School students from a language background other than English (LBOTE) are "outperforming" their native English speaking peers in NAPLAN, according to the latest data.
The national NAPLAN report provides further information on how Australian students fared on last years' tests - depending on gender, language, and socio-economic background.
The report found that in the 2019 NAPLAN, LBOTE students outperformed non-LBOTE students in spelling for all four year levels (year 3, 5, 7, and 9), and in numeracy in years 5 and 7.
Chief Executive of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority David de Carvalho told SBS News these students were making significant gains across the board.
The head of national testing authority ACARA, David de Carvalho, described the results as a national upward movement. Source: AAP
"As we know the LBOTE community is very diverse and a lot of people come to this country with aspirations for a better life," he said.
"They take their education very seriously and I think that's often reflected in the outcomes that they can achieve."
The ACARA chief says that since NAPLAN was introduced to all Australian schools in 2008 there have been statistically significant gains in a number of domains and year groups - most notably at the primary school level.
“(Nationally) compared to 2008, the performance of Australian students in Year 5 numeracy, Years 3 and 5 reading, Years 3 and 5 spelling, and Year 3 grammar was significantly above the NAPLAN 2008 average," Mr de Carvalho said.
But in secondary school test years - 7 and 9 - the gains are not as pronounced, an issue Mr de Carvalho said "bears further analysis and research."
"It's a trend that is not unique to Australia, this is a worldwide trend in terms of middle schooling years and it's something certainly if we can do more to engage students with their learning in those years, hopefully we would see results improve."
The report also found the rate of improvement in results for Indigenous students is almost twice the rate of improvement for the general population.
Education experts are hopeful of continued improvements in student writing skills. Source: Press Association
Since 2008, Indigenous students have seen the most significant gains reading (Years 3, 5 and 7), spelling (Years 3 and 5), grammar and punctuation (Years 3 and 7), numeracy (Years 5 and 9) and writing (Year 3).
But despite noticeable improvements, these students are still behind the general population in average achievement scores in most years and domains.
"What happens in 2020 will be an important source of information about what might be behind the change," Mr de Carvalho said.
The results showed the beneficial way NAPLAN could call attention to problems.
"We've had a national debate about our declining writing results in NAPLAN over the last few years," Mr de Carvalho said.
"One possible explanation for the uptick last year was that the renewed efforts and focus on writing that has been undertaken across jurisdictions is bearing fruit."
Some states have questioned the usefulness of NAPLAN, with NSW, Queensland and Victoria reviewing whether the standardised testing gives parents and teachers diagnostic information in the most efficient way.
Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said the tests did provide valuable information.
"The Morrison government continues to back NAPLAN because our community deserves to know how our students and schools are performing," he said.
Critics have also suggested the tests are behind an apparent softening of student results over time.
Before NAPLAN was instituted in 2008, there was no nationally consistent testing to compare the achievements of all students.
Mr de Carvalho said it wasn't correct to say results were flatlining, highlighting improvements in the average scores in most domains and years in the decade since testing began.
Labor's education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek said the latest results combined with those from international testing did not paint a pretty picture of Australian students and the nation couldn't afford for the next generation to be held back.
With AAP.
