September 2021
NAPLAN summary results not significantly impacted by COVID-19

In news that will be a relief for parents and boost for teachers, NAPLAN 2021 summary data shows that the global COVID-19 pandemic has overall had no significant impact on students’ literacy and numeracy achievement at a national level. 

“The extensive data set has given us a valuable insight into the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on learning in literacy and numeracy. It’s reassuring to see that, overall, at the national and state/territory levels, our students’ literacy and numeracy skills don’t appear to have significantly suffered, despite the disruptions of the pandemic,” said ACARA CEO David de Carvalho.  

These results, published in August, have been eagerly awaited by governments, schools, parents and carers. However, David de Carvalho said that these are only the summary results and he expects that the extensive report, in December, will likely show more of the COVID impact on certain demographics.  

You can read more about why Mr de Carvalho thinks this year’s NAPLAN was particularly important in this opinion piece, which was first published in Education Matters.  

NAPLAN was successfully undertaken in schools across the country in May, with more than 1.2 million students taking part across more than 9,000  schools. Individual Student Reports are provided to schools in late August to early September — depending on your state or territory test administration authority. They are then distributed to families. 

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NAP–ICTL and NAP sample postponed due to pandemic 

Due to the current COVID-19 situation and the ongoing restrictions that face schools in several jurisdictions, education ministers have agreed to postpone the National Assessment Program – Information and Communications Technology Literacy (NAP–ICTL) main study 2021 and the NAP sample assessment program by 12 months.  

The NAP–ICTL assessment was due to be run in October and November, with schools to begin preparations in September. Ministers have taken this decision now to prevent uncertainty, and allow schools and families to focus on teaching and learning amid difficult ongoing circumstances. 

The NAP sample assessment cycle will continue from 2022, with the NAP–ICTL main study proceeding then. No field trial will be required for 2022, as the NAP–ICTL field trial was already conducted in June 2021. This will reduce the burden of testing schools in 2022.  

NAP–ICTL is a part of the NAPLAN sample assessment cycle, which tests students’ skills and understanding in science literacy, civics and citizenship, and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy. Only selected groups of students in Years 6 and 10 participate in these sample assessments, which are held on a rolling 3-yearly basis. 

In conversation — Professor Mark Rose on the role of ACARA’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group 

Professor Mark Rose, is Deakin University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, Indigenous Strategy and Innovation, and the Chair of ACARA’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group. The group was established in 2014 to provide advice regarding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority in the Australian Curriculum. 

ACARA CEO David de Carvalho  sat down with Professor Mark Rose to talk about the advisory group and the important place of First Nations Australian content in our curriculum. 

The conversation was originally published in Education Matters. 

Lockdown learning – a teacher’s tale 

Abby Saleh, an Instructional Leader at Fairfield Public School in Sydney's south-western suburbs, has shared her top ten tips in learning to teach from home, via AISL.

Read her story >