Latest news with #NAPLAN
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Cut the fluff': Fixing primary school maths one problem at a time
Templestowe Heights Primary School principal Rhys Coulson's motivation to overhaul the way his school taught maths came from his son. 'I wanted to avoid my own children struggling when they started primary school,' he said. About a year and a half ago, the school shifted to a model called systematic maths teaching. The results were dramatic, leading not only to an improvement in the school's NAPLAN results – which are now well above average in year 3 and 5 – but to a much more positive attitude among students. 'Children are really confident in mathematics now,' Coulson said. 'Because of that success, it's giving them motivation. The feedback we also get from parents is they can't believe what their child is now learning in mathematics.' A Grattan Institute report says school principals should act immediately to raise primary school maths proficiency. The report offers a step-by-step guide to a systematic and whole-of-school explicit teaching approach. 'Australia has a maths problem, and it starts in primary school,' says Grattan Institute education program director and report lead Jordana Hunter. 'Principals do not need to wait for others to act.' Explicit maths instruction Introduce new material in small chunks with clear, bite-sized learning intentions (eg 'We are learning to share equally between four groups'). Use precise mathematical vocabulary. Provide immediate feedback so students know if they are succeeding. Universal response mechanisms – such as mini whiteboards – can be helpful here. Show non-standard examples and non-examples to aid your explanation. Give students partially completed problems or problem pairs as a way of gradually reducing the amount of guidance. Identify and address misconceptions Systematic maths instruction includes explicit teaching, practising mathematical fluency, and applying what they know. It also aims to build maths knowledge and skills into students' long-term memory so it's easier to solve harder problems. Explicit teaching is a step-by-step teaching approach focusing on clearly explaining mathematical concepts, modelling problem-solving processes, giving students the chance to practice and giving immediate feedback.
The Age
7 days ago
- General
- The Age
‘Cut the fluff': Fixing primary school maths one problem at a time
Templestowe Heights Primary School principal Rhys Coulson's motivation to overhaul the way his school taught maths came from his son. 'I wanted to avoid my own children struggling when they started primary school,' he said. About a year and a half ago, the school shifted to a model called systematic maths teaching. The results were dramatic, leading not only to an improvement in the school's NAPLAN results – which are now well above average in year 3 and 5 – but to a much more positive attitude among students. 'Children are really confident in mathematics now,' Coulson said. 'Because of that success, it's giving them motivation. The feedback we also get from parents is they can't believe what their child is now learning in mathematics.' A Grattan Institute report says school principals should act immediately to raise primary school maths proficiency. The report offers a step-by-step guide to a systematic and whole-of-school explicit teaching approach. 'Australia has a maths problem, and it starts in primary school,' says Grattan Institute education program director and report lead Jordana Hunter. 'Principals do not need to wait for others to act.' Explicit maths instruction Introduce new material in small chunks with clear, bite-sized learning intentions (eg 'We are learning to share equally between four groups'). Use precise mathematical vocabulary. Provide immediate feedback so students know if they are succeeding. Universal response mechanisms – such as mini whiteboards – can be helpful here. Show non-standard examples and non-examples to aid your explanation. Give students partially completed problems or problem pairs as a way of gradually reducing the amount of guidance. Identify and address misconceptions Systematic maths instruction includes explicit teaching, practising mathematical fluency, and applying what they know. It also aims to build maths knowledge and skills into students' long-term memory so it's easier to solve harder problems. Explicit teaching is a step-by-step teaching approach focusing on clearly explaining mathematical concepts, modelling problem-solving processes, giving students the chance to practice and giving immediate feedback.
The Age
16-05-2025
- General
- The Age
Private schools woo clever kids early as scholarship demand rises
Annette Paroissien, executive director of Hendersons, which tutors students sitting tests for scholarships or select-entry high schools, said some schools were testing almost two years in advance for the 2024 intake. 'We have assumed that schools started to compete for the truly gifted and therefore started to bring their exams earlier to make the offers at the same time or earlier,' she said. Kingswood College in Box Hill South tested for year 7 students in February 2022, St Margaret's and Berwick Grammar tested in May 2022 and Korowa Anglican Girl's tested in September and October 2022 for 2024 scholarships. Kingswood College director of community engagement Lynelle Dudman said more schools were testing early because of the competition. 'There are a lot of schools with empty places, a lot of schools are using it to fill places,' she said. 'There are people putting out scholarships at least two years ahead.' She said Kingswood had always offered year 7 places in year 5, but some schools were offering more than two years out. 'I think some are offering in year 4 just to lock in students basically.' Paroissien said she had 'absolutely' seen an increase in demand for scholarships. In December, they had a 68 per cent increase in demand for their services from the previous year, and 14 per cent growth in demand for tuition in the six months to December. She attributed this to COVID-19 making more parents aware of the impacts of teacher shortages in public schools, but also due to financial strain through the pandemic. Scholarships can be for everything from choral, general excellence, sport, STEM and leadership, with entry requirements including everything from NAPLAN tests to 30 second videos of children introducing themselves and their interests. 'We have assumed that schools started to compete for the truly gifted and therefore started to bring their exams earlier to make the offers at the same time or earlier.' Annette Paroissien, executive director of Hendersons Principals or schools decide what percentage of a scholarship is awarded based on varying factors, in some cases based on stipulations from a bequeathment. But Edutest and ACER representatives said their registrations were fairly stable from last year, and at this stage they had not seen a notable increase or decrease. Deborah Holtham has two children at Wesley College, both of whom are on scholarships. Holtham said the scholarships brought fee discounts of 50 per cent and 40 per cent, saving thousands of dollars a year, though she still makes sacrifices for her children's education. 'I don't take many holidays and I drive a 20-year-old car, because school fees are the priority,' she said. For some families who apply to multiple schools, or enroll in a coaching course, the costs can stack up. Each school sets their own fee to sit for the tests, with three main providers; AAS, Edutest and ACER. The fee ranges from $90 to $300 (which includes a late registration fee). Workshops can cost up to $595. This year, Wesley reduced the cost of the registration fee to allow greater access. The scholarships are competitive, though Holtham said she did not push either of her children to study harder than they ordinarily would, or hire private tutors. 'We were a bit casual about it, I guess, but I think most families are much less casual than we are.' Glen Iris mother Layanga Seekkuge's two sons, Akein, 11, and Aveen, 9, have just sat a scholarship test for year 7 and year 5 and did coaching with Hendersons to prepare. Seekkuge said her sons were hoping to get general excellence and academic scholarships at Wesley College or Caulfield Grammar. 'On the day of the exam they were a bit nervous,' she said, 'but at the end I think they were alright.' She said they found the workshops helpful and weren't worried about the cost of the tests, as she said it was reasonable considering the economic advantage you'd get if you won the scholarship. Ballarat Clarendon College principal David Shepherd said their enrolments had been increasing by about 100 each year, so it made sense that registrations to sit for scholarship tests had also increased. 'I don't think parents enrolling students to sit scholarship exams should be stressful,' Shepherd said. Loading But Paroissien said for a young child, sitting an exam in an unfamiliar school without familiar teachers or friends could 'be extremely stressful and overwhelming'. She said children should emotionally prepare. 'It is not unusual for us to hear of students crying in exams if they haven't prepared, which affects their ability to perform at their best on the day,' she said. Edutest general manager Fiona Sherry said there was no real way to prepare for a scholarship test because they were designed for students to be able to interpret, think critically, infer and problem-solve. Practice tests can help students understand style, structure and format but would not replicate the difficulty. 'We always say to parents that to prepare for the test, they really just need to tell their child to do their best on the day.'
Sydney Morning Herald
16-05-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Private schools woo clever kids early as scholarship demand rises
Annette Paroissien, executive director of Hendersons, which tutors students sitting tests for scholarships or select-entry high schools, said some schools were testing almost two years in advance for the 2024 intake. 'We have assumed that schools started to compete for the truly gifted and therefore started to bring their exams earlier to make the offers at the same time or earlier,' she said. Kingswood College in Box Hill South tested for year 7 students in February 2022, St Margaret's and Berwick Grammar tested in May 2022 and Korowa Anglican Girl's tested in September and October 2022 for 2024 scholarships. Kingswood College director of community engagement Lynelle Dudman said more schools were testing early because of the competition. 'There are a lot of schools with empty places, a lot of schools are using it to fill places,' she said. 'There are people putting out scholarships at least two years ahead.' She said Kingswood had always offered year 7 places in year 5, but some schools were offering more than two years out. 'I think some are offering in year 4 just to lock in students basically.' Paroissien said she had 'absolutely' seen an increase in demand for scholarships. In December, they had a 68 per cent increase in demand for their services from the previous year, and 14 per cent growth in demand for tuition in the six months to December. She attributed this to COVID-19 making more parents aware of the impacts of teacher shortages in public schools, but also due to financial strain through the pandemic. Scholarships can be for everything from choral, general excellence, sport, STEM and leadership, with entry requirements including everything from NAPLAN tests to 30 second videos of children introducing themselves and their interests. 'We have assumed that schools started to compete for the truly gifted and therefore started to bring their exams earlier to make the offers at the same time or earlier.' Annette Paroissien, executive director of Hendersons Principals or schools decide what percentage of a scholarship is awarded based on varying factors, in some cases based on stipulations from a bequeathment. But Edutest and ACER representatives said their registrations were fairly stable from last year, and at this stage they had not seen a notable increase or decrease. Deborah Holtham has two children at Wesley College, both of whom are on scholarships. Holtham said the scholarships brought fee discounts of 50 per cent and 40 per cent, saving thousands of dollars a year, though she still makes sacrifices for her children's education. 'I don't take many holidays and I drive a 20-year-old car, because school fees are the priority,' she said. For some families who apply to multiple schools, or enroll in a coaching course, the costs can stack up. Each school sets their own fee to sit for the tests, with three main providers; AAS, Edutest and ACER. The fee ranges from $90 to $300 (which includes a late registration fee). Workshops can cost up to $595. This year, Wesley reduced the cost of the registration fee to allow greater access. The scholarships are competitive, though Holtham said she did not push either of her children to study harder than they ordinarily would, or hire private tutors. 'We were a bit casual about it, I guess, but I think most families are much less casual than we are.' Glen Iris mother Layanga Seekkuge's two sons, Akein, 11, and Aveen, 9, have just sat a scholarship test for year 7 and year 5 and did coaching with Hendersons to prepare. Seekkuge said her sons were hoping to get general excellence and academic scholarships at Wesley College or Caulfield Grammar. 'On the day of the exam they were a bit nervous,' she said, 'but at the end I think they were alright.' She said they found the workshops helpful and weren't worried about the cost of the tests, as she said it was reasonable considering the economic advantage you'd get if you won the scholarship. Ballarat Clarendon College principal David Shepherd said their enrolments had been increasing by about 100 each year, so it made sense that registrations to sit for scholarship tests had also increased. 'I don't think parents enrolling students to sit scholarship exams should be stressful,' Shepherd said. Loading But Paroissien said for a young child, sitting an exam in an unfamiliar school without familiar teachers or friends could 'be extremely stressful and overwhelming'. She said children should emotionally prepare. 'It is not unusual for us to hear of students crying in exams if they haven't prepared, which affects their ability to perform at their best on the day,' she said. Edutest general manager Fiona Sherry said there was no real way to prepare for a scholarship test because they were designed for students to be able to interpret, think critically, infer and problem-solve. Practice tests can help students understand style, structure and format but would not replicate the difficulty. 'We always say to parents that to prepare for the test, they really just need to tell their child to do their best on the day.'
Herald Sun
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Herald Sun
Allan Government won't push for better results in NAPLAN testing
Don't miss out on the headlines from Education. Followed categories will be added to My News. The State Government has refused to aim for nine out of ten students reaching high standards in NAPLAN tests recommended by a key bipartisan parliamentary committee. The government's own targets are less than half as high, with educators instead working towards one third to one half of students reaching the top performance levels in numeracy and literacy. The number one recommendation from the Legislative Council's Legal and Social Issues Committee was for schools to aim for 90 per cent of students achieving the top two NAPLAN bands of 'exceeding' and 'strong'. The committee – which includes Labor figures such as Ryan Batchelor – received more than 270 submissions from experts, teachers and parents for its inquiry into the state education system. The government's response to the inquiry commits instead to reducing the proportion of students in the NAPLAN 'needs additional support category' by ten per cent and increasing the percentage of those in the 'exceeding' category by ten per cent. This follows the national adoption of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement which ties funding to lifting NAPLAN outcomes, among other goals. The government will also continue with its own NAPLAN benchmarks, which include aiming for 35 per cent of students to be in the top categories for year 5 numeracy, 45 per cent for year 5 reading and 46 per cent for year 3 numeracy. Despite claims about the high performance of Victorian pupils in NAPLAN, students consistently fail to meet the government's own benchmarks around half of the time. Victoria's latest NAPLAN results show up to one in three students are not proficient in reading or numeracy, with the committee's report noting that 'more work needs to be done to curtail the widening gaps between high and low performing cohorts'. The report said the 90 per cent target would 'encourage focused efforts on enhancing teaching quality, providing targeted support for students, and implementing evidence‑based educational strategies to ensure more students reach higher levels of proficiency'. It also noted that it is 'difficult to deduce from NAPLAN results how the state school system – the focus of this Inquiry – is performing'. NAPLAN scales changed from ten to four performance bands in 2023, making long-term comparisons difficult. A Department of Education spokesman said that in 2024, 'Victoria was the top performing jurisdiction in the primary sector, where we were the highest or second-highest performing jurisdiction in 8 out of the 10 measures'. 'We know there is more to be done, which is why we have introduced a new mandated teaching and learning model, including the use of systematic synthetic phonics to teach reading,' he said. Opposition education spokeswoman Jess Wilson said the rejection of the key committee recommendation meant 'the Allan Labor Government is avoiding accountability and denying students the world-class education they deserve'. 'Labor cannot manage our education system and Victorian students are paying the price.' The 2025 NAPLAN test period ended on March 31, with more than 1.3 million students taking more than 4.5 million online tests.
