Teaching and Learning

• NAPLAN
• Accelerated Reader and STAR Assessments (Years 5 and 7)

NAPLAN

The College has been a busy place for teaching and learning in Weeks 7 and 8 with NAPLAN testing taking place during most days for students in Years 5, 7 and 9. In early Term 3, individual student reports will be sent to schools for distribution to parents.  The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) will publish the national results in August and then we will have an understanding of how students performed compared to others in NSW and Australia.

It is important to remember that NAPLAN is a point in time test that highlights areas of strength as well as areas where additional support may be required. The results are also useful charting a student’s growth over time. The data that we receive from these tests direct us to prioritise the literacy and numeracy development of students. We continue to implement a number of strategies to improve student achievement in numeracy, reading and writing.

The College also acknowledges that NAPLAN is only one part of a larger focus for St Pius X students where individual strengths and talents are celebrated across a wide number of domains.

Accelerated Reader and STAR Assessments (Years 5 and 7)

St Pius X College, Chatswood is committed to helping every student develop strong reading skills and a genuine love of reading. From Term 2, we will begin using Accelerated Reader and STAR Reading Assessments with students in Year 5 and Year 7 to support and monitor reading growth.

STAR Reading is a short, online assessment that provides teachers with an overall picture of a student’s current reading level and skills. In Term 2, students will sit a 20-30 minute adaptive test consisting of 35-word recognition, vocabulary and comprehension questions. This adaptive test will be repeated in Term 4, allowing the College to identify strengths, target areas for improvement and track progress over time.

Following this, students will be provided with a reading score and encouraged to read texts that fall within an appropriate and challenging range. After finishing a text, students will use Accelerated Reader to complete a short online quiz to check understanding and comprehension. English teachers and librarians will monitor reading practice, quiz results and progress, providing feedback to students to encourage consistent reading habits.

St Pius X College is introducing these initiatives to provide a clear, consistent measure of reading progress over time and to build reading confidence, fluency and comprehension.

STAR Reading Assessments and Accelerated Reader will be completed during Year 7 English and Year 5 Library lessons, with students guided through the process by their classroom teacher and the Junior or Senior School Librarians.

Parents are about to sign up for Home Connect via Renaissance Learning to receive updates on their son’s progress. For more information please see the Renaissance Website:

https://www.renaissance.com.au/star-assessments/

https://www.renaissance.com.au/accelerated-reader/

If you have any questions about Accelerated Reader or STAR Reading Assessment, please contact the College to discuss.

Thank you for your continued support as we work together to build strong, confident readers.

Mr Stephen Davidson - Assistant Principal, Teaching and Learning