Assessment
Teachers continually monitor student learning through summative assessment tasks (used to inform reporting) plus monitoring strategies and tasks and diagnostic assessments (to inform ongoing teaching and learning)
Summative assessments – are opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know, understand and can do in relation to the year level achievement standard. They are generally completed at the end of a unit of work. Teachers design and adapt quality assured summative assessments and marking guides, aligned to the Australian Curriculum following the requirements of Education Queensland as set out in the P-12 Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Framework (P-12 CARF).
Student performance on summative assessments are used to determine the student's level of achievement. Teachers make judgements about student performance on individual assessments and folios of tasks. This in turn informs the student achievement, which is, reflected in student report cards.
Monitoring stragegies and tasks – are used by highly effective teachers to gather evidence of learning to inform the next steps of teaching. They are used continuously throughout the year and occur minute by minute, day by day. Teachers use a variety of monitoring strategies such as observations, student book work, set tasks and discussions to determine where student performance lies aligned to the upcoming summative assessment.
Diagnostic/standardised/systemic assessments – are designed to identify areas of strength and weakness at individual, class and cohort level. Student performance in these assessments inform teaching and learning as well as intervention and extension programs. At SSS, these include reading assessments for all year levels, Early Start assessments in Prep and Year 1, PAT (Maths, Reading as required) and annual NAPLAN for Years 3 and 5.
Reporting
Teachers complete written reports twice yearly, in Term 2 and Term 4 as required by Eduaction Queensland. Written reports provide information to parents about a student's performance in each learning area studied that semester, including student effort and behaviour. Students are awarded an overall grade that uses a common five-point scale as set out in the P-12 CARF.
Prep students receive a written report card which uses the five point scale of Applying, Making Connections, Working with, Exploring and Becoming Aware to report student achievement in English, Mathematics, Science, History and Geography. Prep teachers will use comments to report on student achievement in the early learning areas of Social and Personal Learning, Health and Physical Learning and Active Learning Processes.
Year 1 and 2 use the five point scale of Very High, High, Sound, Developing and Support Required to report on student achievement. Teachers report on effort and behaviour using the same 5 point scale.
Year 3 to 6 use the five point scale of A, B, C, D, E or N (insufficient evidence) to report on student achievement. Teachers report on effort and behaviour in these year levels using: Excellent, Very Good, Satisfactory, Needs attention and Unacceptable.
Additionally, parent-teacher interviews are offered twice yearly at the end of Term One and Three. These interviews are offered in the afternoon/evenings. An online booking system is used for bookings.