Assessment

  • The purpose of an Assessment Task is to help your teacher gauge your knowledge and understanding of a topic/s at a certain point in the semester/year through formal means. Your goal is to listen carefully to instructions, read the marking criteria and questions to help you know exactly what the task is asking you to do and leave yourself enough time to complete the task to the best of your ability. Assessment tasks are NOT the only means of forming your grade, they are simply one of the tools, along with classwork and participation, that help your teacher formulate your grade.

  • Your teacher will help you understand your task and everything that is required of you. If you are unsure about ANYTHING with a task, please take the time to ask questions or to go and see your teacher to help you clarify- remember, they are there to help you succeed! You must be PROACTIVE with this and not leave essential questions until the last minute. It is important that you meet deadlines- if there is an issue that will cause you to miss a deadline, you must notify your teacher as soon as possible and they will negotiate the appropriate path forward.

Important Skills for Assessment Tasks

    • Critical reading

    • Active listening

    • Proactivity

    • Time management

    • Organisation

    • Patience

    • Resilience

We will help you develop these skills over time!

Important Information

  • Students are usually given 1 formal Assessment Task each semester (Semester 1 includes Terms 1 and 2; Semester 2 includes Terms 3 and 4).

  • ‘Success’ is NOT about achieving an ‘A’ grade or 100% in all subjects, or feeling as though a task was ‘easy’. Success is also NOT about beating others. Success emerges through feeling satisfied by your attitude and organisational skills BEFORE a task, your skills in work ethic and resilience DURING a task, and your reflection on any mistakes, misunderstandings and how to improve your personal best AFTER a task. Your teacher is professionally trained to assist you in all 3 of these steps but it is YOUR responsibility to seek help if and when needed.

  • Success does NOT come from a fear of failure. Success comes from real learning, which involves trial and error, or making mistakes, seeking help, repeating steps, refining or changing steps, trying again, reflecting upon this process, and, most importantly, not giving up.

  • Junior students (Year 7-10) at Smith’s Hill are usually given GRADES instead of numerical marks. Many tasks you complete, especially Assessment Tasks, will have a ‘Success Criteria’ or ‘Marking Criteria’ so that you know the difference between how to achieve ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ and ‘E’. It is important that you read this criteria carefully, BEFORE you start a task.

  • Your grade does is NOT determined by how well you get on with your teacher or whether or not they ‘like’ your work. Your work is marked objectively according to the Marking Criteria. You and your teacher should have a working, learning relationship in which you both know your strengths and your learning goals in terms of where and how you can improve. It is YOUR responsibility to keep this communication with your teacher open and consistent. It is also YOUR responsibility to commit to these goals by maintaining focus and organisation in class and at home, and asking for help when needed.

  • If you find that you require assistance in preparing for an assessment task, your first port of call should be your classroom teacher. They will be able to assist in determining if you are on the right track, suggest possible alterations