Fact Sheet No. 2 - 3 June 2016Further to the recent communication on the ACT approach to NAPLAN Online, we are providing additional information on NAPLAN Online training and trialling for 2016, detailed information on technical readiness.

ACT NAPLAN Online timingIn the ACT, it is our preference to move to NAPLAN Online in 2017. As a small jurisdiction, we are well placed to participate in NAPLAN Online given our smaller metropolitan setting and high levels of student achievement.

Moving to NAPLAN online is an easy thing to say, but it is no small undertaking here in the ACT, or anywhere across Australia. Naturally, a change of this magnitude can only be undertaken when we have gained a level of confidence in systems provided to us by the National NAPLAN Online Project, as well as being confident in each school’s capability and readiness to engage in the Online testing environment. We have been testing these systems and the next stage of that testing will allow us to understand how ACT schools, teachers and students are placed to engage in online testing.

Benefits of NAPLAN OnlineA move to NAPLAN Online will:

provide more targeted assessment, more precise results and faster turnaround of information for parents and teachers.

mean that the tests better meet the needs of all students, including those students with a disability.

use ‘tailored testing’ which gives students questions more suited to their ability, resulting in more targeted assessment and precise results. The tailored test design means the test becomes progressively more difficult or easier depending on each student's responses. It also means that schools and parents get a more targeted and detailed information about their students’ performance.

ensure the precision and improved timing of the results will help teachers tailor their teaching more specifically to student needs.

Training and Trialling The ACT’s Test Administration Authority (TAA) has been participating in significant national User Acceptance Testing of the platforms developed by Education Services Australia (ESA) and the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) to deliver NAPLAN Online. This trialling is progressing well. As principals, you can soon expect to see a new NAP Assessment Delivery System (ADS) which will replace the current Student Participation and Registration (PAR) Website. Testing of the system commenced across Australia in April this year.

To inform the ACT’s readiness, during the second half of 2016 a number of activities have been prepared for schools to participate in training and trialling of the NAPLAN Online system. The two key activities for schools and students are:

Fact Sheet No. 2 - 3 June 2016NAPLAN Online training

Training for NAPLAN Coordinators in the NAPLAN Online ADS is proposed for between 21 and 22 June 2016. The three hour training package will be delivered by ESA and the ACT TAA. Two sessions will be delivered during the day on 21 and 22 June 2016 by ESA and the ACT TAA. Follow up sessions will be held on 24 June 2016 if require and be delivered by the ACT TAA. All sessions will be at the Hedley Beare Centre for Teaching and Learning.

Training will cover use of the ADS and Technical Readiness Testing (TRT). The ADS is used to manage student participation and to deliver the tests. While the TRT will assist schools to timetable NAPLAN Online sessions based on the IT infrastructure, cohort size and bandwidth available at the school.

NAPLAN Online Platform Test and Readiness Trial (PTRT) The PTRT will consist of schools administering student information in the NAPLAN Online ADS

and students undertaking two tests. The PTRT is scheduled to occur nationally between 15 and 26 August 2016.

One test is for each NAPLAN cohort, comprising numeracy, reading and language conventions. The second is a writing test. Each test will take approximately one and a half hours.

It is important to know that schools will not be asked to have full year cohorts across all of years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in the PTRT. There is flexibility in the PTRT approach for schools to undertake the assessment with years 4, 6 and 8 students. The majority of schools will be asked to participate with one or two classes, with a few schools across each sector asked to participate with up to one full year group of students.

This important trial will inform the ACT’s ability to implement NAPLAN Online from 2017. Information on Technical Requirements for equipment, computers and devices is attached.

In addition to the PTRT, ACARA has undertaken detailed research projects relating to online test delivery over recent years, including students’ cognitive and behavioural engagement, and the capacity of tailored test design to generate robust and differentiated student achievement data. This activity will continue throughout 2016 and schools selected to be involved in upcoming studies will be contacted directly.

Next StepsThe ACT Project Team will contact Principals and NAPLAN Coordinators with more information on:

what participation in NAPLAN Online trialling would look like for your school; and details on how NAPLAN Coordinators can nominate for training times.

Detailed information and FAQs about NAPLAN Online are available on the ACARA NAP website at http://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/online-assessment.html. For more information on NAPLAN Online in the ACT, please contact the ACT Project Manager, Sunita Kandola on 62058060 or at NAPOnline@act.gov.au.

NAPLAN Project Team