An essential element of education is assessment for, as and of learning. All students at Carroll College complete a range of assessment task types. The staff recently underwent Professional Learning delivered by Shane Chapman from NESA about effective assessment. This session gave staff the opportunity to analyse our own assessment tasks and practices and consider ways we can be more consistent in our assessment writing and procedures.

As a result of this professional learning, each Department has been allocated time this term to review and improve their assessment tasks. A highly successful meeting has already been held with members of the English Department where tasks for Term 1, 2023 across Years 8, 9 and 10 were revised and re-written to ensure that they meet best practice standards. Meetings will continue across the term with the goal being to have a uniform format for formal assessment tasks across all KLAs for Term 1.

It is essential that all assessment tasks include the necessary information and that tasks are written in a way that ensures students are clear about the requirements of the task and how they can succeed. Writing student-centred Marking Guidelines is a part of this process as these are vital documents that provide students with an indication of what they need to do to achieve at each Grade level.

This process is excellent professional development that is directly related to improving student outcomes. We are fortunate to have this time and I expect that students and parents will very much benefit from these changes and improvements to assessment tasks.

Erica Drewsen
Assistant Principal, Learning and Innovation