[Greens-Media] NSW Education Minister should learn from US lessons

[John Kaye]

NSW Education Minister should learn from US lessons
 
Media release: 2 May 2011
 
Warnings from one of US President Barack Obama's chief education advisers about the impacts of high stakes testing should turn Australia away from judging schools on the basis of their NAPLAN test results, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
 
Dr Kaye said: "Professor Linda Darling-Hammond's visit to Australia is a wake-up call not to repeat other countries' mistakes.
 
"Education in the US has suffered as high stakes testing has damaged the curriculum and punished schools that serve disadvantaged communities.
 
"The consequences of bad results has forced teachers to focus on preparing students for narrow national skills tests while neglecting crucial learning outcomes in other areas of the curriculum.
 
"Schools desperate to maintain high average scores have been forced to exclude students from the test or even expel them.
 
"Schools in disadvantaged areas are finding it hard to retain staff.
 
"None of these outcomes serves either students or society.
 
"Speaking from the bitter experience of the US with high stakes testing, Professor Darling-Hammond's advised Australia to follow Finland and other countries that avoid placing emphasis on test results and achieve world-leading learning outcomes.
 
"As NSW students are gearing for the NAPLAN tests later this month, the state's Education Minister Adrian Piccoli must take a stand with his federal and interstate colleagues.
 
"Professor-Darling-Hammond's visit should begin the change of direction on NAPLAN and restore it to its rightful place as a basic skills diagnostic test, not as a measure of school performance. 
 
"Mr Piccoli should begin the revolt against publication of school average test results on the My School website.
 
"As a rural MP, the Minister would have been made well aware of the impacts on schools that serve diverse communities.
 
"The O'Farrell government could place NSW in a strong bargaining position with the threat of a withdrawal of this state's results from My School," Dr Kaye said. 
 
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455