The INISSS Project: 'Test what you want taught'

One of the elements of the INISSS Project was to trial innovative assessment and reporting procedures. Rosemary Callingham (University of Tasmania) and Professor Patrick Griffin (University of Melbourne) were engaged to assist with this task. Rosemary and Patrick have produced a series of papers describing the nature and outcomes of their work. What follows has been extracted from these papers.

Both the qualitative and quantitative findings from the INISSS Project suggest that the use of an alternative but rigorous form of assessment which matches productive teaching strategies can play an important role in helping to improve learning outcomes for Indigenous students.

The assessment tasks developed for INISSS closely match particular approaches to teaching (sometimes described as 'working mathematically'), and there is strong evidence that students' learning behaviour changed as a result.

Read about the assessment tasks and procedure

How do you go beyond right and wrong answers to assess mathematical ability? A series of successful ideas evolved from the INISSS Project.

Read about the trialing experience

The introduction of alternative assessment to a group of teachers committed to ideas of inclusive practice and equity was not easy. Nor did acceptance of the ideas take place quickly. The process showed that teachers needed time and support to come to terms with a form of assessment that was both demanding of their expertise and challenged their perceptions of assessment.