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Quoll · 15-05-2008, 02:02 AM

Hi Mark

Kids are assessed at years 3, 5, 7 & 9 here (8, 10, 12 and 14 years old approx) and they dont make such a big deal of it as I am lead to believe they do of the SATS. Some schools actually pay attention to what the results tell them about individual kids but usually the results are just scanned, the school pats itself on the back for having kids in the above average range, they tut tut at the kids they knew would do badly, may pick up one or two for a short burst of remedial tuition but generally just put it in the filing cabinet and forget about it.

You will find that most ACT schools have composite classes (mixed age) but they are not ability based as a general rule - they do it because the kids in each year level dont necessarily add up to a complete class - classes of 21 in early years and up to (but not desirable) 30 in upper primary. They dont do the composite thing in High Schools (trying to think of any that do and none spring to mind at the mo).

Aus is a very egalitarian sort of place and ACT especially so - there are a few schools which offer gifted and talented programs but otherwise it is a very mixed bunch in each class - tall poppies are not generally encouraged in Aus at all. Teachers do try and have small groups working on things at their own level but that is generally more lip service than actual individual planning I hate to say. They wont bother with testing kids, they are more concerned about their ages and they will place with kids of the same age when you first enrol. The ACT is not big on acceleration - it is quite a process that has to be approved at the highest levels and not often granted. In High Schools there are more "streaming" options and they will generally assess that through their own assessment processes or feedback from the primary schools about relative skill level but not all high schools do that, especially at the early end of HS. When the kids begin to have more choice about their subjects then there will be a natural sort of streaming.

Hope that helps!

15-05-2008, 02:02 AM	#17 (permalink)
Quoll PomsInOz Chatter Box Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Canberra Posts: 1,457	Hi Mark Kids are assessed at years 3, 5, 7 & 9 here (8, 10, 12 and 14 years old approx) and they dont make such a big deal of it as I am lead to believe they do of the SATS. Some schools actually pay attention to what the results tell them about individual kids but usually the results are just scanned, the school pats itself on the back for having kids in the above average range, they tut tut at the kids they knew would do badly, may pick up one or two for a short burst of remedial tuition but generally just put it in the filing cabinet and forget about it. You will find that most ACT schools have composite classes (mixed age) but they are not ability based as a general rule - they do it because the kids in each year level dont necessarily add up to a complete class - classes of 21 in early years and up to (but not desirable) 30 in upper primary. They dont do the composite thing in High Schools (trying to think of any that do and none spring to mind at the mo). Aus is a very egalitarian sort of place and ACT especially so - there are a few schools which offer gifted and talented programs but otherwise it is a very mixed bunch in each class - tall poppies are not generally encouraged in Aus at all. Teachers do try and have small groups working on things at their own level but that is generally more lip service than actual individual planning I hate to say. They wont bother with testing kids, they are more concerned about their ages and they will place with kids of the same age when you first enrol. The ACT is not big on acceleration - it is quite a process that has to be approved at the highest levels and not often granted. In High Schools there are more "streaming" options and they will generally assess that through their own assessment processes or feedback from the primary schools about relative skill level but not all high schools do that, especially at the early end of HS. When the kids begin to have more choice about their subjects then there will be a natural sort of streaming. Hope that helps!