NAPLAN

Why you can’t identify gifted students using NAPLAN

By Michelle Ronksley-Pavia

Some schools rely on NAPLAN results to identify gifted students, a trend that is leading to many high-potential

NAPLAN: Where have we come from – where to from here?

By Sally Larsen

With the shift to a new reporting system and the advice from ACARA that the NAPLAN measurement scale and time series have been reset, now is as good a time as any to rethink what useful insights can be gleaned from a national assessment program. The 2023 national NAPLAN results were released last week, accompanied

How this oppressive test is killing the magic of childhood

By Pauline Roberts

NAPLAN is taking the fun out of early childhood learning. Early childhood learning encompasses education for children from

If not now, then when is the right time to re-envisage what schools could be?

By Pasi Sahlberg and Sharon Goldfeld

The cold fact is that despite continuous reforms and growing investments over the past two decades, educational performance – and especially equitable performance – of Australia’s schools isn’t improving. Indeed, in many ways it is getting worse. Consider these statistics. Since 2000 Australia’s PISA scores have dropped 33 – 24 points in maths, reading, and

Pausing NAPLAN did not destroy society – but new changes might not fix the future

By Susanne Gannon and Lucinda McKnight

NAPLAN is again in the news. Last week, it was the Ministers tinkering with NAPLAN reporting and timing.

Happy new year reading: our most popular posts of all time

By Jenna Price

EduResearch Matters began back in 2014 under the stewardship of the amazing Maralyn Parker. At the end of 2020, Maralyn retired and I tried to fill very big shoes. The unusual thing about EduResearch Matters is that even posts published in the first couple of years of the blog’s existence continue to get readers –

AARE 2022: That’s a wrap for a spectacular conference

By Sally Larsen

It goes without saying that it’s been a difficult few years for in-person conferences. I’m sure many of

The good, the bad and the pretty good actually

By Sally Larsen

Every year headlines proclaim the imminent demise of the nation due to terrible, horrible, very bad NAPLAN results. But if we look at variability and results over time, it’s a bit of a different story. I must admit, I’m thoroughly sick of NAPLAN reports. What I am most tired of, however, are moral panics about

AERO responds to James Ladwig’s critique

AERO’s response is below, with additional comments from Associate Professor Ladwig. For more information about the statistical issues discussed,

AERO’s writing report is causing panic. It’s wrong. Here’s why.

By James Ladwig

If ever there was a time to question public investment in developing reports using  ‘data’ generated by the National Assessment Program, it is now with the release of the Australian Educational Research Organisation’s report ‘Writing development: What does a decade of NAPLAN data reveal?’  I am sure the report was meant to provide reliable diagnostic