Achievement Criteria descriptors - Skilful and Effective

Drama performance achievement standards: 90006, 90009,91213, 91218, 91512 and 91517

Statements of intent/context/purpose for all standards

The importance of the role of the statement of context/intention/purpose, as a foundation for decision making and as a benchmark for assessment, means that students need to refine and finalise before assessment, in order to ensure their work reflects them.

Explanatory Note (EN) 2 within the standards offers vital information to unpack the three levels of achievement. Other language can be used to rationalise the awarding of a grade to a student:

Skilful for Merit:

  • technically competent
  • sustained
  • focussed
  • confident
  • controlled
  • believable
  • expressive
  • clarity
  • controlled
  • purposeful
  • dexterity
  • motivated
  • varied
  • responsive
  • credible.

Effective for Excellence:

  • insightful 
  • assured
  • present
  • empathetic
  • inhabits the role
  • creates impact
  • perceptive
  • innovative
  • creative
  • subtle
  • x-factor
  • honest
  • complex
  • moves audience emotionally
  • engaging
  • depth
  • detailed
  • truthful
  • convincing
  • flair.

Mime in all Drama performance standards

When students are presenting work at Merit level and using Mime in their performance, the ‘Mime’ also needs to be presented skilfully by the student i.e. It needs to be presented purposefully and competently, and the mime action completed to support a Merit award.

Use of props for naturalistic interpretations

When students are doing a largely naturalistic interpretation of their script, they are generally more successful if they use props rather than miming items in the scene.

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