SOARING RESULTS IN STRONG NSW NAPLAN PERFORMANCE

NSW Year 9 students have shot to first place in the nation for numeracy, as well as leading spelling results, after an excellent State performance across all year levels in the 2017 NAPLAN tests.

Overall, NSW students scored above the national average and rank in the top three for all tests for all year levels.

The 2017 NAPLAN results also show that the NSW Premier’s Priority of increasing the proportion of NSW students in the top two NAPLAN bands by eight per cent by 2019 has been achieved two years early. This has been assisted by the introduction of minimum standards for literacy and numeracy for the HSC and by NSW Government programs such as Bump it Up, which works with selected schools to increase the number of students in the top two NAPLAN bands.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Education Minister Rob Stokes welcomed the strong results during a visit to Moorefield Girls High School today, which is one of 137 NSW schools participating in Bump it Up.

“These results demonstrate the hard work by students and the dedicated teaching taking place in NSW classrooms,” Ms Berejiklian said. “It is pleasing to see these improved results given the Government’s focus on boosting back to basics literacy and numeracy skills.

“The results also show the NSW Government’s introduction of minimum standards has yielded outstanding results with students showing great improvements in literacy and numeracy.

“The results for Year 9 students are particularly outstanding as they mean more students than expected have now pre-qualified to meet the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy for the HSC.”

NSW was the top-ranked state in the highest band in:

·         Spelling, achieving top ranking at all year levels;

·         Grammar & Punctuation and Numeracy for years 5, 7 and 9; and

·         Writing for year 5.

Under the new minimum standards, students are required to achieve a band 8 or above in reading, writing and numeracy to receive their HSC, with the Year 9 NAPLAN tests the first of several opportunities to meet the standard.

An analysis of the data shows 68 per cent of NSW Year 9 students, or 61,015, received at least one test result in band 8 or above, 52 per cent (46,481) received at least two test results at band 8 or above and 32 per cent (28,403) attained band 8 or above in all three.

Mr Stokes congratulated students, teachers and parents on the strong results.

“NAPLAN is a useful diagnostic tool to track students’ progress in basic literacy and numeracy,” Mr Stokes said. “Schools and teachers will use the results to provide additional support to those students who need it.

“A solid foundation in the basics means NSW students will be well prepared to achieve their potential in learning and life after school.”

Schools and students will receive their NAPLAN results report later this month.

Since 2011, the NSW Government has provided funding for 4,800 more teachers, 3,000 new classrooms and provided around 70,000 additional student places.