NAPLAN is fast approaching and will commence next Tuesday May 10th. Our teachers have been preparing our students to be fully equipped and successful whilst undertaking the testing.
What does NAPLAN assess and why is the test now in an online format?
NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy – important skills that each child needs to succeed in school and life. If your child is in Year 3, 5, 7 or 9 this year, they will be participating in NAPLAN tests for reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. The NAPLAN tests are designed to help us make sure students are on track with their literacy and numeracy development over time.
This year, between 11th and 21st May (Term 2), our school will again be doing NAPLAN Online. All schools are moving to NAPLAN Online, as the online assessment provides more accurate information about what students know and can do.
ICT skills are part of the school curriculum
Students do not need to be computer experts to take the NAPLAN test online. Making sure students have computers skills is part of our school curriculum, and our teachers will ensure your child is familiar with the online format.
Year 3 students will continue to complete the writing assessment on paper.
To see the types of questions and interactive features of NAPLAN Online, try out the tests on the public demonstration site, available on the NAP website.
Test integrity
To ensure test security and prevent student access to the internet and spell-check applications during NAPLAN Online, a locked-down browser is installed to each device.
Key features of a tailored test
One of the main features of NAPLAN Online is that it is a tailored (or adaptive) test.
The NAPLAN Online tests adapt to student responses, presenting questions that may be easier or more difficult, to better assess the student’s ability.
Students should not be concerned if they think that the questions are more difficult than expected – this may simply mean that they are taking a more challenging but more appropriate pathway.
This ‘tailored testing’ approach means that a wider range of student abilities can be tested (compared with the paper approach, where all students answer exactly the same questions).
How tailored testing contributes to more precise results
Tailored testing also provides more accurate information about what students know and can do, which, alongside other assessment information that teachers have, can help inform teaching and learning.
Your child’s NAPLAN result will be based on the number and difficulty of questions he or she has answered correctly.
Regardless of whether students complete the test online and or on paper, they are assessed on the same underlying literacy and numeracy skills taught through the curriculum content, and results are reported on the same NAPLAN assessment scale.
Many of the same questions appear in both paper and online tests, which helps with the comparability of results. NAPLAN results should always be interpreted with care. Your child’s teacher will have the best insight into your child’s progress.
For more information about the move online, visit nap.edu.au/online-assessment
Questions / Withdrawing your child
If there are parents who have questions regarding their child sitting the test, please contact the school prior to the test to discuss this.
This includes parents wishing to withdraw their child from a part or all of the test.
