NAPLAN report changes welcomed

Changes made to the way NAPLAN results are communicated to families have been welcomed by the Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO).

“The introduction of proficiency standards to the Individual Student Reports (ISR) ensures that families will receive clearer information regarding their child’s NAPLAN achievement,” said Sharron Healy, ACSSO President.

“With NAPLAN going completely online and being administered in March, rather than May, this means conversations about progress start earlier in the school year and support can be given where needed.

“The four levels of achievement, with the clear descriptors, can give families better information to understand how their child is progressing and enable conversations with their child’s class teacher to be more meaningful.

“Using the 10-band structure did give families an idea their child was progressing, if they moved from one band to the next, but really gave no indication as to whether they were performing at the level that matched their stage of schooling.

“With the adaptive assessment in literacy and numeracy coupled with clearer reporting, which uses language more commonly applied in student reports, families will have a clearer picture on where their child is with regards to expectations for their stage/year level.

“The descriptors are key, and we expect that all schools will make the time to discuss and support that smaller percentage who are in need of additional support. It’s paramount that a parent–teacher discussion is had.”

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