The research behind ABLES
In 2007, the Victorian Department of Education and Training, in partnership with the University of Melbourne, worked with education practitioners to consider and describe students’ learning progression across the following developmental learning pathways:
- English — Speaking and listening, Reading and writing
- Mathematics
- Personal and social capabilities — Self, Emotional, and Social awareness.
- Critical and creative thinking
- Movement
- Digital literacy.
This research informed the development of the ABLES assessments and resources to support students’ progression in each pathway. ABLES provides teaching and learning strategies for the relevant curriculum level, enabling teachers to create high-quality targeted learning programs for all students.
Integrating ABLES into teaching and learning
ABLES generates reports that support teachers to:
- assess a student’s skills and obtain baseline data information
- develop targeted individual learning expectations for key areas, in consultation with a student’s parents/carers
- develop a personalised learning and support plan linked to teaching and learning strategies
- monitor progress and review the impact of planned adjustments on student learning
- better support a student through the teaching and learning cycle.
Assess skills to obtain baseline data
Teachers use the ABLES assessments and resources to identify a student’s skills across nine developmental learning progressions. Progress along each pathway can be tracked over time and will guide the teacher to suggested teaching and learning strategies that could be used to develop an individual learning plan.
Use data
ABLES provides four types of reports.
Learning Readiness report
- summarises the skills and abilities the student is currently developing and those that the student might learn next. It can be used to reflect on set objectives and an appropriate focus for student learning.
Student Profile report
- maps a student’s level of learning and progress across three consecutive assessments, and in all nine of the learning pathways.
Class report
- provides an opportunity to reflect on the learning of groups of students who are working at the same or adjacent levels on the learning progressions.
School report
- shows progress across two years of assessment for all students assessed in a school, with each student’s progress mapped to learning levels to guide reflection on personal progress over time.
By reviewing these reports, a teacher can identify where a student is working in the curriculum and use the suggested teaching strategies to provide learning experiences within the age-equivalent curriculum, aligned to the student’s Zone of Proximal Development.
Plan collaboratively
In collaboration with parents/carers, teachers identify learning expectations to be included in an individual learning plan. The expectations and strategies might be similar as for other students in the class, but include specific adjustments aligned a student’s individual needs. ABLES guides teachers to best support targeted learning for each student.
Teach
The strategies for teaching and learning for students with disabilities and diverse learning needs provided in the ABLES assessment reports, present a range of recommendations to support teachers to assess and report the learning of students, monitor progress, and intervene accurately.
More information
For more information contact ables@qcaa.qld.edu.au.
- Last updated:
- 4 April 2023
