Dear Minimbah families

My first experience of the Year 12 Reflections Assembly in the Bush Chapel this week was memorable. Listening to the students as they shared highlights of their journey through Woodleigh demonstrated their deep appreciation for the staff who guided and supported them along the way.

Reflections from past students Phoebe Azzopardi and Andre Nash highlighted the strong foundation laid during their time at Minimbah, setting the stage for their educational journey. They shared a few memorable experiences that underscored the excellent grounding they received. Their heartfelt acknowledgements emphasised how this foundation has been crucial in shaping their success and growth. The incredible musical performances further enriched the assembly, showcasing the students' diverse talents. This assembly was a testament to the enduring impact of Woodleigh’s community and the lasting bonds formed here.

Understanding Assessment

In past newsletters, we have shared the engaging professional learning that teachers have undertaken this year. As we are building our skills and developing our practice, we are also deepening our understanding and use of the terms we use when referring to assessment. Term 4 is a reporting term, so our assessment terms are in regular use in staff conversations.

To make communication clear for those in our community, we thought it would be useful to share a glossary of these terms with you. We hope that by making these available, that you will be able to familiarise yourself with the language you will hear when we refer to learning and assessment at Woodleigh School.

Glossary of Assessment Terms

Command terms: Command terms are verbs that describe the action required in a learning task. They are used to clearly identify the task you are expected to perform. For example, in the Foundation – Year 2’s unit of inquiry into ‘Where we are in place and time’, the command terms highlighted in their lines of inquiry, guide the learning and teaching.

  • Investigate how my family's spaces looked in the past​
  • Explore how my space looks today and how this compares to other's home​
  • Describe how my space might look in the future

Command terms are used across the Junior and Senior School. These are defined and modelled for students, so they know exactly what a task is asking them to do.

Evidence of learning is the latest researched development in assessment practice that the International Baccalaureate has undertaken. Its purpose is to ensure that student learning is assessed using 4 characteristics: monitoring, documenting, measuring and reporting. Each of these assessment practices builds an understanding of student growth.

Feed Forward refers to providing students with constructive guidance and suggestions for future learning and improvement. It focuses on what students can do next to enhance their understanding and skills, rather than just reflecting on past performance. 

Feedback is the information given to students about their current performance relative to learning objectives. It aims to help students understand their strengths and areas for improvement, guiding them towards achieving their learning goals.

Goal Setting involves students identifying specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives they aim to accomplish. In the PYP, goal setting encourages students to take ownership of their learning and develop self-regulation skills.

Higher order thinking refers to cognitive processes that involve analysis, evaluation, synthesis, and creation. In the PYP, it encourages students to go beyond memorisation and recall, engaging in critical thinking, problem-solving, and the application of knowledge in new contexts.

Measure learning involves assessing students’ progress and understanding through various formative and summative assessment methods. In the PYP, this includes observations, portfolios, projects, and reflections to gauge how well students are meeting learning objectives.

Metacognition is the awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes. In the PYP, it involves students reflecting on how they learn, recognising their strengths and weaknesses, and developing strategies to improve their learning.

Monitor refers to the ongoing process of observing and checking students’ progress and understanding. In the PYP, teachers and students monitor learning through regular assessments, reflections, and feedback to ensure that learning goals are being met.

Rubrics are scoring guides used to assess students’ performance based on specific criteria. In the PYP, rubrics provide clear expectations for assignments and projects, helping students understand what is required to achieve different levels of performance.

Scaffold refers to the support provided to students to help them achieve learning goals that they might not be able to reach independently. In the PYP, scaffolding includes strategies like modelling, questioning, and providing frameworks that gradually lead students to greater independence.

Self-Reflection is the process by which students think about their own learning experiences, assessing their progress, and identifying areas for improvement. In the PYP, self-reflection encourages students to take responsibility for their learning and develop a deeper understanding of themselves as learners.

Taxonomy: A taxonomy is a grouping or classification of a group of things. In cognitive taxonomy (thinking) the levels of thinking are structured from lower order to higher order thinking. We use two different taxonomies when planning learning for our students. Bloom’s Taxonomy and SOLO Taxonomy. Bloom’s taxonomy gives us the command terms to ensure we are using higher order thinking skills in our learning engagements and SOLO taxonomy is assisting us to discuss the level of understanding we have reached with our learning.

Bloom’s taxonomy: refers to six levels of higher order thinking skills that can be carried out via educational activities. The first level is to “Remember” and can be put to practice by memorising spelling words, maths facts. “Understanding” takes place when students summarise research and discuss their thinking. Students can use the “Apply” level to use their thinking in real life applications, while “Analyse” refers to identifying components of simple machines, for example. Students may “Evaluate” by making a judgement based on an ethical issue, while they can “Create” by making a model of a solution to a problem.

SOLO taxonomy: stands for structure of an observed learning outcome. It is a model or taxonomy of learning. The SOLO model classifies student learning outcomes under these 5 levels:

  • Pre structural: at this stage the learner does not yet know anything about the subject being assessed.
  • Uni structural: at this stage the student knows one thing about the subject.
  • Multi-structural: at this stage the student knows several things and is gaining confidence.
  • Relational level: at this level, the student is seeing the interconnectedness of ideas
  • Extended abstract: at this highest level of thinking, the student can apply the knowledge to new fields and create solutions.

Teachers and students are beginning to use SOLO taxonomy to easily sort learning outcomes into three levels of knowledge: • surface knowledge • deep knowledge • conceptual (or constructed) knowledge.

Transfer is the ability of students to apply knowledge, skills, and understanding learned in one context to new and different contexts. In the PYP, transfer is a key goal, as it demonstrates that students can use what they have learned in various situations, making connections across subjects and real-life experiences. This ability to transfer learning helps students become more adaptable and versatile thinkers.

Triangulating data involves using multiple methods or sources of data to validate and cross-check information. In the PYP, triangulating data is used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of assessments. By gathering evidence from different perspectives—such as observations, student work, and self-assessments—teachers can form a more comprehensive and accurate picture of a student’s learning and progress. This approach helps to confirm findings and provides a more balanced view of student achievement.

We are planning an information night where we will share our assessment practices with you. This will be interactive and include a Q&A so that you can be further informed about the place of assessment in your child’s education journey. Watch for further information early in the 2025 school year.

 

KATE BIRD
Head of Campus

KAREN CHAUR
Director of Learning - Primary Years