Assessment and Reporting

Assessment and reporting at St Aloysius are based on the Australian Curriculum standards for each subject area. All subjects have a set of understanding, skill or performance standards that teachers use to assess students learning. It is important to note that a standards based learning approach compares students’ performance to standards, rather than comparing them to other students. In standards based assessment, students are graded on how well they have demonstrated the standard.  Grades are based on the depth and breadth of their knowledge, skills and understanding relative to the expected achievement standard.

Teachers primarily use ongoing formative assessment within their classrooms for the purposes of monitoring learning and providing feedback. Teachers use assessment data to inform what they should teach next, or what aspects of their lessons need to be reviewed and taught again.

When assessing student’s work, St Aloysius has made an informed decision to provide feedback to students on how they can develop and improve, rather than focus on grades. Most current studies on grades suggest that marks or grades do not progress learning, whereas descriptive feedback on strengths and areas requiring development assist students in the next phase of learning.

Parents can monitor their child’s progress during the year as feedback and work samples are posted on the College online learning management systems, Seesaw at Kingston and Fides at Huntingfield.

Reporting

The College issues summative reports for all students Prep to Year Ten in term 2 and term 4. In Australian schools, it is mandated that an A‐E  grading scale is used on Year 3-10 reports. Teachers meet to discuss and moderate student work prior to reports being issued to ensure that assessment standards are consistent throughout the College.

Kindergarten students do not receive a formal report but have a learning portfolio that they complete during the year that demonstrates their development.

Students in Years 7 to 10 also receive a progress report at the end of term 1. This report is a brief summary of each student’s progress at this stage of the year. As secondary students have multiple teachers, it is difficult for parents to meet every teacher at parent-teacher conferences; therefore the progress report provides some extra feedback for parents in the early stages of the year.