Assessment

Assessment and reporting are essential and integral parts of teaching and learning at Shalom College.

Assessment and reporting are essential and integral parts of teaching and learning at Shalom College.

An electronic assessment calendar is maintained for all year levels in all subjects by the Learning Area Coordinators. The assessment calendar details all assessment items planned for all students. It is available to students, parents and teachers via SIA.

Assessment

All students engage a rich variety of assessment tasks that are a logical extension of teaching and learning. Assessment tasks include supervised examinations and assignments (written, research based, practical and/or performance) completed substantially in the student's own time.

Students also sit standardised diagnostic tests in literacy and numeracy in Years 7 through to 10, while Year 12 students sit the QCAA External Assessments for General and Specialist Subjects.

Students, parents and teachers may search, view and print any student's assessment schedule via SIA at any time. Updates to the assessment calendar are made periodically (usually at the beginning of each semester). The electronic assessment calendar indicates assessment due dates. 

Formal examination periods are communicated via the College Calendar, the newsletter and the College website.

For Year 11 and 12 students, new syllabus demands mean that assessment tasks will be scheduled at points throughout the year, to align with the requirements of course units.  The completion of units may not necessarily align with terms and semesters. Therefore assessment dates will be communicated via the Assessment Calendar in SIA.

Reporting

Interim reports are also issued to students towards the end of Term One each year. The interim report is a semi-formal communication with parents outlining student progress (academic achievement) and application (behaviour and effort) during term one.

Formal reporting in Years 7 through to 12 emphasises individual progress across subjects and gives commendations and suggests recommendations for future improvement.  Years 7 to 11 students receive two formal report cards while Year 12 students receive one mid-year report card and their senior statement at the conclusion of Year 12.

The College calendar indicates the junctures at which report cards are published. The electronic reports are a formal communication with parents indicating student achievement within subjects against subject specific criteria in the current semester.

Learner Conferences 

Learner Conferences for Year 7 and 8 Core Studies are conducted twice a year (at the beginning of Term Two and Term Three). Scheduled Learner Conferences for all other year levels and subjects are conducted on an interview day early in Term Two.

The purpose of these conferences is to provide an opportunity for parents to meet with teachers to discuss the progress and learning needs of their child. Whilst scheduled Learner Conferences are seen as important communication between home and school, interviews may be requested by parents or teachers at any time.