My School
Encyclopedia
My School is a website administered by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) which provides access to information about Australian schools. The site reports data from the annual National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests which compulsorily assess Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation, and Numeracy at years 3, 5, 7 and 9 for all Australian school students. Teachers' unions and some parent bodies have expressed concerns that the data is being used to formulate 'league table
s' of schools. Principals claim that students have been asked to leave some schools because their performance on NAPLAN tests was expected to damage those schools' rankings. Independent think tank
the Grattan Institute
calls for schools to be judged on the individual improvement students make every year rather than the comparison based on raw test scores used on My School. The Australian Education Union
has resolved to boycott future NAPLAN testing if the My School website is used in this way.
League table
A league table, standings, ranking chart, or ladder is a chart or list which compares sports teams, institutions, nations or companies by ranking them in order of ability or achievement. A league table may list several related statistics, but they are generally sorted by the primary one that...
s' of schools. Principals claim that students have been asked to leave some schools because their performance on NAPLAN tests was expected to damage those schools' rankings. Independent think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
the Grattan Institute
Grattan Institute
Grattan Institute is an Australian public policy think tank, established in 2008. The Melbourne-based institute is non-aligned, however it defines itself as, "Grattan Institute contributes to public policy in Australia as a liberal democracy in a globalised economy." – it is funded by an...
calls for schools to be judged on the individual improvement students make every year rather than the comparison based on raw test scores used on My School. The Australian Education Union
Australian Education Union
The Australian Education Union is an Australian trade union, founded in 1984 as the Australian Teachers Union, which is registered with Fair Work Australia as an employee group, and is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions...
has resolved to boycott future NAPLAN testing if the My School website is used in this way.