government
SENATE INQUIRY
ACARA states that NAPLAN forms only one part of the extensive assessment schedule of a classroom and should not be the sole focus of the assessment process.
The Senate argues it is time for a complete re-examination of the purpose and process of NAPLAN.
5 Objectives of NAPLAN
1. Reporting of tests be reliable and comparable
2. Testing be rigorous
3. To assess what students are able or not able to do and to lift student performance
4. Focus on strengths and weaknesses of each student to guide planning and educational interventions
5. Develop new standards for student achievement
Criticisms of NAPLAN
· The test covers a very narrow field of the Australian Curriculum
· Limited diagnostic ability
· Lacks rigour
· Contains a high margin for error
· May not reach objective given data is limited and only takes a snapshot at one particular point a child’s learning
· Published results take too long rendering the test ineffective as a diagnostic tool
· The data is being used for purposes that were not intended such as assessing the quality of the school an
teachers
Unintended consequences
· Adverse implications for the students and teachers
· A narrowing of the Australian Curriculum
· Teaching to the test
· My School website has turned NAPLAN into a ‘high stakes’ test
Potential Improvements to NAPLAN
· Improve the turn around time of results
· Change the timing of the test to either the beginning or end of the year
· Removal of school data from My School website
· Ensure there is alignment between the Australian Curriculum and NAPLAN
· Reforms to the test that broaden learning, not just numeracy and literacy
· Use sample testing rather than census testing
· Online testing to return results faster
· Provide students with a ‘pause’ option and return to the test the following day
· Address issues relating to EAL/D and Indigenous students.
(Commonwealth of Australia, 2013).