NAPLAN: Education ministers order review into how data is presented

But an education ministers’ push for a broader rethink of the national literacy and numeracy tests has been defeated.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham, left, last week. Picture: AAP

A review will be held into the way NAPLAN results are presented, but a push for a broader rethink of the national literacy and numeracy tests has been defeated.

Education ministers today resolved to review the way data from the tests is shared, in response to concerns publication on the My School website leads to “league tables” ranking schools.

The review, to initially report in December, will look at whether there is “misinterpretation and misuse” of the data.

It will also examine how teachers and school leaders use the information to guide teaching practice, and how it is communicated to students and parents.

However, a push by some jurisdictions for a broader revamp of the testing regime failed at the meeting in Adelaide, with claims the Turnbull government “vetoed” this wider rethink.

Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham rejected this, while The Australian understands the ACT and Queensland were the only jurisdictions able to agree on the terms of a wider review. As consensus is required, the broader reform push failed.

Senator Birmingham called on the teachers’ union and some politicians to now end their “scare campaign” about the National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy.

“Some states are just completely beholden to the unions and were doing their bidding today and the unions simply don’t want that type of transparent, consistent assessment of literacy and numeracy skills,” Senator Birmingham said.

“The Turnbull government does. We remain committed to it. And that’s why we stood our ground today.”

He dismissed complaints from some teachers and education ministers that NAPLAN tests were putting too much pressure on children and distorting teaching practices.

Labor education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek on Wednesday backed calls by some states for a broader review, saying NAPLAN tests had become “very high stakes”.

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino said this wider-ranging review had today been “vetoed” by Senator Birmingham, despite “strong support from states and territories for one to take place”.

“It goes to show just how out of touch he is with parents, teachers and schools,” Mr Merlino said. “It has been more than 10 years since NAPLAN testing began and while we will always need a standard, fair and transparent assessment of how our students are tracking, we know it is not perfect.

“It is timely to look at how to improve it. While reviewing the reporting of NAPLAN is a good start, it’s really only doing half a job and we need to do this properly. This stubborn refusal to act is quite frankly a disservice to every Australian student.”

ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry, who pushed the broader review, said the outcome was “mixed”. “I’ve long held concerns about the reporting and culture around NAPLAN and the league tables enabled by My School,” she said.

“Most of all the unfair impact they can have on teachers, students and school communities, particularly in lower income communities.”

Senator Birmingham said there was overwhelming support from parents for NAPLAN testing, which occurs in years 3, 5, 7 and 9, and accused Ms Plibersek of spreading “falsehoods”.

“I’ve heard overnight claims from Ms Plibersek that NAPLAN was determining what happened in a child’s … educational opportunities — that is just not true,” he said. “NAPLAN is just one assessment undertaken four times during the lifetime of a schoolchild’s studies.”