PIPS (Performance Indicators In Primary Schools) Testing Program

Our Prep students are currently participating in the 2017 PIPS testing program, which is coordinated by PIPS Australia at Murdock University. This is an international literacy and numeracy assessment program and is designed to assess students entering the first year of schooling.

As the Prep students are in the first year of schooling at our College, they have been chosen to be assessed. There are approximately 700 schools across Australia (both government and non-government) participating in this testing program.

The purpose of this testing program is to:

• Assess the attainment and progress of students in literacy, numeracy and phonological awareness;
• Diagnose individual student’s strengths and weaknesses; and
• Predict future performances and identifying individuals who might benefit from early intervention.

In the testing program, the teacher works with the students on a one-to-one basis, with each assessment taking between 15 and 20 minutes. The program is tailored to each individual’s ability and is designed to assess students in many different contexts. It is a two-part process.

The first assessment is administered in the early part of the year while the second assessment is administered late in the year. In this way, we can see how well the students have progressed relative to their starting point. The College receives very comprehensive feedback from this testing program that informs the teacher’s planning for each child.

Mrs Sue Zweck, Head of Teaching and Learning K-5