1. introduction：The National Assessment Program is run at the direction of the Education Council (previously known as SCSEEC). It includes the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), the three-yearly sample assessments in science literacy, civics and citizenship, and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy, and participation in international sample assessments.The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) is the independent statutory authority responsible for the overall management of the Australian National Assessment Program, in collaboration with representatives from all states and territories and non-government school sectors.
NAPLAN is an annual assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It tests the types of skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. The tests cover skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy. The assessments are undertaken every year in the second full week in May.
2. more about the tests:NAPLAN tests skills in literacy and numeracy that are developed over time through the school curriculum. Excessive test preparation using previous tests is not necessary or useful.
NAPLAN tests identify whether all students have the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for their learning, and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community. Students are assessed using common national tests in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.
NAPLAN tests broadly reflect important aspects of literacy and numeracy in the Australian Curriculum adopted by each state or territory.
3. skills tested:
1) reading:These tests focus on the reading of written English. Knowledge and interpretation of language conventions in context are also an important part of reading and are drawn upon in many reading questions.
In the tests, students are provided with a magazine containing a range of texts that illustrate different writing styles. Students read the texts provided then answer related questions in a separate booklet.
2) writing:The three main text types (previously called genres) that are taught are imaginative writing (including narrative writing), informative writing and persuasive writing. In the writing tests, students are provided with a ‘writing stimulus’ (sometimes called a prompt – an idea or topic) and asked to write a response in a particular text type. To date the text types that students have been tested on are narrative writing and persuasive writing. Informative writing is not yet tested by NAPLAN.
3) numeracy: The main reference for numeracy as well as mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding is the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. The numeracy tests assess the proficiency strands of understanding, fluency, problem-solving and reasoning across the three content strands of mathematics: number and algebra; measurement and geometry; and statistics and probability.The paper numeracy tests contain two types of items: multiple-choice and constructed response. The online numeracy tests contain multiple-choice and constructed response items as well as technologically-enhanced items.
4) language conventions:The language conventions tests assess spelling, grammar and punctuation. Literacy knowledge and skills are essential to effective communication across all learning areas. However, the tools of language, including language conventions, are explicitly developed in the English learning area. Therefore the content assessed in the language conventions tests is aligned to the Australian Curriculum: English.The language conventions tests focus on the use and knowledge of language conventions in written standard Australian English. These skills are essential to the development of reading and writing. The content of the language conventions tests particularly complements the writing tests where spelling, grammar and punctuation are explicitly assessed in context. However, students’ understanding of language conventions is also necessary for reading.
