Effective assessment advice
Assessment advice and support for teachers and leaders.
Learn about the Effective assessment practices guide which offers practical assessment advice for teachers and school leaders K-10.
The guide is intended to serve as a reference tool to be used at point of need and is not designed to be read from start to finish. Resources in focus showcase syllabus specific examples of high impact assessment strategies and demonstrate how assessment opportunities may be strengthened, adapted or adjusted.
Role of assessment
The primary role of assessment is to establish where individuals are in their learning so that teaching can be differentiated and further learning progress can be monitored over time. CESE (2020a:24)
Effective assessment is embedded within the teaching and learning cycle. It serves as a connecting thread to ensure that each segment is responsive to student needs.
Assessment should promote learning for its own sake. It should also encourage students to take risks in their learning and develop a growth mindset, as students should be able to use assessment to set their own learning goals. Teachers use assessment data to ‘establish the points individuals have reached in their learning, to illuminate the progress they have made and to diagnose obstacles to further progress’. (NESA 2020:78)
Effective assessment practices guide
The guide is a practical resource for teachers and leaders K–10.
It aims to:
- establish a consistent understanding of evidence-based assessment advice
- provide guidance on assessment design and implementation
- support the use of evidence-based assessment strategies
- guide effective data collection and analysis in assessment.
The Effective assessment practices guide supports the agreed action to strengthen high-quality assessment in Our Plan for NSW Public Education.
How to use
The Effective assessment practices guide serves as a reference tool, to be accessed at point of need.
It is not designed to be read from start to finish. Teachers and leaders may ‘dip in and out’ as needed.
The guide contains reflection questions and downloadable tools to support review and strengthening of assessment practices.
Purpose of resource
The Effective assessment practices guide provides advice for school leaders and teachers to enact and embed effective assessment practices in formative and summative assessment. The guide includes content on developing assessment items, consistent teacher judgement, formative assessment practices such as Learning Intentions and Success Criteria (LISC) and effective feedback, and the use of data to inform practice.
Target audience
The audience for this resource is school principals, executive teams and teaching staff.
When and how to use
The release of syllabuses provide schools with an opportunity to reflect on the effectiveness of existing school-based assessment practices. This resource can be used by schools to support assessment processes to enhance curriculum implementation. Tools are provided within the guide to support school leaders to reflect upon and evaluate assessment practices.
Research base
This resource was developed by Curriculum and Reform.
The research base used was NESA’s NSW Curriculum, the department’s What works best: 2020 update and What works best in practice.
Contact
Email questions, comments and feedback about this resource to contactcurriculumreform@det.nsw.edu.au using the subject line ‘Effective assessment practices’.
Alignment to system priorities and/or needs
- Our Plan for NSW Public Education
- Policy library – School excellence
- Curriculum planning and programming, assessing and reporting to parents K-12
- Implementation document for Curriculum planning and programming, assessing and reporting to parents K-12 policy
Alignment to School Excellence Framework
The importance of effective assessment practices and consistent teacher judgement are key messages in the School Excellence Framework (SEFv3).
In schools that excel, consistent school-wide practices for assessment are used to monitor, plan and report on student learning across the curriculum. Formative assessment is integrated into teaching practice in every classroom (SEFv3 Excelling statement - Learning Domain - Assessment).
Alignment to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
Effective assessment practices are a focus area of professional practice in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers:
- Standard 5.1 – Assess student learning – 5.1.2, 5.1.3, 5.1.4
- Standard 5.2 – Provide feedback to students on their learning – 5.2.2, 5.2.3, 5.2.4
Created/ last updated: August 2024
To be reviewed: February 2025
Resources
Resources in focus
Each ‘Resource in focus’ highlights high-impact assessment strategies. These demonstrate how assessment opportunities in a unit or teaching and learning program may be strengthened, adapted or adjusted based on context. Available resources include English, mathematics, Dance and Computing technology and can be found on 'Resources in focus'.
Additional 'Resources in focus' will be developed as more curriculum support packages are released.
Centre for Educational Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) reports
What works best: 2020 update and What works best in practice – Chapter 5 targets assessment, Chapter 4 the use of data to inform practice and Chapter 3 targets effective feedback.
Re-assessing assessment (2015) – draws on research evidence about the nature and importance of effective assessment.
Australian Institute for Teaching School and School Leadership (AITSL)
Illustrations of practice: Standard 5.1: Assess student learning: Focus area in action. Australian Institute for Teaching School and School Leadership Limited (AITSL).
Illustrations of practice: Standard 5.2: Provide feedback to students on their learning: Focus area in action. Australian Institute for Teaching School and School Leadership Limited (AITSL).
Supporting students
Adjustments to teaching and learning – Students with disability – Adjustments enable students with disability and additional learning and support needs access to syllabus outcomes and content on the same basis as their peers.
Assessing EAL/D learners – Differentiating assessment through scaffolded support in the learning of language to support access to curriculum content.
Assess and identify – High potential and gifted education – Assess and identify the specific learning needs of all high potential, gifted and highly gifted students.
Consistent teacher judgement – Provides advice to strengthen knowledge and understanding of consistent teacher judgement and moderation practices.
Policy and guidance
Policy and guidance – Directing you to policy and guidance related to assessment including the national assessment program, Stages 5 and 6 Record of School Achievement (RoSA) and Stage 6 monitoring advice.
Assessment and reporting – Guidance provided by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) covering assessment principles; formative and summative assessment; evidence and feedback; and reporting and using grades.