NAPLAN - Why it's important

NAPLAN – National Assessment Program – Literacy & Numeracy

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. Students in Years 7 and 9 will participate in NAPLAN this year and will undertake tests in

Reading
Writing
Conventions of Language (Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation) and
Numeracy

Each test will be conducted online and range in duration from 42-65 minutes.

What does my child need to do to prepare?

Students are not expected to study for NAPLAN
All students will need the Locked Down Browser (LDB) installed on their laptops. This will have been done during homegroup this week. If your child missed this opportunity, there is a message from our I.T. Department on the Compass Newsfeed which explains the process. This is a simple and quick process and the LDB will not change or affect existing settings on your child’s laptop. This needs to be completed before next week.
On the day of the Coordinated Practice Test (24th March) students will need to bring their charged laptop with the LDB installed, a pen and reading material in case they finish early. They will be provided with headphones.
There will be opportunities for students to familiarise themselves with the online platform before the May tests

NAPLAN is useful in the following ways:

Students and parents can use individual results to discuss progress with teachers
Teachers are able to use the results to identify students who may require extra support, or further challenges in their learning
Schools use NAPLAN results to identify strengths and weaknesses in the teaching and learning programs, and also for goal setting in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy.
Year 9 NAPLAN results may be used as part of students’ application to accelerate progress during Year 10 course selection (Year 10 students wishing to undertake a VCE Unit)
Students identified through NAPLAN results can be provided with targeted support through extra funding we receive in programs such as MYLNS (Middle Years Literacy & Numeracy Program) and TLI (Tutor Learning Initiative). These programs offer significant support, at no cost to families, which can be crucial for their development. Support may include in-class assistance, 1:1 or small group tuition or the modification of learning tasks to maximise students’ opportunities for success.

When will NAPLAN be occurring?

All students in Years 7 and 9 will participate in a Coordinated Practice Test next Thursday 24th March. This is a Nationwide undertaking and helps to ensure technical readiness and also for students to familiarise themselves with the online platform, which for many students reduces significantly any anxiety they may have about the tests
There will be further opportunities for students to familiarise themselves with the online test format and questions prior to the test window in May
The NAPLAN testing period begins on Tuesday 10th May

Is there support available?

There are adjustments that can be made to the NAPLAN tests to assist students with disabilities, impairments or learning difficulties that might significantly and reasonably impact their participation. Please contact me if you think your child might benefit from an adjustment and I can discuss these options with you.

What if my child is absent on the day of the tests?

There will be catch-up testing sessions scheduled following the actual testing days.
NAPLAN is not an ‘opt-out’ educational activity. All Year 7 and 9 students are expected to participate. Withdrawal or exemption are only options in exceptional circumstances, must be communicated to the College directly via parents/carers and will only be considered well in advance of the scheduled testing times.

More information will be provided on an Information Sheet for parents/carers and will be sent home via students this week.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any queries.

Tanja Korsten - Literacy Specialist

Tanja.korsten@education.vic.gov.au

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