Principal's Message
NAPLAN and College Assessments
Trinity College seeks to provide a variety of assessment types to determine the achievement level of individual students. This can be in the form of formal examinations and tests, or through research tasks, portfolio work, practical skill demonstrations, oral presentations and similar. It is important that any assessment task is reliable in its administration and process, and valid in so much that it accurately measures targeted achievement outcomes. The use of cross-marking and internal moderation processes seeks to further ensure this. The Trinity College Assessment Policy sets out clear guidelines, protocols and outlines responsibilities in relation to all College Assessments.
Our Year 11 and 12 students studying ATAR courses are currently immersed in a two-week formal examination period. Meanwhile, having recently completed several Externally Set Tasks (ESTs) over the past few weeks, those senior students taking General courses will utilise this time to catch up on any missed work and assessments. Our Year 10 boys will soon be commencing their examination week, beginning on Tuesday, 7 June. The results from these exams are particularly important as the Year 10 students prepare for a period of course counselling as part of their course selection process for next year. We wish them well in this important process of discernment. Following on from this, our Year 8 and Year 9 boys will complete a week of examinations. As always, the hope is that all boys prepare thoroughly such that their results are commensurate with their abilities.
Most recently, our Year 5, 7 and 9 students were busy completing the National Program in Literacy and Numeracy Tests - Online (NAPLAN). Nationally, NAPLAN testing is conducted annually across all schools. At ‘NAPLAN time’, we see the emergence of articles in the media, often presenting very conflicting views that begin to question the validity of such testing, and indeed, school - based assessments generally. Many such commentaries contend that NAPLAN testing becomes the sole focus of teaching programs in some schools and can cause undue stress for students, while other reports suggest that teachers (and school systems) are not able to correctly interpret NAPLAN results or address any perceived learning deficiencies.
This is certainly not the case at Trinity College. Our boys approached the NAPLAN Testing in a sincere and considered manner and our teachers are very skilled at interpreting evaluative data. In fact, teachers are often able to assist in diagnosing issues with literacy and numeracy long before the results of NAPLAN. As a result of such analysis, the College has introduced targeted literacy and numeracy programs aimed at addressing perceived learning gaps for some of our students. Our own long-term data analysis points to their ongoing success.
At Trinity College, we broadly support any testing that provides schools, educational systems and governments with consistent and reliable data upon which future policy direction can be determined. NAPLAN results are just one such data source. We also recognise that these tests only provide a ‘point in time’ snapshot of student capabilities and that drawing meaningful conclusions from such data has its limitations. Importantly, as a College, we are keen to analyse what may be revealed about our school in the process of standardised testing. While our recent NAPLAN results have been very good and have served to affirm our practice and processes, if a deficiency was discovered in any particular year cohort, or for a particular group of students, it is important to acknowledge and address this.
I feel that the ongoing public debate on this national testing gives NAPLAN a status which it neither deserves, nor seeks. While targeted research around its place within the educational sphere continues, it currently remains as a nationally recognised standardised test that provides valuable information on student progress. It does have a place within the myriad of initiatives that seek to improve the educational outcomes for students. As a College, we will continue to give due diligence to its administration and its analysis. However, we will not consume valuable time or place undue stress on our boys by ‘teaching to the test’. We will continue to adopt a broad perspective which emphasises a well-rounded education designed to assist families in the formation of good young men. Surely this is the aim of a good education and very much at the core of our Mission as a College.
On a final note, all families would have received a letter from me yesterday inviting you to watch the Trinity for Tomorrow video. Once again, I encourage all families to watch this video and respond to the call to action by considering to make a voluntary tax-deductible donation to the Trinity College Building Fund. Your continued support to this fund, whether big or small, will allow us to continue to work with our families and our wider community in building a successful future for Trinity College - a Trinity for Tomorrow! Thank you for your ongoing support.
Live Jesus in our hearts.