Friday, September 19, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Friday, September 12, 2014
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.
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:
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.
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.
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