NAP news, November 2021

NAPLAN is for everyone: Help for students with disability sitting NAPLAN

In a new series of videos, students with disability and their parents, carers and teachers share their experiences of using NAPLAN’s disability adjustments.

All students should have the opportunity to participate in NAPLAN, as they do other school events throughout the year, and there are a range of adjustments available to support students with diverse learning needs and functional abilities to do the tests. The adjustments allow an equivalent experience for students during testing and include, for example, magnification, alternative questions, keyboard accessibility, extra time, rest breaks and tailored testing.

In the videos, students, parents, carers and teachers talk about the sense of belonging and achievement the students get from participating in NAPLAN with their peers.

Student Halle said, “NAPLAN online was actually really helpful because I was in the same classroom as all my other … peers. In some ways, it felt better to be part of the class than to be going up somewhere else.”

Ken Gordon from the ACT Education Directorate, where the videos were shot, says all school experiences should be available to all students. “Students in our schools are entitled to do the same assessments and have a go at everything that every other student has a go at. And through the adjustments that we’ve now got available, we’re making it more accessible for more of the students.”

In addition to the videos, students, parents and carers can get hands-on experience with the format of the tests and the adjustments on the NAPLAN public demonstration site. The Guide for schools to assist students with disability to access NAPLAN provides an overview of the process that teachers, in consultation with parents and carers, follow to assist students with disability.

This information can help schools, students, parents, carers and teachers to together identify reasonable adjustments required for individual students with disability to access NAPLAN.

NAPLAN results can assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgement and to monitor their students’ progress over time against the national measure.

Student Shaun encouraged all students to give NAPLAN a go. “If it’s your first time doing it, just don’t worry about it ... I felt proud of myself for not giving up and just going through it.”

We gratefully thank and acknowledge the students, parents, teachers and schools who shared their experiences, and gave their time and support to the development of the video series.