National Assessment Program
The National Assessment Program is run at the direction of the Education Council.
It includes the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), the three-yearly sample assessments in science literacy, civics and citizenship, and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy, and participation in international sample assessments.
NAPLAN
NAPLAN is an annual assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.
The tests cover skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.
The online assessments are undertaken every year in the second full week in May. Schools must participate in these tests although parents can withdraw their children if they choose to.
Link to NAPLAN Public Demonstration site (includes practice questions)
OTHER NAP sample assessments
NAP sample assessments occur annually on a rolling basis.
In 2013, Civics and Citizenship was tested.
In 2015, Science literacy was tested.
In 2016, Civics and Citizenship was tested
In 2017, ICT literacy was tested.
In October 2019, Civics and Citizenship will be tested
In 2022 ICT Literacy was tested (small sample size of 20 randomly selected Year 10 students)
Selected schools participate in the sample assessments, which provide a national snapshot of performance in these three areas of learning. Esperance Senior High School usually gets chosen to participate in these tests.
International sample assessments
As part of the National Assessment Program, Australia participates in the following international sample assessments:
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). PISA focuses on how well students are prepared for life-long learning in the areas of reading, mathematical and scientific literacy.
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). TIMSS is a large-scale assessment designed to provide an international perspective on teaching and learning in mathematics and science. TIMSS conducts comprehensive state-of the-art assessments of mathematics and science for students in Year 4 and Year 8, supported with extensive data about country, school, and classroom learning environments.
Esperance Senior High School usually gets chosen to participate in these tests.
Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). PIRLS is a large-scale assessment designed to provide an international perspective of teaching and learning in reading literacy. PIRLS involves comprehensive assessments of reading literacy for students in Year 4, supported by extensive data about country, school and classroom learning environments. It sits alongside its sister project, TIMSS, in providing detailed information about the performance of students in Year 4 in the key areas of reading, mathematics and science.
NAPLAN and OLNA
OLNA (Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment) (WA students only)
To achieve the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) at the end of Year 12, students must also demonstrate minimum standards of literacy and numeracy. These standards cover the range of skills regarded as essential to meet the demands of everyday life and work. These skills must be demonstrated in:
• literacy (reading and writing), and
• numeracy.
There are two ways students can demonstrate the minimum standards:
• prequalification through the Year 9 NAPLAN. Students who achieve Band 8 or higher in any of the three components of reading, writing and numeracy in their Year 9 NAPLAN are considered to have demonstrated these skills. These students are not required to sit the corresponding OLNA test, e.g. if a student achieves Band 8 or higher in reading in their Year 9 NAPLAN they will not need to sit the reading component of the OLNA in Year 10, 11 or 12.
or
• performance in the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA). Students are required to sit the OLNA test in March and September each year in Year 10, 11 and 12 until the minimum standard is reached.
