Stage based assessment
Background
Online stage-based assessments are available to provide teachers with feedback on student progress.
- Pre and post assessments: accessed through a dashboard, each set of assessments contains 6 to 12 paired items in learning Stages 2 to 4 for English and mathematics.
- Stage snapshots: approximately 40 items covering some key concepts in learning Stages 2 to 4 for English and mathematics.
- Short assessments: small sets of 5 to 10 items on reading, language conventions or numeracy skills in learning Stages 2 to 5.
The assessments are easy to administer and can be grouped together or modified to suit the learning needs of students. Designed to complement other school-based assessment practices, teachers can adapt assessments to suit their school context and student needs.
The assessments are mapped to NSW syllabus outcomes and the National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions. Teachers can then use assessment information to inform planning and programming.
Pre and post assessments
Sets of diagnostic questions in reading and numeracy designed to monitor student learning prior to and after a period of explicit teaching. Each set has 2 assessments of 6 to 12 paired questions ranging in difficulty and targeting likely misconceptions in reading and numeracy. The assessments are available as Microsoft (MS) or Google Forms.
Each question in a pre-test relates to the same question number in the post-test, assessing the same skill with similar difficulty. The assessments focus on stage appropriate content of the NSW K-10 English and mathematics syllabuses. They provide teachers and students with immediate feedback on a student’s current understanding across 2 points in time that can support monitoring of student learning and reflective teaching practice.
Assessment summary documents for each set of pre and post assessments provide links to syllabus outcomes, the progression indicators and teaching strategies for each question.
Student feedback at the end of each assessment supports student self-reflection, identifying areas of strengths and to inform future personal learning goals. This feedback option can be turned off within each form if a teacher chooses to provide feedback in another way.
Teachers can engage with the pre and post assessment forms, and summary documents, through the Pre and post assessments dashboard (staff only). The interactive dashboard allows teachers to refine their assessment search according to syllabus, stage, outcome, concept and sup-topic or stimulus.
A quick reference guide is available to support teachers in using the pre and post assessment forms. Access via the ‘Guide to using forms’ hyperlink in the top right corner of the dashboard, under the assessment criteria bar.
Stage snapshots
The stage snapshots are diagnostic online assessments of approximately 40 items. They support teachers to analyse class strengths and areas of focus based on stage appropriate content of the NSW K-10 English and mathematics syllabuses.
The assessment questions range in difficulty and target likely misconceptions, to assist teachers in identifying a student’s current understanding. Teacher support booklets provide additional information, with links to syllabus outcomes, the progression indicators and feedback for different student responses. These snapshot assessments are designed to complement other school-based assessment practices. They can be adapted by teachers to suit their own contextual needs.
The assessments are easy to administer and available as MS Forms, Google Forms, and PDF files They can be grouped together or modified to suit the learning needs of students and teachers can use assessment information to inform planning and programming.
Students receive immediate feedback on their answers (MS Forms and Google Forms only). The student feedback option can be turned off within each form if a teacher chooses to provide feedback in another way.
A quick reference guide (staff only) is available to support teachers in using the stage snapshot forms and a support document for each stage helps to analyse responses to identify misconceptions.
Reading/English snapshots
Note: The snapshots are available to department staff only.
Stage 2
Available via MS Forms, Google Forms or PDF file
Stage 3
Available via MS Forms, Google Forms or PDF file
Stage 4
Available via MS Forms, Google Forms or PDF file
Numeracy/mathematics snapshots
Stage 2
Available via MS Forms, Google Forms or PDF file
Stage 3
Available via MS Forms, Google Forms or PDF file
Stage 4
Available via MS Forms, Google Forms or PDF file
Short assessments
Short assessments are small sets of 5 to 10 items on a reading stimulus, language conventions or numeracy skills for Stages 2 to 5.
Watch the short video below to find out how to use short assessments.
Reading short assessments
Questions related to a stimulus text covering reading comprehension, reading processes and vocabulary.
Note: The reading short assessments are available to department staff only.
Language conventions short assessments
Specific assessments of grammar, punctuation and spelling are included, as well as combinations of these language features.
Note: Some ‘spelling only’ quizzes ask students to type the incorrect word in the text correctly. MS Forms does not provide a feedback option for this type of short response question.
Numeracy short assessments
Questions include opportunities for students to focus on the strategies used, as well as follow up tips for teachers.
Note: The numeracy short assessments are available to department staff only.
Watch the Numeracy quiz features video.
To access the assessments, log in as follows:
Microsoft Forms
- username: firstname.lastname#@det.nsw.edu.au
Google Forms:
- username: firstname.lastname#@education.nsw.gov.au
Support
For additional support, email online.assessments@det.nsw.edu.au