Stronger standards for 3Rs in tougher NAPLAN test

Higher pass marks for reading, writing and maths tests in schools will be set this year after education ministers vetoed plans for politically correct report cards.

Students must meet higher standards in NAPLAN tests next month. ​

Higher pass marks for reading, writing and maths tests in schools will be set this year after education ministers vetoed plans for politically correct report cards.

Stronger minimum standards for the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy were ordered by federal Education Minister Jason Clare and his state and territory counterparts on Friday.

“We are creating strong and appropriate standards that are higher than the current minimum standards, following consultation with families and teachers,’’ Mr Clare said.

Ministers agreed the new proficiency levels – to be drawn up by a panel of expert teachers before reports are issued in July – will be set at a “challenging but reasonable standard of literacy and numeracy expected for the child at the time of testing’’.

They shot down a controversial proposal by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority to describe failing students as “developing’’ the so-called three Rs of reading, writing and arithmetic.

ACARA had wanted to describe student achievement as “developing, approaching proficient, proficient or highly proficient’’, as revealed in The Australian on Friday.

But ministers voted instead to describe the lowest-performing students as “Needs Additional support’’, with below-average students “Developing’’ their skills, those who meet the standards rated “Strong’’ and the top performers “Exceeding’’.

“These new standards will give teachers and parents better information about what a student can do,’’ the ministers stated.

“They will simplify reporting, replacing the current 10 NAPLAN bands and national minimum standard, allowing parents and carers to know at a glance whether their child is where they need to be in literacy and numeracy, which are skills that underpin all other learning.

“These updates to NAPLAN mean that students who need it can get more targeted support.’’

NAPLAN, which for the past 14 years has been conducted in May with pen-and-paper testing of every student in years 3, 5, 7 and 9, will brought forward to March this year. And for the first time, all tests will be online and inter­active, so questions are adjusted to each child’s ability.

But the new system means student performance this year – the first without major disruptions from Covid and natural disasters – cannot be directly compared to past years of NAPLAN results.

Education ministers agreed that individual states and terri­tories can ask ACARA to find a way of comparing results.

Literacy specialist Jennifer Buckingham warned the changes would “create a new Year Zero for NAPLAN, making it difficult if not impossible to track changes in system and school performance over time, and assess the impact of changes to policy and practice’’.

“The description of the lowest group as Needs Additional Support has some merit, but there is a big qualitative leap between the next two categories of Developing and Strong,’’ she said.

“It is difficult to see how the changes add clarity and precision to the reporting.’’

ACARA chief David de Carvalho said the Strong and Exceeding categories would mean students’ “literacy or numeracy skills are where they should be’’.

“If your child has not yet achieved proficiency, then they will either be in the Developing Category or the Needs Additional Support category,’’ he said.

Mr de Carvalho said the new standards would be set “using the professional judgment of panels of expert teachers’’.

Centre for Independent Studies education program director Glenn Fahey argued the descriptions were too vague, and the gradings should be “well below proficient, below proficient, proficient and well above proficient’’.