Teachers use data to check and understand where their students are in their learning and to plan what to do next. Effective analysis of student data helps teachers identify areas where students’ learning needs may require additional attention and development.
PLAN2 is designed to help record observations of students’ literacy capabilities. It can be used to analyse student needs and teaching priorities by using progression information to identify where to target the teaching to support student’s reading development. It allows teachers to monitor student growth and to help identify patterns to evaluate what works best and strengthen practice in response.
Scout is the department’s data and analysis platform, developed to provide better information about our schools, easily accessed in one central place. It brings vast amounts of data into one location, allowing users to view all information that is relevant to them at one time. It gathers data for faster answers, simplifying data analysis.
The Student assessment analysis information provided in the Phonological awareness diagnostic assessment and the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check help teachers to use data to inform teaching by identifying where a student is at in their reading development and providing advice on where to next.
Feedback from the following literacy and numeracy assessments is available in PLAN2 and Scout:
- Best Start Kindergarten Assessment
- Phonological awareness diagnostic assessment
- Phonics diagnostic assessment
- Year 1 Phonics Screening Check
- Check-in assessment.
Teachers can use this data to make decisions about next steps in learning for their class, a group or individual students. They can also use the feedback to create an Area of focus in PLAN2 to support monitoring of reading development in the context of NSW syllabus outcomes.