Learning Profiles

Previous Updates

December 2006

Forty-three schools across the Northern Territory are currently monitoring student achievement against the outcomes of the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework (NTCF) using the Curriculum eTool (CeTool) including the Top End Group School, and it is currently being implemented in the other Group Schools.

A number of groups of schools, urban and remote, primary and secondary, have participated in moderation and standards validation processes. Further moderation is planned in Term 4. A model for system-wide standards validation is being developed for implementation in 2007 and involves school-based moderation, across cluster moderation and NT Standards Validation.

The focus this year has been on gathering quality assessment data, moderation and recording the data. Assistance to schools for using the Learning Profiles to inform their planning will commence in Term 1 2007.

All schools are moving to report to parents using the CeTool. The Reports software will be rolled out to schools in Term 4. A program for training and school-based support is planned.

August 2006

Twenty schools are monitoring student achievement against the outcomes of the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework (NTCF), 29 schools are making good progress with entering and monitoring student data and 23 schools are beginning the process of monitoring student achievement on the Curriculum eTool (CeTool). Significant progress has also been made in supporting the Group Schools to commence monitoring student achievement on the CeTool.

Assessment workshops in English and Maths have been conducted. These workshops were designed to assist teachers in developing high quality assessment tasks in English and Maths and in implementing school-based moderation processes.System-wide moderation processes are being developed for Maths and English and implementation commences in Semester 2 2006.

Software suites featuring digital portfolios have been identified and demonstrations of these product features have been conducted.  Work is underway to identify an appropriate digital portfolio for use in NT schools. 

April 2006

Monitoring Student Progress on the Curriculum e Tool
Mandatory minimum requirements for monitoring student achievement on the Curriculum eTool have been established and communicated to schools. Implementation of the eTool is currently underway with schools making good progress. A tender for the evaluation of the Curriculum eTool has been let to the Curriculum Corporation and consultations for the review have commenced.

Assessment Workshops and Standards Validation
These initiatives are designed to give NT teachers guidance and support in making rigorous and comparable assessments of student work by defining standards at key points and providing teachers with assessment tools and opportunities to participate in standards validation procedures.

After conducting a trial standards validation process with English teachers from a range of NT schools, the project team is developing a set of procedures to establish system-wide standards validation processes in English and Mathematics.

Invitations to schools for assessment workshops in English and Maths have been issued. At these workshops, teachers will be supported to design quality assessment tasks for students at the various bands of the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework (NTCF) and to develop school-based moderation processes of student work.

In Semester 2, teachers of English and Maths will participate in system-level standards validation workshops where teacher judgements will be verified. Samples of student work presented at these workshops will be annotated and published as exemplars of student achievement. These exemplars will serve as a basis for standards at the band levels of the NTCF for all English and Maths teachers.

Development of Digital Portfolios of Student Work
Software suites featuring digital portfolios for storing and recording student work have been identified. A demonstration of two products has been made to appropriate DEET personnel. Further demonstrations of product features are scheduled for May so that DEET can make a final decision on the most cost-effective and appropriate product for the development of student digital portfolios.

January 2006

After conducting a trial standards validation process with English teachers from a range of Northern Territory schools, the project team is developing a set of procedures to establish standards validation processes in literacy, numeracy, English and Maths. It is intended that these standards validation workshops will support teachers in making accurate assessments of student work.

A policy has been developed and endorsed by DEET Executive which outlines monitoring and reporting requirements of the Curriculum eTool. Curriculum officers have been trained in the use of the Curriculum eTool and are providing support to schools in using the eTool to record student progress. The team is also investigating the use of digital portfolios to supplement data about student progress on the Curriculum eTool.

December 2005

Preliminary discussions have flagged that there needs to be further investigation about the most effective electronic environment to be used to develop the learning profiles. It is anticipated that tenders for design and development of the central repository will soon be called, and a policy for recording student information will be developed.

Work has commenced on the Learning Profiles project. There are a number of elements in this project, one of which is the introduction of system-wide standards validation processes for teachers using the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework (NTCF). These processes are designed to give teachers guidance and support in making comparable assessments of student work across a range of learning areas at the various band levels of the NTCF.

The project team consists of representatives from Curriculum Service Branch and Information and Technology Services, with support from a reference group that includes representatives from Business Planning and Information Division and a teacher from both a primary and a secondary school. Members of the team will be developing a model for system-wide standards validation in Term 4 of this year, with a view to commencing implementation in Semester 1 2006.

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