“While no data can replace the magic that happens between a teacher and a student, we can harness the science of learning to illuminate each student’s path to discovery.”
Teaching is an art that can be improved with the addition of science. At City Beach Primary School, we understand the importance of positive relationships with our students to support their grow
th. We use our experience and practice as compassionate educators to create connections. These connections allow us to know each child as a learner. These teacher student connections are made more meaningful and deliberate when combined with data and research.
Our teachers use assessment data and research throughout the year for learning, and to help each child make the progress they are capable of making over the year. We are constantly looking at ways to use the data we collect about each child to improve their learning and impact positively on progress. This is an area that is constantly changing and teachers put energy and effort towards practising and mastering the science of teaching.
An example of how we use data to impact on students learning is the NAPLAN assessments completed on line. We use the data suites available to us to identify gaps and target individual student needs. The data guides our planning for student progress and identifies whole school focus areas to be addressed through our operational plans.
This year in Year 3 & 5 our NAPLAN mean in Numeracy, Reading and Writing assessments were at or above like schools. In Grammar and Punctuation our Year 3 student mean was above that of like schools while our Year 5 student mean sat below. In Spelling both year level means were below that of like schools. We use this information to look for gaps in our curriculum delivery from a year level perspective and also use the data to look specifically at individual students to identify areas of need. The science of using data to improve the outcomes our students are able to achieve is always a focus for our teaching, in the school improvement cycle.
A summary of our NAPLAN data is shared with the School Board and always included in our annual report. Keep an eye out for our 2019 Annual Report – it’s a comprehensive and informative read and is published at the end of Term 1 2020.