Australia Association for Research in Education
NAPLAN
NAPLAN: Time to think differently
It’s not the results of NAPLAN that are the problem. It is NAPLAN testing itself. These standardised tests …
NAPLAN: There is no need to panic
Jim Tognolini: What do the results really mean Every year when results for large scale tests such as …
Why you can’t identify gifted students using NAPLAN
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?
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
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?
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
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
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
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
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 …