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 .
- 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 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:
- the Guidelines to the Minimum Standards and Requirements for School (Minimum Standards for School Registration) issued by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA)
- departmental policies relating to curriculum programs in schools.
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
- 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:
- Guide to formative assessment
- Develop your own formative assessment
- Put formative assessments into .
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 .
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.
Related policies
Reviewed 08 December 2024