Naplan

[peter george]

The majority of Year 3,5 7 and 9 teachers have been preparing their students for the Naplan testing in week 3. Preparation will generally have involved revising last year's results, and working through weeks 1 - 13 as specified by DET. The exemplars and examples given for us to work through are clearly above the level of ability for the particular year group.
There are two points I wish to make .

Firstly I believe I have effectively wasted thirteen weeks of teaching in regards to properly preparing my class to learn at their level. They have moved too quickly past the basics of their year and been asked to virtually learn above their ability level. I believe we will be asked to waste 13 weeks every year .

Secondly I believe DET have completely lost the plot. The kids in my class love school. They can't wait to get into the school environment. This incredible testing regimen is taking away their innocence. We have had no time to enjoy school . Everything has stopped for thirteen weeks while we attack NAPLAN.Given all the curricula activities we offer it has become NAPLAN + extras. Our school is a brilliant place to be educated but I fear the pressure of NAPLAN will destroy a third of the year.

My real teaching will commence on May 25th. I can't wait.That's week 14.

[PrimaryTch]

Peter - well done for following the DET Naplan regimen.
I personally looked at each week's sheets that hit my pigeonhole for a few minutes then continued my normal program.
I refuse to teach to a test and know that the pre-naplan program would do more to put my 3's off school than anything else I could do.
Unfortunately I agree that Naplan is going to change the face of the first 13 or more weeks of school every year UNLESS we take a stand and refuse to follow these 'programs'.
I'll just stand behind my appropriate, progressive, basics-based program thanks and wear my class's naplan results on the chin if they're bad.

[peter george]

The front page of the West today backs up my initial article re NAPLAN testing. It is a major issue that will need to be addressed . As usual the pollies are saying what everyone wants to hear but their comments are the opposite of their actions. The amount of replies to this post is also disappointing. Workload is a huge issue and things wont change with apathy.Everyone has to rant and rave , get their memberships involved and do something about the problem. The union wont help ,you need to be proactive as a staff. I am not trying to get rid of these tests. Politics says that wont happen. I just want to ensure that teachers are not overworked , stressed or pressured. And I want to teach my class at their ability level.

[Philip Crooks]

I think all tose who want NAPLAN jurnos and pollies should sit the exam and have the results published. Let us name and proclaim!

[Christine Kelly]

Dr Nahan - member for Riverton - visited our branch on Friday.We said quite clearly that insult was added to injury to say the least . OBE had been imposed upon teachers without consultation - we are now reaping the results and having to be threatened with NAPLAN results!

He agreed that the lack of consultation with teachers was glaring.

Someone has to take responsibility for the cock up and resulting literacy/numeracy weaknesses and it shouldn't be teachers who have already suffered enough!

[peter george]

I think there should be a league table listing all pollies, their income,hours worked,hours sitting in parliament, total expenses, travel expenses, their specific portfolio/shadow effectivenessetc The only problem is a massive backlog at the foot of the table and too many candidates for the wooden spoon.
Will there ever be a set of politicians who can actually make sound judgements re education. Plato gave Constable some ticks for doing the bleeding obvious but the jury is still out for me. My workload has not diminished at all re outcomes. Naplan has filled the void and then some.

For me I want real educational reform. I want teachers to come up with the answers. Our union leadership has become a rubber stamp for DET initiatives.To say we have constant discussions between DET and the SSTUWA means nothing if you are in cahoots.

This is what should be done.
1. Teachers limit all Naplan to one hour per learning area per week.
2. Union members take no part on the actual testing days.
3. As a group we refuse to teach above our year level re  Naplan exemplars and practice material
4. School resources will not be used to run off all materials unless monetary compensation is provided
5. An inquiry is held as to the real effectiveness of testing in this format
6. All states to hold their tests at a time when all children are the same age. i.e. W.A. to wait six months to be the same age as our N.S.W. counterparts

[Smithers]

The Simpsons episode last week was all about NAPLAN...it would have been funnier if it wasn't so true to form.

The general gist of it was the total focus on the test as required by the District Director, Lisa is stressing out about the confusing and irrelevant questions, Springfield High getting rid of the potential underperformers using very dubious methods, including removing Principal Skinner and the nasty, kid hating District Director having to administer the test.

Skinner then has to supervise Bart and the other underperformers and they all engage in a death defying lesson that has principal Skinner saying "I’m going to do what I've never done before....something!' as he saves the life a student using some angular momentum.

The 'loser' kids all get it and learn something for the first time. Skinner and his motley crew return back to school and stop the test midstream because it is not about ’real’  learning.

I wished I had recorded it....anyone else see it?

Smithers

[peter george]

I didn't see it but we must be able to use it somehow!

[Christine Kelly]

Some javascript/style in this post has been disabled (why?)

Agree,
 
At the moment our branch is coonstructing a motion to 'activate' the union re half cohort issue.The Union should be proactive and establish guidelines to safe guard teachers.It is the Union's raison d'etre to protect members when their employment is threatened.Union branches should never have been allowed to vote on interim reports.The union should give clear directives regarding ANYTHING that affects our employment - yard duty,NAPLAN,and the list goes on .The Eastern Hills situation should have taught executive something.Primary teachers should not be complacent.Barnett is saying that secondarys won't be deployed.District offices are suggesting they might be deployed into promary classrooms.
 
Chris Kelly
 

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Date: Sun, 10 May 2009 01:04:24 -0700
From: [hidden email]
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Naplan

I think there should be a league table listing all pollies, their income,hours worked,hours sitting in parliament, total expenses, travel expenses, their specific portfolio/shadow effectivenessetc The only problem is a massive backlog at the foot of the table and too many candidates for the wooden spoon.
Will there ever be a set of politicians who can actually make sound judgements re education. Plato gave Constable some ticks for doing the bleeding obvious but the jury is still out for me. My workload has not diminished at all re outcomes. Naplan has filled the void and then some.

For me I want real educational reform. I want teachers to come up with the answers. Our union leadership has become a rubber stamp for DET initiatives.To say we have constant discussions between DET and the SSTUWA means nothing if you are in cahoots.

This is what should be done.
1. Teachers limit all Naplan to one hour per learning area per week.
2. Union members take no part on the actual testing days.
3. As a group we refuse to teach above our year level re  Naplan exemplars and practice material
4. School resources will not be used to run off all materials unless monetary compensation is provided
5. An inquiry is held as to the real effectiveness of testing in this format
6. All states to hold their tests at a time when all children are the same age. i.e. W.A. to wait six months to be the same age as our N.S.W. counterparts

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[Christine Kelly]

I've often said on so many occasions that John Cleese could retire on the material provided in DET schools!That Simpsons episode is tragically funny!

[Steve Kessell]

Peter said: Plato gave Constable some ticks for doing the bleeding obvious but the jury is still out for me.

Agree. I think the plato ticks were for settling the EBA, ending levelling and initiating the new Andrich review. Obvious but they certainly didn't happen with Carps, Ravlich and McGoon.

I have heard that Andrich's remit is a bit narrow and we won't be seeing the end of the CF. But perhaps it will be shoved into the background where it belongs (if it belongs ANYWHERE). As its preface states: It's neither a curriculum nor a syllabus. I (mostly) blame the fool bureaucrats who tried to turn it into something it was never meant to be.