About the A-E Scale
The A-E ratings and comments on your child’s report show what your child has achieved, not against the other students in your child’s class or year level, but against state-wide standards.
Why there are A-E ratings on the report cards
You might remember receiving marks, comments, or ‘A’s, ‘B’s, ‘C’s, or even ‘D’s or ‘E’s when you were at school. Although useful, these ratings were often not consistent from one school to another.
In some schools, for example, a ‘C’ would mean ‘barely adequate’, in others ‘satisfactory’, and in others ‘not good enough’. A ‘B’ rating could mean ‘quite good’ in one school, ‘very good’ in another, and ‘about average’ in another.
In reading your child’s report, it is important to remember that the A-E ratings have a specific meaning that is consistent in all Victorian schools. For example, on the report card, no matter which school your child attends, a ‘B’ rating will always mean that your child is above the state-wide standard expected at the time of year. A ‘C’ rating will always mean your child has achieved the state-wide standard expected at this time of the year, and their learning is firmly on track.
What the A-E ratings mean
The box headed ‘Ratings’ on the report card tells you exactly what each of the A-E ratings means, and it is important to refer to these, as well as the more detailed written comments, to get a clear picture of your child’s progress against the standards.
The report cards aim to involve all teachers, students and parents in the reporting process. On the last page of your child’s report there is a space for you to write comments. After reading the report, please add any comments you may have on your child’s progress, and return the page to the school.
The A-E scale linked to the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) on student report cards means all Government schools in Victoria (with the exception of some specialist setting schools) now use the same approach to reporting student progress. The A-E ratings have the same meaning at every school and student progress is reported against the same Standards.
Student motivation and progression
Student report cards are designed to provide students and parents with a clear picture of a student’s achievement at the time of reporting as well as the progress the student has made since the previous year so that action can be taken to ensure improvements are made.
This means the report cards clearly indicate progress made and current areas of achievement at, above or below the expected standard.
Not all students will make significant progress or meet all of the standards expected for their year level all of the time. It is not unusual for students to make better progress in some areas than in others. Some students may be achieving at the standard, but have made little progress over the year. Others may not be achieving at the standard yet but may have made significant progress since the previous year.
The principle behind the student report cards is that it is essential for the school, the student and the parent to have as clear as possible picture of the progress made over a year, as well as current achievement.
Where a student has made little progress or is currently not meeting the standard expected, this is clearly indicated on the report. It is accompanied by detailed teacher comment, including a clear outline of the action that will be taken to support improvement, as well as student comment.
Student involvement in the report process is critical in this respect. It means that the students will also have a clear picture of progress made to date, their strengths, as well as areas for improvement, and most importantly, ways forward for achieving further improvement.
More information
For more information, you can contact the school, see: Schools Online (http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/schoolsonline) or Region
See also
- Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS (http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/)