A Policy Report Evaluating the National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (Naplan) Reform in Australia: The Impacts of High Stakes Assessment on Students

TL;DR

This report evaluates Australia's NAPLAN reform, highlighting its impacts on students, challenges of high-stakes testing, and proposing improvements for fairness and inclusivity in literacy and numeracy assessments.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive assessment of NAPLAN's effects and offers specific recommendations to improve assessment practices and address equity issues.

Findings

High-stakes testing increases student anxiety and stress.

Standardization overlooks higher-order cognitive skills.

Reform suggestions include online testing and increased support for LBOTE students.

Abstract

The National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Reform in Australia, launched in 2008, has emerged as the country's most significant and contentious reform. However, due to its high-stakes nature and standardization, testing presents various challenges. These challenges include the combination of accountability with the 'My School' website, overlooking higher-order cognitive abilities, exacerbating students' anxiety and stress, and creating inequity for Language Background Other Than English (LBOTE) students. This report assesses the achievements and obstacles of the NAPLAN reform, proposing recommendations such as transitioning to online testing, enhancing content and platforms, increasing public assessment literacy, and investing more in LBOTE education. These suggestions aim to strike a balance between standardized testing and authentic educational pursuits, adapting to the evolving needs of students to create a fair, inclusive educational environment that addresses the demands of the 21st century.