Naplan Online

NAPLAN ONLINE  2019

Don’t forget your headphones!

As you will be aware each year in May the NAPLAN tests are conducted with Year 7 & 9 students to assess their knowledge and skills in various areas of Literacy and Numeracy. Term Two is now well under way and we are a little over a week away from the NAPLAN Online tests.

Test Schedule

For our College the Writing test will occur on the morning of May 14th followed by Reading test in the afternoon with the Convention of Languages test in the morning of the 16th and Numeracy in the afternoon. These sessions will appear on each student’s Compass schedule. We will also conduct catch up tests as required between the 15th and 20th May for students who may be absent when the scheduled tests are run.

Practice Tests

In 2019 our College will be conducting NAPLAN Online as part of the national transition. This will offer a more tailored test which will adapt to students’ levels as they answer questions and more precisely assess their level of understanding. Of course this will present some challenges as students and teachers adapt to the new format. Last term we did manage to complete practice tests for most of our Year 7 and 9 students so hopefully your child has some idea of what to expect. If they missed out or would like another look please go to http://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site At the College we try to emphasis with students that NAPLAN is not an achievement test but an assessment of where they are at in their learning. As such there is limited benefit in practicing for the test beyond work normally undertaken in class. However as it is an online test this year there are some practical preparation needed and it is here that we ask for your support.

· It is expected that all students will have a fully charges and functioning laptop and bring functioning headphones for each test. If there are any issues with this please see our IT Department as soon as possible.

Disability & Exemptions

All students are expected to participate in the NAPLAN Online tests, hence the scheduling of catch up sessions. Support can be arranged for students with disabilities, if the student regularly receives similar support in class. Similarly exemptions may be granted to students who have been learning English for less than a year. If either of these cases apply to your child please contact the College as parent consent is required before support or exemptions can be granted.

Withdrawals

Similarly we also recognise that some parents or carers may not wish their child to participate in the NAPLAN tests. If this applies for your child please contact the college as soon as possible, as you must sign a Student Withdrawal form. These forms are available at the school.

Having been through some teething problems with the practice tests we anticipate that NAPLAN Online will be successfully implemented. However there are a range of contingencies in place to deal with the unlikely occurrence of significant issues both within the college and more broadly. These include extending the test windows and paper-based tests. For more information about NAPLAN Online, please visit the VCAA website at www.vcaa.vic.edu.au or the NAP website at www.nap.edu.au

Thank you for your support,

Paul McGlynn

Curriculum Implementation and Data Leader