Reporting to Parents
Students, parents and the community reasonably expect credible reporting on what students know and can do, along with clear advice on how they can improve. Parents want to know how far their child has progressed during the year, relative to where they were at the start of the year, as well as where they are compared to the standards expected for students of their age.
The primary responsibility for developing reporting guidelines and formats rests with the Department of Education and Catholic Education Commission of Victoria and schools.
The VCAA provides advice and support to ensure such guidelines are fully aligned with the standards included in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards and the VCAA's assessment processes. In particular, the VCAA will seek to promote school and sector reporting on student achievement which addresses:
- the progress the student has made over the relevant period (term, semester, year)
- how well the student is progressing in relation to what is expected at that year level, including in terms of any national benchmarks which apply
- how well the student is progressing in relation to other students
- what the student, the parent and the teacher need do to improve that student's performance.
Schools can then determine how best to include this information in reports to parents, which reflect the programs they deliver and the curriculum and reporting advice that sector authorities provide.
The Department of Education has developed a website on new Student Report Cards. This provides information about changes to reporting to parents to be introduced in government schools from 2006. Reporting Advice for teachers is also also available from the Department of Education.
