Why NAPLAN?

St Paul's Year Seven and Year Nine students have been sitting the NAPLAN assessments and once again the sleeping beast of Why NAPLAN? has awoken. While the College has no control on the delivery or content of the assessments it does make the most of the data that is fed back. The following are some of the ways being NAPLAN-informed assists us as educators:

  • Indicates general performance level regarding competency in Literacy and Numeracy. While NAPLAN is not particularly useful as a diagnostic tool, it can indicate students who may be 'slipping through the gaps'.
  • Indicates growth from Year 7 to 9 which is a direct reflection of our teaching practice in the classroom in all subject areas.
  • Indicates areas of weakness and strength that inform our staff professional learning.
  • Allows comparison to trends of other colleges in our diocese and state/national schools.
  • Indicates aptitude for performance in senior elective courses.
  • Indicates a trend for individual students regarding achievement and/or application.
  • Invites parents into the conversation about levels of achievement.

While NAPLAN is not a choice for schools, it is important that our students achieve their best and understand that it allows opportunities to create better classrooms.

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Mr Roger Shipton - Literacy Coach