Progressive Achievement

Getting Ahead with PAT (ACER Accredited Online Course)

Getting Ahead with PAT 

ACER Accredited Online Course 

Description  

This course is for Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) champions and school leaders who want to use PAT to inform decisions about teaching and learning programs. The course examines how PAT can be used to support communication of learning to stakeholders and targeting and setting goals for growth across a school. The focus is on monitoring growth and planning for learning progress. Participants will need to have access to reports through OARS. For schools looking to progress to Phase 4 and 5 in the PAT Professional Learning Series, the course will develop capacity that will enable systematic change in the school.  

Getting ahead with PAT is suitable for participants who are working in schools that have purchased PAT. For schools progressing through the Progressive Achievement Learning series, this course aligns with Phase 3. 

A fully facilitated course 

ACER-accredited online courses provide a highly interactive experience supported by an experienced facilitator. The course design encourages interaction and collaboration in conjunction with appropriate and effective pedagogies. The online facilitator in your course will promote interaction and communication among participants through building and conveying knowledge and modelling relevant skills.  

Recommended prior learning 

Completing Getting started with PAT and Data-driven decisions: PAT ACER accredited online courses would be beneficial. 

Intended learning outcomes 

Participants will be able to: 

• Evaluate and interpret PAT reports to plan for informed teaching and learning; 
• Critically examine and interpret theories about professional learning and learning cultures; and 
• Implement theories of professional learning and development of learning cultures within real-life contexts.  

Course in detail 

The course is delivered online and consists of a number of modules and one assessment. The modules are interactive and participants work through examples and activities to build skills and knowledge. 

Introduction to Getting Ahead with PAT 

This module questions our reasons for assessment and compares ACER’s approach to traditional methods of assessment. It looks at the three underpinning theories to ACER’s assessment, the requirements of effective assessment, and best practice. Using PAT tests and reports, it demonstrates how student progress is established on a described continuum to inform future action. 

Module 1: Building teacher capacity 

This module draws together the research about professional learning, the theory, principles and practices. It focuses on three key topics, building professional capital and professional learning principles. 

Module 2: Accessing the right data for the right reason 

This module explains how to access the data you need, and demonstrates how to generate and interpret a range of PAT reports. It provides resources to support you in your analysis of reports so your teaching and learning planning is well-informed. It offers strategies to build a culture of PAT in your school. It critiques a range of theories that underpin the development of a learning culture. It contains a case study about the Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework. 

Module 3: Creating a culture of PAT 

This module explores how you might start to develop a productive professional learning community culture of using PAT in your school. It explores the five domains of the ACER Professional Learning Community Framework, and the elements of the framework that relate to professional culture. A case study shows how Medina Primary School improved its students’ literacy rates by making student growth visible. 

Module 4: Implementation planning 

This module focuses on a how to apply theories of professional learning to a real-life context. You are guided through SMART goals to design an implementation plan relevant to your students’ needs. 

Standard courses are 15 hours over 10 weeks. However, we will be happy to run tailored intensive courses to suit individual schools. Please contact us to discuss details.

Learning assurance task 

Design and trial a school implementation plan for your school. 

On successful completion of the course, participants will receive an ACER certificate of achievement. 

Course mode:  Online 

Course duration:  15 hours over 10 weeks 

Resources:  Participants need to have access to PAT and the OARS system 

Cost:  $440.00 (including GST) (Note: price increases in 2021)