Naplan Tests

Decoding NAPLAN Tests: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents and Students

Introduction:

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of NAPLAN tests? Do you want to understand what they are, how they're structured, and most importantly, how to best prepare your child or student? This comprehensive guide dives deep into the world of NAPLAN, providing you with everything you need to know, from the test's format and content to effective study strategies and resources. We’ll demystify the process, equipping you with the knowledge to approach NAPLAN with confidence and alleviate the associated anxiety. Whether you're a parent seeking to support your child or a student looking for effective study techniques, this post is your ultimate resource for navigating the complexities of NAPLAN tests.


What are NAPLAN Tests?

NAPLAN, which stands for National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy, is a series of standardized assessments administered annually to students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 across Australia. These tests aim to measure the literacy and numeracy skills of students nationally, providing valuable data on student performance and informing teaching practices. The results provide insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the Australian education system and help identify areas requiring improvement. Understanding the purpose and scope of NAPLAN is crucial for effective preparation.

The Structure of NAPLAN Tests:

NAPLAN comprises tests in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (grammar and punctuation), and Numeracy. Each test has a specific format and focuses on different skills.

Reading: This test assesses students' comprehension skills, their ability to understand and interpret various texts, including narratives, informational texts, and persuasive texts. Questions require students to identify main ideas, infer meaning, and analyze the author's purpose.

Writing: This test assesses students' writing skills, focusing on their ability to construct well-organized and coherent texts, using appropriate language and grammar. Students are typically presented with a writing prompt and asked to produce a text of a certain length and style.

Language Conventions: This test assesses students' knowledge of grammar and punctuation, focusing on their ability to identify and correct grammatical errors and use punctuation effectively. The questions cover a range of grammatical concepts, including sentence structure, tense, and punctuation marks.

Numeracy: This test assesses students' mathematical skills, focusing on their ability to solve problems using a range of mathematical concepts and strategies. Questions cover a range of topics, including number, algebra, measurement, and geometry.


Effective Strategies for NAPLAN Preparation:

Preparing for NAPLAN doesn't have to be stressful. A strategic approach that focuses on building foundational skills and practicing regularly can significantly improve a student's performance.

Focus on Foundational Skills: Ensure your child has a strong grasp of fundamental literacy and numeracy skills. This forms the bedrock for success in NAPLAN.

Practice Regularly: Consistent practice is key. Regular practice tests and quizzes help students familiarize themselves with the test format and identify areas where they need improvement.

Utilize Online Resources: Many free and paid online resources offer practice tests, tutorials, and study materials specifically designed for NAPLAN preparation.

Address Weaknesses: Identify areas where your child is struggling and provide targeted support. Focus on improving these specific areas.

Create a Positive Learning Environment: Reduce stress and anxiety by creating a supportive and encouraging environment. Celebrate progress and focus on effort rather than solely on results.

Develop Time Management Skills: Practice answering questions within a given time frame to improve speed and efficiency.


Understanding the NAPLAN Reporting System:

NAPLAN results are reported using a national standard, allowing for comparison across schools and states. The reports provide insights into student performance in each test area, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. Understanding how the results are interpreted is crucial for parents and educators to effectively support students' learning. Look for percentile rankings and band scores to accurately gauge performance relative to other students across Australia.

Addressing NAPLAN Anxiety:

NAPLAN anxiety is a common concern among students. Parents and educators play a crucial role in helping students manage their anxiety and approach the tests with confidence. Strategies include open communication, positive reinforcement, and promoting a growth mindset. Focusing on effort and progress rather than solely on results can significantly reduce anxiety levels. Remember, NAPLAN is just one measure of a student's ability, and it doesn't define their overall potential.

Beyond the Test Scores:

It’s crucial to remember that NAPLAN scores are just one piece of the puzzle when assessing a student's overall academic progress. They shouldn't be the sole focus of education, and a holistic approach encompassing creativity, critical thinking, and personal development is equally, if not more important.


Sample NAPLAN Preparation Plan:

This outlines a potential study schedule. Adjust it to fit your child's individual needs and learning pace.

Week 1-2: Focus on foundational skills review – reading comprehension, grammar basics, basic arithmetic.

Week 3-4: Introduce practice tests – focus on timing and strategy. Identify weak areas.

Week 5-6: Targeted practice – address identified weak areas using specific resources.

Week 7: Final practice test under simulated exam conditions. Review and consolidate.



9 Unique FAQs on NAPLAN Tests:

1. What happens if my child misses a NAPLAN test? Arrangements can usually be made for makeup tests, but it's essential to contact the school immediately.

2. Are NAPLAN results used for school rankings? While schools receive data, it's used for improvement, not public ranking in most contexts.

3. How are NAPLAN results used to inform teaching? Teachers use the data to identify areas needing more attention and tailor their instruction.

4. Can parents access their child's NAPLAN results? Yes, parents receive individual reports showing their child's performance.

5. What resources are available to help my child prepare? Many online resources, workbooks, and tutoring services offer NAPLAN preparation materials.

6. Is there a specific curriculum for NAPLAN preparation? No, preparation focuses on strengthening general literacy and numeracy skills.

7. What if my child has learning difficulties? Accommodations can be made for students with special needs. Contact the school for details.

8. How important are NAPLAN scores for university applications? NAPLAN scores are generally not a significant factor in university applications.

9. What is the difference between NAPLAN and other standardized tests? NAPLAN is specifically designed to assess national standards in literacy and numeracy within Australia.


9 Related Articles:

1. Boosting Reading Comprehension for NAPLAN: Strategies and resources to improve reading skills.
2. Mastering NAPLAN Writing: Tips and techniques for writing effective responses.
3. Conquering NAPLAN Numeracy: Mathematical problem-solving strategies.
4. Understanding NAPLAN Language Conventions: Grammar and punctuation practice.
5. Effective NAPLAN Study Strategies: Time management, practice tests, and study techniques.
6. Reducing NAPLAN Test Anxiety: Coping mechanisms for students and parents.
7. Interpreting NAPLAN Results: Understanding band scores and percentile rankings.
8. NAPLAN Resources for Parents: A curated list of helpful websites and materials.
9. The Role of NAPLAN in Australian Education: A critical analysis of its impact and future.


  naplan tests: Year 9 NAPLAN*-style Literacy Tests Bianca Hewes, 2010 This book is designed for parents who want to help their children and for teachers who wish to prepare their class for the NAPLAN Literacy Tests. NAPLAN Tests are sat by Year 9 students Australia-wide. These tests are held in May every year.
  naplan tests: National Testing in Schools Bob Lingard, Greg Thompson, Sam Sellar, 2015-11-06 Over the last two decades, large-scale national, or provincial, standardised testing has become prominent in the schools of many countries around the globe. National Testing in Schools: An Australian Assessment draws on research to consider the nature of national testing and its multiple effects, including: media responses and constructions such as league tables of performance pressures within school systems and on schools effects on the work and identities of principals and teachers and impacts on the experience of schooling for many young people, including those least advantaged. Using Australia as the case site for global concerns regarding national testing, this book will be an invaluable companion for education researchers, teacher educators, teacher education students and teachers globally.
  naplan tests: Year 3 Naplan*-style Tests James A. Athanasou, Athanasou & Deftereos, Angella Deftereos, 2010 This book is designed for parents who want to help their children and for teachers who wish to prepare their class for the NAPLAN Numeracy Tests. NAPLAN Tests are sat by Year 7 students Australia-wide. These tests are held in May every year.
  naplan tests: Revise in a Month Year Three NAPLAN-style Tests Alan Horsfield, Allyn Jones, 2009 Excel Revise in a Month Year 3 NAPLAN*-style Tests: includes an introduction to the actual tests. covers the e ssential literacy and numeracy components assessed in the actual tests topics for literacy include spelling, grammar, punctuation, comp rehension and writing topics for numeracy include number, measu rement, space, patterns, chance and data provides a balanced fo ur-day-a-week program that tells your child exactly what to study on eac h day provides plenty of varied exercises, real test practice a nd two sample test papers includes fully explained answers to a ll questions and a detailed marking guide for writing questions Excel Revise in a Month Year 3 NAPLAN*-style Tests will h elp your child revise for success with the following features: key points - ... provides a detailed summary of each topic test your skills - ... gives your child the opportunity to p ractise real test - ... allows your child to practise que stions like those in the real test sample test papers - ... allows your child to become familiar with the format of the actual te sts suggested time - ... helps prepare your child to answ er questions under the time constraints of the actual tests eas y-to-use presentation Excel Revise in a Month stu dy guides take the hard work out of studying. Maximise your child,,s res ults in the shortest time possible. Excel makes it easy for you r child. Excel has helped students achieve exam success for ove r twenty years. We are the leading publisher of study guides in Australi a. We have chosen the most experienced authors to write the Excel series to ensure that our study guides are of the highest standard. * This is not an officially endorsed publication of the NAPLAN pro gram and is produced by Pascal Press independently of Australian governm ents.
  naplan tests: Testing 3, 2, 1 Michael Lawrence, 2020-03-23 Testing 3, 2, 1 is the story of how Australian education fell behind the world’s best and how Finland came to lead. It is also a guide to how some of Finland’s ideas can be used by teachers and schools to begin to reverse the current malaise of Australia’s education system. Part memoir, part investigative journalism, part call-to-action, this easy-to-read and highly compelling plea for an improved education system can’t be ignored ... Lawrence reminds us that we can (and must) do better. - Jared Cooney Horvath PhD, Educational Neuroscientist, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne. Author of Stop Talking, Start Influencing: 12 Insights from Brain Science to Make Your Message Stick
  naplan tests: Year 5 Naplan*-style Tests James A. Athanasou, Angella Deftereos, 2011 This book is designed for parents who want to help their children and for teachers who wish to prepare their class for the NAPLAN Tests. NAPL AN Tests are sat by Year 5 students Australia-wide. These tests are held in May every year. The tests are in literacy and numeracy. In li teracy there are three tests: Language Conventions - %spelling, grammar and punctuation: there are around 50 questions in th is test Reading - %comprehension: there are around 35 qu estions in this test Writing% - written expression: there is o ne piece of writing in this test In the numeracy test math ematics is tested. There are 40 questions in this test. Parents m ay also use these books separately from the tests and just as a general way of revising or when tutoring their children. This book is divided in to sample questions and practice tests. It starts with samples of the li teracy (Reading and Language Conventions) and numeracy questions. This i s then followed by four practice tests for numeracy, four practice tests for reading and four practice tests for language conventions. There is a sample writing task and four practice writing tasks. Samples can be re vised if the practice tests are not completed. * This is not an o fficially endorsed publication of the NAPLAN program and is produced by Pascal Press independently of Australian governments.
  naplan tests: Excel Year 2 NAPLAN*-style Tests James A Athanasou, Angella Deftereos, National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy, 2011 Excel Year 2 NAPLAN-style Tests include: six practice tests each for numeracy, language conventions and reading; five practice tests for writing; detailed answers with explanations for all twenty-three practice tests; the best test preparation for your child.
  naplan tests: Handbook of Accessible Achievement Tests for All Students Stephen N. Elliott, Ryan J. Kettler, Peter A. Beddow, Alexander Kurz, 2011-04-28 The Handbook of Accessible Achievement Tests for All Students: Bridging the Gaps Between Research, Practice, and Policy presents a wealth of evidence-based solutions designed to move the assessment field beyond “universal” standards and policies toward practices that enhance learning and testing outcomes. Drawing on an extensive research and theoretical base as well as emerging areas of interest, the volume focuses on major policy concerns, instructional considerations, and test design issues, including: The IEP team’s role in sound assessment. The relationships among opportunity to learn, assessment, and learning outcomes. Innovations in computerized testing and the “6D” framework for standard setting. Legal issues in the assessment of special populations. Guidelines for linguistically accessible assessments. Evidence-based methods for making item modifications that increase the validity of inferences from test scores. Strategies for writing clearer test items. Methods for including student input in assessment design. Suggestions for better measurement and tests that are more inclusive. This Handbook is an essential reference for researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in education and allied disciplines, including child and school psychology, social work, special education, learning and measurement, and education policy.
  naplan tests: NAPLAN Style Test Pack YR 9 Alan Horsfield, 2013-10-30
  naplan tests: Digital Disruption in Teaching and Testing Claire Wyatt-Smith, Bob Lingard, Elizabeth Heck, 2021-04-28 This book provides a significant contribution to the increasing conversation concerning the place of big data in education. Offering a multidisciplinary approach with a diversity of perspectives from international scholars and industry experts, chapter authors engage in both research- and industry-informed discussions and analyses on the place of big data in education, particularly as it pertains to large-scale and ongoing assessment practices moving into the digital space. This volume offers an innovative, practical, and international view of the future of current opportunities and challenges in education and the place of assessment in this context.
  naplan tests: Becoming a Teacher: Knowledge, Skills and Issues Maggie Clarke, Sharon Pittaway, 2014-04-23 Marsh’s Becoming a Teacher, 6e continues to offer pre-service teachers a practical and user-friendly guide to learning to teach that students find invaluable throughout their entire degree. Marsh covers a comprehensive introduction to teaching methodology, preparing pre-service teachers for the challenges they face in a 21st-century classroom. All chapters in this new edition have been updated with new approaches and current references by the two new authors Maggie Clarke and Sharon Pittaway. The approach in this 6th edition is more reflective and gives readers an even greater opportunity to interact with issues raised in the text.
  naplan tests: A Dingo Ate My Math Book Burkard Polster, Marty Ross, 2017-12-27 A Dingo Ate My Math Book presents ingenious, unusual, and beautiful nuggets of mathematics with a distinctly Australian flavor. It focuses, for example, on Australians' love of sports and gambling, and on Melbourne's iconic, mathematically inspired architecture. Written in a playful and humorous style, the book offers mathematical entertainment as well as a glimpse of Australian culture for the mathematically curious of all ages. This collection of engaging stories was extracted from the Maths Masters column that ran from 2007 to 2014 in Australia's Age newspaper. The maths masters in question are Burkard Polster and Marty Ross, two (immigrant) Aussie mathematicians, who each week would write about math in the news, providing a new look at old favorites, mathematical history, quirks of school mathematics—whatever took their fancy. All articles were written for a very general audience, with the intention of being as inviting as possible and assuming a minimum of mathematical background.
  naplan tests: The SAGE Handbook of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment Dominic Wyse, Louise Hayward, Jessica Pandya, 2015-12-03 The research and debates surrounding curriculum, pedagogy and assessment are ever-growing and are of constant importance around the globe. With two volumes - containing chapters from highly respected researchers, whose work has been critical to understanding and building expertise in the field – The SAGE Handbook of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment focuses on examining how curriculum is treated and developed, and its impact on pedagogy and assessment worldwide. The Handbook is organised into five thematic sections, considering: · The epistemology and methodology of curriculum · Curriculum and pedagogy · Curriculum subjects · Areas of the curriculum · Assessment and the curriculum · The curriculum and educational policy The SAGE Handbook of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment’s breadth and rigour will make it essential reading for researchers and postgraduate students around the world.
  naplan tests: Data Culture and the Organisation of Teachers’ Work Nerida Spina, 2020-05-31 Data Culture and the Organisation of Teachers’ Work provides an in-depth look at how the political and media scrutiny of teachers, pupils and schools now organises teaching and learning. Spina also examines how educational data is used in schools, and where it fails to take account of the everyday experiences of school leaders, teachers and students. Drawing on primary research, and discussing practice in relation to the National Assessment Programme: Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), this book discusses the strengths and weaknesses of a data-driven approach, the restrictions this can impose and how to navigate them as a teacher. Ideal for scholars and postgraduate students of education, this book provides a comprehensive institutional, ethnographic look into the daily lived experiences of teachers, and the effects of standardised testing.
  naplan tests: The Routledge Handbook of Language Education Curriculum Design Peter Mickan, Ilona Wallace, 2019-12-23 Curriculum design options cover a continuum from regional and school-based programs to national and international frameworks. How does policy speak to practice? What have teacher-researchers discovered through in-classroom studies? Where do you begin to describe or measure ‘effective’ language education curriculum design? The Routledge Handbook of Language Education Curriculum Design presents a comprehensive collection of essays on these issues by 31 established practitioners and new researchers. Informed by experienced scholarship and fresh studies, this handbook shares international perspectives on language education from policy and curriculum to teacher training and future directions. The handbook addresses language education curriculum design across five sections: Language curriculum design: perspectives, policies and practices Designs across the curriculum Curriculum designs in language education Curriculum resources, evaluation and assessment Teacher education, research and future projects With contributions from Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Switzerland, Timor-Leste and more, the handbook represents the breadth of research into and the global implications for sound language education curriculum design. It considers equally the needs of students and policy makers from urban metropolises and remote communities. It is designed to reinvigorate discussions about education policy, curriculum management and the role of teacher-researchers.
  naplan tests: Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia 2020–2023 Carmel Mesiti,
  naplan tests: High-Stakes Testing in Education Theo Eggen, Gordon Stobart, 2015-10-14 High-stakes educational testing is a global phenomenon which is increasing in both scale and importance. Assessments are high-stakes when there are serious consequences for one or more stakeholders. Historically, tests have largely been used for selection or for providing a ‘licence to practise’, making them high-stakes for the test takers. Testing is now also used for the purposes of improving standards of teaching and learning and of holding schools accountable for their students’ results. These tests then become high-stakes for teachers and schools, especially when they have to meet externally imposed targets. More recent has been the emergence of international comparative testing, which has become high-stakes for governments and policy makers as their education systems are judged in relation to the performances of other countries. In this book we draw on research which examines each of these uses of high-stakes testing. The articles evaluate the impact of such assessments and explore the issues of value and fairness which they raise. To underline the international appeal of high-stakes testing the studies are drawn from Australia, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, former Soviet republics and North America. Collectively they illustrate the power of high-stakes assessment in shaping, for better or for worse, policy making and schooling. This book was originally published as a special issue of Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice.
  naplan tests: Diversity in Mathematics Education Alan Bishop, Hazel Tan, Tasos N Barkatsas, 2014-09-20 This book presents a research focus on diversity and inclusivity in mathematics education. The challenge of diversity, largely in terms of student profiles or contextual features, is endemic in mathematics education, and is often argued to require differentiation as a response. Typically different curricula, text materials, task structures or pedagogies are favoured responses, but huge differences in achievement still result. If we in mathematics education seek to challenge that status quo, more research must be focussed not just on diversity but also on the inclusivity, of practices in mathematics education. The book is written by a group of experienced collaborating researchers who share this focus. It is written for researchers, research students, teachers and in-service professionals, who recognise both the challenges but also the opportunities of creating and evaluating new inclusive approaches to curriculum and pedagogy – ones that take for granted the positive values of diversity. Several chapters report new research in this direction. The authors are part of, or have visited with, the mathematics education staff of the Faculty of Education at Monash University, in Melbourne, Australia. The chapters all focus on the ideas of development in both research and practice, recognising that the current need is for new inclusive approaches. The studies presented are set in different contexts, including Australia, China, the United States, and Singapore.
  naplan tests: The Proceedings of the 12th International Congress on Mathematical Education Sung Je Cho, 2015-02-10 This book comprises the Proceedings of the 12th International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME-12), which was held at COEX in Seoul, Korea, from July 8th to 15th, 2012. ICME-12 brought together 3500 experts from 92 countries, working to understand all of the intellectual and attitudinal challenges in the subject of mathematics education as a multidisciplinary research and practice. This work aims to serve as a platform for deeper, more sensitive and more collaborative involvement of all major contributors towards educational improvement and in research on the nature of teaching and learning in mathematics education. It introduces the major activities of ICME-12 which have successfully contributed to the sustainable development of mathematics education across the world. The program provides food for thought and inspiration for practice for everyone with an interest in mathematics education and makes an essential reference for teacher educators, curriculum developers and researchers in mathematics education. The work includes the texts of the four plenary lectures and three plenary panels and reports of three survey groups, five National presentations, the abstracts of fifty one Regular lectures, reports of thirty seven Topic Study Groups and seventeen Discussion Groups.
  naplan tests: Handbook of Accessible Instruction and Testing Practices Stephen N. Elliott, Ryan J. Kettler, Peter A. Beddow, Alexander Kurz, 2018-03-08 The Second Edition of this handbook provides comprehensive coverage of the concept of accessibility and its application to the design and implementation of instruction and tests with all students. It updates and expands on its original contents and responds to the increasing demand for research-based evidence of accessible instruction and testing practices from the professional community. Chapters explore how outcomes are affected when essential features or components of instructional materials and tests are not accessible to any portion of the student population. The handbook addresses the new set of Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing that was published in 2014 as well as requirements for a high level of access for all interim and summative tests by national testing consortiums. In addition, the handbook describes how the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) has continued to advance Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in mainstream education with teachers of all types of students, not just students with disabilities. Topics featured in this text include: A summary of U.S. policies that support inclusive assessment for students with disabilities. An overview of international policies that support inclusive assessments. Designing, developing, and implementing an accessible computer-based national assessment system. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and the future of assessment. Recent advancements in the accessibility of digitally delivered educational assessments. The Handbook of Accessible Instruction and Testing Practices, Second Edition is an essential reference for researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in education and allied disciplines, including child and school psychology; assessment, testing and evaluation; social work; and education policy and politics.
  naplan tests: Testing Regimes, Accountabilities and Education Policy Bob Lingard, Goli Rezai-Rashti, Wayne Martino, 2017-10-02 Around the globe, various kinds of testing, including high stakes national census testing, have become meta-policies, steering educational systems in particular directions, and having great effects on schools and on teacher practices, as well as upon student learning and curricula. There has also been a complementary global aspect to this with the OECD’s PISA and IEA’s TIMSS and PIRLS, which have had impacts on national education systems and their policy frameworks. While there has been a globalized educational policy discourse that suggests that high stakes standardised testing will drive up standards and enhance the quality of a nation’s human capital and thus their international economic competitiveness, this discourse still manifests itself in specific, vernacular, path dependent ways in different nations. High stakes testing and its effects can also be seen as part of the phenomenon of the ‘datafication’ of the world and ‘policy as numbers’, linked to other reforms of the state, including new public management, network governance, and top-down and test-based modes of accountability. This edited collection provides theoretically and empirically informed analyses of these developments. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Education Policy.
  naplan tests: RIAM NAPLAN* Tests Yr 6 Alan Horsfield, 2014-09-30 Excel Revise in a Month Year 6 NAPLAN-style Tests: Includes an introduction to the actual tests; Covers the essential Literacy and Numeracy components assessed in the actual tests. Topics for Literacy include Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, Reading and Writing. Topics for Numeracy include Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability; Provides a balanced four-day-a-week program that helps you direct your child to exactly what to revise each day; Provides plenty of varied exercises, real test practice and two sample test papers; Includes fully explained answers to all questions and a detailed marking guide for writing questions.
  naplan tests: Assessment Tools and Systems Barbara J. Smith, 2022-12-27 Feedback matters for everyone committed to school improvement. Rather than tweaking flawed assessment tools, it is time to consider developing more meaningful feedback systems the impact the critical masses that make up the school community. Cultivating new assessment approaches for students, staff, as well as non-instructional staff, teacher-leaders, principals, superintendents, trustees and grant/philanthropic funders, can lead to remarkable change. The goal of learning for students should not be separate or secondary to performing well on standardized tests. Implementing feedback systems that engage and prompt critical and creative thinking should matter more in today’s schools. Assessment tools that explicitly align with expectations not only create a fair playing field, but they can enhance deep learning. Assessment Tools and Systems: Meaningful Feedback Approaches to Promote Critical and Creative Thinking presents a comprehensive compilation of constructive assessment choices grounded in educational research that emerged through 60 years of experiences as a student, teacher, principal, teacher educator, consultant, school founder, school trustee and educational philanthropist.
  naplan tests: The Principal and School Improvement Amanda Heffernan, 2018-07-30 This book investigates the localised effects of reform by exploring the impact of a school improvement policy agenda on the work of three experienced principals. It presents three longitudinal case studies within a shared specific leadership context in Queensland, Australia. The case studies enable an exploration of the way the principalship in this context has evolved over time, providing deep insights into the practices and beliefs of three experienced school leaders working in a period of rapid and urgent systemic reform. The nature of global reform policy borrowing means that the research and the findings within this monograph are relevant for international audiences. The book describes a new way to understand and theorise the effects of reform policies and associated pressures on school leaders. Using post-structural theory, it provides a better understanding of the specific effects of reform policy ensembles, particularly when combined with an analysis of the ways policy and discourse work together at a wider level to create an environment that disciplines the principalship. Further, it sheds lights on the means of complying with or contesting policy influences and how the work of leaders has changed over time.
  naplan tests: Making Sense of Mass Education Gordon Tait, 2018-11-29 Making Sense of Mass Education provides an engaging and accessible analysis of traditional issues associated with mass education. The book challenges preconceptions about social class, gender and ethnicity discrimination; highlights the interplay between technology, media, popular culture and schooling; and inspects the relevance of ethics and philosophy in the modern classroom. The third edition has been comprehensively updated to include the latest research, statistics and legal policies. Each chapter challenges and breaks down common myths surrounding each topic, encouraging pre-service teachers to think critically and reflect on their own beliefs. The inclusion of a new chapter on alternative education reflects the ever-changing Australian educational landscape. In Making Sense of Mass Education, Gordon Tait expertly blurs disciplinary boundaries, drawing on sociology, cultural studies, history, philosophy, ethics and jurisprudence to provide a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental concepts of mass education.
  naplan tests: Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia 2008–2011 Bob Perry, Tom Lowrie, Tracy Logan, Amy MacDonald, Jane Greenlees, 2012-09-11 This is the eighth edition of the four-yearly review of mathematics education research in Australasia. Commissioned by the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA), this review critiques the most current Australasian research in mathematics education in the four years from 2008-2011. The main objective of this review is to celebrate and recognise significant findings; highlight relationships between research; identify themes; and forecast further research directions. This theme-based review has produced a comprehensive analysis of Australasian research in a politically challenging time—producing a manuscript with implications for a wider, international, audience. As the 2009 Felix Klein medal winner Gilah Leder states: A substantial body of research is captured in the chapters of this review. It encompasses the labours of a community of active researchers, with varied interests and diverse theoretical perspectives. Some of the issues explored in the period covered by this volume clearly resonate with questions and concerns particularly pertinent to the changing educational environment; others are more aptly described as continuing or renewed explorations of areas of long standing concern.
  naplan tests: Literacy for the 21st Century Gail Tompkins, Rod Campbell, David Green, Carol Smith, 2014-08-01 Literacy for the 21st Century, 2e, gives students the strategies and ability to teach literacy effectively in Australian classrooms. Linking the theory and research to classroom practice, and with a greater emphasis on the use of digital literacies, students will gain a practical understanding of teaching reading and writing.
  naplan tests: Challenging the Deprofessionalisation of Teaching and Teachers John Buchanan, 2020-10-01 This book explores how best to invest in and nurture teachers. It examines deprofessionalisation and reprofessionalisation in the recent developments in the understanding of teaching and learning, including the effects of standardizing teaching, education shaped by student satisfaction data and basic skills tests. The book focuses on Australian context and takes on an international perspective. It investigates fundamental issues affecting teacher quality, morale, attrition and retention, learner and teacher autonomy, and assessment and evaluation. It encourages teachers and teacher educators to assert centrality to teachers and question and challenge outside forces that suppress teacher autonomy and associated agency and creativity. It challenges administrators and educational jurisdictions to rethink their assumptions on their own capacities and limitations and teachers' capabilities to shape education in optimal ways and the impact of outcomes of the decisions they make.
  naplan tests: Teaching Secondary School Mathematics Merrilyn Goos, Colleen Vale, Gloria Stillman, Katie Makar, Sandra Herbert, Vince Geiger, 2020-07-16 Since its first publication, Teaching Secondary School Mathematics has established itself as one of the most respected and popular texts for both pre-service and in-service teachers. This new edition has been fully revised and updated to reflect the major changes brought about by the introduction of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics, as well as discussing significant research findings, the evolution of digital teaching and learning technologies, and the implications of changes in education policies and practices. The mathematical proficiencies that now underpin the Australian curriculum -- understanding, fluency, problem solving and reasoning -- are covered in depth in Part 1, and a new section is devoted to the concept of numeracy. The chapter on digital tools and resources has been significantly expanded to reflect the growing use of these technologies in the classroom, while the importance of assessment is recognised with new material on assessment for learning and as learning, along with a consideration of policy development in this area. Important research findings on common student misconceptions and new and effective approaches for teaching key mathematical skills are covered in detail. As per the first edition readers will find a practical guide to pedagogical approaches and the planning and enactment of lessons together with enhanced chapters on teaching effectively for diversity, managing issues of inequality and developing effective relationships with parents and the community. This book is the essential pedagogical tool for every emerging teacher of secondary school mathematics. 'The text offers an excellent resource for all of those involved in the preparation of secondary mathematics teachers, with links to research literature, exemplars of classroom practices, and instructional activities that encourage readers to actively examine and critique practices within their own educational settings.' Professor Glenda Anthony, Institute of Education, Massey University 'A rich and engaging textbook that covers all of the important aspects of learning to become an effective secondary mathematics teacher. The second edition of this text ... is further enhanced with updated references to the Australian Curriculum, NAPLAN, STEM, current Indigenous, social justice and gender inequity issues, and the place of Australian mathematics curricula on the world stage.' Dr Christine Ormond, Senior Lecturer, Edith Cowan University
  naplan tests: Working in a Survival School Lee Del Col, Garth Stahl, 2023-05-31 Working in a Survival School documents how global educational policies trickle down and influence school cultures and the lives of educators and educational leaders. The research traces the everyday work and experience of educators within an all-boys Catholic college suffering an unprecedented decline in enrolment numbers. In short, it was a school in ‘survival mode.’ Drawing on Dorothy Smith’s scholarship on Institutional Ethnography, the authors document how the school operated and how its efforts to survive influenced the daily work of educators.Institutional ethnography reveals the school as a bounded space subject to a variety of competing local and translocal forces that are historical, political and economic in nature. Exploring the discursive and material effects of policy on both the work and identities of educators, the authors illustrate how the everyday experience of being an educator is shaped by marketisation and how leaders engage in stratagems to promote the school as a vehicle of educational excellence and quality to lure clientele. Building on existing scholarship in educational policy studies and new public management, Working in a Survival School considers how the global marketisation of education systems is experienced in one school fighting to survive. This book is of interest to educators, school leaders and academics interested in policy enactment.
  naplan tests: Adapting to Online and Blended Learning in Higher Education David Kember, Robert A. Ellis, Si Fan, Allison Trimble, 2023-05-19 Higher education has undergone a massive transformation in teaching and learning in a very short period of time since the onset of Covid-19. Students, teachers and universities have had to adopt online and blended learning, often with little or no experience or models of good practice to draw upon. It is clear that blended and online learning are here to stay. This book draws on research from universities that have adopted online and blended learning to facilitate the expansion and diversification of their intake; which resulted in considerable experience and expertise in online and blended teaching. The book describes a model, tested with qualitative and quantitative data, which shows how teachers can support the retention and success of online and blended learners with four high-quality pedagogical elements: bite-sized videos of interest and relevance; learning materials that are well organised and provide a clear learning roadmap; discussion forums which are set up and moderated so as to result in lively student-student and student-teacher interaction; and, online teachers being approachable and responsive to communication with individual students through email, phone and online communication platforms. This model is explained and profusely illustrated with examples from the teaching of award-winning teachers. This book introduces the concept of a spectrum from traditional to contemporary models of admission and course delivery in higher education. It explains how universities which have adopted a contemporary model, with high levels of blended and online learning, have been able to expand their intake and markedly diversify the student body. It discusses how to support the retention and success of online and blended learners. Student support services are examined from the perspectives of service providers and online and blended learners and the case is made for support services being aligned with student needs. The book has a discussion of university management systems which utilise feedback at all levels to improve alignment between support service provision and student needs.
  naplan tests: Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia 2012-2015 Katie Makar, Shelley Dole, Jana Visnovska, Merrilyn Goos, Anne Bennison, Kym Fry, 2016-06-02 With the ninth edition of the four-yearly review of mathematics education research in Australasia, the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA) discusses the Australasian research in mathematics education in the four years from 2012-2015. This review aims to critically promote quality research and focus on the building of research capacity in Australasia.
  naplan tests: Year 3 NAPLAN*-style Alan Horsfield, Elaine Horsfield, 2010 This book is designed for parents who want to help their children and for teachers who wish to prepare their class for the NAPLAN Literacy Tests. NAPLAN Tests are sat by Year 3 students Australia-wide.
  naplan tests: OECD Reviews of Evaluation and Assessment in Education: Australia 2011 Santiago Paulo, Donaldson Graham, Herman Joan, Shewbridge Claire, 2011-10-28 This book provides, for Australia, an independent analysis of major issues facing its educational evaluation and assessment framework, current policy initiatives, and possible future approaches.
  naplan tests: Literacy in Australia: Pedagogies for Engagement, 3rd Edition Amy Seely Flint, Lisbeth Kitson, Kaye Lowe, Kylie Shaw, Sally Humphrey, Mark Vicars, Jessa Rogers, Shelley Ware, 2019-09-30 Infused with our authors’ personal experiences teaching, Literacy in Australia, 3rd Edition is delivered as a full colour printed textbook with an interactive eBook code included. This enables students to master concepts and succeed in assessment by taking the roadblocks out of self-study, with features designed to get the most out of learning such as animations, interactivities, concept check questions and videos. With a prioritised focus on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures featured throughout the text, pre-service teachers will be well-equipped with the knowledge of what kinds of activities they can include in and out of the classroom for an enriching learning experience for their students.
  naplan tests: Creative Engagements with Children: International Perspectives and Contexts Rachael Jacobs, 2020-05-06 Creative Engagements with Children: International Perspectives and Contexts explores inter-disciplinary perspectives on the complex issues surrounding the notion of engagement in education.
  naplan tests: Why on Earth Homeschool Rebbecca Devitt, 2017-08-07 Discover how to grow morally, spiritually, and educationally advanced children. Why on Earth Homeschool gives you an exciting and unique look at what homeschooling can mean for your child. Filled with entertaining and engaging stories and research studies, this book integrates the theories and perspectives of many homeschooling experts.Learn the:*Issues with the school education system*Benefits of homeschooling and*Potential pitfalls of homeschoolingNo matter what stage your child is at, homeschooling is always an option. Answering all your questions, this book is for prospective parents, parents with young children, parents with children in school, and homeschooling parents - this book is for you!
  naplan tests: Pedagogy in Basic and Higher Education Kirsi Tirri, Auli Toom, 2020-02-19 This book takes a holistic approach to pedagogy and argues that the purpose of education is to educate the student's whole personality including cognitive, social, and moral domains. The four sections and twelve chapters address the current pedagogical challenges in basic and higher education in international contexts. The authors describe the principles and practices through which meaningful education is promoted and enhanced in a variety of ways. The challenges educators face in their profession as well as ways to overcome them are elaborated on both theoretically and empirically. The book allows both researchers, teachers, and educational policy makers to reflect on current developments, challenges, and areas of development in educational institutions when aiming to support student growth and learning.
  naplan tests: Big Fish, Little Fish Susan Groundwater-Smith, Nicole Mockler, 2015-05-27 This text prepares pre-service teachers to best meet the needs of students entering the challenging middle years of their education.
  naplan tests: Valuing Students with Impairment Joy Cumming, 2012-01-05 In this book, the author Joy Cumming draws on knowledge of law, assessment and measurement to provide an original analysis of the inclusion of students with impairment in educational accountability assessments in the U.S., England and Australia. Equitable education of students with impairment is worldwide policy. Educational accountability for improvement of educational outcomes is also a worldwide phenomenon. The U.S., England and Australia are well placed economically and politically to pursue best educational practice for students with impairment and well advanced in both provision and educational accountability systems. Examining these three systems enables an analysis of possible optimal practices to guide other countries. The book identifies three models of impairment in place in legislation, policy and enacted practice for educational accountability with students with impairment. Intentions of legislation and policy reflect a social model of impairment—while an individual has an impairment, social practice creates the barrier that leads to a disability. In implementation, legislation and policy rely on a medical model of disability—categorizing disability in medical or specialist terms. In educational accountability practices, it is argued in this book, a third model of disability is created—a psychometric model, with impairment constructed through overemphasis on standardization of assessment processes. Eight explicit and implicit assumptions that underpin the ways students with impairment are valued in educational accountability are identified and discussed. Three recommendations are made to promote equitable inclusive educational accountability practices for students with impairment, to inform future policy and practice in all countries.