NOTE: For some schools, the dates below fall in Week 2 of Term 2.  

• Schools should schedule tests on the morning of the agreed dates
• Where there is more than one test scheduled for any one day, a minimum of 20 minutes break time for students be provided between the two test sessions
• Language conventions comprises Spelling; Grammar and Punctuation. Numeracy comprises Number; Algebra, function and pattern; Space; Measurement, chance and data

States and territories have agreed on a schedule of dates for National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) into the future.

The dates are as follows:
2012   15 - 17 May
2013   14 - 16 May 
2014   13 - 15 May 
2015   12 - 14 May 
2016   10 - 12 May 
2017     9 - 11 May
2018   15 - 17 May 
2019   14 - 16 May 
2020   12 - 14 May

FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY: THE STUDENT REGISTRATION DATE FOR THE 2012 NAPLAN ASSESSMENTS

Documents stored under Data Collection Documents below will assist in the Data Collection process.

Support is available by emailing datacollection@ais.sa.edu.au or telephone 08 8179 1408.

BACKGROUND

Student registration data for all National Assessments must be collected in a consistent way to enable national reporting. State, Territory and Commonwealth Ministers’ have agreed that all government and non-government schools would use common definitions of specified background variables when reporting on students’ outcomes. This consistency is crucial in determining the extent of improvement in student outcomes, particularly for students who may be educationally disadvantaged.

Since 2010 this background data has also been used for the generation of the school ICSEA score. Therefore it is essential that quality assurance of this data takes place at the school level. This data is collected using a nationally standardised form, a copy of which is available from the AISSA website. It is the responsibility of each school to request this data from parents either upon enrolment or prior to the student sitting their first NAPLAN assessment.

This data can be collected upon enrolment or prior to a student first sitting a NAPLAN Assessment at their school. Schools are required to collect information for each of the following four student background characteristics:

• sex
• Indigenous status
• socioeconomic background
• language background.

This information is collected using a standardized data collection form. In developing the form, it was important that the questions asked of parents would not be overly intrusive. Parents are therefore not being asked to provide specific details of their education, occupation or income but, rather, are asked to select an appropriate response from a limited number of broad educational and occupational categories outlined on the form.

The reporting of student outcomes using the nationally agreed definitions of student sub-groups is now a standard requirement for reporting results of assessments in the annual National Report on Schooling in Australia (the ANR). National reporting of student outcomes complements school and system-level reporting..

The 2012 NAPLAN Updates will be posted periodically during the year.

2012 Administration documents will be posted when availale.

This Manual provides information to schools and systems about the categories and data specifications required to collect this information. The manual is available at http://www.mceetya.edu.au/mceecdya/data_standards_manual_2010,30011.html and provides information about the nationally agreed protocols for::

• the design of enrolment forms to incorporate the nationally agreed question modules
• the collection of information from parents;
• the design or modification and maintenance of student information storage and retrieval systems
• processes for providing student background information to testing agents for linking test data.

It is important that data collected is as accurate as possible and from as many parents as possible. Schools are expected to make every effort to contact a parent/guardian in order to obtain information missing and to encourage parents to provide the required information. They need to ensure that clearly defined processes are in place to capture information at enrolment or via special data collection forms and that follow-up procedures for ensuring completion of enrolment or other data collection forms are carefully considered. In some cases, they may also need to provide parents with assistance in interpreting and answering questions

Schools and school systems which have not previously collected student background data using the nationally agreed definitions should review and, if necessary, revise their privacy policies and any related documentation that provides advice to parents on the collection, storage, use and disclosure of personal information. This information should be distributed to parents with enrolment or special data collection forms, reproduced in the school’s or system’s privacy policy as well as any other relevant documents and, if appropriate, provided on associated websites.

Commonwealth privacy legislation imposes certain obligations on non-government schools, as private sector organisations, in relation to the collection and handling of personal information about individuals. A comprehensive Privacy Compliance Manual is available on the websites of NCEC and ISCA. A copy of this manual is also available below in the Data Collection Documents.

1. Select the staff member who will be responsible for the whole process including the checking of the accuracy of the final data entry;
2. Select the staff that will
     -  Prepare and send a letter and questionnaires to parents
     -  Collect returned questionnaires 
     -  Follow up outstanding questionnaires  
     -  Enter the data on the National Reporter Access 
        Database or your school’s administrative system.
3. Extract the data into the required file type  
4. Email the completed registration data as an attachment to   
      -  datacollection@ais.sa.edu.au (for Non Lutheran  
         Schools) or to 
      -  Tyna Newman at tyna.newman@lsa.lutheran.edu.au (for
         Lutheran Schools) 

What needs to be sent to families? (if the data has not already been collected)

1. An explanatory letter stating the purpose of the data collection and a deadline for return to go to each family of the year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students.
2. A standard questionnaire for each child (see Associated Documents below) to be filled out (NB the wording of the questions must be exactly the same as on the standard questionnaire supplied and inclusive of collection notices and privacy statements).
3. A list of occupational groupings (see Associated Documents below).

Which details MUST be checked by the school for accuracy?

The following information must be checked for accuracy prior to it being emailed:

1. All students intending to participate in the Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 assessments are listed – all students are accounted for.
2. The names are spelled correctly - this data is used to label the students’ test booklets and individual student reports. 
3. All data fields are completed.