Assessment for learning

Purpose of assessment

The purpose of assessment is to improve learning.  Assessment for learning (also known as formative assessment) enables teachers to identify language and literacy learning needs and provides explicit information about future teaching and learning foci.     

Assessment for learning focuses on the assessment of what students know, can do and understand.

Assessment using the Language and Literacy Levels

All teachers of EALD learners should be monitoring their students’ English language learning achievement using the  Language and Literacy Levels and/or Learning English: Achievement and Proficiency (LEAP) Levels.  This helps teachers to determine a student’s current level of language and literacy and to provide students with explicit advice about how to achieve their desired language learning goal.

On a regular basis, teachers should collect and assess samples of EAL students’ work (either spoken, written or multimodal texts), using the LEAP Levels . The samples of work should be from different learning areas and represent the student’s authentic and best independent effort. For Reception students, or New Arrivals who have minimal writing skills, assessment of oral language is appropriate.

Professional learning to understand and effectively use the Language and Literacy Levels as an assessment for learning tool is offered annually for CESA teachers; register via the CESA Registration Centre.

Case management and Accountability

EAL students who are in the Beginning and Emerging Phases require case management with informed EAL intervention for the acceleration of English language of at least 2 levels per year.

A Case Management: Assessment for Learning resource, based on the Language and Literacy Levels, enables teachers to assess, identify language targets,  and monitor progress.   Other case management resources are available here.

It is recommended that explicit teaching strategies aligned with the Levels are used within a contextualised scaffolding/ gradual release teaching and learning cycle in order to achieve the language learning goals that have been identified for the student based on their assessed language level.

Looking for more information?

Tools for Enhancing Assessment Literacy for Teachers of English as an Additional Language is an online resource for teachers of primary and secondary level students are learning EAL.  It brings together a range of tools and advice within an assessment for learning framework.

Assessment for Learning  website developed by Curriculum Corporation on behalf of the education departments of the States, Territories and Commonwealth of Australia.

Information related to the CESA EALD data collection for allocation of funding to schools is here