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The My School website has been updated with the latest data from NAPLAN, which saw 268 Australian schools demonstrate substantially above average improvement in the 2018 round of the test.
In NSW, top performing schools included Canterbury Boys’ High, St Margaret Mary's Catholic Primary School in Randwick and Hornsby North Public School, which all saw impressive gains in reading, writing and numeracy.
Canterbury Boys’ High School’s Morning Reading (MORE) program occurs in the first 20 minutes of period 1 every day, and forms part of a broader strategy to increase student engagement and outcomes in reading.
“We take every opportunity to encourage and foster a love of reading, which is especially important in boy’s education,” Ross Dummett, the school’s principal, told The Educator.
“The MORE program is a whole school reading strategy where students read for pleasure and have conversations about their reading with peers and their teacher to ensure reading for meaning.”
Dummett said the Sydney Story Factory provides a writer in residence who encourages creativity in writing including slam poetry where students have the freedom to explore different writing styles and then create their own.
“Canterbury Boys High School is establishing a culture at the school that supports and rewards serious learners,” he said.
The report revealed Victoria as one of the highest performing states in Australia, with Victorian students in Years 3 and 5 leading in four out of the ten NAPLAN testing areas.
Students who were in Year 3 in 2016 at Glenroy Central Primary School saw their average reading score improve by 152 points, while the average numeracy result increased 144 points. This represents about 50% more learning growth than is typical for Australian students between Years 3 and 5.
Another stand-out school was Caroline Chisholm Catholic College, which demonstrated substantially above average gains in reading. The College saw a state average growth (effect size) in Reading of 0.53 between Years 7 and 9, while the College’s growth between those years was double at 1.06.
“The recognition from ACARA is wonderful and a great reflection of the hard work by so many, in particular our students, who continue to embrace our Reading Program,” Suzanne Farley, deputy principal of learning and teaching, said.
Started in 2016, the Reading Program at Caroline Chisholm Catholic College, led by the College’s teacher librarians aims to encourage students to read, analyse what they are reading and explicitly teach skills which enhance and engage students in active reading.
“Year 7 students visit the library once a week and Year 8 and 9 students once a fortnight as part of the English curriculum. A key part of our Reading Program is the ‘reading conferences’ where students discuss what they are reading,” Farley said.
“Students sit down and conference with their teachers to discuss their reading and set clear goals. The outstanding outcomes and recognition from ACARA is a testament to the commitment the College has put into these programs and partnerships.”