NAPLAN test shows little gain

NAPLAN 2015 EXPLAINED

WHAT IS NAPLAN?

The National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a yearly test of maths and literacy skills for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It was controversially introduced in 200.

ARGUMENTS FOR NAPLAN

It provides a snapshot of national education trends that helps track student performance and allocate resources

ARGUMENTS AGAINST NAPLAN

It forces teachers to "teach to the test" and narrows the curriculum

WHAT'S THE KEY FINDING OF THE LATEST RESULTS?

There's been little change in student achievement in literacy and maths since NAPLAN testing began

OTHER FINDINGS

- On average, more than 92.5 per cent of all students met national minimum standards

- Year 3 reading skills are continuing to improve but reading skills in Years 5, 7 and 9 haven't changed

- Year 5 numeracy and spelling has been improving since 2008 but has plateaued since 2014

- Year three writing skills have improved since 2014, but there's been a significant decrease in these skills among students in Years 7 and 9 since 2011

STATE HIGHLIGHTS

- NSW students are top of the national class in spelling, with Year 3 students in Victoria topping the charts in grammar, punctuation, reading, spelling and writing

- Queensland's education standards are improving but its students are still scoring below the national average.

- The nation's worst spellers are from the Northern Territory, scoring below the average in every age group, while Tasmania isn't far behind

Final NAPLAN 2015 information will be available in December 2015.

Source - Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).