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Effective documentary evidence
Stage 6 item
Samples of effective documentary evidence
The following evidence item provides a sample of effective documentary evidence at the Proficient Teacher level of the Standards.
It includes:
- details about the item, including the stage and Evidence Category
- the Standard Descriptors achieved
- the annotation.
NESA comments outline how each item meets the characteristics of effective documentary evidence.
The sample is not definitive and should not be applied in a prescriptive way or used as a checklist or template.
Standard Descriptors achieved
- 5.1.2 - Develop, select and use informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative assessment strategies to assess student learning.
- 5.2.2 - Provide timely, effective and appropriate feedback to students about their achievement relative to their learning goals.
- 5.3.2 - Understand and participate in assessment moderation activities to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
Teacher’s annotation - Stage 6 item
I developed this assessment task notification to align to the Business Studies Syllabus Year 11 topic ‘Business Planning’.
The task
The task provided students with the opportunity to apply their learning to construct a plan for a hypothetical business and to develop their use of business terminology and concepts.
The task assessed a considerable amount of content, and as such, was given a weighting of 30%. This aligns with the weightings for formal school-based assessment as detailed in the NESA Assessment and Reporting in Business Studies document (5.1.2).
The scaffold was provided to support students in the development of their response, while allowing them flexibility to interpret and respond to the scenario.
Students of all abilities had the opportunity to access this task and display their learning. Students were encouraged to further develop the hypothetical scenario presented, in order to strengthen their business plan with additional information.
Students were given 3 weeks to complete the task.
Discussion and feedback
I facilitated class discussion at key points. This enabled students to share their progress and ask questions. I shared feedback with every student to guide their planning during one-to-one discussions (5.2.2).
I recorded brief summary notes of the feedback on the students planning documents and provided each student with a copy (see example in the evidence). I also used the summary notes to review the way that students applied my feedback to develop their final submission.
An excerpt of a final submission/assessment task has been included in the evidence.
Marking
I arranged for all Year 11 Business Studies teachers to be involved in a pilot marking process once the tasks had been submitted. Year 11 Business Studies teachers reviewed and marked a selected range of student responses to ensure we were consistent in our approach.
Some tasks were marked twice, by different teachers, ensuring that we remained consistent in our judgement (5.3.2). Tasks were returned to students within a fortnight, allowing for timely feedback (5.2.2). Teachers met following the marking of the task to develop a one-page summary of strengths and weaknesses identified across the classes. This was shared with all students and assisted us to revise the task in the future.
Review
On review, the task was successful overall, however some students struggled with the financial aspects of the plan. On reflection, a template and examples of the relevant financial statements may have assisted some students.
Following the task, I guided my students through areas for improvement and provided examples of a range of responses (5.2.2). This supported them to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their own response.
The program for this unit of work has been amended to strengthen areas of content, which the task identified as challenging for students.
NESA's comments
Accurate reflection of the Standard Descriptors
The assessment task sample accurately reflects the practice described by Standard Descriptors:
- 5.1.2
- 5.2.2
- 5.3.2.
The evidence demonstrates that students were provided with timely feedback through discussions and one-to-one conferencing supporting their progress against the learning goals (5.2.2).
The excerpt from the final assessment sample demonstrated that students applied the teacher’s feedback to develop and refine their final assessment task to successfully demonstrate their learning and knowledge of business terminology and concepts (5.1.2).
The marking criteria included in the evidence shows the teacher understands the resources and processes used to support assessment moderation activities and consistent teacher judgments when assessing student learning (5.3.2).
Visible demonstration of teacher practice
Application of the teacher’s practice is visible in the assessment task sample. The work samples demonstrate that the teacher has used a formal, summative assessment task as a strategy to assess student learning (5.1.2).
The timely and effective feedback given by the teacher to the student is visible in the teacher’s summary notes/student’s planning document (Standard Descriptor 5.2.2).
The marking criteria included in the evidence shows that the teacher understands the resources and processes used to support assessment moderation activities and consistent teacher judgments when assessing student learning (5.3.2).
Although the teacher explained they participated in a pilot marking process with colleagues in the annotation, this was not directly visible in the evidence sample. The inclusion of notes from the pilot marking meeting or a small sample of student assessment tasks could have been included to more effectively demonstrate the teacher’s participation in assessment moderation activities (5.3.2).
Impact on student learning
The teacher’s feedback notes within the assessment task sample show that the teacher provided timely, effective and appropriate feedback to the student about their initial business plan.
The work sample demonstrates the student used the feedback provided in the planning meeting to guide their learning and successful completion of the assessment task.
Effective annotations
The annotation explains how the teacher has used the documentary evidence to demonstrate the practice described within Standard Descriptors:
- 5.1.2
- 5.2.2
- 5.3.2.
The annotation also describes the impact of the teacher's practice on the learning of students.
The development and implementation of the assessment task enabled students to apply their learning and knowledge of business terminology and concepts (5.1.2).
The annotation explains that all students were provided with timely feedback through discussions and one-to-one conferencing. Students were able to share their progress, asking questions and refining their understanding of the subject matter (5.2.2).
Reflective practice
The annotation includes an explanation of why the teacher implemented specific strategies to demonstrate reflective practice. For example, the annotation explains the business plan scaffold was used to help all students of all abilities access the task and display their learning.
In the annotation, the teacher:
- reflects on the impact their practice had
- explains their facilitation of discussions and one-to-one planning/feedback meetings resulting in students sharing their progress, asking questions and refining their understanding of the subject matter
- evaluates the success of the task
- reflects on strategies they could have used to support specific students more effectively
- comments on amendments that have been made to the teaching program to strengthen areas of content, which the task identified as challenging for the students.