Changes to NAPLAN in 2023
One and a quarter million students will participate in the NAPLAN testing program this week. Although NAPLAN is now well entrenched in school activity, this year will have placed additional expectations on school leaders to be ready to test in March rather than May and we would like to wish all our schools well.
The change in the timing of the tests is not the only significant change. Many of you will already be aware of the decision not to equate the NAPLAN 2023 scale to the historical NAPLAN scale. Whilst this change is understandable, given that the tests are earlier, it means schools will only receive achievement data, not progress data, in 2023. Progress data will be provided in future years, but schools will need to wait two years, when this year’s Year 3, 5 and 7s sit the tests again.
If you are a school focused on evaluating student progress not just achievement, you may like to look at our new Brightpath Progress assessments.
Brightpath Progress writing and mathematics assessments provide schools with high quality data, the same quality as NAPLAN data. Schools can readily track student growth in learning and of course they can assess students in all year levels, not just Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students, and several times a year. And there is no delay in accessing your data. As the data are analysed as students complete the tests, reporting is virtually instantaneous.
Figure 1: Brightpath Progress - Student Growth and Progress Displays
Importantly, Brightpath Progress answers the question: What can my students do now, and what do they need to learn next? With clear next-step teaching points, your teachers can focus on what students need to learn to make real progress.
Figure 2: Brightpath Progress - Teaching Point Display