New elaborations help teachers incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures in the curriculum
29 October 2018 In response to feedback from community and educators, today ACARA has released information to support teachers to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures into teaching the Australian Curriculum: Science. Ninety-five ‘elaborations’ – practical examples that provide guidance on teaching the Australian Curriculum – have been published today on the Australian Curriculum website within the Science learning area for all year levels.
Read our media release (PDF 53 kb).
Read more about the new elaborations on the Australian Curriculum website.
UNESCO school reporting initiative
26 October 2018 The UNESCO Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP–UNESCO) has published six case studies from Asia and the Pacific to inspire and inform open school data policies.
One of these case studies is from Australia, involving the My School website. These case studies across various countries in our region look at a range of school reporting initiatives to create a new evidence base for more informed policy-making on how to use school-related data to create more transparent education systems.

Visit the Institute for Educational Planning website for more information
NAP sample – science literacy assessments start
15 October 2018
Number of schools: 560. Number of students: 11,200. Runs 15 October – 2 November.
The NAP sample assessments are a suite of tests, deployed in a three-yearly cycle, which monitor student achievement in science literacy, ICT literacy, and civics and citizenship. This year is science literacy.
The science literacy assessment has been held every three years since 2003. In 2015, it was conducted online for the first time. 2018 marks another milestone – this is the first year that Year 10 students will participate in the assessment. The purpose of the test is to inform schools, educators and the community about the levels of achievement for science literacy among Year 6 and Year 10 students.
All participating schools will receive reports summarising their students’ results, with a national public report of the outcomes released in 2019. A rigorous selection process is used to ensure the sample represents Australia’s Years 6 and 10 cohorts.
Visit the NAP website to see: