New year 1 numeracy checks to be rolled out as state expands screening programs
More than 400 Victorian primary schools will introduce new Year 1 maths exams next term as the state expands screening programs designed to identify students at risk of falling behind in maths.
The rollout will coincide with the first year 2 reassessment of children who did not reach benchmark at last year’s phonics check, and schools will be given new data on pupils who may need extra help with literacy and numeracy.
The Grade 1 numeracy check, which will become compulsory in all public primary schools from next year, is being piloted and will help assess what experts describe as a child’s “number sense”.
But some managers will wait until it becomes mandatory, arguing that the check is a burden on resources, given that they have already implemented other tests.
Evidence-based numeracy checking is aligned with Victoria’s revised curriculum. It tests how the child orders, compares or recognizes a series of numbers, not just their counting or calculation skills.
This will complement the phonics screening check introduced last year for year 1 students, which is now followed by a year 2 check for students who do not meet the criteria.
A Grattan Institute analysis published last year found one in three school students fail to achieve proficiency in maths and in Victoria and the ACT nearly 30 per cent of students are not proficient in NAPLAN numeracy.
Kelly Norris, director of early mathematics research at the Center for Independent Studies, said the checks were a “powerful first step.”
“But identifying children at risk alone is not enough. What makes the difference is what we do next; whether that identification provides timely and effective support to these children,” he said.
Norris said there was a problem with maths proficiency in Australian schools.
“Victoria performs relatively well compared to many other Australian states and territories, but Australia’s overall performance in international benchmarks has declined over the long term,” he said.
He said early diagnosis and intervention is important.
“The goal is not just to find students who are struggling, but to provide support early enough to prevent small gaps in numbers from turning into persistent achievement gaps later,” he said.
Norris said numerical checks have the potential to be less time-consuming than assessments used in the past, but individual administration is still a costly choice.
“Ideally, the goal of numerical control is to obtain the most useful information in the least practical amount of time,” he said. “It will be interesting to see how well the Victorian year 1 maths check achieves this aim.”
Maramba Primary School students were among the first in the state to have their maths check last month.
Over the past three years, the school has stopped offering voluntary online meetings with students for math and English; This means there is no standard check to ensure they meet state or national expectations until year 3 of NAPLAN.
Principal Moniba Ehsan said the numerical check, along with last year’s phonics check, helped identify students who could use extra support from staff throughout the year.
At each check, approximately 10 students were identified from a group of 30 who would benefit from various levels of extra support, while a handful of high-achieving students were also identified.
“Teachers noticed some questions that children had difficulty with and incorporated this into their daily lives. [revision exercises]Ehsan said the following about the arithmetic test.
“We noticed that there were some things that teachers assumed kids knew and understood, but when they were expressed in a certain way, kids were confused.”
The school’s NAPLAN results are close to average when compared to schools with similar backgrounds. The national exam highlighted reading in year 3 as an area for the school to work on.
“We expect our NAPLAN results to be better when they get to year 3 and year 6. It should basically reflect all the checks and balances that are in place, then year 1 and year 2,” Ehsan said.
But schools that already rely on other assessments have delayed the introduction of the maths check because they believe it could strain resources.
Brandon Park Primary School principal Kate Buck said the one-to-one check, which takes about 15 minutes per child, would mean the school would have to employ casual assistance teachers for six days to test Year 1 students.
“From a business perspective, you’re also talking about money… I’m sure the department will say they’ll cover the CRT costs, but is that a worthwhile way to spend money with other assessments like this that you could use to get the same data?” he said.
He said the maths check would provide a comparison between Victorian schools but his school was already using PAT maths tests and assessments through Acadience maths. These tests are rapid and used as universal screening tools, he said.
“They show us what we need, so we didn’t really need the math screening,” Buck said.
He said the new math check would be useful for schools that don’t currently provide assessments. He said testing made a big impact on their teaching.
“Maybe it’s a starting point for other schools,” he said.
The school is carrying out its year 2 phonics reassessment, which includes only a few pupils who did not or did not pass the previous test. “It really doesn’t take that long to administer per child,” Buck said.
Education Minister Ben Carroll said the state government had mandated the checks to give every child the best chance of success.
“The evidence shows that explicit instruction and systematic synthetic phonics instruction gets results, and we back up those results with real investment.”
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Nicole Precel is an education reporter for The Age. He was previously an audio video producer. He is also a documentary producer. Contact Nicole.precel@theage.com.auConnect with: X, Facebook or email.
Jackson Graham is an education correspondent for The Age. He was previously an explanatory reporter.Connect via email.
