education.vic.gov.au

Assessment of Student Achievement and Progress Foundation to 10

including EAL students

Policy last updated

7 October 2024

Scope

  • Schools

Date:
January 2020

On this page:

Policy

Including EAL students

Policy

This policy outlines school obligations relating to assessment of student achievement and progress across Foundation to Level 10 (F–10), including English as an Additional Language (EAL) students.

Summary

  • Schools must ensure there is ongoing assessment of each student’s performance, and that this assessment is embedded in the school’s curriculum program.
  • Schools must assess student performance against the Victorian Curriculum F-10 achievement standardsExternal Link .
  • Assessment information must be formally recorded for every student.
  • Student performance must be monitored.
  • Schools must have policies and procedures that outline expectations for the assessment, recording and monitoring of student performance.
  • Schools must ensure that teachers, parent/carer(s) and students have access to accurate information about student performance.
  • Schools must document how they will assess student learning as part of their school-based curriculum program, including formative and summative assessment.
  • The Guidance tab provides further information on developing and implementing quality school-based assessment across F–10 for EAL students.

Details

Overview

Assessment is an ongoing process of gathering, analysing and interpreting evidence of student achievement and progress, and reflecting on findings. Effective teachers use student assessment results to evaluate the impact of their teaching on student learning, and then adapt their practices to better meet the needs of all students.

Quality assessment forms a foundation upon which:

  • teaching can be targeted to student learning needs, thereby maximising the potential for optimal growth in learning
  • informed and consistent teacher judgements (PDF)External Link against curriculum standards can be made, which is critical to understanding how well each student is developing as a successful learner, individual and citizen.

Any account of a student’s learning and development needs to be rich, robust and comprehensive, which requires that multiple sources of data and evidence are collected and used.

Requirements

Requirements for the assessment of student performance in government schools are defined with reference to:

Minimum standards for school registration

Under the minimum standards for school registration, schools have obligations in relation to assessment. Schools must:

  • make sure there is ongoing assessment of each student’s performance, and that this assessment is embedded in the school’s curriculum program
  • assess student performance against the Victorian Curriculum F-10 achievement standardsExternal Link
  • formally record assessment information for every student
  • monitor student performance
  • have policies and procedures that outline expectations for the assessment, recording and monitoring of student performance
  • make sure that teachers, parent/carer(s) and students have access to accurate information about student performance. This requirement can be met through the minimum requirement for twice-annual formal reporting to parent/carer(s). For policy and guidance on student reporting refer to: Reporting Student Achievement and Progress Foundation to 10. Schools should note that effective school reporting systems are continuous, including the sharing of assessment information formally and informally with parents/carers throughout the term/semester.

Other departmental requirements

Schools must document how they will assess student learning as part of their school-based curriculum program, including formative and summative assessment.

Formative assessment is any assessment that is used to improve teaching and learning. It is timely and iterative. It can be immediate or planned. Best-practice formative assessment is where each step of the assessment process is deeply embedded in, and carefully considered as part of, the school’s curriculum program and teachers’ units of work/learning sequences. Formative assessment information enables teachers and students to answer questions like: How is learning progressing? What will be learned next?

Summative assessments usually occur at the end of a unit of work/learning sequence. They are often formal assessment items or tasks that provide evidence of students’ knowledge, skills and understanding at a point in time. Summative assessments usually occur at the end of a unit of work/learning sequence. Summative assessments can also be used formatively, since they can inform future planning for student learning.

Documentation of assessment usually involves identifying the what, when, how and who of assessment. Documentation may take the form of an assessment schedule, and/or be included in the school’s whole-school curriculum plan.

To support schools to improve their formative assessment practices, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) has developed a series of online resources which schools can choose to use:

To support teachers to evaluate the impact of their teaching on student learning growth, the department has created the online Evaluate the impact of your teaching toolkitExternal Link .

The Guidance and Resources tabs provide further information and support around formative assessment strategies.

Changes to the current requirements for schools to conduct English Online Interview (EOI) assessments with students in Foundation (Prep) and Grade 1 from 2025.

In 2025:

  • the EOI assessment for students in Prep will be optional for schools to complete
  • schools will be required to complete either the EOI assessment or the new ‘Phonics Check’ for students in Grade 1.

English Online Interview (EOI)

The EOI is no longer mandated for all Prep and Grade 1 students in Victorian government schools.

The use of the assessment in 2025 is optional.

Year 1 Phonics Check

The use of the Year 1 Phonics Check will be required from 2026. Further advice will be provided to schools in 2025.

The use of this assessment in 2025 is optional.

Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0)

The department provides additional support to schools to strengthen assessment processes and practices as part of the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0). Within FISO 2.0, ‘Assessment’ is identified as one of 5 core elements that together realise the goals of excellence and equity through developing the learning and wellbeing of every Victorian student.

Schools are expected to align the design and delivery of school-based assessment to FISO 2.0. Online supports for the Assessment core element are available on the Guidance and Resources tabs of the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0) policy.

Guidance

Guidance

The following guidance is provided to support schools to develop and implement quality school-based assessment of students across Foundation to Level 10 (F–10).

VCAA guidance on assessment

To support schools to improve their formative assessment practices, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) has developed a series of online resources:

  • Formative assessmentExternal Link – provides advice to teachers about how to develop formative assessment rubrics and put formative assessments into practice in the classroom.
  • Insight Assessment PlatformExternal Link – a collection of online assessment tools aligned to the Victorian Curriculum F–10. The platform supports diagnostic and formative assessment practices and provides teachers with information they can use to target the learning needs of students as they progress. Assessments available to teachers include the English Online Interview (EOI), Mathematics Online Interview (MOI) and the Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (ABLES) tool.
  • Digital Assessment Library (DAL)External Link – a platform hosting over 270 free, online formative assessment tools to support teachers in identifying students’ strengths and areas for improvement, enabling more effective lesson planning.

Departmental guidance on assessment

The department provides guidance for teachers to support high-quality assessment practices and specific information to target the learning needs of students, see: Assessment, theory and practice within the teaching and learning cycleExternal Link .

The department also provides guidance to schools on ways to strengthen assessment, as part of broader guidance on improving student outcomes.

Framework for Improving Student Outcomes 2.0

Under the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0), 'Assessment’ is identified as one of the 5 core elements that make the most difference to student outcomes.

Key dimensions of effective assessment are:

  • systematic use of assessment strategies and measurement practices to obtain and provide feedback on student learning growth, attainment and wellbeing capabilities
  • systematic use of data and evidence to drive the prioritisation and pace of teaching activities in schools and classrooms.

Schools are expected to align the design and delivery of school-based assessment to FISO 2.0. Online supports for effective assessment are available on the Guidance and Resources tabs of the FISO 2.0 policy.

Practice principles for excellence in teaching and learning

The practice principles for excellence in teaching and learningExternal Link provide guidance for school leaders and teachers to deliver the curriculum and engage students. These include guidance on assessment approaches. Implementing the practice principles supports teachers to determine student learning needs and support students to demonstrate their level of understanding.

For example, the department’s ‘Practice Principle 6: Rigorous assessment practices and feedback inform teaching and learningExternal Link ’ outlined in the Professional Practice Note 6 (PDF)External Link provides guidance for teachers and school leaders on formative assessment and how to build it into regular classroom practice. Professional Practice Note 6 recommends 4 actions:

  • teachers design authentic, fit for purpose assessments to reflect the learning program and objectives
  • teachers use assessment data to diagnose student learning needs and plan for learning
  • teachers provide regular feedback to students on their progress against individual learning goals and curriculum standards
  • teachers analyse student achievement data to improve their practice.

The Reflection Tools booklet and Essential Resources support schools to reflect on the use of the practice principles and evaluate their impact. These resources are available on the Practice principles for excellence in teaching and learningExternal Link page.

To support teachers to evaluate their impact on student learning growth, the department provides a toolkit, Evaluate the impact of your teachingExternal Link .

To support teachers and schools to reflect on and improve their assessment practices, Understand assessment design – the what, when and how of assessmentExternal Link offers guidance across the following 6 topics:

Formative assessment strategies

Formative assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning for both teachers and their students.

Effective formative assessment establishes students’ learning progression against the Victorian Curriculum F–10 achievement standards and helps a teacher understand what each student is ready to learn next. The results of formative assessment support teachers to set learning goals in the classroom and differentiate their teaching pace. Formative assessment can also support teachers to monitor the impact of their actions and adapt their practice.

Best practice formative assessment is embedded in the curriculum program and teachers’ units of work/learning sequences. It is rigorous and each step of the assessment process is carefully thought through. Key questions that formative assessment can answer or inform include:

  • Where is the student currently along the Victorian Curriculum F–10 learning continuum for each curriculum area?
  • What does the student need to do to achieve learning goals?
  • How will the teacher and student know that the student has achieved learning goals?
  • How can the assessment information be used to influence student goal setting and lesson planning for improved student learning outcomes?

For further information, examples and resources to support teachers and schools to strengthen formative assessment practices, refer to: Formative Assessment Strategies for Teaching and Learning (DOCX)External Link . The strategies described in this resource can be modified to suit different learning stages, curriculum areas and school types.

Teachers may want to focus on 2 to 4 strategies to monitor student progress and inform their teaching. Teachers can build a bank of formative assessment strategies over time that they can draw on to support their assessment practices and to support students to develop skills for self-assessment and peer-assessment.

Assessment of English as an Additional Language proficiency and progress

The English language proficiency of English as an Additional Language (EAL) students should be assessed using the Victorian Curriculum F–10 EAL achievement standards.

The length of time during which a student will be assessed against the EAL standards depends on many factors, such as the existing English language proficiency of the student, the number of years of schooling completed, level of literacy in their first language and background experiences.

If a teacher’s assessment of an EAL student against the English achievement standards places the student well below their peers, and the student still requires substantial support in learning English as an additional language, then teachers should continue to use the EAL standards.

The progress of students who have not yet reached an achievement standard can be reported using a departmental Reporting ResourceExternal Link . It will allow teachers and schools to use the Beginning (.1) and Consolidating (.2) proficiency levels for assessment and reporting purposes. These additional levels allow schools to assess whether EAL students are making satisfactory progress in learning English as an additional language before they reach the achievement standards described in the EAL curriculum.

It is not appropriate for an EAL student to be assessed against the English standards in one mode, such as Speaking and Listening, and the EAL standards in other modes. While the oral language proficiency of an EAL student may appear to correspond to that of their peers, the demands of the curriculum become more complex as students progress through the year levels, and these students can struggle to cope with the academic requirements of the English curriculum.

Once an EAL student has reached the end of their respective A, B or C pathway and achieved the standard in all 3 language modes of Speaking and Listening, Reading and Viewing, and Writing, they can be transferred to the Victorian Curriculum F–10 English for assessment and reporting purposes.

Sample progressions along the pathways of the Victorian Curriculum F-10 EAL are provided by the VCAA. The department has developed additional pathways and transitions resourcesExternal Link that can support teachers' understanding of the typical language learning pathways of EAL learners.

Teachers should use a range of assessment data and strategies to inform their judgements of EAL students’ progress. For more information about the assessment of EAL students, refer to: Tools to Enhance Assessment Literacy for Teachers of English as an Additional LanguageExternal Link .

Resources

Resources

The following resources are provided to support schools to develop and implement quality school-based assessment across Foundation to Level 10 (F–10).

External resources

Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA)

Minimum standards and requirements for school registrationExternal Link – VRQA standards require schools to undertake ongoing assessment, monitoring and recording of all students’ performance and have policies and procedures for assessing and monitoring student progress and achievement.

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)

The VCAA provides online resources to support schools to improve their formative assessment practices. The resources include:

Departmental resources

The department has developed a series of online resources to support schools in meeting the threshold assessment requirements for registration and to develop and evaluate quality assessment processes and practices:

Assessment of EAL proficiency and progress

For a range of tools and advice for the assessment and reporting of the English language proficiency and progress of students, refer to:

Translated information sheet for parents and carers about the EAL curriculum

The ‘Information sheet for parents and carers about the EAL curriculum’ document is available to download in the following languages:

Reviewed 15 April 2020