Deputy Principal

PETER CUMMINS

Deputy Principal - Teaching & Learning

NAPLAN Online

On Tuesday, May 14 the 2019 NAPLAN testing begins. This year the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) is running a major NAPLAN online testing trial program. A large number of schools across the state (more than a thousand schools) including Oakleigh Grammar have been selected to take part.

VCAA have provided these schools with a larger test window of just under two weeks in which to complete the online tests. Students will be sitting the same suite of tests that they would normally complete on paper. However, Year 3 students will be sitting their writing test on paper as normal. Preparation and training took place in Term 1 to ensure that our students are familiar with the new online testing platform.

One new feature of the online tests are ‘tailored testing’. During the test, students are presented with sets of questions based on their performance. Many of these questions are of mid-range complexity for each year level, but some are of higher or lower complexity.

For example, students who struggle with questions early in the test are directed to questions that are less complex. Students performing to a higher level in the test will have an opportunity to answer questions that are more complex.

Oakleigh Grammar students will be using class sets of iPads with locked down browsers (so they cannot access unauthorised websites, applications and spell-checking features) to complete the online tests. If a student’s iPad stops working during a test the student will not be disadvantaged. All responses will have been saved and the student can recommence the test with a new device.

ACARA believes that students with limited keyboard skills will not be disadvantaged in the Writing test. The research shows that online writing is similar to handwriting in terms of the quality of writing produced by students at each year level. The writing test is not about handwriting skills and NAPLAN online is not about keyboarding skills. There are variations in how fast and well a student can type, just as there are variations in how fast and well a student can write by hand. 

One big advantage with the online testing is that it will significantly reduce the time it takes to provide results and feedback to schools, students and parents.