Parents, principals concerned about potential inaccuracies in NAPLAN results, research shows
Parents and principals are concerned about the potential for inaccuracy in reporting NAPLAN results due the exclusion of some students from the tests and extra coaching by teachers, new research into the value of the My School website has found.
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) commissioned research firm Colmar Brunton to investigate the value parents and principals place on the My School website, which provides financial figures, school profiles and details of academic performance for almost 10,000 schools.
ACARA identified more than 300 public and private schools achieved above-average gains in NAPLAN scores compared to similar schools.
The research centred on 10 focus groups — five with teachers and five with students — who had visited the My School website in the last 12 months.
It showed some parents believed "certain schools place greater emphasis on 'coaching' children for NAPLAN tests and/or exclude some less able children from the test".
Some parents raised concerns about the reliability and validity of the NAPLAN scores "as a measure of comparison on the basis that they do not reflect a holistic view of the school".
The research found that: "Those with a more negative view cite the too narrow perspective of schools' performance provided by My School (in particular the heavy focus on NAPLAN)."
"Attitudes towards the website have become more positive over time, and fears such as the large-scale publication of league tables and negative outcomes for schools that perform not as well on NAPLAN have not eventuated."
It shows that "most parents are using My School only as a starting point in their decision making" about their child's education.
Education Minister Christopher Pyne said "NAPLAN is a vital part of the education system".
"It makes everyone accountable to students and to parents," he said.
"By publishing test results all governments — state and territory — and the Commonwealth can see what progress we're making.
"As a diagnostic tool it is really important for teachers to see the weaknesses in their students and the strengths in their students."
