Year 2 Diagnostic Net Policy

(An abridged version of the school policy approved by the School Council in 2006.)

Rationale 

The purpose of the Continua is to link assessment with teaching and learning in a way that will support children and provide practical assistance for teachers.

Aims

• Regular recording of student results should inform the direction of teaching and assessment at the individual student and whole class level.
• The Net involves a process in which teachers Validate observations of students requiring additional assistance through specifically designed assessment tasks.
• Confirm their judgements of phases in which students are operating, and to resolve any mismatches between the results of validation and observation based on the continua.
• Provide appropriate learning support to students identified through the Year 2 Diagnostic Net process.
• Report to parents about these aspects of students’ literacy and numeracy and development.

Implementation

Year 1

• Construct a portfolio for each student with sections for Reading, Writing and Number.
• Begin to conduct and collect relevant work samples.
• Highlight and date Continua with month and year.
• Refer students needing support to Special Needs Committee.
• Start preventative intervention programs for children who are experiencing difficulty (e.g Phonemic awareness, alphabet, sightwords). Consult STLD or Key Teacher for assistance if necessary.
• Teachers identify and collate portfolios to present to school Moderation.
• Key teacher participate in Moderation (school/district).
• Complete reports and interviews – School level and Net report for parent information.

Year 2

• Identify students who require intervention. Liaise with ST:LD & Reading Recovery.
• Plan Pre-Intervention Reading Program, ie. students reading levels less than level 7.
• Monitor intervention programs through weekly reports from teacher aides.
• Map students on Continua.
• Begin to collect relevant work samples (annotated and/or written).
• Liaise with Key Teacher regularly.
• Familiarize yourself with Yr 2 Net indicators meanings.
• Plan and conduct contextualisation activities for Year 2 Net Validation.
• Ensure students are exposed to core genre in Validation text.
• Conduct validation with assistance from Key Teacher.
• Identify and collate portfolios to bring to moderation.
• Participate in Moderation and collate school data collection sheets.
• Set up intervention program with assistance of Key Teacher and STLD.
• Complete Reports – School  level and Net report sent home after District Moderation.

Year 3

• Review students’ intervention plans (from Year 2 Net).
• Monitor intervention programs through weekly reports from teacher aides and liaise when necessary to ensure appropriateness of programs.
• Review effectiveness of intervention programs to decide future directions, e.g. Are there any children ready to exit from the program?
• Collect samples.
• Highlight and date continua with month and year.
• Identify and collate portfolios to bring to Moderation.
• Participate in Moderation.

Years 4-7

• Highlight and date Developmental Continua (you must have assessment samples or annotations to support mapping).
• Class teacher and STLD review Learning Support folios. Update all modified plans.
• File plan in the student’s folio.
• Report to parents. Conduct parent information sessions or interviews.
• Complete Student Folios ready to pass on to next class teacher.

Evaluation

Students continua results are reviewed each semester and planning and programs are modified and added to improve the students results. Students results are written on the Internal Monitoring overview each semester. Continua booklets are provided and completed for each individual student from years 1 to 7 and each year they are added to and reviewed by the class teachers.