The National Catholic Education Commission says announced changes to NAPLAN are designed to provide a clearer picture of student learning progress and put data into the hands of teachers and parents sooner.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and his state and territory counterparts on Friday signed off on significant changes to the standardised tests undertaken by students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9, News.com.au reported.
The new proficiency standard, with four levels of achievement, will replace the previous 10-band structure and the old national minimum standard set in 2008.
“These changes, endorsed by federal, state and territory government education ministers, have been designed to provide parents, school leaders and teachers with a better understanding of how individual students are performing in literacy and numeracy,” National Catholic Education executive director Jacinta Collins said.
“The ministers listened to feedback and amended the categories to ensure they were clearer for teachers and parents.
“This is a new type of testing that aims to identify where gaps exist and where students need additional support and intervention to improve educational outcomes.”
Ms Collins said the new NAPLAN testing schedule, which will be brought forward from May to mid-March this year, will put data in the hands of teachers sooner, but will require a transition phase.
“Moving NAPLAN to earlier in the year will allow our school leaders and teachers to access literacy and numeracy data sooner to inform teaching and to put in place interventions to improve the foundation skills critical for success in schooling,” Ms Collins said.
“As with all change, there may be a few teething issues as schools and families get used to a new timetable and way of reporting, but it’s important that we continue to develop more effective and rigorous ways of assessing where students are at, and how we can better support them.”
FULL STORY
Education ministers agree to major changes to NAPLAN tests (By Catie McLeod, News.com.au)
