National literacy and numeracy tests from 2008

By Wendy Currie

NSW students in years 3,5,7, and 9 will take part in national literacy and numeracy tests from 2008, NSW Education Minister John Della Bosca announced on July 24.

This will mean that this year's Basic Skills Tests, English Language and Literacy Assessment (ELLA) and Secondary Numeracy Assessment Program (SNAP) will be the last, except that a sample of students will do them next year only so that the Department of Education and Training (DET) can assure a continuity of data from the current state tests to the national tests.

The new national literacy and numeracy tests are a requirement under the regulations attached to the federal schools funding legislation.

During the debate over the past few months between the federal and state/territory governments about the national tests, teachers have been concerned that some of the more positive aspects of the NSW testing regime might be lost. Federation understands that the NSW Government has been successful in ensuring that this does not occur.

Federation understands, for example, that the tests will be curriculum-based and diagnostic in nature. The union has also been assured that, while the Federal Government, through the Curriculum Corporation, will design the tests, DET will administer them, mark them, report to schools, students and parents/caregivers, and will own the data.

Owning the data means DET will send to the Federal Government only that data needed to make decisions about system accountability. The data will not identify systems, schools, regions, and students, with the result that it cannot be used to develop league tables.

It would appear that the NSW Government is living up to its stated opposition to league tables in other ways as well. They are in the process of amending the NSW Education Regulation that currently prohibits publication of School Certificate, Higher School Certificate, Basic Skills Test, ELLA and SNAP results in such a way as to compare students and schools. The amendment will add the national tests and the Essential Secondary Science Assessment (ESSA) to the list; as well as the sample testing that already occurs in Science, Information and Communication Technology, and Civics and Citizenship; and sample testing as part of the international testing program.

Federation believes that the sort of accountability demanded by the Federal Government would best be provided by sample testing rather than testing the whole student population, and that the addition of year 9 will result in over-testing.

Be that as it may, the NSW Government has ensured that students in NSW public schools will be, for the moment at least, protected from some of the worst excesses of the Federal Government. It remains to be seen how the states would handle any attempts by the Federal Government to alter this agreement and introduce league tables in the future, should the Howard Government win the upcoming election.

Wendy Currie is a Research Officer.

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July 2007 contents