Assessment

Advice and tools for teachers to assess the progress of all learners and support more targeted teaching practices.

Assessment is the ongoing process of:

  • gathering, analysing and interpreting evidence
  •  reflecting on findings
  • making informed and consistent judgements to improve student learning.

Assessment for improved student learning and deep understanding requires a range of assessment practices to be used with three overarching purposes:

  • Assessment for learning: occurs when teachers use inferences about student progress to inform their teaching (formative assessment)
  • Assessment as learning: occurs when students reflect on and monitor their progress to inform their future learning goals (formative assessment)
  • Assessment of learning: occurs when teachers use evidence of student learning to make judgements on student achievement against goals and standards (summative assessment).

For information, advice and resources about using assessment to improve your students’ achievement and progress in learning see:

More information

Australian Council on Educational Research (ACER) - provides educational research, products and services, including assessment and test administration services. The website contains research, tests, publications, professional learning opportunities and information about ACER library services.

Association for Achievement and Improvement through Assessment - provides information, research and links for assessment in education.

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) - provides information on education work undertaken by the OECD. Work includes thematic reviews in specific policy areas, and collection of detailed statistical information on education systems, including measures of the competence levels of individuals.

The Online Learning Centre - Ministry of Education, New Zealand - enables you to locate information about assessment, including recent developments, research and new tools.

The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (USA) - contains tools to help classroom teachers become better assessors of student learning.

Rubistar - a free tool to help teachers develop quality rubrics. 

Policy advice

Assessment of Student Achievement and Progress Foundation to 10