NAPLAN results offer learning and teaching insights
The National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) testing results were due to be delivered to schools last week, and will begin being delivered to parents from this week. Executive Director of Schools in the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta, Greg Whitby, has expressed support for NAPLAN but warns of misusing the information.
Mr Whitby said the results will enable teachers to see how individual students are performing over time in order to identify their immediate learning needs in basic skills in literacy and numeracy.
‘NAPLAN offers us an insight into what students already know and what they can already do in numeracy and literacy. It is a basic indicator of a student’s performance and allows us to provide learning and teaching to meet an individual student’s needs,’ said Mr Whitby.
‘However, it is not the only indicator of a student’s performance. When used in the right way we can help inform the teacher in delivering relevant and personalised learning for students. When used in the wrong way we run the risk of pressuring teachers into ‘teaching to the test’ and limit a student’s potential,’ he said.
Mr Whitby also warns against drawing simplistic comparisons between schools.
‘NAPLAN can provide some valuable data about learning gain across the nation, but the differences between schools are miniscule compared to the differences between students within a particular school,’ he said. ‘The variation between students is present before they even step foot inside a classroom. There are vast differences in ability, access to early learning, socio-economic factors and language within one class group at any given school. We must ensure that we are using NAPLAN to address the individual student’s needs rather than making simplistic comparisons between schools.’
‘Good use of data can help us to address a student’s needs and identify how we can support teachers to accommodate a range of learning needs in the classroom,’ said Mr Whitby.
The NAPLAN tests were held in literacy and numeracy for all students in Australia at Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in 2008. These tests replaced the previous State and Territory-based assessments and have the support of all Education Ministers.
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