Diagnostic testing is a valuable tool for teachers. Identifying students’ strengths and areas of need is the first step in being able to support them to grow. By using evidence-based strategies for diagnostic testing, teachers can gain a deeper understanding of their students’ abilities and tailor their lessons to better support learning. In this article, we will explore some of the diagnostic testing strategies used in Australian schools, their benefits, and what to do once you’ve collected the data to support your students.
Running Records
Running records are a diagnostic tool used to assess a student’s reading level, accuracy, and comprehension. Teachers use a running record to track a student’s progress over time and to identify areas for additional support. This strategy is supported by many public school systems around Australia, as well as Catholic and Independent schools.
The strength of running records is that it’s quick and relatively easy to do. This means that you can do them frequently to track your students’ reading progress. One of the main downsides is that you need to have an adult working closely with the student to record the data. In a class of thirty students, it can be very difficult to find the time to track each of them! If you can recruit some parent volunteers, you’ll be able to collect a lot of data on the progress of your students.
For more information on running records, check out the following video:
Phonological Awareness Assessment
Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in language. It is an essential skill for literacy, both in speaking, comprehending other people speaking, and spelling. A phonological awareness assessment can identify where your students are at and who may need additional support.
The Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST) is a common tool used to assess student phonological awareness. This strategy is supported by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and used in many schools to track the literacy development of young students.
For more information on phonological awareness assessments, check out the following video:
Mathletics Diagnostic Test
Mathletics is an online math program used in Australian schools. Many students use it to practice their maths skills and it is often used to set homework, but one of the key features is its diagnostic test. This test assesses a student’s math skills across a broad range of areas and makes suggestions for their next steps. Even better, the platform itself will suggest activities that your students can do to work on their weaker areas!
To use this diagnostic test, you must have a paid subscription to the Mathletics platform. The benefit is that this platform can be used for a lot more than just testing, and is a great tool that many Australian teacher use.
For more information on the Mathletics diagnostic test, check out the following video:
Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT)
The Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) are standardized tests used in Australian schools to assess a student’s reading and maths skills. The two main tests are the PAT-R (reading) and the PAT-M (mathematics). These tests provide teachers with a huge array of information on a student’s strengths and areas for improvement, as well as an overview of your class and school.
The PAT is such a standard test for assessing student progress that many schools and school systems have goals for PAT scores. This means that you’ll know exactly what your school’s target for PAT is, and you may be able to compare PAT scores across different schools.
For more information on PAT, check out the following video:
NAPLAN
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a standardized test administered to students in grades 3, 5, 7, and 9. This test assesses a student’s literacy and numeracy skills and provides teachers with information on a student’s performance in comparison to national standards.
While there has been a lot of controversy around NAPLAN, the test can still provide valuable data about our students. The main reason for controversy is that NAPLAN has become a way to compare different schools, and so schools feel the need to push their students hard to get the highest NAPLAN scores possible.
For more information on NAPLAN, check out this video:
In conclusion, diagnostic testing strategies play an important role in Australian schools. By using evidence-based strategies such as running records, phonological awareness assessments, Mathletics diagnostic tests, PAT, and NAPLAN, teachers can tailor their instruction to better support learning.
