Lauren - Speech

The National Assessment Program (NAP) includes all domestic and international assessments that the
Australian Government and state and territory education ministers have agreed Australian students
should sit. This includes both domestic and international assessments.

International Assessments include:

1. Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)
2. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)
3. Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS – 2011 & 2016 only)

PISA
• Triennial survey of 15-year-old students that assesses the extent to which they have acquired
the key knowledge and skills essential for full participation in society
• Focuses on proficiency in reading, mathematics, science and an innovative domain and on
students’ well-being
• 79 participating countries

PISA 2018 Findings: Key Points

1. Results
• Students in Australia scored higher than the average in reading and science, but not
significantly different from the average in mathematics
• Scores were most similar to those of students in Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, the US and
the UK
• When considering a longer period, average performance in reading has been steadily
declining, from initially high levels, since 2000. Performance in mathematics has been
declining too since 2003, and in science, since 2012 (as seen in Figure 1)
• Australia has one of the largest percentage of top performers in reading among socio-
economically disadvantaged students
• Australia ranked 29th in mathematics, 17th in science and 16th in reading, with an average
ranking of 21st out of 79 countries
Question:
• Which country do you think might have scored the highest on average in all three areas?
Answer:
• China, Singapore, Macau, Hong Kong, Estonia

2. The School Climate

• 30% of students reported being bullied at least a few times a month, compared to the 23%
on average across other participating countries
• 82% of students agreed or strongly agreed that their teacher showed enjoyment in teaching,
compared to the 74% on average across other participating countries
• Student competition is more prevalent (64% as opposed to the 50% average of other
participating schools)
 Figure 1: The Decline in Average Performance of Australian Students

TIMMS
• Conducted every four years
• Aims to measure how well students in Year 4 and 8 have mastered the knowledge they are
expected to learn as part of the mathematics and science curriculum

PIRLS
• Aims to measure how well students in Year 4 can acquire and use information that they have
read
• Focuses on comprehension and students' ability to find information in a piece of text, make
inferences based on what they have read, interpret and integrate ideas and information and
evaluate texts

Discuss:
• What is the function/importance of large-scale international assessments for Australian
schools?

Importance of International Assessments

• Important health check on the performance of Australia's education system
• Enable countries around the world to make evidence-based decisions to improve educational
policies
• Monitor trends in student achievement while assessing changes that have occurred in
curriculum, instruction, and other aspects of education that affect learning
• Stimulate curriculum reform and research while analysis of the data can be used to improve
teaching and learning
• Complement other assessments under the National Assessment Program, such as NAPLAN
• Results can be used to assess how the performance of students in Australia and other
countries changes over time. This, in combination with information from the background
contextual surveys enables the Australian Government to recognise similarities and
differences between education systems that can contribute to better outcomes for students
• Showing whether school systems are becoming more or less effective in preparing their
students for further study or for work
• Provides valuable data concerning students’ ability to acquire the social, emotional and
academic skills they will need to thrive
• Results are able to be translated to develop an idea about what the most effective education
systems look like
• Taking the results, translating them into millions of pieces of data and putting those pieces
together to create a picture of what the most effective education systems look like
 • Test data aims to show these systems are constructed and to encourage countries to learn
from each other’s experience in creating fairer and more inclusive school systems

Main Idea (For Website/Handout)

• To share evidence of the best policies and practices

• To offer timely and targeted support to help countries provide the best education possible
for all of their students

• Powerful tool that countries and economies can use to improve their education policies