Student Learning

Prep to Year 10 Assessment – National Assessment Program: Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2008

Purpose

The purpose of the National Assessment Program –Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is to assess the literacy and numeracy learning of students in all Australian schools at years 3, 5, 7 and 9. NAPLAN is designed to provide information on student performance across a number of levels of achievement. Over 1.2 million students from more than 9,000 Government, Catholic and independent schools across Australia will participate in the first national tests in literacy and numeracy in May 2008.

The Victorian Government is committed to improving the learning outcomes of every student in Victorian government schools. The NAPLAN will assess literacy and numeracy skills in much the same way as the Achievement Improvement Monitor (AIM) tests did. The participation of all Victorian students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in the NAPLAN tests will support this commitment by providing evidence of student achievement to:

 

 

Test schedule

In May 2008 the NAPLAN will be carried out across Australia in the same week for all four year groups. Testing will take place over three days:

 

Who will participate in the testing?

All students enrolled in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 or their equivalent, in all government and non-government schools, will be tested.

Students in multi-age classes will be assigned to a grade according to the census data provided by the school and undertake the test appropriate for that year level.

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What will be tested?

National tests are aligned to the National Statements of Learning and are consistent with the Victorian Essential Learning Standards.

For students in Years 3 and 5 NAPLAN testing comprises:

These tests will be marked by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA).

For students in Years 7 and 9 NAPLAN testing comprises:

These tests will be marked by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA).

 

Testing for students with special learning needs

Students with special learning needs should be given the opportunity to participate in the tests rather than automatically exempted. A range of support and differentiated resources is available to enable all students to complete the NAPLAN testing in May.

Students with disabilities
Schools will provide special conditions for students experiencing learning difficulties or students experiencing personal or social conditions which may affect performance.

Schools will provide, as necessary:

The following special provisions are available for students, where it is common classroom practice for that student:

Students with English as a second language
Consideration for exemption may be given to students newly arrived in Australia (less than a year before the test) with a language background other than English

Special environments
Special environments may also be appropriate for some students. These could take the form of a separate room or a hospital room.

Students enrolled at the Distance Education Centre will undertake the testing in the way these students normally complete their studies.

Special conditions must be authorised by the principal. The principal should also keep a record of any special conditions arranged for students. Schools will be aware of any special conditions for individual students or classes and will be able to interpret their results in light of these circumstances.

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Exemptions

In certain circumstances, students may be granted an exemption from the NAPLAN. Parents are required to confirm the exemption by signing the ‘Record of Exemption’ form which is returned to the VCAA. The school is to retain a copy.

 

How will the results of the NAPLAN be reported?

Parents will receive information on their child’s performance through individual reports on each student. The report will also show how a student performed in relation to other students across Australia.

The results from the assessment program will be used for:

 

Confidentiality

The VCAA is committed to the protection of student information. All personal information collected is used in accordance with the Privacy Act 2000. The VCAA collects information on students undertaking the tests in order to report to the Commonwealth and State governments on student performance. However, no individual student is identified in such reports.

The VCAA uses information provided to schools during the NAPLAN to report to parents on their own child’s performance. This data is also provided to schools to assist them in the assessment of the effectiveness of their programs.

The VCAA will not provide information to any other person or organisation without the consent of the parent, unless required to do so by law or other regulation.

All personal information collected by the VCAA is retained by the VCAA and stored securely. Access is limited to staff authorised at the VCAA.

Correspondence concerning access to a student’s NAPLAN data should be directed, in the first instance, to the principal.

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Further information

Circular
National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) – 13 to 15 May 2008 (PDF - 24Kb) - This circular presents advice for schools to encourage full student participation in the National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) from 13 to 15 May 2008.

 

Years 3, 5, 7 & 9 NAPLAN Principals' Guide
This guide provides information for principals and NAPLAN coordinators about administration of the years 3, 5, 7 & 9 NAPLAN testing period in 2008.  It includes forms, important dates and contact information.

Download a copy of the guide from the VCAA website: Years 3, 5, 7 & 9 NAPLAN Principals' Guide (PDF - 1.90MB) (http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/prep10/naplan/schools/principalsguide2008.pdf )

Sample test items
As 2008 will be the first year of full national testing there are no tests from previous years which can be used as samples. However there are sample test items available which are indicative of the style of question for the NAPLAN tests. They are not to be taken as literal examples of the tests to be held in May 2008 nor are they representative of the full range of test content, curriculum spread or the full range of item difficulties.

The sample test items are available on the NAPLAN website (http://www.naplan.edu.au/test_samples/test_samples.html).

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