NAPLAN Assessment Program - Enhancing Educational Evaluation

Overview / Background

NAPLAN, the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy, commenced in 2008 under the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCTTEYA), but since 2010 have been administered by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). It's an annual assessment for Australian students in key grades covering writing, reading, language conventions, and numeracy. In 2022, NAPLAN transitioned most of those skills’ assessments from paper-based assessment to an online assessment platform.

Pearson have provided various services, spanning the administration, printing, logistics, marking and reporting of NAPLAN tests, at different times across various Australian states, since its launch in 2008.

NAPLAN National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy

Customer and Context

  • Age and stage: Students in Years 3, 5, 7 & 9
  • Qualification/assessment: NAPLAN standardised tests
  • Purpose: To assess educational outcomes and inform government policy and curriculum planning
  • Stakeholders included the Ministry of Education, NCEEE, and the World Bank

Timeline and Scope

  • Duration: Approximately 11-12 months, from November to October annually
  • Cohort Volumes: Approximately 7400 Schools and 860,000 students (across 5 states)

Inputs and Outputs

  • Test material printing and personalisation; secure distribution and collection
  • Script processing and response scanning/digitalisation
  • Marker recruitment, training and quality assurance; marking centre setup
  • Personalised student reports
  • Helpdesk support

Technology

  • Participation and registration website/school portal
  • Operational processing centre
  • Document control and workflow systems
  • E-marking capabilities
  • Online report generation

Challenges/Complexities

  • Adhering to a challenging schedule for project delivery
  • Managing material requirements and ad hoc client requests
  • Customised, scalable logistics solutions
  • Marker recruitment, especially in remote areas
  • Setting up and managing marking centres accommodating high volumes

Other Highlights/Differentiation

  • Combining expertise in paper-based operations and digital delivery for key parts of the e2e process
  • Working in collaboration with the different states across Australia, tailoring the provision based on specific requirements per territory
  • Dedicated teams for project management, production, logistics, website, infrastructure, QA, data, and helpdesk

Outcome

  • Successful management of NAPLAN projects across multiple states, ensuring accuracy, security, and timely delivery
  • Seamless introduction of digital applications, enhancing process efficiencies and results turnaround
  • Strong partnerships with clients and stakeholders to ensure ongoing success