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Middle Schooling - Challenging Adolescents to Learn
Coorparoo Secondary College together with Education Queensland has identified a need to establish a Middle Phase of Learning focal point at the school this year. The purpose of the Middle School is to focus on student engagement, relationships and improved academic achievement of students in years 8 and 9. Queensland schools across all sectors are providing middle schooling learning opportunities that are based on real-life activities that are enjoyable to adolescents.
This year, students will participate in several tests such as the National Assessment Program: Year 3/5/7/9 Tests and the Queensland Comparable Assessment Task (QCAT). The National Assessment Program will be held on the 13th, 14th and 15th May 2008 and the QCAT trial test will commence in September/ October. This year the QCAT trial test will be in Year 9 Mathematics.
This year, the Curriculum Corporation will conduct the National Assessment Program: Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 Tests. The tests will assess students in Year 9 in the areas of literacy (including reading, writing, spelling, punctuation and grammar) and numeracy (number, measurement, chance and data, space, working mathematically, algebra function and pattern). This year, the tests will be held on the 13th, 14th and 15th May.
The national tests will assess student involvement in literacy and numeracy in much the same way as they have been done in primary school. The main difference is that all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in schools across Australia will be doing the same tests on the same days in May 2008. The results from the assessment program will provide for individual student reports, school reporting, and aggregate reporting against national standards. Parents will receive information on their child’s performance through the individual reports on each student. Please make sure your child attends school on these dates.
Coorparoo Secondary College participation in the Queensland Comparable Assessment Tasks (QCATs).
The Queensland Comparable Assessment Tasks (QCATs) is to be undertaken across the state in September 2008. This trial is part of the development of the Queensland Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting (QCAR) Framework.
QCATs are designed to enhance student development through supporting teacher’ assessment practices and assisting schools in working toward consistency of teacher judgements. QCATs are authentic, performance-based assessments that:
- Involve solving a meaningful problem
- Emphasise critical thinking and reasoning
- Provide evidence of what students know and can do in relation to a selection of Essential Learnings.
This year at Coorparoo Secondary College the QCATs test will be Year 9 Mathematics. |
