Stage snapshots
Online reading and mathematics assessments of approximately 40 questions, for Stages 2 to 4, that support teachers to analyse strengths and areas of focus.
Assessment link
Stage snapshots and supporting documents are accessed via the Running the assessment section.
Purpose of the assessment
Stage snapshots are designed to assess a broad range of outcomes within a learning stage. They identify a student’s or class’s current understanding or skill level and complement other school-based assessment practices. This helps identify strengths and possible areas for focus. They are summative and based on specific syllabus outcomes, so data can measure the level of student achievement and can be used before or after a period of instruction.
They are designed to:
- provide an overview of student learning across a stage
- identify student misconceptions
- support planning and programming
- provide immediate results and feedback to students and teachers
- complement other assessments.
Data provided
Stage snapshots provide a range of actionable data.
Focus areas
Stage snapshots align to strategically selected syllabus outcomes and learning progressions.
- English/literacy: vocabulary, comprehension and responding to texts and literature.
- Mathematics/numeracy: number and algebra, measurement and space, statistics and probability.
Results and feedback
Both students and teachers receive immediate results and feedback at time of completion which include:
- overall score and marked answers provided to students and teachers
- answer feedback provided to students with explanations of reasons for errors or possible misconceptions (immediate/delayed)
- samples of students’ working out collected in the numeracy assessment (optional).
These sources can form part of data triangulation practice.
Informing next steps
Stage snapshots can be used effectively at multiple levels.
Evidence assists with:
- identifying student strengths and areas for development
- selecting differentiation strategies based on student need.
Evidence assists with:
- identifying students that require targeted instruction
- identifying areas of focus for the class, including those requiring consolidation.
Evidence assists with:
- identifying students requiring further assessment and support
- programming decisions
- planning of resources.
Running the assessment
Stage snapshots and supporting documents are accessed via the links below. These include:
- The assessments, administered online as Microsoft Forms. Teachers can choose to provide students with immediate feedback or turn it off in Settings and provide feedback another way.
- A support booklet for each assessment, to help in the analysis of student responses to identify misconceptions.
- A Quick Reference Guide (QRG), provided for technical support, including instructions on how to create an offline PDF version of the assessments.
Support
For additional support, email online.assessments@det.nsw.edu.au