The idea of using assessment to inform and improve learning is well established. Yet as literacy improvement remains a persistent challenge in schools nationwide, educators are rethinking how deeply it is embedded in classroom practice. The question is no longer whether assessment can support learning, but how we can make it a genuine engine for progress rather than just an endpoint.
That’s the conversation shaping the 2025 Literacy Masterclass Series, an after-school professional learning event running from 10-13 November that invites literacy educators to reimagine the link between assessment, teaching and student growth.
Moving beyond marks and moderation
Too often, assessment data sits in spreadsheets or reporting tools, disconnected from the day-to-day business of teaching. But data only makes a difference when it directly informs classroom action.
The key, says Seven Steps to Writing Success Head of Education Sarah Bakker, is using assessment as a bridge – connecting what students can do now with the teaching that will move them forward.
“Assessment isn’t just about measuring learning – it’s about moving it,” Bakker explains. “Its real value lies in what it reveals about student thinking and how that shapes our next steps. When assessment becomes part of everyday teaching, not the end point of it, that’s when it becomes truly powerful.”
This philosophy is central to the Masterclass Series theme: “From Assessment to Action: Improving Literacy Outcomes for 2026.”
A collaborative approach to literacy improvement
Running from 10–13 November 2025, the online series brings together leading literacy experts from Australia, the UK and New Zealand to explore how assessment insights can be transformed into targeted teaching strategies.
The line-up includes:
James Smith (Mark My Words): Mapping foundational writing skills to reveal the sequence behind literacy growth.
Ben Lawless (Lawless Learning): Designing developmental rubrics that are roadmaps for learning, not static grades.
Deb Larmer (Seven Steps Presenter): Delivering explicit, actionable feedback that helps students lift their writing from good to great.
Laura Bailey (Pobble): Reframing writing moderation as a celebration of the whole writer.
Ros Lugg (StepsWeb): Linking reading assessment with neurological insights into fluency.
Amanda Sutera (Hands On Heads Consulting): Designing literacy blocks that align reading, writing and assessment for greater rigour in Years 3–6.
Andrew Duval (Frankenstories): Redefining narrative as a foundational skill that prepares students for analytical writing.
Sessions will run after school across four afternoons, with recordings available to support flexible participation for busy educators.
Data that drives growth
For the Seven Steps team, the push to connect assessment and action is about empowering teachers, not adding to their workload.
“Assessment should make teaching easier, not harder,” Bakker explains. “When we use it well, it becomes a tool for insight – helping us see how students learn and what to do next – not just another layer of paperwork.”
The Literacy Masterclass Series aims to model this approach by offering practical strategies educators can implement immediately to inform planning and lift literacy outcomes in 2026.
Event Details
- Theme: From Assessment to Action: Improving Literacy Outcomes for 2026
- Dates: 10–13 November 2025 – daily from 4 PM (AEDT)
- Format: Online, after-school sessions (live or recorded)
- From: The award-winning team at Seven Steps to Writing Success
Learn more and register: Click here to view the full program and book your ticket.
The above article was supplied to The Educator by Seven Steps for Writing Success.