Wednesday, 9 Feb 2022
The start of a new school year can be busy and stressful. We've compiled some simple time-saving tips to help you get assessment-ready.
There are a couple of easy updates you can make right now to ensure that PAT assessments run smoothly this year.
Refresh your database
Update records now to save time later on. Your school’s online account Help page contains a range of short videos on completing basic admin tasks like adding new students or editing existing details.
Log in to my school's account ►
You'll find lots of helpful features in your online account, including the year level rollover wizard – a simple way to automatically advance a student cohort by one year. Watch our short guide below or find it on the Students page in your online account.
Recap on the evidence
Teachers rely on many kinds of evidence to support decisions about what a student needs next, and assessment results have been a valuable constant during the disruptions of the past two years. Revisit last year's PAT data to inform your professional judgement about the appropriate next steps for each student in your class. Your online account gives you lots of flexibility in how you view results; as ACER course facilitator Dr Katie Richardson says, sorting data in a variety of ways allows you to see patterns in achievement at the individual and group level, giving you powerful insights into the effectiveness of teaching.
This webinar introduces one of the most valuable and detailed reports you can generate with PAT data: the Group Report. It's also a great example of the kind of support – webinars, workshops, help videos, 'how to' guides and more – that PAT schools enjoy. Find more in your online account.
PAT reporting became even more powerful in 2021 with the release of the PAT Data Explorer, available exclusively with adaptive versions of PAT Maths and PAT Reading. Read more about the kind of insights the PAT Data Explorer can provide.
Target your teaching
Once you've downloaded your reports and identified the level of challenge each student needs to make learning progress, how do you put your insights into practice? It's easier than ever to link assessment results with the perfect teaching material in the PAT Teaching Resources Centre. You are one simple click away from targeting teaching where it's needed most!
This quickstart guide to the PAT Teaching Resources Centre – relaunched in 2021 – gives an overview of its new and improved features.
Quick ways to upskill yourself
Whatever your experience, we have a webinar, workshop or course to suit you, and our full 2022 schedule is about to be announced. Here are a few highlights from our FREE webinars program in Term 1.
- Thursday 10 February 2022: Effectively using PAT Data 2021-2022
- Thursday 17 February 2022: PAT Adaptive – What is Adaptive Testing?
- Thursday 3 March 2022: An introduction to PAT for new teachers
- Thursday 17 March 2022: New assessment: An introduction to PAT Critical Reasoning
PAT schools can also take advantage of workshops – online or face-to-face around Australia throughout the year – in which our experts will walk you through every aspect of using PAT in your school, plus free webinars on a range of topics. Find out more about the options available to you.
And last but not least, we offer a range of ACER-accredited, 100 per cent online courses designed by experts in psychometrics and online learning to help you become a data leader. These courses are available on demand for groups only and our team will be happy to help customise a course to suit your school's need. Explore the range.
Looking for more?
Sign up to PAT News to stay up-to-date on new releases and more; simply enter your details into the green box on our PAT Insights page.
Not yet using PAT to measure progress and improve learning in your school? Contact the PAT Team for an obligation-free chat or a free trial.