(1)   Has the Government indicated to State and Territory Governments that funding will be withheld if they do not implement the Australian Government Assessment and Reporting procedures.

(2)   By what date are State and non-government schools expected to comply with the new assessment and reporting procedures.

(3)   What is the research base that has been used to inform the development of the five point A-E reporting scale.

(4)   Is the Minister aware that there is a wealth of research which clearly documents the inadequacies and shortcomings of standardised testing and reporting regimes and their negative effect on student learning and achievement.

(5)   What measures have been taken by the Government to ascertain the effectiveness, reliability and appropriateness of reporting against a very limited and highly specific five point A-E scale.

(6)   Is the Minister aware (a) that Victoria is currently implementing an innovative new curriculum, the Victorian Essential Learning Standards, following extensive consultation with, and acceptance by, Victorian School communities and (b) that the Government’s assessment and reporting requirements are counter to the flexible assessment principles required by the Victorian Learning Standards that are considered necessary to assure effective learning for every pupil.

(7)   Is the Minister aware of, and willing to acknowledge, that many teachers, school principals and parent bodies have grave reservations about the impact of the required five point A-E reporting system on student learning and achievement levels.

(8)   Is the Minister aware that (a) teachers in Victoria are already struggling to do justice to this system and report on just two areas, being Mathematics and English and (b) when all areas of the new Standards have to be reported on, teachers will be required to spend inordinate amounts of time just on meeting the reporting commitments, which will affect the quality of teaching that teachers will be able to deliver.

(9)   Does the Minister believe that the Government’s stated objective of “plain English reporting” will be achieved when schools will be required to report about Domains, Dimensions, Strands and Progression Points.

(1)   Each education authority signed a Funding Agreement under the Schools Assistance (Learning Together - Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004 (‘the Act’). Clause 3 of each Agreement states that the Australian Government may withhold or suspend a payment until the education authority has performed its obligations under the Agreement, the Act and the Regulations to the Act. The Australian Government has referred to this clause in correspondence to education authorities.

(2)   The Australian Government requires all schools to provide parents with plain English student reports commencing in 2006.

(3)   Research by Professor Peter Cuttance and Ms Shirley Stokes of the University of Sydney in 2000 showed that parents want to receive report cards written in plain language that show their child’s achievement relative to objective standards and relative to the achievement of other students in the class. The results of this research are on the website of the Department of Education, Science and Training at this link: http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education/publications_resources/profiles/student_school_achievement_report.htm. The Australian Government’s consultations with parents and educators have clearly shown that many parents want to be better informed about their child’s progress in terms they can understand.

(4)   The Australian Government has developed its policies concerning this issue after considering research and, in particular, after discussions with, and listening to the views of, parents. Assessing students against standards is important to ensure that they are progressing at a suitable rate and that any areas that require development are identified. These standardised assessments can be used for diagnostic purposes. Teachers can use the results to identify students’ strengths and areas of need. Programmes can be modified or developed to meet these needs. Not all areas of learning can be assessed by standardised testing, which is complementary to class-based assessment and teacher judgements in providing a total picture of a student’s development and progress at school. It is important that such reporting mechanisms be meaningfully communicated to parents.

(5)   The Australian Government’s requirements provide schools and education authorities with flexibility to build on good reporting practices they may be employing in conjunction with meeting the requirements for an assessment against achievement levels or bands labelled A-E or an equivalent. A five point scale (A-E grades or equivalent) tells parents whether their child has achieved well above, above, at, below, or well below the standard expected for their year. For example, the Victorian Government has sought to ensure consistent interpretation of performance at each achievement level across all its government schools, and the Victorian Catholic school system has chosen to use the Victorian Government approach. It has done this by defining A-E grades in terms of year levels. That is, an ‘A’ grade is equivalent to at least 12 months ahead of the year level being assessed, a ‘B’ grade is equivalent to at least 6 months ahead of the year level being assessed, a ‘C’ grade is at the expected standard for the year being assessed; a ‘D’ grade is equivalent to at least 6 months behind the year level being assessed; and an ‘E’ grade is equivalent to at least 12 months behind the year being assessed.

(6)  

(a)   I am aware that Victoria is currently implementing the Victorian Essential Learning Standards.

(b)   Education authorities (including in Victoria) and/or schools are responsible for determining standards against which achievement levels or bands labelled A-E (or an equivalent) are defined. A-E (or equivalent) summative reporting is supported by other forms of reporting which provide evidence of student achievement, and is complementary to prevailing school assessment and reporting practices. I am keen to ensure that the new reporting requirements suit the needs of students and parents. The requirements for plain English student reports provide scope for schools to build on their existing reporting practices to suit their particular circumstances.

(7)   I am also aware, through the Australian Government’s consultations with parents and educators, that parents want to be better informed about their child’s progress in terms they can understand.

(8)  

(a)   I am aware of reports that some teachers in Victoria are experiencing difficulty with reporting on English and Mathematics. I understand the significant challenges facing schools and systems as they implement large scale reforms to curriculum, assessment and reporting, in particular the Victorian Essential Learning Standards.

(b)   If a subject or key learning area is worth teaching, it is worth assessing and reporting on it. It is reasonable for parents to expect to be provided with good, clear feedback about their child’s progress.

(9)   Domains, Dimensions, Strands and Progression Points are Victorian government requirements, and are not part of the Australian Government’s plain English student report requirements as set out in either the principles for student reports in the Act or the Regulations to the Act. The sample student reports on the website of the Victorian Department of Education and Training do not mention Domains, Dimensions, Strands and Progression Points. The Australian Government will continue to work with the Victorian Government to ensure that Victoria’s student reports comply with the requirements for plain English reporting.