Literacy and numeracy

Teachers use data to understand where their students are in their learning and to plan what to do next. Effective analysis of student data helps teachers identify areas where students’ learning needs may require additional attention and development.

Scout is the department's data and analysis platform, developed to provide information about our schools. It brings vast amounts of data into one location, allowing users to view all information that is relevant to them at one time. It gathers data for faster answers, simplifying data analysis.

NAPLAN is an annual assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. NAPLAN reading data can be used by teachers to understand student strengths and weaknesses and to plan for effective teaching and learning. The information gathered from the NAPLAN assessment can be used to track student growth over time and to assess whole school literacy priorities.

PLAN2 is designed to help record observations of students’ literacy capabilities based on the National Literacy Learning Progression. It can be used to analyse student needs and teaching priorities by using the literacy progression information to identify where to target the teaching to support students' reading development. It allows teachers to work together to monitor student growth and to help identify patterns to evaluate what works best and strengthen practice.

Short reading assessments are available for Stages 4 and 5. These assessments are aligned with the National Literacy Learning Progression and NSW syllabus outcomes. Teachers can group together or modify these short assessments to suit the learning needs of their students. Teachers can use the information from these assessments to inform planning and programming, as well as provide immediate feedback to their students.

The Check-in assessment is an online reading and numeracy assessment for students in Years 3-9. The reading assessment is mapped to the NSW Syllabuses and National Literacy Learning Progression. The data from the Check-In assessment can be used to supplement existing school practices to identify how students are performing in literacy and to help teachers tailor their teaching more specifically to student needs..

Assessments such as Stage-based assessments, the Check-in assessment and NAPLAN can provide information that contributes to early identification of students who may need reading comprehension support to achieve the HSC minimum standard. This will allow targeted teaching to be provided throughout Stages 4-5.

HSC PL bites are available to help Stage 6 teachers assess, investigate, review and reassess reading responses to determine what has been effectively answered, and what could be improved in line with the marking guidelines. This learning can help teachers use assessment data more effectively to understand and monitor how their Stage 6 students are reading and responding to exam questions.

The following assessments are primarily targeted towards early readers. They are, however, available for students in any Year/Stage level and can assist secondary teachers to identify additional support needs in reading. The student assessment analysis information provided in the Phonological awareness diagnostic assessment helps teachers to use data to inform teaching by identifying where a student is at in their reading development and providing advice on where to next. This information can be used to support differentiation and intervention for struggling readers in a secondary context. The Phonics diagnostic assessment is a short, on-demand assessment that tells teachers how students are progressing in phonics. The ability to use phonetic skills is an essential component of reading and writing.

Teachers can use data to make decisions about next steps in learning for their class, a group or individual students. They can also use the feedback to create an Area of focus in PLAN2 to support monitoring of reading development in the context of NSW syllabus outcomes.

The High Potential and Gifted Education Policy Evaluation and Planning Tool provides a framework for school leaders to gather evidence and evaluate their current procedures, programs and practices in relation to reading comprehension. This data can be used by schools to evaluate and strengthen teaching and learning practices to ensure that whole school reading priorities extend high potential and gifted students.

Tell Them From Me is a suite of surveys for measuring student engagement and wellbeing. The surveys can be used to capture student parent and teacher voices, providing reliable evidence for schools to use in identifying strengths and areas for improvement.