release
The annual NAPLAN assessments begin tomorrow, with over a million students taking the tests across Australia. For the first time, some students will be taking NAPLAN in its new online format – nearly 20 per cent of students across six states and territories.
NAPLAN is the only national assessment all Australian children undertake (four times across seven years of schooling in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9). The data gained from NAPLAN have proven value; these are the only national set of education data available in Australia, which inform decisions about improving learning for all young students.
For parents, NAPLAN is an important tool to see how their child is doing in the fundamental skills of literacy and numeracy, compared with the rest of Australia’s children. It supports conversations between parents, teachers and schools on working together to help children achieve their full potential.
ACARA CEO, Robert Randall, said no extra preparation is required for NAPLAN.
"What children learn in the classroom through the teaching of the Australian Curriculum is what NAPLAN assesses. As with any test in life, some students may feel anxious about NAPLAN. Children should be reminded that it’s not a big deal, that it’s a short assessment taken only four times during their schooling."
Mr Randall said the biggest change to NAPLAN in both the design and delivery of the assessments, and the way in which results are reported, is the move online.
"NAPLAN Online offers benefits for students and teachers, including more precise results and detailed information for teachers, and a more engaging experience for students. Faster turnaround of information and results will better support teaching interventions and inform decisions about learning.
"The transition online is planned to take three years, ensuring that school authorities, schools, teachers and students are all ready to make the move online. Both paper-based and online tests will assess students on the same curriculum content, with all results placed on the same NAPLAN assessment scale. This means both modes of testing will measure the same literacy and numeracy skills and offer comparable test results." ---
