The NSW Department of Education has created a measure of learning in literacy and numeracy for students with complex learning needs. These are part of the Inclusive Assessment Program.
At Les Powell School, teachers use two assessment tools: The Literacy and Numeracy Precursor Indicators and Passport for Learning. These tools are used to assess, support and scaffold learning for students with complex learning needs. The Literacy and Numeracy Precursor Indicators are a set of indicators intended to be precursors to the National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions. Passport for Learning is a holistic formative assessment approach for students with moderate to severe intellectual disability that allows educators to record observations on a student’s Cognitive, Receptive, Expressive and Social skills.
These assessment tools support our teachers to know where students are at in their learning, identify next steps for learning, set individual learning goals, and report on and celebrate learning acheivements.
Twice a year, teachers formally report a student’s achievement based on the outcomes described in the syllabus of each subject and the goals in their Personalised Learning and Support Plan. A written report is sent home in the first half of the year, near the end of Term 2, and again in Term 4. This gives a clear picture of a student’s learning and progress.
Personalised report for students
For students with disability whose learning program is based on syllabus outcomes that are different from the age/stage of their peers, teachers use the Personalised Reporting Scale to report on student achievement.
At Les Powell School teachers report on the Key Learning Areas (KLAs) of English; mathematics; science and technology; creative arts; human society and its environment (which includes history and geography); personal development, health and physical education. Additionally, teachers report on student progress towards achievement of Personalised Learning and Support Plan goals.
When reporting on a student’s achievement, teachers at Les Powell School report on achievement using the following scale:
