School Based Assessment

Purpose of School Based Assessment

The Stage 5 syllabi advocate assessment for learning, as this is a type of quality assessment that has had world-wide success in enhancing teaching and improving student learning.  Assessment for learning gives students opportunities to produce work that leads to development of their knowledge, understanding and skills.  Teachers decide 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.

In summary, assessment for learning:

• is an essential and integrated part of teaching and learning

• reflects a belief that all students can improve

• involves setting learning goals with students

• helps students know and recognise the standards for which they are aiming

• involves students in self-assessment and peer assessment

• provides feedback to help students understand the next steps in learning and plan how to achieve them

• involves teachers, students and parents in reflecting on assessment data.

Course Performance Descriptors have been developed for each Stage 5 Board Developed course.

Applying the Course Performance Descriptors involves teachers in:

• using existing assessment tasks (e.g. tests, practical work, assignments, presentations, projects, exams, discussions) which relate to the knowledge and skills objectives in the Areas for Assessment;

• making assessment observations and recording judgements (e.g. marks, grades, comments);

• making a summative assessment judgement for each student (i.e. what is the extent of a student’s achievement at the end of the course?);

• applying the Course Performance Descriptors to determine the most appropriate overall description of each student’s achievement and awarding the grade.

For Board Endorsed School Developed Courses and Content Endorsed Courses, such as Physical Activity, the Common Grade Scale should be used.

The descriptors describe the main features of a typical student's performance at each grade measured against the syllabus objectives and outcomes for the course. 

In applying these descriptors, teachers should interpret them in terms of standards that can be achieved by Stage 5 students within the bounds of the course.  It is not intended that the course performance descriptors represent a checklist, or provide a comprehensive description of student performance at each grade level.  The descriptor that provides the best overall description of the student's achievement, at the end of Stage 5, will determine the grade awarded.  Teachers make the final judgement of the grade deserved on the basis of available assessment information and with reference to the Course Performance Descriptors.

The Course Performance Descriptors are available for each subject in Stage 5 by visiting the ARC Website

The Common Grade Scale is to be used to assign RoSA grades for students in Stage 5 courses that do not have subject-specific course performance descriptors.  These include Board Endorsed Courses and Content Endorsed Courses such as Physical Activity and Sports Studies.

The Common Grade Scale describes performance at each of five grade levels.