Jennifer BranchS E N I O R V I C E P R E S I D E N T

Australian Council of State Schools Organisation

What parents want to know

What parents want to know

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Assessment and reportingAssessment and reporting

• parents understand the primary purpose of assessment and reporting is improved student learning

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What parents wantWhat parents want

• honest, informative reports

• clear, common language

• their child’s progress communicated throughout the year

• no surprises in reports

• • written comments provide the best and most informative information

• • written reports don’t replace the need for teachers and parents to share information verbally

Parents believe…Parents believe…

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Assessing parents’ concernsAssessing parents’ concerns

• it was timely to look at reporting:

– implementation of the new curriculum “Essential Learnings”

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Assessing parents’ concernsAssessing parents’ concerns

• a need to develop consistency across the state:

– 216 public schools delivering 216 different report formats

– – provides continuity of reporting from Kindergarten through to Year 10

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Assessing parents’ concernsAssessing parents’ concerns

• agreement to develop a common reporting system that:

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– – compares how a child is doing with others in the same year group

– involves teachers in moderation to develop consistent assessment judgements

Assessing parents’ concernsAssessing parents’ concerns

• • consultation with parents throughout the development of:

– the new curriculum

– assessment and reporting processes

Taking parents on the journeyTaking parents on the journey

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• new report format trialled in 2004

• teachers tried to producemeaningful comments

• parents felt teachers used too much jargon – “gobbledegook”

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• keep it simple

• provide clear information

• timing is important: parents don’t want reports on the last day of the school year

Feedback from parentsFeedback from parents

• alert parents to problemsas soon as possible

• some assessments are potentially damaging to their child

• concerns when parents reflected on subjective assessments in their own school reports

Feedback from parentsFeedback from parents

• test results are not necessarily more accuratethan teacher judgement

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Nothing magic about test resultsNothing magic about test results

• a test result is only one result for one aspect of the child’s school work on a particular day

• test results should be kept in perspective!

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Nothing magic about test resultsNothing magic about test results

• a test answer or a single piece of work is unlikely to enable students to demonstrate their learning

• must give ‘on balance’ judgements

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Nothing magic about test resultsNothing magic about test results

• national benchmark reporting will only be meaningful to parents if:

– they understand benchmarks

– benchmarks relate to the what their child is studying at school

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• today’s world is complex with many pressures

• we must give our children every opportunity to succeed

Understanding the futureUnderstanding the future

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• curriculum should be relevant to the 21st century

• assessment of learning should reflect 21st century thinking

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• I looked at assessment and reporting in Tasmanian schools

• saw examples of simple, clear, meaningful assessment and reporting

• focus on Cambridge Primary School

Cambridge Primary SchoolCambridge Primary School

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• a delight to walk into the school

• on a journey to engage teachers, parents and students in assessing and reporting student learning

Cambridge Primary SchoolCambridge Primary School

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• teachers committed to improving communication between school and home

• units of work shared at assemblies with the whole school community

Cambridge Primary SchoolCambridge Primary School

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Cambridge Primary SchoolCambridge Primary School

• newsletters to keep everyone up to date with how the school is:

– progressing against the school’s over-arching goals

– assessing and reporting student learning

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• as parents, we want the very best for our children

• sometimes we expect outstanding academic reports that ultimately earn a university place

PathwaysPathways

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• need to value the varied pathways our children follow to careers

• technical colleges, apprenticeships and traineeships are vitally important

• need a well-balanced working community

PathwaysPathways

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• “keep it simple” when reporting student achievement

• guard against being so simple that the report is meaningless

In conclusionIn conclusion

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In conclusionIn conclusion

• the end of year report is only meaningful if:

– student progress has been clearly communicated throughout the year

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– assessment has been used to improve student learning

– student achievement has been celebrated along the way

In conclusionIn conclusion

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• let the end of year report NOT have parents asking, “I wonder how my child did this year…?”

• let it be a confirmation of their achievements

In conclusionIn conclusion

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• teachers and parents all over Australia are working hard to ‘close the gap’

• maybe it is time we re-looked at when formal reports are provided

Food for thoughtFood for thought

• should formal reporting occur at major stepping stones in the student’s educational life?

• would it be more appropriate to report formally at Years 3, 6, 10 and 12?

Food for thoughtFood for thought

• conversation is critical

• provides for deep and meaningful exchange about a child’s progress

• nothing replaces opportunities to share information verbally

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• touched on some assessment and reporting issues

• parents and educators will have this conversation again and again

• striving to improve student learning

SummarySummary

Jennifer BranchS E N I O R V I C E P R E S I D E N T

Australian Council of State Schools Organisation

What parents want to knowWhat parents want to know