Since NAPLAN was introduced in 2008, it has been a high stakes testing arena. The high stakes status is created through the publication of the test results on the MySchool website, allowing schools to be ranked. This high stakes status has created a culture where schools are competing for funding, student enrolments and many teachers feel that they should 'teach to the test'. There an ample amount of international research that suggests that high stakes testing is not effective and can also have negative impacts on students mental health. Students that come from a cultural and linguistically diverse (CALD) background are often at a disadvantage to 'perform well' as they are learning English as a second language. There have been reports that students from a CALD background were asked to stay home on the day of the test which can strengthen stigma and isolation.

Thank heaven there is at least a test the teachers can't manipulate, to avoid exposure of their incompetence.

What we need is a return to a full externally set & marked exam to sort university entrance. At least then Uni would not have to spend months on remedial math & physics before even starting courses.

The current system gives us kids who submitted good assignments, which could have been done by anyone, can reproduce none of it at schools end, but have great OP results.

Also about time kids were given a bit of stress at school exams. They are going to have much more difficulty in the real world, after being wrapped in cotton wool at school.

Teachers claim they want to produce rounded people, & turn out uneducated wimps.

Rest assured, Hasbeen that NAPLAN provides heaps of stress for students, starting at grade three and continuing every two years thereafter.

Of course, before the actual stress of the exam, months are spent preparing the kiddies for (and adding to) their stress by "teaching to test" - so that the school can get a good mark and more funding.

So we have the worst of all worlds - stressed out kids, stressed out teachers - a system that pours information into children, pretty much hotch-potch with little continuity with their lives or experience.

You are right though, that standardised testing has very little to do with the "real world".

Don't blame the teachers - blame the system.

The lack of regular independent testing is necessary to prevent kids reaching high school that can't read. The issue about "stressed kids" is also a furphy, as most schools don't prep kids, and even if they did, the tests are only once every 2 years, and at least prepares them for the HSC.

Considering that Naplan is based on the curriculum, teaching to the Naplan test ensures that at least they cover the basics, and some exam technique to boot.

The only teachers that seem to complain about Naplan are those trying to hide their incompetence under a bushel.

SM,

You have got to be joking...they "do" "prep" students for NAPLAN - in fact there's a whole developed publishing industry now to cater for the "NAPLAN experience" - both inside and outside of school.

http://www.pascalpress.com.au/NAPLAN-Tests-Basic-Skills-renamed-s/415.htm

Are you telling me that individual teachers would not be aware whether or not certain children under their watch can read or not?

Teachers are aware of weaknesses...yet the idea of NAPLAN is to pitch schools against each other.

Standardised testing has been rejected by those in the US who championed it in the first place - as it became obvious that it wasn't implemented to improve educational outcomes, but merely to denigrate teachers and close down schools.

Here's former US assistant education secretary, Diane Ravitch of the subject:

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/28/135142895/ravitch-standardized-testing-undermines-teaching

Poirot - you make an excellent point regarding the US who are now trying to back track from the No Child Left Behind Act 2001 which was based upon standardised testing based on emerging evidence of its epic failure.

This begs the question - Why is Australia heading down the standardised testing path given the evidence of its failure in the US and UK? Do our kids not deserve a fair and equitable education experience that goes beyond reducing their ability to a simple test score?

The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (2008) was developed by Education Ministers and states that a goal for Education is to create 'Confident and Creative Individuals' - I am left to wonder how reducing a curriculum to basic literacy and numeracy exams that involve kids colouring in a bubble on a multiple choice test helps to develop 'Confident and Creative Individuals'... NAPLAN is changing Australia's education culture. We need to promote a holistic curriculum and encourage collaboration, not competition