Contents
NAPLAN
In 2022, Australian Education Ministers agreed to improvements to the National Assessment Program –Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) giving teachers the additional information they need about student performance earlier in the year.
From 2023, NAPLAN, which was traditionally held in Term 2 of the school year, will be held in Term 1 annually.
Dates for NAPLAN are available on the NESA website.
NAPLAN tests put additional information in teachers’ hands, allowing for more targeted support for students to ensure they are gaining important literacy and numeracy skills.
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), state and territory education departments, and non-government school authorities work with schools and systems to ensure they are well prepared for the annual delivery of NAPLAN.
Catholic Schools New South Wales works with NESA and the other NSW education sectors to prepare for participation in the delivery of NAPLAN in Catholic schools. For further information, please visit the NESA website.
Training is available through NESA to schools from February each year. All staff involved with NAPLAN delivery are strongly encouraged to participate in training, even if schools have already delivered NAPLAN online. Read more about the training options on the NESA website.
General questions regarding NAPLAN please contact the NESA NAPLAN team on 1300 119 556 or naplan.nsw@nesa.nsw.edu.au.
For specific advice on Catholic schools please contact karen.ferrante@csnsw.catholic.edu.au.
Best Start Kindergarten Assessment
Every child enters school with their own set of experiences, skills and abilities. These skills form a foundation for future learning and students need to develop these skills to be able to communicate complex ideas, think critically and engage with the world.
The Best Start Kindergarten Assessment (BSKA) provides teachers with the opportunity to sit with a child one on one, focusing on what that child can do. This provides the teacher with another rich source of information on how to best support that child’s next steps
Best Start Kindergarten Assessment (BSKA) allows schools to enter student information during the first 5 weeks of school via an online NSW Department of Education tool, referred to as PLAN2. The BSKA items are auto-mapped in PLAN2 to the Literacy and Numeracy Progressions and the NSW K-2 English and Mathematics syllabus documents and are available for analysis by the teacher.
Data that is generated by the assessment may be used to inform families about their child’s early literacy and numeracy development.
Online professional learning is available to assist teachers with the administration of the assessment and the analysis of the students results.
The BSKA is available as an opt-in assessment for non-government schools. Calls for registration for participation in BSKA open in October the year prior to students starting Kindergarten.
For more information regarding accessing BSKA and/or PLAN2 please contact karen.ferrante@csnsw.catholic.edu.au
Transition to Year 7
Students start secondary school with different skills and abilities in literacy and numeracy. It is important that Year 7 teachers have access to information about their new students, to plan their teaching accordingly.
What is Transition to Year 7?
The Transition to Year 7 assessment is an optional online literacy and numeracy assessment for select students on entry to Year 7. It includes two online assessments:
- reading assessment
- numeracy assessment
Each assessment has approximately 40 multiple-choice questions and can be administered by any secondary teacher.
Transition to Year 7 is available to all NSW Catholic secondary schools on an opt-in basis. Calls for registration to participate in Transition to Year 7 open in October each year.
Further information can be found here – Transition to Year 7 assessment
For any enquiries regarding NSW Catholic school participation in Transition to Year 7 please email karen.ferrante@csnsw.catholic.edu.au
Year 1 Phonics Screening Check Assessment
The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check is an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they know and can do when blending sounds together to read words.
What you need to know
The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check (PSC) is an optional online reading and numeracy assessment available to Catholic Schools NSW with a Year 1 student cohort in term 3 each year. Registration for participation in the PSC opens in mid-term 2.
The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check is a short assessment that provides teachers with an overview of a students’ progress in phonics. This information helps teachers make decisions during the teaching and learning cycle.
The PSC assesses the phonic knowledge and skills a student has learnt to blend sounds together to read a word.
How is the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check be administered?
The online assessment takes 5 – 7 minutes and is carried out by classroom teachers with each student individually.
The PSC allows schools to enter student information during the first 5 weeks of term 3 via an online NSW Department of Education tool, referred to as PLAN2. The PSC assessment items are auto-mapped in PLAN2 to the Literacy Progressions and the NSW K-6 English syllabus outcomes and are available for analysis by the teacher.
How does this information support teachers?
The Student Assessment Analysis provided after the PSC assessment, assists teachers to make decisions that will help inform the next steps to meet a student’s individual learning needs.
Online professional learning is available to assist with the administration of the assessment and the analysis of the students results.
More information
Contact karen.ferrante@csnsw.catholic.edu.au for information regarding Catholic school participation in the PSC assessment.
Australian Early Development Census (AEDC)
The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data helps schools plan for the needs of children arriving at school. It assists schools in identifying areas where children and families in the community need additional support to achieve positive outcomes in the areas of:
- Physical Health and Wellbeing
- Social Competence
- Emotional Maturity
- Language and Cognitive Skills (school-based)
- Communication Skills and General Knowledge
Public data can be found here: www.aedc.gov.au/data-explorer
2024 Data Collection
Schools with kindergarten students participate in the census. Kindergarten teachers in all school sectors across NSW will complete a research tool in term 2, 2024, based on observations of the children in their class.
A list of key dates for the 2024 data collection can be found here.
Find out more at www.aedc.gov.au or contact the AEDC Helpdesk.
Phone: 1800 092 548 (free call)
Email: helpdesk@aedc.gov.au