Thursday, September 11, 2014

Detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 7 Numeracy Non-Calculator

Kilbaha has published the detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 7 Numeracy Non-Calculator.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 7 Language Conventions


Kilbaha has published the detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 7 Language Conventions.

An essential teaching resource for all schools.

Download the order form here.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Tailored tests

ACARA has developed a tailored test design, which could be applied to NAPLAN online. The 'tailored test' is a multistage, branching test design that delivers different sets of questions ('testlets') to students depending on their achievement on previous questions. Online delivery of assessments allows the use of a tailored test design to better match questions to an individual student's ability in a way that is not feasible for paper-based testing.

The tailored test design for reading and numeracy was developed and trialled in schools in 2013. Reading and numeracy tests had a number of testlets. Each testlet was developed as a mini-test. Each student completed three testlets.

The diagram and discussion below illustrate a proposal for the potential paths that students may take through NAPLAN online reading and numeracy tests:
multistage branching test design
All students at each year level start with the same set of questions (testlet A). The computer system scores the student's answers automatically and the student then progresses to a second testlet. The second testlet may be easier (B) or more difficult (D) than testlet A, depending on the student's achievement.
At the end of the second testlet, the student is directed to a third testlet, again depending on achievement. The final testlets are of varying difficulty: hard (F), medium (E), easy (C).
Proposed tailored test designs for grammar and punctuation, and spelling will be trialled in 2014.
Benefits of this tailored test design include the following:
  • Tailored tests provide a more precise measurement of student performance. This design allows for greater differentiation of students by using a wider range of question difficulty, without adding to the length of the test for each individual student.
  • Trials of the tailored test design suggest that students are more engaged with tests that adapt to their achievement. Students who struggle with the initial set of questions are given questions that are more suited to their ability, so that students are less likely to become discouraged as they progress through the tests. High-achieving students are given questions that better challenge their abilities.
  • The tailored test design has the potential to reduce anxiety in students who may find the current paper-based format of NAPLAN too challenging.
  • While each student will still answer the same number of questions as for the paper tests, the number of items in the whole test is larger. As a result, a wider range of aspects of the curriculum can be tested across the NAPLAN cohort.
ACARA's online assessment research continues with a second trial of the tailored test design in 2014. The trial will finalise the targeting and measurement aspects of the tailored test design. The research will also investigate how testlets will be trialled for the new design and how the testlets will be used to construct NAPLAN online tests. Fully branching tailored tests in reading and numeracy will be trialled as well as new options for grammar and punctuation, and spelling.
For more information about upcoming trials, please contact: onlineresearch@acara.edu.au.

NAPLAN Online Trials


ACARA reports that: Online trials off to a good start

Since 2012, ACARA has been undertaking a range of research activities to look at the feasibility and practicality of delivering NAPLAN tests in an online environment. Delivering tests online gives opportunities to administer better testing, primarily through tailored testing (where test questions are tailored to the individual student’s ability), and to provide faster turnaround of results..
Between 18 August and 12 September this year, 300 schools are taking part in a study to finalise the targeting of the test design and its branching mechanism; that is, the way students are directed to certain sets of questions based on their demonstrated abilities. During the trials to date:
  • Testing has taken place in 56 schools in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.
  • Two hundred and six test sessions in numeracy, reading, grammar and punctuation, and spelling have been delivered.
  • Students have completed over 5800 tests.
  • The first ever spelling tests via audio files have been trialled to 325 students in South Australia.

For more information on the online trials, see the NAP website.

Sample response to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Test - Year 5 Writing - Change a rule or law


Kilbaha has published a sample response to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Test - Year 5 Writing "Change a rule or law".

Read a sample response to this controversial topic.
 
An essential teaching resource for all schools.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 5 Numeracy

 

Kilbaha Multimedia Publishing has published the detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 5 Numeracy.

An essential teaching resource for all schools.
 

Monday, September 1, 2014

2014 Kilbaha VCE Trial Exams

All orders for the 2014 Kilbaha VCE Trial Exams received up to and including Monday September 1, 2014 have been supplied to schools.

NAPLAN resources

NAPLAN resources

Numerous NAPLAN resources are available at

http://kilbaha.com.au

Detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 5 Reading

Kilbaha Multimedia Publishing has published the detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 5 Reading.

An essential teaching resource for all schools.
 

Download the order form here.

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 5 Language Conventions


Kilbaha Multimedia Publishing has published the detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 5 Language Conventions.

An essential teaching resource for all schools.

Download the order form here.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Sample response to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Test - Year 3 Writing - Change a rule or law

Kilbaha Multimedia Publishing has published a sample response to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Test - Year 3 Writing "Change a rule or law".

Read a sample response to this controversial topic.
 
An essential teaching resource for all schools.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 3 Numeracy

Kilbaha Multimedia Publishing has published the detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 3 Numeracy.

An essential teaching resource for all schools.
 

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 3 Reading

Kilbaha Multimedia Publishing has published the detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 3 Reading.

An essential teaching resource for all schools.
Download the order form here.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 3 Language Conventions

Kilbaha Multimedia Publishing has published the detailed answers to the ACARA 2014 May NAPLAN Tests - Year 3 Language Conventions.

An essential teaching resource for all schools.

Download the order form here.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Detailed answers and responses to the ACARA May 2014 NAPLAN Tests

Kilbaha Multimedia Publishing is pleased to announce that the detailed answers and responses to the ACARA May 2014 NAPLAN Tests for Years 3, 5, 7, 9 are now available.

You get detailed explanations for all answers as well as sample responses for the Writing Task

Great teaching resource.

Download the order form here.

Important: We do not supply the questions. These are copyright ACARA.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Results of NAPLAN 2014

Release of 2014 NAPLAN summary (preliminary) information

2014 NAPLAN summary (preliminary) information published: overall student achievement has remained stable across over the 2008–2014 and 2013–14 periods, with some increases in reading and grammar and punctuation across the 2008–2014 period, and a slight decline in writing.
 
The NAPLAN summary information, released today, provides comparable data for the nation and for states and territories for each year level (Years 3, 5, 7 and 9) and for each test domain (reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy).
 
The report compares 2008 and 2013 results with 2014 results, except for writing where the comparisons are for 2011 and 2013 with 2014. As each new year of NAPLAN data is added, the nation obtains a more useful picture of large-scale (state, territory and national) NAPLAN performance trends over time.
 
See the results on the NAP website

This information is being released four weeks earlier than in the past. The early release reflects and builds on the Australian Government commitment for a faster turnaround of NAPLAN information. ACARA, with jurisdictions and contractors working together, has worked to shorten the analysis time and an earlier release of the summary information.
 
Individual student reports will also be released earlier than in past years (the exact timeframe varies between states and territories) with some individual student reports released to parents before the end of August.
 
Read the ACARA CEO’s open letter to parents (PDF 83 kb) about bringing NAPLAN results home.
 
The preliminary findings – 2014
 
The preliminary information shows that overall student achievement at state/territory level has remained stable across 2013–14, and for reading, and grammar and punctuation has increased across the 2008–2014 period.
 
  • Reading: The increase in performance relative to 2008 has been maintained in Years 3 and 5. There was no substantial change relative to 2013 performance in any year.
  • Spelling: There was no substantial change in spelling relative to 2008 or 2013 for any year.
  • Grammar and punctuation: Results for Years 3 and 7 indicate improvement on 2008 results. There was no substantial change relative to 2013 results.
  • Numeracy: There was no substantial change relative to 2008 or 2013 performance in any years.
  • Writing: Performance in all years appears to be lower compared to 2011. There appears to be a greater decrease relative to 2013 performance with Years 3 and 5 than Years 7 and 9.
  • National minimum standard: The summary results also indicate that there has been some movement (up and down) in the number of students at or above the national minimum standard compared to 2013, although these are within the range that has been observed over last few years.
 
ACARA does not consider that the decline in NAPLAN writing results represents an overall decline in writing standards. The decline may be partly because the writing task did not engage some students. It might also be because, for the first time, schools were not told in advance the style of writing that would be tested – persuasive or narrative – requiring students to be prepared to answer one or the other. ACARA is investigating these and other factors.
 
There is some evidence of a small increase in zero scores awarded to some students. This might mean that some students either did not understand the task or they were expecting a narrative task.

ACARA will continue with the arrangement of not announcing the style of writing to be tested. We will explore the use of different tasks for primary and secondary students. We will also consider using more than one style of writing. We believe that if there is a focus on teaching the full range of styles of writing, then results should improve.
 

How is the writing task developed?



An information timeline on how writing questions are developed and trialled can be accessed on our website.

See the information timeline (PDF 1.5 mb)


NAPLAN  The future – Moving assessment online

ACARA has been working closely with partners and stakeholders in preparation to move assessment online. Moving NAPLAN online will deliver significant benefits that include:

  • tailoring of tests to students ability to better meet and assess the full range of student ability
  • increasing the reliability and validity of the assessment for all students with no increase in testing time
  • significantly reducing time for providing feedback on student performance to students, teachers and parents.
 
NAPLAN will be linked to the Australian Curriculum from 2016. An assessment framework is being developed that articulates which elements of the Australian Curriculum: English and mathematics will be the subject of assessment through NAPLAN.
 

Withdrawals

 
Over one million children took the NAPLAN tests in 2014. Illiteracy and innumeracy are high stakes. Parents and carers of these students will soon receive nationally comparable data that allow them to see their child’s strengths and/or areas for development. Approximately 2 per cent of children in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 withdrew or were absent from NAPLAN this year. ACARA is disappointed with any student’s non-participation; however, participation remains high and more than sufficient to provide reliable and robust achievement data. 
 
Australian Curriculum, Assessment & Reporting Authority
Level 10
255 Pitt Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Australia
  Copyright © 2014 ACARA

All rights reserved

Friday, June 20, 2014

Mathematics Workbooks

Attention Mathematics Teachers (Please forward)

Mathematics Workbooks for Years 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

(1) In the Running for the Olympics
(2) In Training for the Olympics
(3) In Search of the Holy Grail
  • New editions for 2014
  • Perfect for end of term work
  • Perfect for start of term work
  • Perfect for busy teacher times
  • Normally $20
  • Web Special for $5
  • Save $15
  • Go to http://kilbaha.com.au
  • More detail attached
Best wishes,

Bill Healy BSc BA Dip Ed
CEO
Kilbaha Multimedia Publishing (Est 1978)
PO Box 2227
Kew Vic 3101
Australia
ABN: 47 065 111 373

We apologise if this message is not of interest to you and will be pleased to remove you from our email list. Unsubscribe by replying with unsubscribe in the subject line.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Free CD

Attention Mathematics Teachers  
(Please share with other mathematics teachers)
Would you like a free Maths CD containing Tests on a wide range of Mathematics Topics?

 Offer is valid for schools only

All you have to do is register for our newsletter on our web site http://kilbaha.com.au
  1. Go to http://kilbaha.com.au
  2. Click on create an account
  3. Fill in your details
  4. Click on yes for subscription to our newsletter
  5. Complete the information on the web page http://kilbaha.com.au
  6. Send an email to kilbaha@gmail.com to choose your CD
We will send you by Australia Post mail one of: (your choice)

(1) School Resources - Year 7 Mathematics
(2) Extension Mathematics for Primary Schools




Best wishes,

Bill Healy BSc BA Dip Ed
CEO
Kilbaha Multimedia Publishing (Est 1978)
PO Box 2227
Kew Vic 3101
Australia
ABN: 47 065 111 373