Submission to the Inquiry into the Administration and Reporting of NAPLAN

On 13 May 2010, the Senate referred an Inquiry into the administration and reporting of NAPLAN testing to the Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee.  The Senate recently announced the Inquiry's terms of reference which outline inquiry and reporting on:

  1. the conflicting claims made by the Government, educational experts and peak bodies in relation to the publication of the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) testing;
  2. the implementation of possible safeguards and protocols around the public presentation of the testing and reporting data;
  3. the impact of the NAPLAN assessment and reporting regime on :
    1. the educational experience and outcomes for Australian students,
    2. the scope, innovation and quality of teaching practice,
    3. the quality and value of information about student progress provided to parents and principals, and
    4. the quality and value of information about individual schools to parents, principals and the general community; and
  4. international approaches to the publication of comparative reporting of the results, i.e. "league tables"; and
  5. other related matters.

Teachers, principals, parents and school communities have been encouraged to provide input.

The input from the Australian College of Educators, ACE Submission to the Inquiry into the Administration and Reporting of NAPLAN, was developed in consultation with Board and National Council members.  Among other proposals this submission reiterates our request to all education ministers, made over a year ago, to establish an expert standing committee under legislation, with a brief to provide independent expert advice to ACARA - advice that is made public.  Click here to read the submission.

Public submission can be made up till 25 June 2010 and the Committee has until 13 August 2010 to report back.