areas from Years 1 to 10 will be online for the start of the 2010 school year.
Links to the work samples are accessible through existing websites, including the Curriculum
Support website, Student Achievement Information System (SAIS) and the K-10 Syllabus website.
School distribution of grades
A range of enhancements has been and will continue to be made to
Further information will be released to advise schools of the enhancements.
Reporting to parents
Minimal changes will be
made to the Department’s formal report templates. In Semester 2, the list
of attitude, behaviour and effort attributes will be decreased to eight and consistent across primary and secondary school
contexts. Based on teacher feedback, the existing three point scale will be replaced
by a four point scale. Primary school reports will include a separate indication
of effort for each learning area studied. Sample Semester 2 reports detailing
the amendments are on the Curriculum Support website.
The format and style of
reports for students in the pre-compulsory years can be determined by schools in consultation with the school communities.
Schools are encouraged
to consult with their school communities to identify and develop the most appropriate methods to report the achievement of
students with disabilities or other identified learning needs. In 2010, the Department
will work with schools to develop a range of sample templates that schools may choose to use or adapt, depending on their
particular context.
Further clarification
The frequently asked questions
section on the Curriculum Support website has been updated in response to feedback.
I encourage all principals
and teachers to familiarise themselves with the simplified policy. You are welcome to comment on any aspect of the policy
or associated support through the Curriculum Support website.
MARGERY EVANS
DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL,
SCHOOLS
