It is always important to keep NAPLAN results in perspective. They provide useful feedback for teachers, as they indicate the strengths and weaknesses of students and allow them to focus on areas that need improvement. However, NAPLAN results are often used as a ranking tool for individuals or for each school (as on the MySchool website), and here they are less reliable. No matter how good the results are (or the reverse), it must be remembered that NAPLAN results are a snapshot of one type of assessment, on one particular day. Overall student performance is measured by a variety of assessment types, and the extent of school improvement is shown by a variety of different forms of feedback.
Having said that, NAPLAN results are an important external measure, and the data generated allows each school to compare each cohort of students over time, and to examine trends in the data. Our Year 7 and 9 students achieved excellent results in this year’s tests.
Year 9 Results (38 students tested)
The NAPLAN data shows the extent of the improvement of this cohort. The trend is generally above the National trends of improvement, and shows the value-added impact the College is having. Our Year 9s show a steady rate of improvement in all areas, except in Grammar and Punctuation, where the levels achieved in Year 7 were extraordinary. The graphs that illustrate these trends are up on the main Secondary School noticeboard. It terms of the results, Rehoboth’s means significantly exceed both State and National means in all five areas tested, as shown in Table 2, and are excellent results:
Table 1 – Comparison to National Minimum Benchmark
| Reading | 97% at or above the national minimum benchmark |
| Writing | 97% at or above the national minimum benchmark |
| Spelling | 100% at or above the national minimum benchmark |
| Grammar | 97% at or above the national minimum benchmark |
| Numeracy | 100% at or above the national minimum benchmark |
Table 2 – Rehoboth Compared to State and National Means
| Rehoboth | State | National | |
| Reading | 603 | 585 | 581 |
| Writing | 581 | 554 | 548 |
| Spelling | 620 | 583 | 580 |
| Grammar | 604 | 573 | 570 |
| Numeracy | 618 | 594 | 589 |
Year 7 Results (47 students tested)
The NAPLAN data shows the extent of this cohort’s improvement. The trend is above the National trends of improvement, and shows the value-added impact the College is having, and a consistent rate of improvement in all areas. Spelling, Writing, and Numeracy have shown the greatest rates of improvement. As with the Year 9 results, the graphs that illustrate these trends are up on the main noticeboard. In terms of the results, Rehoboth’s means significantly exceeds both State and National means in all five areas tested, as shown in Table 2, and are excellent results:
Table 3 – Comparison to National Minimum Benchmark
| Reading | 98% at or above the national minimum benchmark |
| Writing | 96% at or above the national minimum benchmark |
| Spelling | 96% at or above the national minimum benchmark |
| Grammar | 98% at or above the national minimum benchmark |
| Numeracy | 96% at or above the national minimum benchmark |
Table 4 – Rehoboth Compared to State and National Means
| Rehoboth | State | National | |
| Reading | 570 | 537 | 541 |
| Writing | 530 | 512 | 515 |
| Spelling | 568 | 540 | 543 |
| Grammar | 570 | 537 | 540 |
| Numeracy | 572 | 548 | 550 |
