Student Learning

Prep to Year 10 Assessment – Assessment Professional Learning Modules

Module 5 samples

Assessment FOR, OF, and AS logo
  • We try to be consistent by having common assessments across classes - and common rubrics that we make up together. Then, when we get the kids work in, we each mark about 3 or 4, and we swap them with a partner. Then we all get together over one lunchtime and see if we've marked them differently. And we often have. That's when we talk about what we mean by the criteria - and we often seem to interpret them differently even though we made them up together. And that way we get to have a common view of them. Then, we go ahead and mark the rest of our own classes. It works pretty well. I guess you could call it a protocol. And it makes us get the marking done quickly, too!
  • For the portfolios, our level coordinator has a look at a few examples from each grade. If she thinks we are being a bit too easy - or hard - she lets us know, and we talk about it with her, so we are better at it next time.
  • The way we try to make consistent judgements is by bringing a few examples of the children's work to our planning meetings - what we think are good, OK, and not so hot - and then we try and put them in a sort of progression order along the table. We try and reach agreement about why this one is better than that one until we all agree on the order - well, when most of us agree, anyway. Then we compare the work to the levels they should be at - and decide if they are at a lower level, this level or above, into the next level. It seems to work OK. But we only do that a couple of times a term - for the bigger tasks they do.
  • For Art we have used consensus moderation ever since the early 90s - even for some pieces for the 7s and 8s. We sort of do an exhibition and we each grade some samples then we have our Faculty meeting where we focus on moderation. And we argue - I mean discuss, the works. With creative material it's hard to get agreement - but we can put a case as to why we think a piece should be graded up, or down. That helps us get a sort of standard as well. We have common criteria.