NAPLAN National Report for 2022 released

The most recent NAPLAN results have remained stable at a national level, according to the 2022 report.

There was a decrease in Year 5 numeracy and Year 9 spelling, but the large decrease in performance that was predicted did not eventuate.

“Overall, for a second year in a row, the national-level results have defied predictions of drastic falls in performance related to COVID,” said David de Carvalho, ACARA CEO.

When looking at average scores, most long-term trends since 2008 either show steady progress, particularly in primary years, or are stable. The exception is Year 9 spelling, where increases in the early years of NAPLAN are reversing.

Over the long term, writing results — which, as recently reported, had been in decline up to 2018 — are turning around, showing an upward trend for Years 5, 7 and 9 since 2019.

“This suggests that the efforts being made by schools and teachers, in response to those earlier warning signs, are paying off,” de Carvalho said.

Despite the decline this year in Year 5 numeracy, the long-term trend is positive. Steady rises in Years 3 and 5 reading and Years 3, 5 and 7 spelling have also continued.

“Aside from numeracy, the Year 5 results are pleasing as 2022 was the first year this cohort sat their NAPLAN tests, following the cancellation of NAPLAN in 2020. It will be important to track whether this cohort’s lower numeracy achievement affects their results in Years 7 and 9,” de Carvalho said.

“In the year-to-year data from 2021 to 2022, an increase in writing results for Year 9 Indigenous students and students from a language background other than English are welcome. There was also an increase in grammar and punctuation results for Indigenous students in Year 7.

“While these results are just for one year, it’s hoped this signals the start of longer-term trends.”

When looking at the National Minimum Standard (NMS), the percentage of Year 9 boys achieving the NMS in reading has fallen to its lowest level — below 90% — with 13.5% not achieving the NMS this year, compared to fewer than 8.5% in 2008.

“It is certainly concerning that we have so many students who are not demonstrating the capacity to read at this basic level only a few years before they leave school,” de Carvalho said.

Preliminary NAPLAN 2022 results were not released in August, as they have been in previous years, as closer analysis of the data was required due to lower-than-usual participation rates.

Participation rates have been slowly falling since the start of NAPLAN; however, the decline this year was greater than the long-term rate.

“This issue is of concern, as low participation rates can impact results analysis and the ability to get a clear picture of literacy and numeracy achievement at the national level,” de Carvalho said.

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