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David Hornsby Let’s start by letting you know what NAPLAN is not. It is not a measure of how intelligent you are. It is not a measure of what you are capable of. Your results on NAPLAN don't effect if you pass the year or not. I could tell you as a psychologist [...]
You know that NAPLAN is just around the corner each year when the media start trotting out the same old stories about kids being stressed by the tests, teachers teaching to the tests or worse – teachers and students colluding to cheat the tests! This year it will be different ACARA says. Schools [...]
Surprise and disappointment accompanied the recent publication of country by country test results from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study when Australian children unexpectedly performed poorly. In the reading literacy test our children rated 27 out of the 49 countries tested and in the maths [...]
According to Saturday’s Sydney Morning Herald, “Stuffed toys that help children deal with ‘difficult emotions’ are being spruiked as a means to 'assist with the stress of NAPLAN.’” As an aside, it does seem ironic that the PR firm pushing these toys is called Evil Twin. Now, I understand that Year 12 students [...]
Schools with fitter children achieve better literacy and numeracy results, according to Australian research. The study by physiologist Dr Dick Telford, of the Australian National University, and colleagues, was published in a recent issue of the journal Pediatric Exercise Science. "A school that has, on average, high fitness levels will have, on average, higher literacy [...]
NAPLAN to blame for teacher, student stress: study - ABC News Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
As the Fairfax media reports that more parents than ever were withdrawing their kids from the annual NAPLAN tests I wonder if these tests are even assessing the right things in school. Now I realize the importance of literacy and numeracy – of course I do. But, these tests only measure outcomes. [...]
When the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy or NAPLAN was introduced in 2008 I thought it was about addressing this inequality. So, when my child sat the test I joked that we should have given the kids chocolate for breakfast so they did badly and the school would get more money. Some mothers [...]
Every year NAPLAN tests come under the microscope and last year the media was awash with allegations of teachers cheating, parents refusing to allow their kids to take the test, and principals selecting new enrolments based on NAPLAN scores. With stories like this it’s not surprising that anyone who wanted to condemn NAPLAN got their obligatory 3 minute [...]
