April 2010     The Australian Secondary Principals’ Association (ASPA), has released the results of a survey into the impact of the publication of the My School NAPLAN data on schools. Some 659 individuals, representing approximately 43% of Australian government secondary schools, completed the online survey.

Ms. Sheree Vertigan, president of ASPA says that “A major finding from this survey is the extent of changes principals are making in order to accommodate the tests in their schools and in seeking to improve the performance of their students”.

The two most common strategies being used by Principals to improve student/school NAPLAN results are the increased use of trial/practice NAPLAN tests ( 70% of schools) and NAPLAN-targeted professional development of staff 60% of schools (Attachment, Figure 1).

More than half of principals report that they are increasing the classroom time that students are devoting specifically to literacy and numeracy and approximately two-thirds report increased time spent on NAPLAN test preparation. As one respondent put it “The curriculum [has] narrowed and a school's worth is limited to the average of these 1 hour test scores.”

Ms Vertigan expressed concern about the effective narrowing of the curriculum as a result of this increased emphasis on specific, NAPLAN-related skills. “The ability of schools to engage students with a broad curriculum offering is being compromised by the publication of this data in its current form” she said.

Principals expressed strong support for a range of actions aimed at preventing misuse of the published data and making it more comprehensive (Attachment, Figure 3). The two measures that received the greatest support (approx. 80% agreement for both) were the addition of longitudinal data and the exemption of special education units from the calculations.

 
Principals value the NAPLAN testing as an ongoing, diagnostic tool for analysing and improving the literacy and numeracy of their students. MS Vertigan stated categorically “That principals do not wish to see such an important tool compromised by its inappropriate use as a high-stakes, public measure of school effectiveness – a use for which it was not intended,” Ms Vertigan said. “We understand the teachers actions and believe it is critical that an agreement is reached with the Deputy Prime Minister about how this situation can be resolved. We are keen to meet with her to assist in working out a way forward.”

Ms Vertigan called upon the Federal Government to listen to the concerns raised by principals. “There are solutions available” she added “and they need to be applied!”.

From information provided by ASPA, April 29, 2010

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