Editorial: Analysis of NAPLAN data paints a useful picture to improve performance of Queensland schools

THE improvement-focused approach to analysis can shine a light on schools which might be resting on their reputational laurels – “cruising, not improving” writes The Editor.

Allowing parents to see what schools achieve is the real value of the NAPLAN system.

ULTIMATELY, education is about the individual.

It is about the ability to engage with students in ways that enable them to learn as effectively as possible in order to reach their potential.

Year 9 students at Loganlea State High School which is achieving strong gains in literacy and numeracy by implementing targeted strategies. Picture: Jamie Hanson

The cliché of the charismatic teacher who fires the imagination of their students, lifting them to new heights, has been the plot of many movies.

At the heart of it is a fundamental truth – many of us actually do remember a particular teacher who found a way to help us understand the seemingly incomprehensible and instilled confidence and a hunger to learn more.

The challenge for our schools is to find methods to achieve this in every classroom. This is why The Sunday Mail’s detailed analysis of Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority data covering more than 1250 schools in the state, is so important.

It provides an insight to how literacy and numeracy skills of students have improved between the 2016 and 2018 NAPLAN testing periods.

Allowing parents to see what schools achieve is the real value of the NAPLAN system.

Identifying the schools where the greatest progress is being made in raising outcomes, highlights education processes that are making a provable difference at those schools, and which may also provide models for improvement at others.

The school at Doomadgee is make real progress in improve learning outcomes for students. Picture: Zak Simmonds

It’s important that parents are able to compare how their child’s school performs against others, and how successfully they improve students. Parents have the common sense to know schools in lower socio-economic areas are unlikely to beat those with the advantages of catchments in well-heeled locations, in terms of headline performance scores.

But this data reveals a more nuanced tale, including how schools such as Doomadgee State can – and are – doing to help youngsters to do better – better than they were, better than might have been expected of them or, importantly, better than they expected of themselves.

Similarly, Loganlea State High, a school with a history of enrolling youngsters who struggle – and sometimes struggle to fit in at other schools – is achieving strong gains in literacy and numeracy by implementing individualised learning plans and other targeted strategies.

This improvement-focused approach to analysis can also shine a light on some schools which might be resting on their reputational laurels – “cruising, not improving” as the Gonski report described it.

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INQUIRY INTO THE AGED CARE SYSTEM WELCOME

NEGOTIATING the complexities of Australia’s aged care system is among the most confusing and emotionally-fraught tasks.

Whether for ourselves, or for someone close to us, we need the reassurance of a system that ensures the latter years of life are spent in an environment of comfort and enjoyment. It’s not merely about survival.

We should be able to be confident that ageing citizens will live comfortably and enjoyably, not merely survive.

The announcement of a royal commission of inquiry into the aged care sector is very welcome.

Such inquiries come with a hefty taxpayer bill and should never be undertaken lightly, but it is clear this is a system with huge problems – from lack of transparency in costs to the level of care provided.

Beset by scandal after scandal, it is a carbuncle that requires lancing.

The images and promises of glossy brochures can be a world away from the reality where dedicated but over-stretched and frequently under-trained, staff battle to do their best in facilities starved of resources.

A royal commission will be a valuable first step towards a system in which Australians can make informed choices, confident of the care to be provided.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Kelvin Healey, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details are available at couriermail.com.au