Using Assessment Data - Online Tutorials
Effective teachers have positive relationships with their students and a belief in their students' ability to learn. Research also shows that effective teachers make appropriate use of assessment data.1
Assessment data can be collected in several ways. Most assessments are conducted by teachers in their classrooms. There are also large scale assessments, such as NAPLAN and VCE, which can provide a context for what teachers already know about their students, their abilities and their school as a learning community. Teachers and school leaders can also use this type of data to improve their teaching, and, equally as important, their review and enhancement of school programs.
These online tutorials are designed to assist teachers and school leaders, by providing guidance on how to effectively use large-scale assessment data in an appropriate context. The tutorials complement the face-to-face support currently provided to schools by the VCAA.
1 Gail L. Thompson and Cynthia Thrasher Shamberger, What Really Matters: Six Characteristics of Outstanding Teachers in Challenging Schools', ASCD Express, Vol. 8, No. 2. <http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol8/802-thompson.aspx>
This resource has been developed through a collaborative ARC-funded research project whose partners are
The University of Melbourne (Melbourne Graduate School of Education),
The University of Tasmania,
the Department of Education and Training (DET) and
the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA).
We would like to acknowledge the Victorian schools that made valuable contributions
to the development of these tutorials in participating in this project.