Reporting for Students with Disability in Queensland Schools

Queensland reports on students with disability in one of two ways, depending on which curriculum the student is working on. Getting that right first makes the comment far easier to write. Here are three students, and how each one's report works.

The rules that apply to everyone

Under the Disability Standards for Education 2005, schools make reasonable adjustments so students with disability can take part on the same basis as other students, and those adjustments are counted in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD). The P–12 Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework then sets how the student's achievement is reported.

Student 1: year-level curriculum, with adjustments

Ethan, in Year 5, has dyslexia. He learns the Year 5 curriculum, with text-to-speech and extra time in assessments. He receives an A–E result against the Year 5 achievement standard, like his classmates, because the adjustments change how he shows his learning, not what is assessed.

The comment: written like any other, with the adjustment mentioned only if it helps the family understand the result. "Using text-to-speech, Ethan researched and presented a clear report on how our local creek has changed over time."

Student 2: an Individual Curriculum Plan

Grace, in Year 5, is working on the Year 2 Mathematics curriculum through an Individual Curriculum Plan (ICP). Her result is a judgement against the achievement standard of the year level she is working on, and the report needs to make that clear so the family is not misled. Follow your school's process and the P–12 CARF for how this appears in OneSchool.

The comment: describes her achievement on the curriculum she is learning, and her progress since the last report. "Grace is working on her individual Mathematics plan. She now adds and subtracts numbers to 20 and explains her thinking using counters."

Student 3: individual goals beyond the curriculum

For some students, the most important goals are about communication, independence or participation. Report on those goals as agreed with the family, in the student's plan, and describe concrete progress. "Ava now uses her communication device to ask for help and to choose activities during the day."

Writing any of these comments

• Start with progress: what can the student do now that they could not before?
• Describe supports, not deficits.
• Leave diagnoses and health information out of the report.
• Make the next step the goal agreed with the family.
• Be accurate. Families plan with you using what the report says.

Before reports go home

Ask your Head of Special Education Services, inclusion lead or deputy principal to check the reports for students on an ICP, so the wording is consistent across the school.