“The IDAT testing is a useful tool that clearly informs our staff on the classroom readiness of our Indigenous students in the areas of language, literacy and numeracy.”
At St Catherine’s School in Waverley (Sydney) NSW, they have a vision for Indigenous students to have access to a high-quality secondary education. To that end, St Catherine’s has longstanding relationships with Indigenous communities, and they work together to find ways for students to access a St Catherine’s education each year.
In 2022, St Catherine’s began to use the International Diagnostic and Admissions Test to help their staff to support their Indigenous students.
Jane Krauss, the learning enrichment teacher at St Catherine’s espouses:
“The IDAT testing is a fantastic diagnostic tool that informs the staff of the academic strengths and weaknesses of our Indigenous students. The report gives us clear and concise information on the many key learning areas of our students, and this can then be relayed onto the teachers who will use this information to inform their teaching of the students. The overall percentage scores in mathematics, English and Global Knowledge are excellent indicators of the current ability of each student, and this also indicates whether or not our students have gaps that affect their learning, and where the support needs to be directed.”
Ms Krauss goes on to say that the students had found the test easily accessible and enjoy using the camera and speaking to the avatar, as this is a novelty for them. By having the students engage with the process, the learning support team can better know students’ strengths and weaknesses are work together with the student to devise leaning goals and plans.
“We believe the IDAT testing helps the students to engage with their learning goals and make further improvements in their key learning areas. The testing also gives them agency in their own learning through seeing their results and understanding where they need to improve. Seeing good results is wonderfully reaffirming and gives the students pride in current achievements.” Jane Krauss.
With fellow staff commenting on how effective the reports are and how easily it can be used as a tool to guide teaching and learning, St Catherine’s is pleased to continue to use the test. The team find the results clear, concise, and visually easy to read, (unlike ‘lengthy psychologist reports’).
The IDAT was created to support all students so that schools could better know students’ strengths, weaknesses, attitudes, aptitudes, and areas for improvement. IDAT is so pleased that it is being utilised by St Catherine’s in this very valuable way.