2012/20: Should NAPLAN tests be abolished?
What they said...
'It's one test on one day. It's a snapshot but it's been positioned by policymakers as if it's a very important snapshot'
Dr Nicky Dulfer, the University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education
'Stress is an inevitable part of life and ...students need to learn how to deal with it'
Reverend Bill Crews, the head of the Exodus Foundation - a not-for-profit organisation which provides academic assistance to schoolchildren
The issue at a glance
On November 26, 2012, a report on NAPLAN (Australia's National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy) testing was released. The report is based on a survey by a team at the University of Melbourne, commissioned by the Whitlam Institute.
8,300 responses were gathered from teachers across the country. Of these almost 90 per cent reported that students felt severely stressed, claiming to have had difficulty sleeping before the NAPLAN tests. Two thirds of the teachers surveyed claimed that they set at least three practice tests in the fortnight before the NAPLAN testing.
The University of Melbourne research team has called for a review of NAPLAN and expressed concern that the tests have led not only to increased stress among children but to more time being spent on preparing students for the tests at the expense of other subjects and face-to-face teaching time.
Critics of NAPLAN testing, including the Australian Education Union (AEU), have called for its abolition. The federal Education Minister, Peter Garrett, and some educationalists have defended NAPLAN, arguing that the survey is not representative and that shortcomings in teacher attitudes toward the tests are not a fault with the tests themselves.
Background
(The following information has been taken from Wikipedia's entry titled 'National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy' and an entry on the Kids First Children's Services site. This information can be accessed in full at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assessment_Program_%E2%80%93_Literacy_and_Numeracy and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assessment_Program_%E2%80%93_Literacy_and_Numeracyhttp://www.kids-first.com.au/app/articles/articles/view/naplan-a-testing-time-for-kids)
NAPLAN, or the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy, is a battery of tests administered annually to Australian students. These standardised tests assess students' reading, writing, language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy and are administered by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority.
The ACARA website states that the NAPLAN tests 'broadly reflect aspects of literacy and numeracy common to curriculums in all States and Territories' and that the test formats and questions are 'chosen so that they are familiar to teachers and students across Australia'. The tests are also designed to be carried out on the same days all across Australia in any given year.
There has been a great deal of contention in the educational community as to whether the tests are appropriate, whether teachers are teaching as they normally would or teaching to the test, and what the results of the test are being used for.
The data obtained from the NAPLAN tests are collated and used to show all schools' average performance against other schools in the country on the Government My School website.
NAPLAN facts
1. Who sits for NAPLAN?
All students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9
2. Where do the tests take place?
NAPLAN tests are conducted at schools and administered by classroom teachers
3. When are the NAPLAN tests held?
The tests are held in May each year.
4. Who marks the NAPLAN tests?
NAPLAN Test papers will be marked by independent markers
5. What are students examined on?
Test questions cover aspects of Literacy (Spelling, Punctuation, Grammar, Reading and Writing) and aspects of Numeracy at grade appropriate levels
6. What sorts of questions are asked?
Questions are multiple-choice or require a short written answer. The Writing Task requires students to produce a piece of persuasive writing.
7. When are results made available?
The NAPLAN results are released to each school in September of the year in which the test is taken. School then send a NAPLAN report on each student's progress to the child's parents. The same report format is used for every student in Australia.
Internet information
On September 17, 2011, The Courier Mail published a report by Tanya Chilcott outlining the reservations Independent Schools Queensland harbour about NAPLAN testing. The full text of this article can be accessed at http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/national-assessment-program-literacy-and-numeracy-naplan-not-a-true-test-of-schools/story-e6freoof-1226139371025
On June 10, 2012, The Punch published an opinion piece by Damien Leith looking at NAPLAN from a parent's perspective. Leith argues that NAPLAN actually impedes parents trying to decide which school their children should attend as it focuses too narrowly on performance in literacy and numeracy.
The full text of this opinion can be found at http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/my-problem-with-the-naplan-tests/
On November 26, 2012, The University of Melbourne's news site, The Melbourne Newsroom, published a report on the recent findings of a University of Melbourne research team investigating teacher attitudes and responses to NAPLAN testing.
The full text of this report can be found at http://newsroom.melbourne.edu/http%3A//newsroom.melbourne.edu/node/add/news/NAPLAN
On November 26, 2012, the journal of academic opinion, The Conversation, published an opinion piece written by Dr Nicky Dulfer, the head of a University of Melbourne research team which had studied the effect of NAPLAN testing as indicated by teacher perceptions of the process.
The full text of this opinion piece, titled 'Testing the test: NAPLAN makes for stressed kids and a narrow curriculum' can be accessed at http://theconversation.edu.au/testing-the-test-naplan-makes-for-stressed-kids-and-a-narrow-curriculum-10965
On November 26, 2012, The Sydney Morning Herald published an analysis by June Topsfield titled 'NAPLAN: is the pain worth it?'
The report analyses the finding of a recent University of Melbourne study of the effectiveness of NAPLAN testing. The study's findings are essentially critical. The full text of this analysis can be found at http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/naplan-is-the-pain-worth-it-20121125-2a1mf.html
On November 26, 2012, news.com.au published a news report presenting the views of Peter Garrett, the federal Minister for Education, on the recent survey findings critical of NAPLAN testing. The minister is sceptical about the survey findings, maintaining they are unrepresentative of teacher opinion.
The full text of this article can be found at http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/naplan-stress-causes-vomiting-insomnia/story-e6frfku9-1226523886560
On November 26, 2012, ABC Radio National's current affairs program PM presented responses to criticisms of the NAPLAN testing. Most of the respondents supported the testing.
A transcript of this program can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3641284.htm
On November 26, 2012, the Catholic archdiocese of Sydney issued a media release defending NAPLAN testing against recent criticisms. The full text of this media release can be accessed at http://www.sydneycatholic.org/news/latest_news/2012/20121127_812.shtml
On November 26, 2012, Wendy Tuohy, a columnist for The Herald Sun, posted a detailed comment on her blog in which she also defended NAPLAN testing against a number of the criticisms that have been made in relation to it.
The full text of this blog can be accessed at http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/theperch/index.php/heraldsun/comments/on_naplan_we_need_to_toughen_up/
On November 26, 2012, The Financial Review published an analysis by Joanna Mather which gave a detailed overview of some of the University of Melbourne research findings on the impact of NAPLAN testing on students and schools.
This analysis can be accessed at http://afr.com/p/national/education/naplan_dominates_teaching_b29zty1RpQbmAme3d6XnpL
On November 27, 2012, The Courier Mail carried a piece by Wes Hosking which suggested that NAPLAN testing places damaging stress on students, including those still in primary school.
The full text of this article can be accessed at http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/naplan-tests-causing-stressed-primary-school-students-to-seeking-counselling/story-fn6ck45n-1226524542124
On November 28, 2012, The Courier Mail published an opinion piece by Dr Karen Brooks, associate professor at the University of Queensland's Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies.
Dr Brooks argues that test preparation is monopolising teaching time to the detriment of students' broader education. The full text of this comment can be found at http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/our-naplan-obsession-robs-children-of-the-real-lessons/story-e6frerc6-1226525151328
On November 29, 2012, The Adelaide Advertiser published an opinion piece by David Penberthy in which he defends NAPLAN testing against its recent testing. The full text of this comment can be found at http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/testing-times-prove-to-be-worth-the-stress/story-e6freall-1226527047270
On December 2, 2012, The Catholic Weekly published a report detailing the attitudes of the executive director of Catholic Schools in the Sydney archdiocese, Dr Dan White. Dr White defends the effects of NAPLAN testing, seeing it as a valuable tool for educators.
The full text of this report can be found at http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/article.php?classID=1&subclassID=2&articleID=11315&class=Latest%20News&subclass=CW%20National%20%28CEO%20head%20defends%20NAPLAN%20against%20call%20for%20review%29
Arguments against NAPLAN testing
1. Preparation for NAPLAN tests is restricting the curriculum
The survey results produced by the University of Melbourne study suggest that other areas of the curriculum are being largely ignored as teachers focus on the material to be assessed in the NAPLAN tests.
Lead researcher Dr Nicky Dulfer has stated, 'We are narrowing the curriculum in order to test children. There are ways we can support numeracy and literacy learning without limiting children's access to other subjects like music, languages and art.'
More than 70 per cent of educators surveyed said they taught to the test and 69 per cent said NAPLAN had led to a reduction in the time they spent teaching subjects that were not tested.
The national survey conducted by the University of Melbourne found that 39 per cent of teachers held weekly practice tests - and 7 per cent held daily tests - in the four months before NAPLAN.
Dr Dulfer has summarised the impact of the NAPLAN testing by stating, 'There were some very strong results about the fact that NAPLAN preparation is taking up a lot of time in a crowded curriculum, that there are other curriculum areas that are seen as not as important because they're not tested. That they [teachers] teach more to the test, so they make sure that they cover the knowledge that's on the test, and that means that they're not teaching other things.'
Dulfer further stated, 'NAPLAN has changed the way our teachers teach. They absolutely teach to the test. If persuasive writing is on the test, they make sure they've taught persuasive writing before the date of the test.'
The Literacy Educators Coalition runs the Say No to NAPLAN campaign. In 2012, more than 100 university academics signed a letter supporting the coalition's claims that NAPLAN is an expensive waste that detracts from more constructive learning activities.
Some parents have described NAPLAN years as 'wasted learning', where history, science and other subjects suffer because so much time and energy is spent on mock tests, that, as one respondent noted, contribute more to a student's self-doubt.
Dr Karen Brooks, associate professor at the University of Queensland Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies has argued, 'Surely the best way to teach literacy and numeracy is through the broader curriculum - through reading, writing, engaging with history, art, film, science, music, maths and real-world experiences. Yet for some reason we persist in the delusion that these kind of "high-stake" tests... help us keep track of our kids' (and schools') educational performance, and function as valuable intellectual yardsticks."
2. NAPLAN encourages unhealthy competition between schools
It has been noted that for some schools the stakes in any competition with other neighbouring schools are very high as poor NAPLAN results can threaten enrolments.
Critics claim that the NAPLAN data published on the MySchool website, often becomes fodder for media and public judgment as opposed to a means of making differences to students' learning outcomes. This can lead to one school in an area promoting itself to the detriment of another, attracting students and thus state funding as schools are primarily funded on the basis of the number of students they have. This competition and the resultant loss of students only intensify the disadvantage of under-performing schools, rather than acting as a means of helping to improve their outcomes.
Ninety per cent of the teachers surveyed believed that lower than expected NAPLAN results would mean that a school would have trouble attracting and retaining students.
More than 2280 teachers knew of students who had changed schools as a result of poor results.
It has been claimed that the spirit of competition that the publication of NAPLAN results engenders is also detrimental because it acts against collaboration between schools. One school is unlikely to share its successful practices with another, if the two schools perceive themselves to be in competition for students.
3. Students and teachers are placed under damaging stress
It has been claimed that the NAPLAN testing places students and their teachers under damaging stress.
Wendy Protheroe, the general manager of Kids Helpline in Queensland, has stated that in the nine months leading up to NAPLAN tests, the service counselled about 1400 children aged up to 13 who were experiencing study issues.
Protheroe further stated that literacy and numeracy assessments were among the concerns of hundreds of students.
Ms Protheroe has claimed, 'Since NAPLAN has come in, we continue to get more young people who are calling.
They are getting increased stress from themselves about how they think they will go in the test; they are getting an increase in some cases because mums and dads are saying how important it is they will do well.'
In the University of Melbourne report on the effect of the NAPLAN testing it was stated that some teachers reported having students who felt sick before the test or froze during the test. There was also some sleeplessness reported and some crying.
Teachers also responded with anecdotes in that section of the survey. There were many stories of students not wanting to go to school during the period of the testing.
Ms Protheroe of Kids Helpline Queensland has argued that what is occurring is that teachers are transmitting their own stress to their students. The Kids Helpline chief executive has stated, 'In some cases teachers put such a high count on how important it is for their classes and their schools to do well that they transmit that extra stress to the young people and the young people are finding it difficult to cope.'
Nicky Dulfer of the University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education has claimed, 'The second finding [of the survey] is to do with enrolments and the idea that if you were a school that got poor results in NAPLAN, or poorer than expected results in a NAPLAN test, how that might affect your school. And teachers felt overwhelmingly that it could affect media reporting about the school, which would affect the reputation of the school, how parents felt about the school, how staff felt, the morale of the students and the staff and also it could affect the school's ability to attract and retain teachers and students.'
It has been argued that this perception of the potential impact of the NAPLAN testing places teachers under a great deal of stress.
4. NAPLAN testing can harm student self-esteem and staff morale
There are those who are concerned that poor NAPLAN results could damage student morale. The high level of stress apparently generated by the tests indicates that students perceive them as significant indicators of their ability. Thus, those who score below the anticipated levels are likely to see this as a major failure and may well lose confidence as a result.
The University of Melbourne report states, 'As one teacher put it ... some students have a belief that they are viewed as dumb by the rest of the community.'
It has further been noted that poor NAPLAN results can have damaging effects on teacher morale. The Melbourne University survey indicated that the majority of teachers believed a purpose of the tests was to rank schools and police their performance. The same survey data also indicated that many teachers believe that poor NAPLAN results could threaten the continued survival of the school as parents would be encouraged to take their children to other schools believed to be more successful. The prospect of such a chain of events is damaging to the morale of staff, especially to those working in schools where students' socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds make their success as measured by standardised academic tests more problematic.
5. Many students are being withdrawn from the NAPLAN tests
NAPLAN testing is not compulsory. Data released by the public schools lobby group Save Our Schools shows a growth in absenteeism over the days during which the tests are held. A spokesperson for Save Our Schools, Trevor Cobbold, has stated, 'The absolute percentages are small. But there has been a four- to fivefold increase [in absenteeism] across Australia.'
Critics of NAPLAN argue that this growing tendency for students to be absent on the days the test is conducted is either an indication of schools encouraging their least able students to stay at home so as to boost their the school's test results or it is a reflection of parental attitudes and perhaps an indication of student distress.
In the Melbourne University survey, half of the respondents reported at least one or two students being removed from testing by their families. Parents were most often concerned about the impact of the results on the children's self- esteem.
6. NAPLAN tests have limited diagnostic value
It has been claimed that NAPLAN test have limited diagnostic value. One of the major concerns is that though the tests are conducted in early May each year, schools do not receive results until September. By this point the school year three-quarters over and opportunities to act on the information the test provides is limited. By the time the next school year begins, the information the NAPLAN tests supply is nearly ten months old. This further restricts its utility.
The University of Melbourne study noted that only 42 per cent of teachers saw NAPLAN as a useful diagnostic tool. The researchers observed, 'As one teacher posited, "results come out too late in the year to make a significant impact during that year".'
It has further been noted that the tests have limited value because they describe student performance at only one point in time and in a very artificial situation. Thus, the picture of student ability that these tests generate is likely to be biased in favour of those students best suited to deal with this particular type of test. Stressed students or students from ethnic or social backgrounds that not reflected by these tests will score less well; however, critics note this is not a true indication of their abilities nor of the quality of the instruction they have received.
David Robertson, the executive director of Independent Schools Queensland has claimed that NAPLAN results had inappropriately equated school performance with student achievement at one point in time.
Mr Robertson argues, 'Test results will never paint a complete picture of the standard of education and the quality of outcomes being achieved by children in ... schools across the entire state.
Simplistic reporting of NAPLAN results does not take into account the many variables that exist between states and as such it does not provide a truly accurate reflection of education standards in Queensland.
It doesn't tell parents which schools may have made great strides in lifting their students' results. It also provides little insight into the makeup of the school, its students and location - factors which can have a significant influence on how schools fare in exams.'
A similar claim has been made by Cameron Dick, the Queensland Education Minister who has stated, 'It should ... be remembered that NAPLAN tests represent just one measure of student performance, reflecting about 13 hours of testing over 13 years of school.'
The same point has been made by Dr Nicky Dulfer who headed the team from the University of Melbourne which has examined teacher reactions to NAPLAN. Dr Dulfer has stated, 'It's one test on one day. It's a snapshot but it's been positioned by policymakers as if it's a very important snapshot.'
Arguments supporting NAPLAN testing
1. The NAPLAN tests need not restrict the curriculum
The federal Education Minister, Peter Garrett, has stressed that NAPLAN is not intended to require any additional preparation beyond the instruction in literacy and numeracy that would normally be given students. Thus, the minister has argued, the testing should put no excessive strain on the curriculum, forcing out areas that are not assessed by NAPLAN.
Mr Garrett has stated, 'They [teachers] shouldn't be teaching to the test, they should be teaching students just as they always do.'
Following on from this claim, Mr Garrett has also argued that the survey conducted by the University of Melbourne is of "extremely limited value", indicating only that some teachers did not understand how and why NAPLAN was being delivered.
It has also been noted that the degree of preparation done prior to the NAPLAN testing appears reasonable and is not a distortion of most schools' curriculum offerings.
Dr David Gurr, a senior lecturer in education at the University of Melbourne, has stated, 'I think it would be unfair to put a kid into a test situation where they're unfamiliar with the type of questions being asked and so forth.
The real question is how much preparation is needed, and one of the things we're seeing in the results is that probably for a lot of schools the amount of preparation is really about where it's expected to be.'
Further, there are those who believe that placing a particular emphasis on literacy and numeracy is of value.
Susie O'Brien in an opinion piece published in The Herald Sun on November 27, 2012, wrote, 'Educators keep telling us that children shouldn't spend their time on endless NAPLAN preparation at the expense of "rich and important areas such as history, geography, physical education and music".
Yes, those are important topics for kids to learn. But I'd argue that being able to read, comprehend a piece of writing, express yourself clearly and have a good mastery of basic maths is even more important.'
2. NAPLAN tests provide useful information for governments, parents and schools
The federal government has indicated that test results provide information that enables them to direct resources to the schools which most need them. The government has also indicated that NAPLAN data is valuable to schools themselves as it indicates the areas of deficiency to which they need to direct their attention.
School Education Minister, Peter Garrett, has claimed that the results of the University of Melbourne survey did not reflect the feedback he consistently receives.
Mr Garrett has stated, 'Principals and teachers tell me that NAPLAN has proven a really valuable tool to help track student performance and direct attention and resources where they are needed.'
The same view has been expressed by the executive director of Catholic Schools in the Sydney archdiocese, Dr Dan White, who has argued, 'The reality is that formal assessment - whether that NAPLAN or any school-based assessment - is an essential part of gathering information about how a student is learning.'
In an opinion piece published on November 29, 2012, in The Adelaide Advertiser, David Penberthy stated, 'The idea of the NAPLAN tests is to have a standardised baseline measure so that students across the nation can be measured against their peers, factoring in issues of economic disadvantage. It is the first time that parents have been able to get a clear overall sense of how their child is performing - a good thing.'
Many parents have directly claimed that the NAPLAN tests give them valuable information about their children's academic performance and about the competence of their children's teachers. Susie O'Brien in an opinion piece published in The Herald Sun on November 27, 2012, wrote, 'As a parent, I want to know how my kids are shaping up against others in their class, in their school and across the country. I also want to know their teachers are doing a good job and I think NAPLAN helps us keep track of that.'
3. NAPLAN makes schools accountable for the quality of their instruction
There are those who argue that NAPLAN demonstrates the effectiveness of the instruction being offered in particular schools. This is seen as valuable as it enables those schools not at an acceptable level to focus on those areas where they are under-performing. NAPLAN also makes governments and parents aware of the effectiveness of the instruction being offered in particular schools.
Susie O'Brien, in an opinion piece published in The Herald Sun on November 27, 2012, wrote, 'As a parent, I want to know if my child or my child's school are not up to scratch. We shouldn't be allowing schools to shy away from bad performances.'
The same point has been made by Wendy Tuohy, another columnist for The Herald Sun, in her blog published on November 26, 2012.
Ms Tuohy has stated, ''If it is "evil" to introduce testing as young as grade three, and put pressure on our education system to deliver certain benchmarks in children's achievements-within a generous band of results-then I think it is a necessary evil.'
4. Stress can be valuable for students
In regard to the stress that it has been claimed NAPLAN testing places upon students, there are some who have claimed that children need to be able to cope with a degree of stress.
Reverend Bill Crews, the head of the Exodus Foundation - a not-for-profit organisation which provides assistance to the needy, including underprivileged children, has argued that stress is an inevitable part of life and that students need to learn how to deal with it.
Reverend Crews has stated, 'I find it interesting that they're talking about stress on kids learning to read. There's stress on kids doing the high school certificate and all of these sorts of things anyway, so kids are under a bit of stress and in life there is stress.'
A similar point was made by Herald Sun columnist Wendy Tuohy in her blog on November 26, 2012. Ms Tuohy stated, 'Until we set up the whole of society as a place where people are never judged on pass or fail tests, are never required to demonstrate certain skills in order to progress or achieve what they hope to achieve, then introducing this set of reasonable tests early is beneficial.'
Susie O'Brien, in an opinion piece published in The Herald Sun on November 27, 2012, wrote, 'I know sitting the NAPLAN test can be stressful for kids. But so what? Life is stressful, and they may as well get used to a little bit of pressure.
My son sat the grade 3 NAPLAN this year for the first time. In the weeks leading up to the test he talked about it quite a bit, clearly mindful of its importance. He was nervous but I thought the pressure was good for him and liked the rigour offered by the good old-fashioned exam-style testing.'
It has also been claimed that the extent of the stress that NAPLAN creates for students may be being exaggerated.
Dr David Gurr is a senior lecturer in education at the University of Melbourne. His three children sat NAPLAN tests and he has claimed that none of them was stressed.
Dr Gurr has stated, ' We're not sure to what extent anything reported in the survey is unusual, so when we're looking at people taking tests there's always going to be some people who are stressed by it. So it's not clear from this one that there's actually a high level of stress, in fact I was looking at the results and thinking relatively that they seem to be low.'
5. NAPLAN results can be used for diagnostic purposes
It has been noted that NAPLAN tests provide detailed information on the performance of both individual students and whole cohorts of students. This information can then be used to provide targeted instruction to address areas of weakness.
Susie O'Brien, in an opinion piece published in The Herald Sun on November 27, 2012, wrote, 'As long as the results are used to improve things that need to be done better, there should be no problem.'
It has also been noted that the diagnostic data can be used outside schools to direct assistance to those areas where it is needed. The executive director of Catholic Schools in the Sydney archdiocese, Dr Dan White, has stressed the value of NAPLAN data is helping him determine which schools under his control needed to receive additional funding..
Dr White has claimed that the diagnostic information that NAPLAN provides is 'incredibly useful'.
Dr White has stated, 'Just today, I authorised intervention funding to a school to improve numeracy outcomes for its students.
It was the growth trends in numeracy that we used to make this decision, and this was information we obtained by looking at the school's NAPLAN results.'
It has also been noted that if many schools are not using the diagnostic potential of the NAPLAN tests, the fault lies with these schools rather than with the tests.
Susie O'Brien, writing in The Herald Sun, has further suggested, 'It seems to me that the bigger problem is schools and teachers who say they wouldn't do anything about bad results.
The University of Melbourne study found less than half of the schools surveyed used the NAPLAN results to identify weakness and make improvements to teaching practice. That seems ridiculous.'
6. Those criticising NAPLAN have their own biases
It has been suggested that many of the critics of the NAPLAN testing are speaking from a biased position. This claim has been made with particular reference to the various teacher unions that oppose the testing. Those who are sceptical about teacher union criticisms argue that these bodies are merely objecting to teachers being held accountable for student performance.
In a comment published in The Adelaide Advertiser on November 29, 2012, David Penberthy stated, '... the intention of the teachers who filled in the survey was coloured more by an industrial agenda than a focus on learning for kids and transparency for parents.'
Mr Penberthy went on to argue, 'I am convinced the reason the teachers' union has railed against it is that parents might start asking questions of their members as to why their child is struggling...
The fact it has been resisted by the Australian Education Union and its state union affiliates is in keeping with their long-standing hostility towards data-based measurement of teacher performance.'
It has further been claimed that the University of Melbourne survey results are not representative of the opinions of most teachers.
The federal Education Minister, Peter Garrett, argues that as the 8,300 teachers surveyed volunteered to their views, they are likely to reflect the views of those who for one reason or another are dissatisfied with NAPLAN testing.
Mr Garrett has stated, 'There's a lot of teachers in Australia and this doesn't constitute a large number of them.
It's a self-selecting survey ... and I don't think this survey is helpful.'
Mr Garrett said the survey was of "extremely limited value" that indicated some teachers did not understand how and why NAPLAN was being delivered.
Further implications
Despite some of the reservations expressed by the University of Melbourne researchers about the manner in which NAPLAN tests are being prepared for and the effect they are having on some children it is unlikely that these tests will be abolished.
This is not the outcome that the researchers have recommended.
The head of the research team, Dr Nicky Dulfer, has stated, 'I don't think it [NAPLAN} needs to be abolished but I think that we do need to start to look at some of the impacts of NAPLAN, intended and unintended.'
What Dr Dulfer has recommended is that educators consider the undesirable consequences of NAPLAN testing and what are the causes of these side-effects. Dr Dulfer appears to be suggesting that it is the emphasis placed on the NAPLAN results which is causing many of their more negative effects on curriculum delivery, teacher attitudes and student attitudes.
Dr Dulfer has suggested that it may be beneficial to stop publishing each school's students' NAPLAN performances on the MySchool website. She has recommended, 'What is needed is that teachers, parents and governments enter into a conversation about it [NAPLAN] - after all it's one test on one day, it's been given a lot of importance, it's been put up on the website, and it has an ability to impact on all these aspects [of student behaviour and curriculum delivery.]'
Dr Dulfer has argued that what is required is more investigation. The University of Melbourne team proposes to conduct further surveys, one to gauge parent attitudes and another to gauge student attitudes firsthand, rather than via what teachers believe them to be.
It remains to be seen what response any further investigations by the University of Melbourne research team will receive. To this point, the federal Education Minister has not been positive. The current government's response has been to defend the testing regime it introduced. Given that both sides of politics favour formalised testing it seems likely that even if there is a change of federal government in 2014 the implementation of NAPLAN and the online publication of its results will stay much the same.
Newspaper items used in the compilation of this issue outline
The Australian: September 15, 2012, page 3, news item (with statistics) by J Ferrari, `Skills plateau despite funds boost'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/skills-plateau-despite-fund-boost/story-fn59niix-1226474490680
The Age: September 15, 2012, page 3, news item by R Browne, `Reading, writing, 'rithmetic receding'.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/reading-writing-rithmetic-receding-20120914-25xxv.html
The Australian: September 27, 2012, page 12, comment by Ben Jensen, `Sorry, but we do need more money to improve student learning'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/sorry-but-we-do-need-more-money-to-improve-student-learning/story-e6frgd0x-1226482109239
The Age: October 15, 2012, page 3, news item (photo of Meadow Heights Primary School principal Kevin Pope) by J Topsfield, `Principal hits out at "useless testing"'.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/principal-hits-out-at-useless-testing-20121014-27l0c.html
Herald-Sun: November 28, 2012, page 23, news item by Wes Hosking, `Primary kids stressed'.
http://www.news.com.au/national/naplan-tests-causing-stressed-primary-school-students-to-seeking-counselling/story-fndo4ckr-1226524484979
Herald-Sun: November 27, 2012, page 22, editorial, `Schools fail national test'.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/school-fails-national-test/story-e6frfhqo-1226524493016
Herald-Sun: November 27, 2012, page 23, comment by Kevin Donnelly, `Test musn't narrow our school focus'.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/naplan-test-mustnt-narrow-our-school-focus/story-e6frfhqf-1226524481954
Herald-Sun: November 27, 2012, page 13, comment by Susie O'Brien, `Merit in testing time'.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/merit-in-school-testing-time-with-naplan/story-e6frfhqf-1226524448528
The Age: November 27, 2012, page 13, comment by Christopher Bantick, `NAPLAN: it's all about jumping hoops for number crunchers'.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/naplan-its-all-about-jumping-hoops-for-number-crunchers-20121126-2a3iv.html
The Age: November 27, 2012, page 5, news item by J Topsfield, `Pyne vows to scrap My School rankings'.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/pyne-vows-to-scrap-my-school-rankings-20121126-2a3od.html
The Age: November 26, 2012, page 1, news item by J Topsfield, `NAPLAN tests take heavy toll'.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/naplan-tests-take-heavy-toll-20121125-2a1n6.html
The Australian: November 23, 2012, page 3, news item by J Ferrari, `Parents pull kids out of NAPLAN'.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/education/more-than-10000-kids-not-sitting-national-tests/story-fn59nlz9-1226522320867