Last week, just under 1,500 Haileybury students completed their NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy). This was the first year that NAPLAN was fully online, right across Australia. The tests for Haileybury students went very smoothly — a great testament to the preparedness of the teachers and the IT staff.
As well as being the first year of the fully online test, it was also the first time that tests have been held in Term 1. This is five school weeks earlier than previously. To take advantage of the better, more interactive online test and to improve the information given to parents, schools and school jurisdictions, the way that results are reported has also changed.
New proficiency standards, with four levels of achievement for each year level, replace the previous 10-band structure that covered all four years in which students sit the tests. The numerical NAPLAN bands and the national minimum standard will be replaced by four levels of achievement:
- Exceeding
- Strong
- Developing
- Needs Additional Support.
The descriptors for each category will be on the reports and will clearly point out a child’s literacy and numeracy skills at the time of NAPLAN testing. This will support discussions with Haileybury teachers about the progress of students.
Student reports will continue to show the national average and the range of achievement for the middle 60 percent of students in a year level, allowing for comparison of a child’s achievement.
The new proficiency achievement levels are set using the professional judgement of panels of expert teachers and are based on the national curriculum standards applicable to the year level being tested.
Haileybury teachers and the School’s curriculum leaders will gain valuable detailed information on the progress of students through the School. As we have always done, we will carry out detailed analysis to drive our teaching and learning improvement plans.
NAPLAN has always been an important tool in informing parents of the progress of their children in literacy and numeracy and in providing data for schools to assess the efficacy of their programs and teaching. The new reporting measures are an important step forward.
*Disclosure: Haileybury CEO/Principal Derek Scott is also the Chair of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) which is responsible for NAPLAN testing.
Derek Scott
CEO | Principal
