This state improved most on NAPLAN

Ms Palaszczuk says Queensland kids were ranked seventh overall when the nationwide test of Grade 3, 5, 7 and 9 students began eight years ago, but are now fourth after results were published on Wednesday.

The only improvements – reading, writing and grammar for year threes, and spelling and numeracy year fives.

He said improvements had been recorded across the country and SA still fell short of the national average in 18 categories.

The full data set from 2008, when NAPLAN was introduced, shows promising gains at primary level where there have been statistically significant improvements, including in year 3 reading and year 5 numeracy.

“So we’re pleased that the deterioration has been arrested but we’re still a long way behind the rest of Australia”.

The literacy and numeracy skills of Australian students have stagnated since the controversial NAPLAN tests were introduced in 2008.

“This is a significant improvement on what used to happen when results weren’t available until late in the school year, meaning the opportunity to address any issues apparent in those results may have been lost”.

“The results are very encouraging, and while it may be a bit soon to attribute the improved performance entirely to the OLNA, I hope to see the trend continue”.

Mr Randall said NAPLAN was “not in itself a means of improving the quality of education”, but provided data for “objective discussion about what is working and what is not”.

The University of Melbourne’s Patrick Griffin said he was not surprised NAPLAN results had flat-lined.

Professor Griffin, an expert in assessments in schools, said NAPLAN would be more useful if it helped teachers improve and target their teaching. Unlike other states they have shown statistically significant improvement since 2008 in high school NAPLAN. “And NAPLAN doesn’t provide teachers with that”.

“This is good news for Queensland, it’s good news for the students and it’s great news for the parents at home”, Ms Palaszczuk said.

In Queensland the results have improved in 16 of the 20 tests but children in the state are still lagging behind the national average in every year level.

They are now waiting to receive the 2015 NAPLAN individual student reports, which will be delivered to Victorian schools from August 17, around two weeks earlier than past year. “The school sectors remain focused on ongoing improvements to literacy, numeracy and science”, the spokesman said.

The ACT’s student withdrawal rate had also dropped across all year levels compared with 2014.