Media Release

Ministers agreed to examine the 1998 achievement data to review the process of the equating task force as a means of achieving an agreed approach with the aim of publishing State and Territory reading data for Year 3 by 30 June 1999.

States and Territories are already testing, or moving to test, students at Year 3 and Year 5 to provide parents with accurate and comprehensive data about their child’s progress and to provide extra assistance to students identified as having poor literacy skills.

The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to national reporting of student achievements in numeracy, reading, writing and spelling.

Ministers noted issues which needed to be addressed to ensure comparability of literacy test data in the future.

These issues included:

• Common elements within States and Territories tests
• Common age for students to be tested
• Timing of tests
• Possible costs of changing existing testing programs
• Decisions in regard to the inclusion of students who did not sit the test due to illness or parental withdrawal
• Consistency regarding the inclusion of non-government schools in testing and agreement in regard to which students should be included in the comparative data, for example, students with learning disabilities