EDUCATIONAL TESTING

Each year, students in Years 4, 6, 8, and 10 undergo an externally conducted Education Skills Profile Test (ESPT) to assess their reasoning abilities (verbal and non-verbal), mathematical performance, reading comprehension, spelling, and written expression.

These areas are measured using a Stanine scale, which has nine categories ranging from 1 to 9. A Stanine of 9 indicates a very high performance relative to the reference group (Victorian students of the same age), while a Stanine of 1 indicates a very low relative performance.

The results from our testing process are made available to parents and are particularly informative for our teaching staff. Students who achieve high Stanine results in specific areas are identified, and with communication and collaboration with the family, are invited to participate in our Enrichment Programs. These programs often involve students being temporarily withdrawn from class to work closely with our Talent Development Team or attend special out-of-class sessions. Conversely, students with low Stanine scores are also identified and receive support through our targeted Support Program, designed by our Learning Enhancement Team. This support may involve further detailed testing to better understand the student’s needs. We are committed to providing ongoing support to ensure that all our students can reach their full potential.

The following chart displays the mean Stanine values in each of the tested areas for our 2022 Years 4, 6, 8 and 10 cohorts along with the State benchmark. Thorough analysis of individual performance, growth, and trend data is undertaken to identify contributing factors and develop strategic action plans based on the outcomes.