© 2013 school curriculum and standards authority western australian monitoring standards in...

© 2013 School Curriculum and Standards Authority

WAMSE Science 5 and 7

Western Australian Monitoring Standards in Education(WAMSE)

Science assessment overview

Years 5 and 7

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The WAMSE assessment program:

measures the performance of students in aspects of Science and Society and Environment

complements information from the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).

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Presentation outline

Benefits of the WAMSE assessment

Science assessments

Science assessment attributes

Sample question types

Reporting

Insights into Science performance Years 5 and 7

Marking the assessments

Important dates for 2013

K – 10 Testing website

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Benefits of the WAMSE assessment

Results of each student, class and school’s performance are reported.

Student performance can be:

• compared to that of other students in the state

• monitored over time.

Class, school performance can:

• provide teachers with additional information to identify students who require extension or support

• assist in the identification of strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning programs

• added to NAPLAN results give a holistic view of student achievements.

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The Science assessments

The outcomes of the Science learning area assessed are:

• Earth and Beyond - conceptual

• Natural and Processed Materials - conceptual

• Life and Living - conceptual

• Energy and Change – conceptual

• Investigating – process.

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The Science assessments (cont.)

Each assessment consists of two parts:

Part A – Earth and Beyond, Natural and Processed Materials and Investigating

Part B – Life and Living, Energy and Change and Investigating

For each Year group the questions:

• are based in the Curriculum Framework but designed with the AustralianCurriculum in mind

• assess concepts, skills & understandings indicative of their phase of learning

• are presented in a range of contexts that should be familiar to most students

• allow a wide range of student abilities to engage with the test.

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Science assessment attributes

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Sample question types

The following slides provide an outline of the main types of questions that students will encounter in the tests.

Other question types that students may encounter: drawing and interpreting tables and graphs completing a flow chart constructing a classification key.

Teachers are encouraged to use previous WAMSE tests to assist students to become familiar with question types.

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Multiple-choice questions

Each question will have only one correct answer. The bubble next to the correct answer is to be shaded.

Example:

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Multiple-choice questions with more than one answer

Distinguished from multiple-choice questions with one correct answer by having one or more bubbles to fill in for a correct response.

Example:

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Short-response questions

Require a simple answer, usually no more than a few words, without an explanation.

Example:

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Open-response questions

Students should:• write between one and three sentences to fully explain their answer • be encouraged to give comprehensive answers • pay particular attention to any words in bold type• be guided by the number of answer lines on how much they will need

to write.

Example:

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Reporting

The WAMSE results will be available in mid-November.

Schools receive electronic copies of their results.

Sector Distribution of EARS

Government Download from the Department’s Schools Online website.

Catholic

and

Independent (AISWA)

Contact your sector for further details.

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Reporting (cont.)

The EARS software

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Reporting (cont.)

Results are provided at the Year and class group level - there is also the ability to create other groups.

From EARS teachers can:

• list students and their individual scores on questions

• list the questions and their class/school and state mean

• list the questions from most difficult to least difficult, with a description of the skills and understandings underlying each question

• identify questions where the class/school performance were significantly different from the state performance

• use the ‘Individual Profile’ to examine each student’s strengths and weaknesses.

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Reporting (cont.)

Individual reports• Schools receive individual reports for distribution to parents/caregivers.• Student’s performance is reported in Science and Society and Environment.• Information includes the student’s achievements in relation to the State mean

and the range of performance of all students in the year level assessed.

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Insights into Year 5 2012

For Science, the 2012 data showed that Year 5 students at or below the WAMSE standard may have had difficulty with the following:

Conceptual understandings:

• Describing aspects of a volcanic eruption.

• Finding energy receivers and their sources in a kitchen setting.

• Describing one way that Earth's surface changes through natural forces.

• Identifying that variation can occur in reproduction.

• Explaining that birds with different beaks don't compete for the same food.

• Identifying energy transfers.

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Insights into Year 5 2012 (cont.)

Process skills:

• Interpreting a diagram to provide evidence for an action.

• Identify an investigation procedure that increases results reliability.

• Making simple prediction of energy availability.

• Producing a graph title mentioning both dependent and independent variables.

• Extracting data from a table and plotting it as a graph using an appropriate scale.

• Showing an understanding that data can vary around typical values.

• Identifying a pattern in a table of results.

• Interpreting data to reach a plausible conclusion.

• Identifying an action that needs to be taken to achieve a required effect.

• Recognising factors that would help explain an experimental observation.

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Insights into Year 7 2012

For Science, the 2012 data showed that Year 7 students at or below the WAMSE standard may have had difficulty with the following:

Conceptual understandings:

• Explaining that heat energy is removed when water condenses.

• Identifying environmental benefits associated with air drying clothes.

• Explaining the purpose of decomposers in an ecosystem.

• Shows an understanding of the concept of gravity.

• Knows that sedimentary rock is most likely to contain fossils.

• Knows that a magnet attracts steel/iron objects.

• Explaining how changing the forces acting on an object will alter its movement.

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Insights into Year 7 2012 (cont.)

Process skills:

• Identifying an advantage of using a particular form of pollution monitoring.

• Using data from a table to identify a benefit of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

• Using information provided to assess pollution level for a habitat.

• Using scientific knowledge to interpret experimental phenomena.

• Describing a probable explanation for an observed phenomenon.

• Identifying an improvement to an investigation.

• Correctly labelling the dependent variable axis on a graph.

• Producing a graph title mentioning both dependent and independent variables.

• Identifying an appropriate control for an investigation.

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Marking the assessments

• Approximately 70 000 assessment booklets from each learning area are scanned and marked on screen.

• Markers work in groups of six, including a team leader.

• Strict reliability and comparability measures are adopted and monitored by the team leader.

• Markers may choose to attend either a day or evening session:Day - 8.30am to 3.00pmEvening - 4.00pm to 9.00pm.

• Primary and secondary teachers are encouraged to apply.

21 WAMSE Science 5 and 7


Marking the assessments (cont.)

Marking of the WAMSE assessment tasks is scheduled for:

24 August to 6 September 2013.

Participation in the marking is recognised by the Institute for Professional Learning as system-endorsed professional development that contributes to attainment of Senior Teacher status. While it is expected that the marker training will count as professional learning for teacher registration, the TRBWA has not released its policy on acceptable learning activities for renewal.

Interested markers can access the WAMSE website:• for more information• to submit an online WAMSE marker application. Application forms should be

submitted online no later than Friday 21 June 2013.


http://det.wa.edu.au/educationalmeasurement/detcms/education-measurement/forms/wamse-forms/2011-forms/wamse-markers-expression-of-interest.en?oid=com.arsdigita.cms.contenttypes.FileStorageItem-id-9030270


IMPORTANT DATES 2013

May Information about WAMSE marking published online and in School Matters.

21 June Last date for submission of the online Marker application

1 August All test materials delivered to principals by registered mail.

5 - 9 August WAMSE test week

12 - 13 Aug. Returning of test materials

24 Aug.-6 Sept. Marking of WAMSE tests.

mid-November EARS and WAMSE student reports distributed to

schools.




K – 10 Testing website

scsa.wa.edu.au/internet/Years_K10/WAMSE

WAMSE resources:

• Information for teachers 2013 • Sample test papers with answers• 2012 test papers and marking guides• WAMSE marker application 2013• Information for WAMSE markers• WAMSE marker application 2013 form (online)

WAMSE contact details:

Phone: 08 9442 9488Fax: 08 9442 9489Email: [email protected]

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© 2013 school curriculum and standards authority western australian monitoring standards in...

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wamse assessment results

school performance

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