The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) released its findings of the 2015 NAPLAN results today, showing little improvement in literacy and numeracy skills on a national level.
However, there were improvements in reading, writing and grammar for students in Year 3 and numeracy for students in Year 5.
NSW, Victoria and the ACT had the highest average NAPLAN scores this year, while the states showing significant improvement were Queensland and Western Australia.
A spokesman for the NSW Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) said the state performed strongly in NAPLAN and "is maintaining high standards".
"However, this is not a reason for complacency. The school sectors remain focused on ongoing improvements to literacy, numeracy and science," the spokesman told The Sydney Morning Herald.
"It is pleasing to see that NSW has the highest average participation rate."
ACT students scored their best literacy and numeracy results of recent years – coming top or equal top in 18 of 20 test areas while further south, South Australian students’ improved on last year’s results in 12 of 20 test areas.
However, South Australia’s opposition education spokesperson, David Pisoni, said the results were nothing to celebrate and still left the state as the worst performing mainland state.
In Queensland, education standards were shown to have improved, although its students still scored below the national average in every year level.
The state’s education minister, Kate Jones, said her state was at the bottom of the ladder when NAPLAN testing began in 2007 but had shown the biggest improvement over that time.
Jones attributed the improvement to additional funding, the introduction of the prep year and moving Year 7 into high school.
"What we're seeing now is real results when it comes to education outcomes for our children," Jones told ABC radio.