INCA - International Review of Curriculum and Assessment frameworks

Australia : Assessment arrangements

Last updated: 18-Jul-2005
6.5 PUBLICLY-FUNDED PROVISION OUTSIDE MAINSTREAM EDUCATION
6.5.1 CONTROL
6.5.2 PURPOSE(S)
6.5.3 PARTICIPATION
6.5.4 NATURE
6.5.5 ADMINISTRATION
6.5.6 GRADING PROCESS
6.5.7 CONSEQUENCES
6.5.8 USE OF RESULTS
6.5.9 OUTPUT STATISTICS

6.5 PUBLICLY-FUNDED PROVISION OUTSIDE MAINSTREAM EDUCATION

[see 3.2.5]

THAT IS, PROVISION FOR STUDENTS WITH PARTICULAR NEEDS SUCH AS THOSE WITH DISABILITIES, LEARNING DIFFICULTIES, HIGH ABILITY, BEHAVIOURAL DIFFICULTIES, OR THOSE FROM PARTICULAR ETHNIC GROUPS OR TRAVELLER COMMUNITIES

6.5.1 CONTROL

Queensland

Since 1996, a State-wide diagnostic assessment 'net' involving Year 2 students (aged 7-8) in government schools (and non-government schools that wish to take part) has acted as a screening device to:

identify children experiencing difficulties in literacy and/or numeracy learning;
diagnose the cause(s) of children's learning difficulties;
provide children with appropriate experiences to address their difficulties; and
keep parents well informed about their child's literacy and numeracy learning.¹³

Tasmania

Kindergarten Development Check

Mainstream Kindergarten teachers in Tasmania (looking after children from the ages of around 4+) use the Kindergarten Development Check to observe and check all children by the end of the first term. The information gathered from this development check forms the basis of teacher decisions to continue with a 'normal' (standard) mainstream programme of education, or to plan for specific intervention.⁹

Should a teacher identify individual children who require specific intervention, he/she designs a programme to provide further experience in the relevant areas. This initial programme would normally last for eight weeks. At the end of this period, the children would be monitored again, using the Kindergarten Development Check. Where necessary, the findings of this second check, would form the basis of a specific educational plan for some children, designed by the teacher, in conjunction with parents and other professionals, as appropriate.⁹

Victoria

The Curriculum and Standards Framework, CSF

See section 5.5.1 in addition.

In the State of Victoria it is recommended that the education of all students with disabilities and impairments is supported by a Programme Support Group (PSG), which provides advice on the student's specific educational needs. The focus for the PSG is curriculum planning and the monitoring of student progress. The role of the PSG is to develop and prioritise educational goals for the student. These goals should be written in the context of the Key Learning Areas of the CSF and may involve the design of individual programmes. The methods by which students are assessed and their development reported is dependent on the needs of the actual student and the educational goals determined by the PSG.²³

It is vital that the assessment and reporting process is an integral part of the total planning model, in order to ensure that the teaching and learning programme:

is challenging;
provides exposure to a range of Key Learning Areas;
gives the greatest priority to activities that build on the student's strengths;
provides educational experiences that are age appropriate;
encourages active participation in class educational programmes; and
is based on clear goals that are planned within the CSF.²³

Learning Assessment Programme, LAP/Achievement Improvement Monitor (AIM)

Students in the primary phase of special provision in the State of Victoria could previously be assessed under the State's, then, Learning Assessment Programme (LAP), which was compulsory until 2000/2001 for all students in Years 3 and 5 (ages 8-9 and 10-11) respectively. School principals (headteachers) could, however, make special arrangements for children who had difficulties which may affect their performance. These arrangements could have included:

special LAP material for the visually impaired;
extra people to help children complete tasks;
a special room, extra time and/or word processors or other equipment to complete the assessment tasks.⁵

Principals could also grant an exemption from LAP to children with disabilities and impairments, and to children who had been learning English in Australia for less than two years.⁵

LAP assessment has recently been replaced by the Achievement Improvement Monitor (AIM). See section 6.2 of the mainstream Australia archive for further details of LAP/AIM assessment. Additional information on AIM assessment will be posted to this website shortly. In the interim, please see the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) website at http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/

KIDMAP

KIDMAP is a software tool which is designed to assist teachers and schools using an outcomes approach to teaching and learning which is fundamental to the Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF) (see 5.5.1). KIDMAP aims to make the tasks of recording, assessment, curriculum planning and reporting more manageable and effective.²³

In general, KIDMAP can make it easier for teachers to:

improve the quality and speed of students' learning;
identify and understand what is being learned;
pinpoint student strengths and problem areas more quickly;
help students with learning difficulties;
give full and timely reports on students' progress; and
make more informed decisions about students, resources and the curriculum.²³

More specifically, KIDMAP can assist the education of all students with disabilities and impairments as it allows a Programme Support Group (PSG) to cater for each student's specific needs. The KIDMAP software assists the PSG to develop, prioritise, track and profile specific individual learning improvement plans. The software assists teachers to track student achievement against their individual PSG goals or against CSF learning outcomes and strands (see 5.5.1).²³

KIDMAP can also generate curriculum plans based on PSG goals and it enables schools to report student achievement in relation to the CSF to parents.²³

6.5.2 PURPOSE(S)

Queensland

The Year 2 diagnostic 'net' (see 6.5.1) aims to identify and consequently assist children having difficulties with literacy and numeracy in particular.

Tasmania

The Kindergarten Development Check (see 6.5.1) aims to identify children who may need special assistance.⁸

Victoria

See 6.5.1 above and see section 6.2 of the mainstream Australia Archive for information regarding Learning Assessment Programme (LAP) and Achievement Improvement Monitor (AIM) assessment in the State of Victoria.

Baseline assessment

In addition, since the 1998-1999 school year, all 5-year-olds commencing compulsory education in schools in Victoria have had to take compulsory literacy tests (reading and writing). The aim of such testing is to assist teachers in identifying children in need of special assistance.

6.5.3 PARTICIPATION

Victoria

See 6.5.1 above (and see section 6.2 of the mainstream Australia Archive for information regarding Learning Assessment Programme (LAP) and Achievement Improvement Monitor (AIM) assessment in the State of Victoria).