Essential Secondary Science Assessment (ESSA)

The ESSA test contains:

• approximately 75 mainly multiple choice items, which are marked electronically
• three extended response tasks, which are scored by teams of specially trained science teachers. Student responses are scored holistically; that is, they are given a score based on the depth and quality of knowledge and understanding exhibited in an entire response.

ESSA Marking will be held in December 2009 in Sydney, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Lismore.
For further information and marking applications go to ACER 

The features of ESSA extended response marking are highlighted in the following news article by a 2005 marker.

a teacher's story

Janet Gray, St Johns Park HS

I am very pleased that I chose to mark ESSA. The opportunity to get more experience of holistic marking and my curiosity about the online marking process combined to get me to the ACER (Australian Council of Educational Research) premises in Alexandria on 23 January 2006.

Learning about the SOLO (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome) taxonomy, on which the ESSA marking rubric is based, during the briefing session was new to me and I found it very interesting.

The online marking software was very easy to use. I marked one of the extended response tasks that had been scanned in colour and came up on a 19 inch screen. Occupational health and safety was emphasised and we were shown stretches and eye exercises and how to use our ergonomic chairs correctly in airconditioned surroundings.

ESSA is formative assessment and the feedback in the SMART package will help us evaluate the effectiveness of our teaching programs. I intend to enrol the students at my school for the ESSA pilot test in 2006, and I will apply to mark extended response tasks as well.

I suggest you consider doing the same; it is a most valuable experience. 

Full article published in SEN (Science Education News), Volume 55, November 1, 2006, p 10. Used with permission