The next school report card your child brings home is likely to look different and the school will be able to tell you how your child is fairing compared to others at the school.
All schools - state, Catholic and independent - across Australia are this year working towards producing report cards that measure a student's achievements using a five-point scale, whether it be A-E or another similar scale.
Parents of students in state, Catholic and independent schools are also now guaranteed written information on their child's achievements, and how their child compares with others in the same grade at their school.
To access this information, parents should request it from their child's school.
Twice-yearly parent-teacher interviews must also be offered to parents of students at all schools. Many schools have been offering these for a number of years.
The reforms are part of new Commonwealth Government requirements.
The end result will be a more consistent approach to assessment and reporting across our schools.
Education Queensland Assistant Director-General, Terry Kearney, says from 2007 all state schools will adopt the same format for written report cards for students.
"These will be new, 'plain English' reports adopting a five-point scale and provided twice a year," he says.
"For fourth term this year, schools will make their own, individual changes to existing report cards, to ensure they use a five-point scale to comply with Commonwealth Government requirements. Some state schools will choose to use the 2007 report template for fourth term this year."
Queensland Catholic Education Commission Executive Director Mike Byrne says Catholic schools in Queensland will report student achievement in five levels (A-E or equivalent).
Mr Byrne says providing clear and concise reports to parents is a high priority for Catholic schools and he expects all will have adopted the reporting format by the end of this year.
Independent Schools Queensland Director (Operations) David Robertson says independent schools across Queensland are also in the process of implementing the new reporting requirements.
"For some, this will mean little or no change to their existing reporting to parents, but for other schools, parents will notice significant changes to the format and information contained in reports," he says.
"From this year, parents will see achievement levels for each subject against the five-scale band. Most independent schools will use the terminology A to E and some will use other like terminology."
All schools will also be making available to parents a range of school performance information. This will include literacy and numeracy test results, Year 12 outcomes and the destinations of Year 12 students.
Mr Kearney says that from 2007, all state school students in Years 1 to 3 will see their achievements reported under five ratings - Very High, High, Sound, Developing and Requires Support.
"All report cards for state school students in Years 4 to 10 will report student achievements under five ratings, from A to E," he says.
Most students in Years 11 and 12 in state, Catholic and independent schools currently receive reports using a five-point scale, such as Very High Achievement to Very Limited Achievement. This practice will continue.
Parents of state school Prep students will continue to receive face-to-face reporting twice a year.
Department of Education, Training and the Arts Strategic Implementation Director, Steve Armitage, says that as the State Government's Queensland Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting (QCAR) Framework reforms progress, student work of a similar standard will receive the same results, whether students are educated in the city or remote areas, in public or private schools.
"An A in Ascot will mean the same as an A in Aurukun and parents will also be able to see whether their children's achievement is above, below or on par with expectations," Mr Armitage says.
"New assessments in Years 4, 6 and 9 will also tell parents how their child is achieving compared to other students in their grade across the state. This is in addition to existing Years 3, 5 and 7 statewide tests.
"This increased consistency in reporting of student achievements is particularly important to the 25 per cent of students, and many teachers, who change schools each year."
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© The State of Queensland (Department of Education, Training and Employment) 2008.