PRINCIPALS
In 2013 Canvass Strategic Opinion Research (Canvass) was retained to conduct public affairs research with Australian primary school principals concerning various impacts of NAPLAN and to provide an indication of other assessment practices used by primary schools in Australia.
Observations from the Canvass Report (2013) noted that Primary school principals have differing views on most impacts of NAPLAN according to the location, size and sector of their school.
Predominantly about 50% observe that NAPLAN impacts and the half do not.
Negative Impacts of NAPLAN
• More experienced principals reported very negative impacts on student wellbeing from NAPLAN but having more influence on classroom pedagogy and did not see greatest impacts in relation to the curriculum.
• These more accomplished principals also noted that they see NAPLAN changing the way students are taught more than exactly what is taught. (Canvass Report, 2013).
• The Canvass Report (2013) also noted the greatest impact of NAPLAN was on student wellbeing.
- Two-thirds of respondents report this impact is negative though in some cases it was only noted a slightly.
- Stress, fear of failure, withdrawals and sickness were the main influences on student wellbeing and were more common in remote areas and small schools.
- Half the principals cite unfavourable impacts on the curriculum, classroom pedagogy and the school budget as well.
• During the lead up to and including NAPLAN testing, principals report high levels of teacher stress, however on the positive side they also noted increased teacher skills.
NAPLAN Results
• When it comes to NAPLAN results many principals get parents to discuss this with their children (Canvass Report, 2013).
• It is in Parker's (2013) opinion that it is a principal's job to know results well and to expect a variety of questions from parents.
• Principals should ready themselves for complaints and have solutions in preparation for parents and teachers as well as in some cases, parents complaining about teachers.
• The stress of obtaining positive NAPLAN results can have stressful consequences on teachers and principals.
• In 2011, 14 breaches of maladministrative practices occurred in New South Wales, the most in Australia, including one incident of a principal assisting students complete their tests (Topsfield, 2012).
The 2014 Principal's Handbook
The successful administration of the 2014 National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests depends on the cooperation and commitment of principals.
The handbook is specifically designed for principals, who have ultimate responsibility within their school for ensuring the tests are appropriately administered. It provides all the information required for the implementation of the NAPLAN program. Principals should provide copies of this handbook to all school staff involved in the administration of the tests.
There are two parts to this handbook:
• Part A: has been written by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and contains relevant sections of National Protocols for Test Administration, including the Code of Conduct. These protocols apply to all schools in Australia.
• Part B: has been written by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA), which is the Test Administration Authority (TAA) responsible for the implementation of NAPLAN in Queensland schools. It details practices and procedures for the administration and reporting of the tests in this state.
2014 Principal's Handbook (PART A)
Responsible for administering the and overseeing the NAPLAN 'Code of conduct'.
Communications
Principals are required to:
• ensure that parents/carers of students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are fully informed about the program
• discuss and plan for disability adjustments and exemptions where appropriate
• ensure that all relevant staff are fully informed of their roles and responsibilities and test administration requirements
• ensure that all staff are aware that they must maintain test security until the end of the test security period
• ensure that NAPLAN student reports are delivered to parents/carers in a timely manner after they are received at the school
• be aware of any additional jurisdiction-specific responsibilities outlined in Part B of the Handbook for Principals.
• Principals are responsible for acknowledging, in a manner outlined by their TAA, that they have read and understood the Handbook for Principals, which includes the relevant sections of the National Protocols for Test Administration.
Security and Integrity of Test Materials
• The principal is responsible for the overall security, receipt and confidentiality of all test materials from the time the materials are delivered to the school through to the end of the test security period and including the safe collection or dispatch of those materials on conclusion of the tests.
• The principal must notify the TAA immediately if test material security has been breached in any way from the time of receipt of the test materials to the end of the test security period.
• NAPLAN materials must be received in person by the principal or the principal’s delegate/s.
• The principal is to ensure the contents and quantities of deliveries are correct as soon as possible after the receipt of the material. Packages must be checked for tampering, and to ensure correct quantities have been delivered without opening the tamper evident packages.
• In the event of incorrect/incomplete delivery or evidence of tampering or other compromise in security during transit, the TAA must be notified immediately and any jurisdiction-specific process followed.
• The principal is responsible for ensuring test materials are sorted and prepared for distribution to classes in advance of the test period, but no earlier than is necessary for the effective administration of the tests.
• Any person/s acting as a delegate of the principal and assisting the principal in the sorting of materials should not be a classroom teacher of any class taking the tests, except in special circumstances where the size of the school precludes this.
• The principal must ensure that all test materials, including the Reading magazines and the Writing
stimulus, are kept secure until the end of the test security period. Under no circumstances can materials be shown or given to parents/carers or members of the wider community, including the media, before the end of the test security period.
• The principal must ensure that teachers and students not involved in the tests do not have access to the test materials during the test security period.
• The principal must ensure that videos or photographs for media opportunities are taken outside the test sessions and do not show any secure materials.
• The principal must ensure that test administrators are informed of test processes and are made familiar with information provided on test security.
Student Participation Cohorts
Exempt students - Students may be exempted from one or more of the tests (i.e. Reading, Writing, Language Conventions, or Numeracy).
• Parent/carer signed consent for exemptions
• Principals must obtain signed parent/carer consent for all exempted students prior to the test period.
• Principals can expect information from their TAA on the preferred method for collecting and recording this information.
• English language proficiency Students with a language background other than English, who arrived from overseas and have been attending school in Australia for less than a year before the tests, should be given the opportunity to participate in testing, but may be exempted. Principals can expect information from their TAA on the preferred method for collecting and recording this information.
• Students with significant intellectual disability and/or those with significant co-existing conditions which severely limit their capacity to participate in the tests may be exempted from taking the national tests.
• This is determined after consultation has occurred between the principal, student, and the relevant parent/carer and it is agreed that the student is not able to access the tests with adjustments.
Adjustments for Students with Disability. The principal must:
• identify students with disability who require access to adjustments and, where necessary, apply
in writing for permission and/or alternative formats
• ensure that parents/carers are informed about, and have agreed to, the nature of the adjustment/s the student will receive
• document all adjustment arrangements and keep a record of these for audit purposes
• make arrangements at the school level to provide students with disability with the adjustments they require
• apply for alternative format test materials to their TAA, well in advance of the tests
• comply with the TAA requirements for reporting adjustments provided by the school
• ensure that the test administrator supervising the test has a thorough understanding of the protocols related to adjustments and their administration.
Administering the Tests.
• Principals are responsible for the administration of tests within their school.
• Principals are responsible for the administration of arrangements for students undertaking catch-up tests and the conditions under which they are taken.
PART B - Queensland Operational Information and Instructions.
Getting ready for the tests
To ensure the smooth running of the NAPLAN tests, principals should inform staff and the school community of the dates for the testing program
Using the NAPLAN Test administration web page - This web page is a password-protected system that enables principals or their delegates to complete most of the tasks associated with NAPLAN administration online.
Principals are to complete the following tasks through the web page before the tests:
• upload and/or check, amend and confirm student details
• request alternative formats of tests and other adjustments for students with disability
• complete documentation for test exemptions and parent withdrawal of students from tests
• apply for a variation to test dates
• acknowledge receipt of this handbook
• acknowledge receipt of test materials
• request additional test materials.
The first task for schools is to upload and/or check, amend and confirm the details of all students eligible to participate in the 2014 NAPLAN tests. These student details are required for pre-printing student information on testbooks to facilitate the smooth administration of the tests and to enable reliable analyses of students’ results. The collected data will also be used to generate student reports.
Preparing a school security action plan
The principal must ensure that:
– test administrators do not have access to the testbooks until the morning of the scheduled test day
– students are unable to preview or practise the test questions
– teachers and students not involved in the tests do not have access to the test materials until after a specific time
– no test materials are made available to members of the wider community, including the media, until after a specific time
Receiving the 2014 test materials
When receiving test materials the principal (or delegate) who receives the test materials must:
• check that the correct cartons are being delivered to the correct school before signing for them
• legibly record on the delivery docket their name and the time that the packages arrived at the school
• advise the principal that the materials have been received (if received by a delegate)
• check that the security of the materials has not been compromised during transit.
• the quantities received by using the packing slips provided with the materials and counting the contents of the bags.
After checking materials, access the weblink on the school’s Test administration page of the NAPLAN portal at https://naplan.qsa.qld.edu.au/naplan to:
• acknowledge receipt of test materials (all schools)
• advise of incorrect delivery
• advise of incomplete delivery
• request additional materials.
Administering the tests
• Principals are responsible for making sure that there are minimal disruptions and changes to normal school and classroom practices. Some adjustments to the school timetable may be required, for example, to accommodate session breaks on days when two tests are scheduled.
Sorting materials prior to tests
• Where a principal feels that it is necessary to sort test materials in preparation for distribution to classes/groups earlier than the morning of a scheduled test, they may arrange for sorting to begin on the afternoon of the previous day, but only after students have left for the day.
Timetabling the tests in small schools
• Principals in small schools may need to adjust times for the administration of the tests to accommodate their needs and to make the best use of teacher support time.
Returning test materials
After materials have been returned to the principal or delegate, the principal should make sure that:
• testbooks for each student eligible to sit the test, including testbooks for students who were absent, exempt, or withdrawn by parents/carers, have been collected
• there is only one testbook collected (Type 1 or Type 2) for each student for a single test
• all students’ details on the covers of testbooks, including on the covers of testbooks used by visiting students, have been completed accurately.
Completing test processes - Principal’s declaration form
• Principals are responsible for the security of the NAPLAN test materials and for administration of the tests in their school according to the national protocols set out in this handbook and the instructions in the test administration handbooks.
• School principals, who oversee the administration of the tests, are required to indicate that they have read, understood and adhered to the protocols for test administration by completing, signing and sending the Principal’s declaration to the QSA by email or fax. This should be done once the tests have been completed and the materials returned and before close of business on the targeted day.
Marking and reporting
Reporting
Schools will receive a printed report for each student in September. The principal is responsible for the distribution of these reports and should ensure that the reports are:
• checked before distribution to parents/carers
• forwarded to the new schools of students who have left the school, if this is known
• kept at the school for students whose whereabouts are unknown.
Appeals
• If any perceived errors are identified on student reports or if there are missing reports, principals should access the school’s Test administration page of the NAPLAN portal and select the Query Reports link on the menu to complete an online application form.
In 2013 Canvass Strategic Opinion Research (Canvass) was retained to conduct public affairs research with Australian primary school principals concerning various impacts of NAPLAN and to provide an indication of other assessment practices used by primary schools in Australia.
Observations from the Canvass Report (2013) noted that Primary school principals have differing views on most impacts of NAPLAN according to the location, size and sector of their school.
Predominantly about 50% observe that NAPLAN impacts and the half do not.
Negative Impacts of NAPLAN
• More experienced principals reported very negative impacts on student wellbeing from NAPLAN but having more influence on classroom pedagogy and did not see greatest impacts in relation to the curriculum.
• These more accomplished principals also noted that they see NAPLAN changing the way students are taught more than exactly what is taught. (Canvass Report, 2013).
• The Canvass Report (2013) also noted the greatest impact of NAPLAN was on student wellbeing.
- Two-thirds of respondents report this impact is negative though in some cases it was only noted a slightly.
- Stress, fear of failure, withdrawals and sickness were the main influences on student wellbeing and were more common in remote areas and small schools.
- Half the principals cite unfavourable impacts on the curriculum, classroom pedagogy and the school budget as well.
• During the lead up to and including NAPLAN testing, principals report high levels of teacher stress, however on the positive side they also noted increased teacher skills.
NAPLAN Results
• When it comes to NAPLAN results many principals get parents to discuss this with their children (Canvass Report, 2013).
• It is in Parker's (2013) opinion that it is a principal's job to know results well and to expect a variety of questions from parents.
• Principals should ready themselves for complaints and have solutions in preparation for parents and teachers as well as in some cases, parents complaining about teachers.
• The stress of obtaining positive NAPLAN results can have stressful consequences on teachers and principals.
• In 2011, 14 breaches of maladministrative practices occurred in New South Wales, the most in Australia, including one incident of a principal assisting students complete their tests (Topsfield, 2012).
The 2014 Principal's Handbook
The successful administration of the 2014 National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests depends on the cooperation and commitment of principals.
The handbook is specifically designed for principals, who have ultimate responsibility within their school for ensuring the tests are appropriately administered. It provides all the information required for the implementation of the NAPLAN program. Principals should provide copies of this handbook to all school staff involved in the administration of the tests.
There are two parts to this handbook:
• Part A: has been written by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and contains relevant sections of National Protocols for Test Administration, including the Code of Conduct. These protocols apply to all schools in Australia.
• Part B: has been written by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA), which is the Test Administration Authority (TAA) responsible for the implementation of NAPLAN in Queensland schools. It details practices and procedures for the administration and reporting of the tests in this state.
2014 Principal's Handbook (PART A)
Responsible for administering the and overseeing the NAPLAN 'Code of conduct'.
Communications
Principals are required to:
• ensure that parents/carers of students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are fully informed about the program
• discuss and plan for disability adjustments and exemptions where appropriate
• ensure that all relevant staff are fully informed of their roles and responsibilities and test administration requirements
• ensure that all staff are aware that they must maintain test security until the end of the test security period
• ensure that NAPLAN student reports are delivered to parents/carers in a timely manner after they are received at the school
• be aware of any additional jurisdiction-specific responsibilities outlined in Part B of the Handbook for Principals.
• Principals are responsible for acknowledging, in a manner outlined by their TAA, that they have read and understood the Handbook for Principals, which includes the relevant sections of the National Protocols for Test Administration.
Security and Integrity of Test Materials
• The principal is responsible for the overall security, receipt and confidentiality of all test materials from the time the materials are delivered to the school through to the end of the test security period and including the safe collection or dispatch of those materials on conclusion of the tests.
• The principal must notify the TAA immediately if test material security has been breached in any way from the time of receipt of the test materials to the end of the test security period.
• NAPLAN materials must be received in person by the principal or the principal’s delegate/s.
• The principal is to ensure the contents and quantities of deliveries are correct as soon as possible after the receipt of the material. Packages must be checked for tampering, and to ensure correct quantities have been delivered without opening the tamper evident packages.
• In the event of incorrect/incomplete delivery or evidence of tampering or other compromise in security during transit, the TAA must be notified immediately and any jurisdiction-specific process followed.
• The principal is responsible for ensuring test materials are sorted and prepared for distribution to classes in advance of the test period, but no earlier than is necessary for the effective administration of the tests.
• Any person/s acting as a delegate of the principal and assisting the principal in the sorting of materials should not be a classroom teacher of any class taking the tests, except in special circumstances where the size of the school precludes this.
• The principal must ensure that all test materials, including the Reading magazines and the Writing
stimulus, are kept secure until the end of the test security period. Under no circumstances can materials be shown or given to parents/carers or members of the wider community, including the media, before the end of the test security period.
• The principal must ensure that teachers and students not involved in the tests do not have access to the test materials during the test security period.
• The principal must ensure that videos or photographs for media opportunities are taken outside the test sessions and do not show any secure materials.
• The principal must ensure that test administrators are informed of test processes and are made familiar with information provided on test security.
Student Participation Cohorts
Exempt students - Students may be exempted from one or more of the tests (i.e. Reading, Writing, Language Conventions, or Numeracy).
• Parent/carer signed consent for exemptions
• Principals must obtain signed parent/carer consent for all exempted students prior to the test period.
• Principals can expect information from their TAA on the preferred method for collecting and recording this information.
• English language proficiency Students with a language background other than English, who arrived from overseas and have been attending school in Australia for less than a year before the tests, should be given the opportunity to participate in testing, but may be exempted. Principals can expect information from their TAA on the preferred method for collecting and recording this information.
• Students with significant intellectual disability and/or those with significant co-existing conditions which severely limit their capacity to participate in the tests may be exempted from taking the national tests.
• This is determined after consultation has occurred between the principal, student, and the relevant parent/carer and it is agreed that the student is not able to access the tests with adjustments.
Adjustments for Students with Disability. The principal must:
• identify students with disability who require access to adjustments and, where necessary, apply
in writing for permission and/or alternative formats
• ensure that parents/carers are informed about, and have agreed to, the nature of the adjustment/s the student will receive
• document all adjustment arrangements and keep a record of these for audit purposes
• make arrangements at the school level to provide students with disability with the adjustments they require
• apply for alternative format test materials to their TAA, well in advance of the tests
• comply with the TAA requirements for reporting adjustments provided by the school
• ensure that the test administrator supervising the test has a thorough understanding of the protocols related to adjustments and their administration.
Administering the Tests.
• Principals are responsible for the administration of tests within their school.
• Principals are responsible for the administration of arrangements for students undertaking catch-up tests and the conditions under which they are taken.
PART B - Queensland Operational Information and Instructions.
Getting ready for the tests
To ensure the smooth running of the NAPLAN tests, principals should inform staff and the school community of the dates for the testing program
Using the NAPLAN Test administration web page - This web page is a password-protected system that enables principals or their delegates to complete most of the tasks associated with NAPLAN administration online.
Principals are to complete the following tasks through the web page before the tests:
• upload and/or check, amend and confirm student details
• request alternative formats of tests and other adjustments for students with disability
• complete documentation for test exemptions and parent withdrawal of students from tests
• apply for a variation to test dates
• acknowledge receipt of this handbook
• acknowledge receipt of test materials
• request additional test materials.
The first task for schools is to upload and/or check, amend and confirm the details of all students eligible to participate in the 2014 NAPLAN tests. These student details are required for pre-printing student information on testbooks to facilitate the smooth administration of the tests and to enable reliable analyses of students’ results. The collected data will also be used to generate student reports.
Preparing a school security action plan
The principal must ensure that:
– test administrators do not have access to the testbooks until the morning of the scheduled test day
– students are unable to preview or practise the test questions
– teachers and students not involved in the tests do not have access to the test materials until after a specific time
– no test materials are made available to members of the wider community, including the media, until after a specific time
Receiving the 2014 test materials
When receiving test materials the principal (or delegate) who receives the test materials must:
• check that the correct cartons are being delivered to the correct school before signing for them
• legibly record on the delivery docket their name and the time that the packages arrived at the school
• advise the principal that the materials have been received (if received by a delegate)
• check that the security of the materials has not been compromised during transit.
• the quantities received by using the packing slips provided with the materials and counting the contents of the bags.
After checking materials, access the weblink on the school’s Test administration page of the NAPLAN portal at https://naplan.qsa.qld.edu.au/naplan to:
• acknowledge receipt of test materials (all schools)
• advise of incorrect delivery
• advise of incomplete delivery
• request additional materials.
Administering the tests
• Principals are responsible for making sure that there are minimal disruptions and changes to normal school and classroom practices. Some adjustments to the school timetable may be required, for example, to accommodate session breaks on days when two tests are scheduled.
Sorting materials prior to tests
• Where a principal feels that it is necessary to sort test materials in preparation for distribution to classes/groups earlier than the morning of a scheduled test, they may arrange for sorting to begin on the afternoon of the previous day, but only after students have left for the day.
Timetabling the tests in small schools
• Principals in small schools may need to adjust times for the administration of the tests to accommodate their needs and to make the best use of teacher support time.
Returning test materials
After materials have been returned to the principal or delegate, the principal should make sure that:
• testbooks for each student eligible to sit the test, including testbooks for students who were absent, exempt, or withdrawn by parents/carers, have been collected
• there is only one testbook collected (Type 1 or Type 2) for each student for a single test
• all students’ details on the covers of testbooks, including on the covers of testbooks used by visiting students, have been completed accurately.
Completing test processes - Principal’s declaration form
• Principals are responsible for the security of the NAPLAN test materials and for administration of the tests in their school according to the national protocols set out in this handbook and the instructions in the test administration handbooks.
• School principals, who oversee the administration of the tests, are required to indicate that they have read, understood and adhered to the protocols for test administration by completing, signing and sending the Principal’s declaration to the QSA by email or fax. This should be done once the tests have been completed and the materials returned and before close of business on the targeted day.
Marking and reporting
Reporting
Schools will receive a printed report for each student in September. The principal is responsible for the distribution of these reports and should ensure that the reports are:
• checked before distribution to parents/carers
• forwarded to the new schools of students who have left the school, if this is known
• kept at the school for students whose whereabouts are unknown.
Appeals
• If any perceived errors are identified on student reports or if there are missing reports, principals should access the school’s Test administration page of the NAPLAN portal and select the Query Reports link on the menu to complete an online application form.