NAPLAN Information

National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Online

NAPLAN is an external, standardised, summative assessment system that the law requires Silkwood to apply at Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. The results are calculated, compared, and published online by The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).

In 2023, NAPLAN will run from Wednesday 15 March to Monday 27 March 2023. Parents and carers can obtain further information on the testing by visiting the NAPLAN website www.nap.edu.au

Silkwood does not support standardised testing regimes unless it offers value to student learning. In its current format, NAPLAN is not able to be used constructively by our Teaching Teams, so it plays no role in informing or supporting student learning at Silkwood. Further to this, research on student-centred learning environments also advocates against NAPLAN style assessment approaches. The Silkwood Way is our school's approach that is backed by this research. It offers a personalised learning pathway focused on developing 21st-century skills and places the student at the centre of teaching and learning.

Whilst all schools must participate in this NAPLAN program and adhere to the government's strict test conditions, the government also allows parents the right to say no for their children and opt them out.

Why would parents and carers withdraw their child?

At Silkwood, our approach to learning means that assessment takes many forms.

• Students use exhibitions to critique their learning journey
• Authentic tasks are built from student learning goals and  assessed by Advisors
• We perform an internal assessment at the end of a unit of work to determine the extent of learning and understanding

Research tells us that formative assessment methods, such as those listed above, are the most powerful ways to work with students. It puts learning and improvement at an individual level. It empowers students to identify areas they need to work on without exposing them to scores or other information that may impact their self-esteem. Formative assessment allows students to take increasing responsibility for their own learning.

Research also tells us that national standardised testing regimes such as NAPLAN are counterproductive to a positive learning culture and student well-being. Standardised testing has been reported to strike fear in many school students, particularly those in their younger years. For this reason, we ask parents to give careful consideration to their child participating in NAPLAN.

Families who wish to withdraw their child from NAPLAN testing

We have provided a simple form for parents and carers to complete should they not want their child to participate in NAPLAN testing. The School requires this form to be returned by Friday, 10 March. This allows the school Team enough time to enter the withdrawal details and finalise testing arrangements.

All students will be required to sit the test unless the School receives a signed copy of this form. This form will be returned to the Primary School (for Years 3 and 5) or Middle School (for Years 7 and 9) Reception Offices. Unless withdrawn, all students in Years 3/5/7/9 will participate in NAPLAN readiness practice tests in February and March.

Should families have a child with a funded (E.A.P.) learning difficulty or disability and you would like your child to sit the NAPLAN test, please get in touch with Trish Mark, our Learning Enrichment Leader, via email at learningenrichment@silkwood.qld.edu.au. Trish will arrange for the appropriate form to be sent and put appropriate adjustments in place for the test.

Results from the national tests will be used to give education systems across Australia measures of how students are performing in literacy and numeracy. Individual students and their parents will be given reports indicating each student's achievement level, and each school will be given a copy of their school results. These results will come out mid-year due to the earlier testing dates.

2023 testing program for NAPLAN Online:

• We follow the guidelines from QCAA for the order in which the tests are to be taken.
• Writing is scheduled for all year levels on Wednesday, 15 March.
• Writing takes priority over other testing, including rescheduled tests.
• Year 3 has a paper test for writing only and are not permitted to do a make-up test after 20 March.

We will have dedicated administration days on Tuesday, 14 March and Monday, 27 March. Catch-up sessions due to student absences will be held in the afternoons during the Naplan period.

For families unsure of the information provided in this letter or have further questions about this process, please email reception@silkwood.qld.edu.au and ask to discuss NAPLAN options for your child.