Let ’ s Abandon NAPLAN – We can do Better ! ( continued )
ARTICLES
Let ’ s Abandon NAPLAN – We can do Better ! ( continued )
and Reporting Authority ( ACARA ), who designed and administer the tests . The tests are in May and according to the official NAPLAN site , are released to schools and parents somewhere between mid-August and mid-September ;
3 . it assumes teachers are not using appropriate , in-time formative and diagnostic approaches as part of their repertoire of teaching ;
4 . it often results in a change in school and classroom culture , with an emphasis on teaching to the test instead of more appropriate teaching methods ; 5 . it reinforces a culture of sameness and lockstep achievement ; 6 . it has led to gaming , where participation in the test is influenced in order to achieve certain outcomes . For example , students whose teachers expect them to struggle with the tests can withdraw them from the test , effectively removing them from the school ’ s performance profile for that year ;
7 . it has created a generation of learners who have had the opportunity to fine tune a range of negative responses to the high stakes regime , including anxiety and physical illness .
There are other problems , not least the cost and time allocated to preparation , administration , analysis and reporting . But in summary , it fails in its goal .
But has it led to better student outcomes ?
Well , not really . Any response to identified deficits will be quite delayed if teachers wait for the results before working to improve student capabilities . The results are not shared with students in a way to help them understand and direct their own efforts as learners . That is , the charts and graphs that map their achievement are not really designed for student consumption .
Change in NAPLAN performance over time shows there has been negligible benefit , even when we just consider the narrow set of capabilities under the microscope .
Percentage of students performing at or above the National Minimum Standard in year nine
100 %
95 %
90 %
85 %
2011 . The 2017 year 9s have been the first cohort through to have experienced the entire set of NAPLAN tests from when they were in year three in 2011 . Yet , clearly writing has plunged , the first dip when the test changed from requiring a narrative to a persuasive text in 2012 . Maybe numeracy has improved . Overall , there ’ s not a lot of support in the data for an argument of wholesale positive impact on student capability from this process .
Is it just us ?
We ’ re not the first to question the efficacy of NAPLAN . The 2013 report into maximising our investment in Australian schools cited several witnesses to their inquiry who gave damaging accounts of NAPLAN . These were summarised in this report : " A number of witnesses raised specific concerns about NAPLAN testing , arguing that the testing is expensive and encourages teachers to ' teach to the test '".
But maybe the kids like it ?
Sadly not . There have been numerous reports of students suffering from NAPLAN anxiety . Not all , of course , but why should we subject any children to needless anxiety ?
Why do we persist ?
Trying to view student achievement and to understand the quality of teacher performance through NAPLAN , at best doesn ’ t help the students . At worst , it feeds a sense of public distrust for the teaching profession ’ s capabilities to diagnose , respond to and develop learners .
Gonski 2.0 helps us here , pointing to Australian schooling as being designed around a 20th century , industrial education model that is uniform throughout the 13-year program , including in assessment . NAPLAN is part of this culture .
Our teachers have the professional skills to understand and address the needs of the students in their classes . We need to kill the distractions and allow teachers to do what they do best .
Nan Bahr is Pro Vice Chancellor ( Students )/ Dean of Education , Southern Cross University ;
Donna Pendergast is Dean , School of Educational and Professional Studies , Griffith University .
80 %
75 %
70 %
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Source : ACARA • Get the data
It ’ s reasonable to expect the year nines in 2017 would be doing a lot better than the year nines in the first run of the suite of tests in
This article was first published in ‘ The Conversation ’ on 16th May , 2018 . SEN and the Science Teachers ’ Association of NSW are most grateful to ‘ The Conversation ’ for its generous policy of encouraging the republishing of its many fine articles . We also thank the authors , Nan Bahr and Donna Pendergast , for supplying this article , thereby agreeing to this policy .
34 SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 67 NO 2