NAPLAN RESULTS: How battlers upstaged state’s elite in results blowout

PUBLIC schools and lower-fee religious schools across traditional “battler belts” and the regions are upstaging well-heeled Brisbane schools by driving some of the biggest education transformations in Queensland. SEE HOW MORE THAN 1250 SCHOOLS RATED.

PUBLIC schools and low-fee religious schools across traditional “battler belts” and the regions are upstaging well-heeled Brisbane schools by driving some of the biggest education transformations in Queensland.

A detailed analysis of Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority data by The Sunday Mail has produced the state’s most comprehensive guide to the 2018 NAPLAN results.

It reveals how well more than 1250 Queensland schools have performed on their NAPLAN test scores and examines the extent to which schools have been able to demonstrate an improvement in the literacy and numeracy skills of their students between the 2016 and 2018 testing periods.

UNDERACHIEVING SCHOOLS EXPOSED BY NAPLAN

Few of the schools that made the most significant gains in literacy and numeracy levels over the past two years are wealthy Brisbane private schools.

Instead, the state’s biggest improvers are state schools in lower socioeconomic pockets, regional low-fee religious schools and schools who are throwing out “old school” teaching practices in favour of creating innovative 21st Century learning environments.

TOP 20 PERFORMING NAPLAN SCHOOLS

The surprise results are set to reinvigorate the debate around the Gonski 2.0 education report, which calls for every school to ensure every child achieves a year’s worth of growth in a year’s schooling.

Among the schools making exceptional gains in student results is Doomadgee State School, a remote, largely indigenous school on the Gulf of Carpentaria, where the overwhelming majority of students come from homes in the lowest socioeconomic quartile.

The school has managed to improve the literacy and numeracy test results of its Year 5 students by an average of 61 NAPLAN points per subject against the state mean, compared to how they performed as Year 3 students in 2016.

Principal Paula McGuire puts this transformation down to an emphasis on school culture, attendance and explicit instruction teaching strategies.

“In our administration building in 2016 we started an attendance board where we put up the photos week by week of kids who had an attendance rate of 100 per cent,” she said.

“The first week we started that board, we celebrated having 16 children – now there are times where we have 140 photographs on the board.”

Among the secondary schools demonstrating the greatest gains is Gold Coast Christian College, which uses the Canadian developmental reading assessment program and continues spelling lessons into high school years.

Coorparoo Secondary College has dramatically boosted language skills by introducing a whole school reading program, individualised learning plans and deploying explicit instruction.

One of the few wealthy Brisbane independent school bucking the trend is St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, which is ranked among the top 20 Queensland schools for both performance and improvement.

Principal Ros Curtis said the school decided a few years ago to increase the amount of lesson time dedicated to English and Maths in Years7-9 and roll out a specialised “literacy boost” program.

The Sunday Mail’s detailed guide to Queensland schools follows the release of a report by businessman and education consultant David Gonski in April, which warned too many Australian schools were “cruising, not improving” and recommended an overhaul of teaching practices to lift standards across the board.

Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan told The Sunday Mail the Morrison Government remained committed to working with the states to implement the 23 recommendations of the Gonski report.

“I want every Australian child to realise their potential and get the best education possible,” he said.

Originally published as NAPLAN RESULTS: How battlers upstaged state’s elite in results blowout