ACARA CEO, Stephen Gniel

Speech to The Sydney Morning Herald Schools Summit, 5 March 2025 

Before I begin, I’d like to start by acknowledging the traditional custodian of the lands we are meeting on here today.

The land of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. And I’d like to pay my respect to Elders past and present for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia, and by extension, all of us.

I extend that respect to First Nations peoples joining us today.

All of us here have a shared understanding that education is one of the most powerful tools we have to shape a better education for all.

This is what motivated me to teach – first as a primary school teacher in the ACT and then a principal, before I moved into senior education leadership roles.

Like many of you, I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of learning – not just in individual students, but in our communities and society as a whole.

Every day across our wonderful country, teachers, school leaders, and policymakers dedicate themselves to ensuring that young Australians receive the best education possible.

Today, I want to recognise that dedication and talk about how the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority – ACARA – and national assessments play a key role in this shared mission.

In December 2019, the Alice Springs Mparntwe Education Declaration reaffirmed our expectations for all young Australians.

To become confident and creative individuals, successful lifelong learners, and active, informed members of the community.

This is our shared vision for the future.

ACARA is responsible for supporting this vision for our children and young people.

It is the basis for the articulation of what we want our children to learn and understand, represented as content in the Australian Curriculum.

But to achieve these goals, we must know how our children are progressing and understand where we need to assign more effort and support.

One of ACARA’s key roles is to lead our Australian national assessments, like NAPLAN, play a critical role in this.

They measure essential skills in literacy and numeracy – foundational skills that underpin learning and life.

Importantly, when we look at what we want for our children and young people, we also assess science literacy, civics and citizenship, and ICT literacy through sample assessments.

And of course, the R in ACARA is for reporting.

Providing the results from these assessments is also important. Combined with this is our National Report on Schooling in Australia and of course My School.

Combined the results and insights provide a broader picture of student achievement, and should and do inform policy decisions at all levels.

So without these assessments, we would be blind at a national level – as well as state and territory – to how well we are meeting our Australian educational goals.

The National Assessment Program exists to give us insight into student learning and drive improvements in education.

Over the years, we’ve made key changes to improve the program.

The transition to online assessments allows for more adaptive testing and accurate insights.

Moving NAPLAN from May to March provides results earlier in the school year, enabling quicker interventions.

The introduction of new proficiency standards gives a clearer picture of student achievement.

Data from these assessments is invaluable.

It helps teachers tailor their approaches, informs whole-school strategies, and guides system-wide policy decisions.

It also provides transparency – giving the Australian community a clear view of how we are tracking against our goals.

NAPLAN is a snapshot in time, but its impact is long-lasting.

It has led to important developments, such as earlier check-in assessments in phonics and numeracy, which have helped identify students needing support sooner.

Looking ahead to 2025, we are focused on ensuring that national assessment data is more accessible, timely, and practical for teachers and schools.

One of the most significant changes we delivered last year for the first time was to get NAPLAN results – all but writing which takes a bit longer to mark – back to schools within four weeks.

This faster turnaround means teachers can use the data more effectively to support student learning sooner.

We know that early intervention is key to improving outcomes.

By identifying students’ strengths and areas for growth sooner, schools can implement targeted support earlier.

Looking ahead to this year, 2025 will be the first time since we introduced the new proficiency levels that students in Years 5, 7 and 9 will complete a second NAPLAN cycle.

This means ACARA will be able to report data allowing for comparison of these students’ results – so the proficiency levels – between 2023 and 2025.

We know that as students move through the NAPLAN years, the proficiency levels become more demanding.

So given the levels themselves increase in difficulty from Year 3 to Year 9, a student who stays within the same proficiency level may still be making progress.

Taking this into account, the data still does provide richer insights for policymakers, school leaders, and even parents and carers.

All in, these changes will ensure that national assessments are not just a measure of progress but a tool amongst others for action – helping students, teachers, schools, parents and carers respond to challenges and opportunities more effectively.

Education is constantly evolving, and so too must our approach to assessments.

Across the world, we are seeing best practices in standardised testing shift toward more personalised and adaptive models – in part led by us here in Australia with NAPLAN.

Innovations in assessment delivery, including AI-driven approaches, offer new possibilities for real-time feedback and more tailored learning experiences.

They also bring with it challenges we are all having to collectively work through. Real concerns around how AI impacts on the integrity of assessments and privacy.

I am optimistic that Australia will continue to lead the way in meeting these challenges head-on.

At ACARA, we will play our part, as our long-term vision is to integrate national assessments more seamlessly into teaching and learning – we need to continue to reduce disruption for schools and students, while providing near real-time insights.

This is a future where parents and carers will expect to receive timely information about their child’s progress, enabling more meaningful conversations with teachers and a stronger partnership between home and school.

This is the direction we are heading as we ensure national assessments like NAPLAN are fit for the future.

To achieve these goals, we need collaboration.

ACARA is committed to working alongside teachers, principals, policymakers, and the broader education community to maximise the benefits of national assessments.

I fully recognise and share the concerns on how some results from national assessment are used in a crude and unhelpful manner without context.

We will continue to engage with our partners including the media to ensure that information about student performance is shared accurately and meaningfully with parents and the wider community.

Feedback and engagement are crucial in ensuring that our national assessments continue to evolve in ways that best support schools, teachers, students, and parents and carers.

I’d like to end by reiterating that at its core, national assessments are about improving outcomes for every student.

By providing clear, reliable data, we empower teachers to teach better, schools to plan smarter, and policymakers to make informed decisions.

And finally, I’d like to again thank our educators, school leaders, policymakers, and parents and carers for their ongoing dedication to supporting young Australians.

ACARA is proud to work alongside you in shaping an education system that helps every student succeed.

Together, we can ensure that every young Australians has the skills and knowledge they need to thrive – today, and into the future.

Thank you.