How online testing impacts NAPLAN results

For the first time since NAPLAN was introduced one in five students completed their tests online.

NAPLAN: The testing is a national requirement for grades three, five, seven, and nine. Picture: Maddelin McCosker

AN OVERVIEW of this year's NAPLAN results have been released and call into question the legitimacy of the data, after the introduction of online testing.

For the first time since NAPLAN was introduced one in five students completed their tests online.

Despite the difference in testing the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (ACARA) has not separated the results in the first published dataset.

Usually this would indicate students who completed their test online held no advantage. Or at least none that was apparent in the data.

However, the year nine students who had access to a computer performed significantly better than those who did not in the writing test.

Although year nine students in 2018 also achieved the lowest score on the writing test since it was introduced in 2011.

A review of these results by American education experts Les Perelman (MIT) and Professor Walter Haney (Boston College) was released by the NSW Teachers Federation and recommended this year's data be discarded.

ACARA claims the results are comparable. Even after acknowledging the difference in testing and results.

In the lead up to the initial release of NAPLAN results ACARA had 'independent measurement advisory experts' review whether these results are comparable.

"The independent experts have confirmed the results are comparable; however, this difference appears to be a result of the test mode.” ACARA said in their own statement.

"The difference may be due to students at this year level having greater confidence writing online than on paper, as well as students' ability to readily review and edit their work online in a way that is not possible with a paper test.”

ACARA has said they plan to move all NAPLAN testing completely online by 2020, to give all students the chance to review and edit their responses with ease.

ACARA said in their statement the NAPLAN test is supposed to "assesses the fundamental skills of literacy and numeracy, with the data provided used by families, schools and education systems to ensure Australian students are supported in their learning.”

The test results do not go towards a student's grades. Instead the testing is used to show where specific states, schools, and students sit academically when compared with the rest of Australia.

If the 2018 data is flawed, because data from different modes of testing was combined, it would certainly affect how students, teachers, parents and schools would use the data to address students lacking academic abilities.

ACARA is set to release their next lot of test data in December. However, the results released this week were initially set to be released on August 8.

According to an ACARA statement the next release should provide "a detailed analysis of how students perform in each year level, state/ territory and by various demographics in society on a national scale in each of the four test domains.”

SUMMARY OF THE 2018 NAPLAN OVERVIEW RESULTS

The results indicate primary school students are improving in reading, spelling, and grammar. On average their 2018 results are higher than the 2008 average.

In numeracy, 96 per cent of year 3 students in Queensland meet the national benchmark. More than 95 per cent of year 9 students (excluding the Norther Territory students) meet the national benchmark.

In reading, 96 per cent of year 3 students in Queensland meet the national benchmark. 92 per cent of Queensland's year 9 students meet the national benchmark.

In writing, nationally the scores are at the lowest level recorded since this test was introduced.

More than one in five year 9 students, on average, is not meeting the national benchmark for writing. The results in year 9 grammar and punctuation continue to improve nationally.