1. Consistency of Assessment
Languages 7-10

2. What is Assessment?
Assessment is the process of identifying, gathering and interpreting information about students' learning. The central purpose of assessment is to provide information on student achievement and progress and set the direction for ongoing teaching and learning.
“Schools are to undertake assessment to collect information about students’ learning. This will occur through both formal and informal activities.
Assessment of student learning will be undertaken for all learners, including students with disabilities:
enrolled in regular classes;
enrolled in special classes or in special schools;
accessing life skills outcomes and content in Years
7-10 or following life skills patterns of study in Years ”
Policy Standards for Curriculum Planning and Programming,
Assessing and Reporting to Parents K-12

3. Assessment ‘for’ Learning
Assessment for learning acknowledges that assessment should occur as a regular part of teaching and learning and that the information gained from assessment activities can be used to shape the teaching and learning process.
Assessment for learning in the K-10 Curriculum Framework is designed to enhance teaching and improve learning. It is assessment that gives students opportunities to produce the work that leads to development of their knowledge, skills and understanding. Assessment for learning involves teachers in deciding how and when to assess student achievement, as they plan the work students will do, using a range of appropriate assessment strategies including self-assessment and peer assessment.
Teachers of K-10 students will provide students with opportunities in the context of everyday classroom activities, as well as planned assessment events, to demonstrate their learning.

4. Assessment ‘of’ Learning
enables teachers to report on the status of student learning at various points in the teaching and learning program
involves teachers making professional judgements of student achievement, based on evidence collected from both formal and informal measures of each student’s performance over time on a number of assessment for learning activities

5. Developing a shared understanding of the Languages K-10 syllabuses
The three syllabus Objectives are interdependent:
Using language - students develop their skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing for communicative proficiency
Making linguistic connections - students explore the nature of languages as systems
Moving between cultures - students develop their knowledge of culture, and the interdependence of language and culture

6. Syllabus outcomes are derived from the objectives relate to:
using language
listening and responding
reading and responding
speaking
writing
making linguistic connections
moving between cultures
are explained in terms of students learn about and students learn to

7. Stage Statements The Stage Statements in the K-10 syllabuses:
summarise the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes gained by achieving the outcomes for a stage of learning.

8. Which syllabus outcomes should be included in a unit of work?
Consider these key questions:
• What do I want the students to learn?
• Why does this learning matter?
• What am I going to ask the students to do and what will students be able to demonstrate as a result of studying this unit of work?
• How well do I expect them to do it?
• How will this relate to the overall objectives and outcomes of the syllabus?

9. What are the key ideas or concepts you want the students to learn?
Key concepts should relate to the outcomes and be expressed in the following way:
e.g.The key concept I want students to learn is that:
there are particular linguistic expressions and gestures to use when eating and drinking in [Language]-speaking communities.

10. Why does this learning matter?
This statement should relate to the outcomes and explain why the key concept matters for student learning.
To identify why the learning matters, it may be helpful to consider the consequences of not understanding the key concept.

11. Why does this learning matter?
For example:
The learning matters because:
students need to develop an understanding of the relationship between language and culture in order to communicate appropriately in a range of contexts in [Language]-speaking communities.

12. Collaborative planning and quality assessment processes
Assessment should be an integral part of a unit of work and should support student learning.
Assessment is the process of identifying, gathering and interpreting information about students’ learning. The central purpose of assessment is to provide information on student achievement and progress and set direction for ongoing teaching and learning.

13. Collaborative planning and quality assessment processes
Teachers’ judgements about student achievement can
be supported by samples or evidence of students’ work.
Teachers collect and record information that will enable
them to:
judge achievement of outcomes appropriate for the stage of learning
plan further teaching and learning activities
monitor student progress
report achievement to students and parents.
Collaboration between teachers enhances the judgement process.

14. The Assessment Resource Centre supports assessing and reporting student achievement relative to standards

15. Using Work Samples
Work samples aligned to grades assist teachers to have a clear understanding of the standards at each grade level. For each subject area in each stage, the samples of student work, together, show the standard of work typically produced by students performing at that grade level.
Teachers can use this information to assist them to consistently apply the Common Grade Scale to award grades to students.

16. Using Work Samples
Aligning a work sample to a particular grade indicates that the work sample is of a standard that would typically be produced by a student whose overall performance, on-balance, best matches that grade description.
The samples of work for a particular grade, when taken collectively, enable teachers to see clearly the quality of work typically produced by students who will be awarded each grade at the end of the stage.

17. Awarding Grades and Understanding Standards
Board of Studies Advice

18. Getting to know the standards (1)
You become familiar with the standards by reading
the descriptions for each grade
the tasks and activities
the work samples, and
the grade commentaries.

19. Getting to know the standards (2)
While reading, think of your experiences with students you have taught who have produced work of a similar standard. This will give you a “mental picture” of the knowledge, skills and understanding represented by that grade.
Discussions with your colleagues may also be helpful.

20. Getting to know the standards (3)
Discussions with your colleagues may also be helpful particularly for
new teachers
for a teacher who is not experienced with a particular stage of learning.

21. Choosing the right grade (1)
Reporting with grades requires teachers to use their on-balance judgement in relation to standards.
This is a key professional skill.

22. Choosing the right grade (2)
An on-balance judgement does not just focus on a single piece of work.
Teachers weigh up the assessment information collected for a student up to that point in time.
This information will come from both formal assessment activities and informal observations and will be built up over time and in different situations.

23. Consistent teacher judgements
The consistency of judgements about grades within and between schools comes from:
following teaching programs based on common syllabuses
using the common grade scale
considering shared samples of student work
discussions with colleagues.

24. Common Grade Scale Grade Word Grade Descriptions A Outstanding B High
The student has an extensive knowledge and understanding of the content and can readily apply this knowledge. In addition, the student has achieved a very high level of competence in the processes and skills and can apply these skills to new situations. B
High
The student has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content and a high level of competence in the processes and skills. In addition, the student is able to apply this knowledge and these skills to most situations. C
Sound
The student has a sound knowledge and understanding of the main areas of content and has achieved an adequate level of competence in the processes and skills. D
Basic
The student has a basic knowledge and understanding of the content and has achieved a limited level of competence in the processes and skills. E
Limited
The student has an elementary knowledge and understanding in few areas of the content and has achieved very limited competence in some of the processes and skills.

25. A-E Grades Word Descriptors
At the beginning of a reporting period, teachers will consider what students are expected to learn, i.e. the knowledge, skills and understanding that is typically spelt out in the syllabuses and the teaching/learning programs developed by schools.
At the end of the reporting period, teachers will consider how well students have achieved. This is addressed by using the common grade scale which summarises the degree to which students have demonstrated their achievement of the knowledge, skills and understanding they have had the opportunity to learn. How well takes into account the breadth and depth of their learning.

26. School Certificate Course Performance Descriptors
Course performance descriptors have been developed by the Board of Studies for each course. They describe the main features of a typical student's performance at each grade measured against the syllabus objectives and outcomes for the course.
You will make the final judgement of the most appropriate grade on the basis of available assessment information and with reference to the course performance descriptors.
The grades awarded should reflect the relative emphasis placed on the assessable objectives of school programs and the syllabus.

27. Using A-E Grades and CPDs
Year 7
Semester 1
A-E reporting scale used to make judgements on student achievement related to the syllabus outcomes and content taught during that semester only.
Semester 2
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
BOS CPDs used to make judgements for the School Certificate

28. Making Judgements Assessment ‘for’ Learning
When developing teaching and learning programs for Years 7-10 Languages classes, teachers consider the syllabus outcomes to make decisions about the evidence of learning to be gathered for assessment.
Tasks and activities to be used for assessment could include listening, reading and/or writing activities, oral presentations and role play.
Teachers then decide how feedback will be provided to students.

29. Making Judgements Assessment ‘for’ Learning
Planning includes the development of an assessment schedule that comprises:
assessment components, e.g. listening, reading, speaking and writing
outcomes relating to each component
the weighting to be allocated to each component
the timing of tasks and activities.

30. Making Judgements Assessment ‘for’ Learning
When planning assessment tasks and activities, teachers need to develop marking guidelines to show how they will assign a value to students’ work. Marking guidelines can be expressed in different forms, e.g. :
categories
marks
grades
individual comments
visual representations.

31. Making Judgements Assessment ‘for’ Learning
Making judgements about student performance involves:
thinking about the types of work students would produce at each level in the marking guidelines, i.e. determining standards
examining the work samples gathered from students
making judgements about each student’s level of performance against the marking guidelines.

32. Allocating Grades Assessment ‘of’ Learning
Assessment of learning involves:
considering all the evidence of students’ learning that has been gathered, i.e. categories, marks, grades, comments etc, to make an on-balance judgement about students’ performance at a point in time, either during a stage or at the end of a stage.

33. Helping New Scheme Teachers
The Languages Unit is committed to ensuring strong support for New Scheme Teachers so that they may fulfil their potential as quality languages teachers. Support processes include:
professional development workshops
targeted support within regions
networks of schools for collaboration and mutual support
advice and support from Languages consultants and advisers
the Curriculum Support website.