This past week, as we’ve all been closely following the weather in northern NSW and south-east Queensland, we’ve seen school closures, disruptions to learning, and the challenging aftermath of ex-cyclone Alfred. It is heartening to see our Catholic communities rally, offering assistance by opening church halls, offering churches as food storage facilities for local markets and turning churches into respite centres for those who need shelter and power.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families and school communities affected by this unprecedented event.
Through this extremely challenging time, schools and students are preparing for the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) testing. The NAPLAN crisis management team is providing support to affected schools (see message below).
Approximately 1.3 million students in more than 9,400 schools and campuses across Australia in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9, will sit the test this week. This assessment is an educational “health check” of each student’s proficiency in five domains: numeracy, reading, writing, spelling, and grammar and punctuation. The results provide not only a clear picture of how students are progressing but also show how they compare with students across the country.
NAPLAN reveals specific areas of strength and areas of challenge, allowing teachers to identify timely intervention or extension requirements for individual students. This is an opportunity for schools to have a conversation with students and parents, and ensure the right support is in place to help each student thrive.
At a macro level, NAPLAN informs decisions regarding where additional support, resources, or policy changes may be needed to ensure we can support every student in a Catholic school to achieve their potential.
NAPLAN is valuable for families, for educators and for Catholic Education systems across the nation as we work together to support the continual improvement of educational outcomes for all students.
Photo: Students from MacKillop Catholic College, Mount Peter, Qld