National Assessment Program (NAP)

The NAP is an ongoing program of assessments to monitor progress towards the National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century, endorsed in April 1999 by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA). The program comprises the agreed assessments identified in the Measurement Framework for National Key Performance Measures as the basis for reporting progress towards the achievement of the National Goals. The MCEETYA Performance Measurement and Reporting Taskforce has responsibility for developing and implementing the Framework.

NAP sample assessments conducted on a three-year cycle by MCEETYA are:

• Science Literacy (samples of Year 6 students)
  • Download the Science Literacy School Release Materials from the 2003 Program

• Civics and Citizenship (samples of Year 6 and Year 10 students)
  • Download the Civics and Citizenship School Release Materials from the 2004 Program

• Information and Communication Technology literacy (ICT) (samples of Year 6 and Year 10 students)

NAP sample assessments conducted by international organisations and used by MCEETYA for reporting key performance measures are:

• Australia's participation in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), conducted every three years by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (a sample of 15-year-old students).

• Australia's participation in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), conducted every four years by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) (a sample of students in Years 4 and 8).

NAP assessments of all students in Literacy and Numeracy conducted annually by States and Territories and equated to the national Literacy and numeracy benchmarks:

• Latest Reading, Writing and Numeracy benchmarks 2006

• Previous years' results also available: 
  • 1999 (Revised Reading data was published in the 2000 report. Writing data was published in the 2001 report.)
  • 2000
  • 2001 (years 3 & 5 and 7)
  • 2002  
  • 2003
  • 2004
  • 2005.

From 2008 national tests will be held in literacy and numeracy for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, replacing current State and Territory based assessments. Information on the tests can be found here.

The student outcomes data collected on the Key Performance Measures are reported annually in the National Report on Schooling in Australia. The collection and reporting of this data are done in accordance with the Publication Procedures for the Annual National Report on Schooling in Australia.

For additional information:

• Assessing Student Achievement in Australia 2008- Information brochure
• State, National and International 2008 Testing Schedule for Schools*
• The Data Implementation Manual
• The Benefits of International Studies (a paper prepared by the PMRT)
• The Benefits of Participating in National Assessments (a paper prepared by the PMRT)

^{*as at January 2008}

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