Student Learning

Student Reports - The A-E Ratings

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) 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.

Topics on this page include:

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Why the A-E scale was introduced

Previously, schools reported students’ progress in a range of ways. Some schools used marks, letters (e.g. ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘E’), words (e.g. ‘beginning’, ‘consolidating’, ‘established’), or descriptive paragraphs.

Some schools used an A-E scale, but the way the A-E ratings were allocated, and the meaning attached to them, varied from one school to another.

Parents indicated in state and national consultation forums that the different reporting scales used by schools were confusing. They wanted a clearer and more consistent indication of the progress their student has made against common state-wide standards.

The introduction of the A-E scale means that all Government schools (with the exception of some specialist setting schools) use the same approach to reporting student progress. The A-E ratings have the same meaning from school to school, and they are used to report student progress against the same state-wide standards.

The use of a five-point scale was also one of the conditions set by the Commonwealth Government for the provision of funding to schools.

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What the A-E ratings mean

In every school:

  • a ‘C’ rating means that a student is at the standard expected at the time of reporting and that their learning is on track
  • a ‘B’ rating means that a student is above the standard expected for their year level at the time of reporting
  • an ‘A’ rating means a student is well above the standard expected for their year level at the time of reporting
  • a ‘D’ rating means a student is below the standard expected
  • an ‘E’ rating well below the standard expected for their year level at the time of reporting.

The meaning of the ratings may be new, but understanding the meaning of one consistent set of ratings is more straightforward for parents and teachers than having to understand different sets of meanings and approaches as a student moves from one school to another.

There are two key aspects to the new A-E ratings that parents must be clear about:

A ‘C’ does not mean achievement is ‘just adequate’. It indicates that a student has met the state-wide standard expected of students of their age at the time of reporting and their learning is firmly on track.

Changes in the way achievement is reported may make it seem as if a student’s achievement has changed, when in fact it has not. This may be the case if a school previously used an A-E scale to report progress in Years P-10, but with a different set of meanings.

The teacher comments on the report card clarify the student’s progress and achievement.

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Student motivation and progression

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.

Some schools used an A-E scale, but the way the A-E ratings were allocated, and the meaning attached to them, varied from one school to another.

This means the report cards clearly indicate any substantial or little progress made and current areas of achievement at, above or below the expected standard.

Not all students will make significant progress or meet all 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 of the report cards is that it is essential for the school, the student and the parent to have a clear 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 reporting process is critical in this respect. It means that the students also have a clear picture of progress made to date, their strengths, as well as areas for improvement, and most importantly, ways forward to achieve further improvement.

In some instances it is impossible for a student to get an 'E' because the ratings are linked to progress over time. It is impossible for a student to be allocated a ‘D’ or an ‘E’ close to the start of their study in a domain.

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Advice on alternatives to A-E ratings for individual assessment tasks

Alternative approaches include single words, short phrases, numbers and letters. For example:

  • not satisfactory, satisfactory, good, very good, excellent
  • low, medium, high
  • beginning, progressing, capable, advanced
  • beginning, developing, accomplished, highly accomplished
  • L, M-, M+, H, H+

Schools should also consider whether these alternatives on their own provide sufficient feedback to students.

For information on ways of providing more detailed and meaningful feedback to students that will help them understand key aspects of what they have achieved and to plan for further learning refer to the Assessment Professional Learning Modules.