eNews #8  Semester 1 Student Reports                                     1 June

This eNews is a little different to the previous seven. It is almost entirely about Semester 1 Student Reports and Parent-Teacher Meetings.

In eNews # 2, I mentioned that feedback and assessment would be a challenge during remote learning and this has certainly proven to be the case.

As this challenge was experienced in all schools, below is a letter provided by the Department of Education that explains the modified reporting process that will be in place for government schools for the end of this term. Although this will be a change for LPS parents, it is consistent with other schools within and beyond our network.

As 58% of our families have a language background other than English, and 44% of LPS students speak another language at home, we are providing this information through eNews. Our website continues to provide a translation option for many parents. Following the DET letter, I’ve added some further details.

Dear Parents,

Re: Student Reports Semester 1

Thank you again for the ongoing support that you have provided your child and the teachers at this school during remote learning (Learning from Home).

As always, you will receive a report for your child outlining their progress in Semester 1, 2020 against the Victorian Curriculum. The report this semester, however, will look different, as it is not possible for schools to implement our standard report writing process.

We have received advice from the Department of Education and Training regarding modifications to Semester 1 reporting. This takes into account the limitations on the ability of teachers to accurately assess student progress during the remote learning.

As a result of this advice, teachers at our school will:

• not be providing a 5 point scale for curriculum areas (i.e. at, below or above expected level etc.);
• be available for phone conversations with parents/carers who need to discuss the report, although we would appreciate it if these were limited to occasions where parents/carers have concerns that need to be addressed immediately;
• continue to provide a formal opportunity to discuss your children’s learning early in Term 3, as in previous years, at Parent-Teacher Meetings.

The report comments on student achievement will be limited to:

• a comment on how the student has adjusted to the remote and flexible learning environment, with reference to the Personal and Social Capability curriculum;
• a description of the areas of the Victorian Curriculum F-10 taught; and
• a succinct descriptive assessment of student learning, based on the Achievement Standards in the Victorian Curriculum F-10.

At this stage, we expect that the end of Semester 2 report will have a more informed and accurate assessment of your child’s progress against the Victorian Curriculum.

It is our intention to provide you with the Semester One reports at the end of this term, via the Sentral Parent Portal.

What will the LPS Semester 1 report contain?

In line with the above advice, our student reports will contain the following areas:

• Personal and Social Capabilities – including Learning from Home comments, with reference to our behaviours matrix for children who participated in Webex meetings.
• English
• Mathematics
• Inquiry and Specialist areas – a brief overview of learning areas taught, as well as the specialist areas in which your child participated.
• Attendance

In both English and Mathematics, teachers will provide brief descriptions of the curriculum areas addressed and any Term 1 achievements that may still be relevant.

Students who would usually be assessed under the Victorian English as An Additional Language (EAL) continuum will have comments that relate to that framework. All other students’ comments in English relate to the Victorian Curriculum (English).

Why couldn’t teachers assess students and provide feedback in the same way during Learning from Home?

You may think of assessments as ‘tests’ or correction of work. However, this area of education is much more complex.

Our assessments are triangulated, meaning that teachers use multiple sources of data to make judgments about student achievement. These include:

• Conversations: before, during and after learning. These allow teachers to check for understanding and cognitive engagement with learning tasks and academic language;
• Observations: during class time, when roving the classroom or working with individuals or groups. Teachers typically record these observations using checklists and anecdotal records;
• Products: such as tests and work samples.

Even when students have completed a test, for example, teachers triangulate the test data with what they have seen and discussed in the classroom.

Feedback is not just about ‘marking’ student work, which is simply correction. Feedback targets how a student can improve and must be timely and specific to be effective. Importantly, while opportunities for feedback occur in all of the three areas above, they are most common and potent during individual learning conversations. Submission of work for teacher correction alone is neither timely nor specific enough to offer the kind of rich verbal feedback that occurs in classrooms.

As teachers are not in the room all day with children during remote learning, the opportunities for reliable, triangulated assessment and effective feedback are limited.

So what can LPS parents expect and when?

Last week our teachers began writing student reports based on the advice above and the evidence they currently have. Despite a short timeline, reports should be ready for publishing at the end of term.

Our teachers will continue to discuss any concerns you or they may have about your children. We are also continuing to schedule Student Support Group meetings via Webex.

Please keep the afternoons and evenings of Tuesday 28 July and Thursday 30 July free for Webex parent-teacher meetings. More information about bookings will follow closer to that time.

Finally, as we look forward to Year 3 - 6 students returning next week, we will provide parents with drop off and pick up details as soon as possible. Thank you to the 130 families who completed the Return to School Survey, which will frame our arrangements. 

Again, we thank you for your support over this time.

Kim