Student Reports - The Relationship between Scores and A-E Ratings
The reporting software aggregates dimension scores to provide an overall score for the domain. The software then produces an A-E rating, and a solid ‘dot’ for the report card graphic based on the domain score and the student’s year level.
For English and Mathematics only, the software generates ratings and achievement points for each dimension.
The software was designed to average the dimension scores and to round up where needed. If, for example, your judgments against the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) and progression points indicate a set of scores for a student in Semester One of Year 2 that are 1.75, 1.75, 1.75 and 2.00, then the software will generate an average of 1.81.
This score will be rounded up to a 2.0 which will generate a ‘B’ rating to indicate that the student is ahead of the standard expected for that time of the year.
It is essential to let the software generate the ratings and the ‘dots’ based on the judgments made because it will do so consistently for all students from one school to another, and from one semester to another.
It is important for teachers to allow the software to generate the rating based on the judgments made.
If teachers adjust scores to generate a different A-E rating, they create ratings that have different meanings from those in other schools and give a misleading picture of the child’s achievement in relation to the expected state-wide standards.
Assessment Professional Learning Modules
The modules focus on enhancing professional knowledge, skills and understandings around assessment. Each module comprises learning activities, background reading and facilitator's notes. Modules 2, 3 and 4 include strategies for providing more effective feedback to students in the context of assessment for, of and as learning.
More information
For more details on how ratings are generated from dimension scores, see:
Algorithm (PDF - 15Kb) - demonstrates how the algorithm is used to create the A-E scale for a domain and how the software will plot the rating for each domain. (Last updated 22 February 2007).
Teachers should note that the software will generate a 'D' rating if the overall domain score is the minimum score that can be assigned for the domain (or in the case of Mathematics and English, if the score is the minimum score that can be assigned for a dimension). This means that a 0.00 for Reading will generate a 'D' rating. An overall score of 2.00 for Science will also generate a 'D' rating. For a full list of minimum scores see: dimension codes and scores table.