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Random Sample Assessment Program

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Making Consistent Judgements

Tracking Student Performance

 
ENGLISH

General Information

MSE school assessment materials in English are available in Reading, Viewing, Speaking and Listening and Writing.

All assessments are available for years 3, 7 and 10.

Before conducting assessments, teachers should read through the Teachers Instructions to become familiar with the standardised administration procedures and the assessment requirements.

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Assessing Performance Tasks

The Speaking and the Writing assessments are performance tasks.

Assessing Speaking Performances
Teachers are required to assess speaking performances in real time. To assist teachers to do this, the Speaking and Listening materials contain teacher training materials. The training materials should be completed before conducting the assessments.

The training materials consist of a video of taped student performances and a training manual. The manual has instructions on how to interpret the marking guide when judging student performances, and on standardised assessment.

The training video shows how to judge student performances using the marking keys provided. Exemplars of performances of students in years 3, 7 and 10 at a range of outcome levels are included. The videos allow teachers to gain a shared understanding of the criteria used to judge performances so that consistency between teachers is attained. This is important if school results are to be validly compared to the state data collected during the Random Sample.

As the marking guides are developed using the levels of the student outcome statements, these training materials are a valuable moderating tool for the Speaking strand.

Assessing Writing Performances
Writing is assessed using up to nine assessment criteria. Each criterion has categories which are based on the levels of achievement described in the Student Outcome Statements. It is important that teachers work through the exemplars and accompanying explanations in the relevant Writing Teachers Manual before assessing students' writing. The exemplars allow teachers to develop a shared understanding of the criteria used to judge writing so that consistency between teachers is attained. This is important if school results are to be validly compared to the state data collected during the Random Sample.

As the Writing marking guides have been developed using the levels of the student outcome statements, it is a valuable moderating tool for the Writing strand.

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Task Stimulus Materials

Schools are provided with stimulus materials to use with the assessments. These materials should be kept in schools for use with other classes and for future assessments.

Stimulus materials, as well as Teachers Manuals, belong to schools. Teachers and administrators should ensure that they are kept in a safe place for future assessments.

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Reading

Students use a range of reading texts from a variety of genres to write answers to questions. The Reading Assessment Materials consist of

  • One Teachers Manual, with administration instructions and analysis guides for years 3, 7 and 10: one per school (to be retained by school)
  • Student reading answer booklets: one per student
  • Colour A3-folded broadsheets containing reading texts: one per student (to be retained by school)

Assessment Times

  • Year 3: 60 minutes (includes 15 minutes for directions)
  • Years 7 and 10: 70 minutes (includes 10 minutes for directions)

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Viewing

Students view a range of print and media texts from a variety of genres and write answers to questions.
The Viewing Assessment Materials consist of

  • Teachers Manual, for years 3, 7 and 10: with administration instructions, analysis guidelines, CD and CD instruction book for electronic data analysis (to be retained by school)
  • Student viewing answer booklets: one per student
  • A4 colour print(s): Y3 - 2 prints; Y7 - 1 print; Y10 3 prints: one of each per student, to be retained by school.
  • One Video tape containing media texts for each year group (to be retained by school)

Assessment Times

  • Years 3, 7 and 10: 90 minutes (includes 15 minutes for directions)

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Speaking and Listening

For each of Years 3, 7 and 10, the Speaking and Listening assessments consist of:

  • One listening assessment (where students respond to a video or audio stimulus tape by writing in a test booklet)
  • Two speaking activities:
    • Small Group Activities: students form small groups for this activity. The teacher observes and assesses ONE of the groups as a whole, and ONE individual (the nominated student) within that group.
    • Individual Speaking Presentations: after the Small Group Activities are completed, the nominated student in each group presents a talk, based on the group discussions, to the class. The teacher observes and assesses the performance of all individual presenters.

There are two Speaking and Listening modules available. As each module takes 90 minutes to complete, schools should consider choosing one of the two modules.

  • Module One: Activities are based on Expository Texts
    • Year 3: Pocket Money
    • Year 7: Sport
    • Year 10: Australian Flag
  • Module Two: Activities are based on Poetry Texts:
    • Year 3: Doug McLeod
    • Year 7: Robin Klein
    • Year 10: Tim Winton

The Speaking and Listening Assessment Material consists of

  • Both Modules:
    • One Teachers Manual, with administration instructions and analysis guides for years 3, 7 and 10: one per school Training Video: one per school
    • Student Listening Answer booklets: one per student
  • Expository Text Module only:
    • Teachers Assessment Training Manual
    • Year 3: audio tape listening stimulus (one per school)
    • Years 7 and 10: video tape listening stimulus (one per school)
  • Poetry Text Module only:
    • Years 3, 7 and 10: video tape listening stimulus (one per school)
    • Years 3, 7 and 10: Poetry sheet (one per student)
    • Years 3, 7 and 10: Guide to Speaking Activity Sheet: (one per roup of 4 students)

Note: for the Poetry Module, the Teachers Training Manual is included with the Teachers Manual

Assessment Times

  • Years 3, 7 and 10 (both modules): 90 minutes

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Writing

Three Writing tasks are available:

  • Year 7: Letter form
  • Year 10: Essay form
  • Years 3, 5, 7 and 10: Narrative form

Schools provide writing paper for students. All tasks take 65 minutes.

There is a teachers manual (to be retained by school) available for each Writing task. It contains:

  • General MSE information
  • Instructions for making consistent teacher judgements
  • The writing prompt and a student planning page (for photocopying)
  • Administration instructions
  • Marking guide and exemplars
  • Analysis guidelines and CD and CD instruction book for electronic data analysis

 

Files for Electronic Data Analysis can be downloaded here:

 

The Writing tasks require scaffolding as follows:
  • Teacher Input
  • Small-group exploratory talk
  • Class discussion
  • Prewriting and planning
  • Writing
  • Proofing
  • Sharing (optional)

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Costs

The MSE assessment materials are intended for school use only. They are provided as a service, free of charge, to WA Government schools. Costs, including postage costs, for educational institutions other than Western Australian government schools will be applied.

Invoices will be sent under separate cover. WA Government schools will NOT be invoiced.

For WA Government schools, there is a limit of one of each type of teachers manual, one set of stimulus videos and tapes and one set of training materials per school. Additional quantities will be charged as per the rate for non-government institutions. Student answer booklets and print stimulus material are supplied on a needs basis. Repeat orders of student booklets are not charged, however print stimulus material should be retained by schools.

All assessment material is the property of schools. Teachers and administrators should ensure that it is kept in a safe place for future assessments.

The costs of the materials are as follows:

  • Reading Teachers Manual: $20.00
  • Student reading answer booklet/colour reading sheet: $0.60 each set
  • Viewing Package (contains Teachers Manual and Videos): $35.00
  • Student viewing answer booklet/A4 colour print set: $0.60 each set
  • Speaking Package (containing Teachers Guide, Training Manual and Video, Listening tapes and Speaking sheets: $35.00
  • Student listening answer booklets: $0.60 each
  • Each Writing Teachers Manual and E-Data CD: $25.00

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Ordering Assessment Materials

To order Assessment Materials click Ordering Assessment Materials

Go back to School Assessment Materials
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