2015 NAPLAN -Trials available next week

The 2015 NAPLAN Trial Tests from Kilbaha Multimedia Publishing will be available from Monday February 2.

Download the order form here.

Kilbaha provides 2015 NAPLAN Writing Tests with the new ACARA format

In accordance with the recent decision by ACARA to have two different writing prompts for the 2015 NAPLAN tests, with one writing prompt for years 3 and 5 and a different writing prompt for years 7 and 9, Kilbaha will provide all schools with NAPLAN Trial Writing Tests using the same format. Because the writing genre (narrative or persuasive) will not be known until the day of the test, Kilbaha will provide one narrative and one persuasive writing prompt for years 3 and 5 together with a sample response for each prompt and each year level (a total of 4 sample responses). Kilbaha will also provide a different narrative and persuasive writing prompt for years 7 and 9 together with a sample response for each prompt and each year level (a total of 4 sample responses). This is summarised in the table below.

2015 NAPLAN-Trials  supplied by Kilbaha Multimedia Publishing – Writing Test
Writing Prompt	Writing Sample Response	Writing Sample Response	Writing Sample Response	Writing Sample Response
Narrative 1	Year 3	Year 5
Persuasive 1	Year 3	Year 5
Narrative 2			Year 7	Year 9
Persuasive 2			Year 7	Year 9

The 2015 Kilbaha NAPLAN-Trials for Language Conventions, Reading, Writing and Numeracy for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will be sent to schools in February 2015.

Get your order form here.

NAPLAN writing test enhanced to include two prompts

This year’s NAPLAN writing assessment will have two writing prompts – one for Years 3 and 5, and a different prompt for Years 7 and 9 – instead of the previous single prompt for all year levels.

“NAPLAN is an evolving assessment and ACARA continually works to identify improvements to the assessment model,” says Dr Stanley Rabinowitz, General Manager of Assessment and Reporting at ACARA.

For several years ACARA has been looking at the success of setting one writing task for all students from Year 3 to Year 9 (from 8–9-year-olds to 14–15-year-olds). The change has been made following consultation with content and assessment experts, as well as with states and territory representatives and other educators and researchers.

These experts looked at data from the last few years, including the 2014 data when we saw a downward trend in persuasive writing achievement, compared to 2011 and to 2013, and concluded that the NAPLAN writing assessment would be better served by two writing prompts, one for Years 3 and 5 and a different one for Years 7 and 9.

“Having two prompts will enable better questions to be set. More age-appropriate writing prompts will better ensure all students have the opportunity to produce their best writing,” says Dr Rabinowitz.

The move to two prompts should have no impact on how teachers prepare their students for the NAPLAN writing test, with students still required to write the same sorts of responses. Both writing prompts will be on the same type of text – either narrative or persuasive – students will not have a choice of genre. The genre will be revealed on the day of assessment. The curriculum requires students to learn about imaginative, informative and persuasive texts. Through these types of texts students learn to write to evoke feelings, convey information, form ideas, facilitate interaction with others, entertain, persuade and argue.

This enhancement is complemented by the move to NAPLAN online from 2017, which will provide better assessment, more precise results and a faster turnaround of information.

For more information, visit the National Assessment Program (NAP) website.
 

Prepare for NAPLAN 2015

• During January 2015, buy NAPLAN Trial Tests for $5 only. 
• Reduced from $100.
• Online purchases only.

Full details at http://kilbaha.com.au

Christmas gift for your child's future

For about the same price as a cup of coffee or a Christmas Stocking Filler, you can improve your child's literacy and numeracy.

Go to

http://kilbaha.com.au

NAPLAN Super Specials

• During December 2014 and January 2015, buy NAPLAN Trial Tests for $5 only. 
• Reduced from $80.
• Online purchases only.

Full details at http://kilbaha.com.au

ACARA Update December 2014

Welcome to the December issue of the ACARA Update.

Earlier this month, we published the 2014 NAPLAN National Report, which provides nationally comparable data on the 2014 results for each NAPLAN test domain: numeracy, reading, writing and language conventions (spelling, and grammar and punctuation).

The report showed us that overall student achievement has remained stable for each year level and most domains. You can read more about the key findings here.

This information is important. Those students who completed the inaugural Year 3 tests in 2008 have now completed their last NAPLAN assessments as Year 9 students this year – this means parents of these children have four years’ worth of information about their children’s progress in the fundamental areas of literacy and numeracy.

Following the conduct of NAPLAN in May this year, data on student achievement in the important areas of literacy and numeracy have been the subject of conversations in schools, in homes and in the broader community. Given the importance of literacy and numeracy to young people’s learning and success beyond school, it is good to know that the data are being put to great use – celebrating success or focusing on areas for improvement.

We’ve heard from various schools that NAPLAN data gives teachers a better understanding of the abilities and achievements of classes and cohorts of students. We’ve heard of data being used for forward planning, to corroborate the great work being undertaken by schools, as a year-to-year measurement tool or as a way to determine where resources are most needed.

The 2014 NAPLAN data will next be seen on My School when the website is updated next year. Publishing these data on My School contributes to accountability and discussion about school improvement. Such open and transparent provision of data helps parents to see how the school their child attends, or plans to attend, is performing academically relative to other schools in their local area. It also helps them to compare their school’s performance with others of a similar level of socio-educational advantage, no matter where that school is in the country.

ACARA is also focusing on improving what we do. We know that NAPLAN can be improved and we are working to do that. We have made changes to the NAPLAN writing assessment and, in moving NAPLAN online, we will be able to provide students with a better assessment experience and provide parents and educators with more precise results much more quickly.

As we head toward the end of the year, I hope the data we have collected and distributed to parents, schools and the community this year has been, and continues to be, of great value.

http://www.acara.edu.au

NAPLAN 2015

• Did you know that Kilbaha has the detailed answers to all of the May ACARA NAPLAN Tests from the very beginning of NAPLAN in 2008?
• Did you know that Kilbaha has produced new and original NAPLAN Trial Tests with detailed answers and responses every year since 2009?
• Year levels covered are 3, 5, 7, 9
• Learning areas covered are Language Conventions, Reading, Writing, Numeracy Non-Calculator, Numeracy Calculator Allowed.
• Kilbaha is the only source of new and original NAPLAN Trial Tests each year. 

Order your 2015 NAPLAN Trial Tests here

Report on NAPLAN 2014

ACARA has just released the following report on NAPLAN 2014

2014 NAPLAN National Report shows stable student achievement
across most areas
The 2014 NAPLAN National Report has been published, confirming the initial findings of the summary information released in August that overall student achievement has remained stable for each year level and most domains.

The 2014 NAPLAN National Report provides nationally comparable data on the 2014 national and state/territory results for each test domain: numeracy, reading, writing and language conventions (spelling, and grammar and punctuation). School-by-school results will be available on the next version of the My School website, to be published in March 2015.

The 2014 NAPLAN National Report’s key findings include:

Stable student achievement – relative to 2008 and 2013, student achievement has remained stable for each year level and most domains.

Moderate increases in reading achievement – relative to 2008, there has again been an increase in Year 3 and Year 5 reading performance.

Moderate decrease in persuasive writing performance – the 2014 writing achievement was not substantially different from that of 2013 for each year level; however, there has been a moderate decrease in persuasive writing achievement relative to 2011 for Years 3, 5 and 7 at the national level.

Participation rates remain relatively stable – there is very little change in the percentage of exempt or absent students from previous years. There is, though, a slight increase in the percentage of withdrawn students nationally.

ACARA’s Chief Executive Officer Robert Randall is on the whole pleased with how students are progressing: “Overall, we have again seen student achievement to be steady in comparison to previous years. We do know, however, that there are some great examples of sustained effort and improvement in school level results, which will be evident when we update My School in 2015.

“This year’s snapshot shows that there have been some moderate increases in some areas, particularly in reading for Year 3 and Year 5 students. However, the results for persuasive writing have shown a moderate decrease from 2011, but they are not substantially different from 2013.

“NAPLAN online will be implemented from 2017 and will provide better assessment, more precise results and faster turnaround of information,” said Mr Randall.

Participation rates in NAPLAN remain high, although ACARA is concerned about any increase in the number of student withdrawals from NAPLAN.

“NAPLAN provides valuable information for parents, teachers and schools to see how their children are progressing in the key areas of literacy and numeracy,” added Mr Randall.

“Parents who withdraw their children from NAPLAN tests are choosing to not benefit from a second set of eyes on how well their children are doing, relative to other students of their age across the country. Every student should know how well he or she is doing – against national standards and in comparison with his or her peers,” Mr Randall said.

Report of 2014 NAPLAN test incidents

ACARA has today also released the NAPLAN Test Incidents Report 2014 (PDF 91 kb). Test incidents can include cheating, security and other general breaches. There were 51 test incidents substantiated in 2014 across 9,500 schools, of which seven were cheating, 10 were a security breach and 34 were a general breach.

“The number of reported test incidents is extremely small and does not affect overall NAPLAN results,” Mr Randall concluded. “There were substantiated breaches in less than 0.5 per cent of all schools conducting the assessments”.

Read the full 2014 NAPLAN National Report                                    

Read ACARA’s media statement (PDF 52 kb)                                    

Read the NAPLAN 2014 Test Incidents Report (PDF 91 kb)

More detail here

Detailed answers to the 2014 ACARA NAPLAN Tests

• Years 3, 5, 7, 9
• Language, Reading, Writing, Numeracy
• Buy the detailed answers to the 2014 ACARA NAPLAN tests online here

NAPLAN and the Australian Curriculum

"With the Australian Curriculum for English and mathematics, as well as the general capabilities (numeracy and literacy) being implemented from Foundation to Year 10 around Australia, ACARA is working to redesign NAPLAN assessments. 

This will ensure alignment with the Australian Curriculum and we anticipate changes being in place for NAPLAN in 2016"

Professor Barry McGaw AO, PhD
Chairman   ACARA