Massive change as NAPLAN gets under way for millions of Aussie students

Students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will be tested on reading, numeracy, spelling, grammar and punctuation.

In previous years results from NAPLAN tests have taken months to get back to schools and parents.

However, this is set to change in 2024 with results to be returned within four weeks.

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority acting chief executive Stephen Gniel says this will benefit both children and their teachers.

"It will help support schools in understanding where their students have performed well and areas for improvement, as well shape teaching and learning programs," he said.

Warrnambool Primary school principal Peter Lee said "the sooner [the results] come back the better".

"Then we get real time data and find out how our kids are traveling in certain areas and we can we can adjust our programs to suit certain students," Mr Lee, who leads the school in south-west Victoria, said.

The standardised tests have come under scrutiny in recent years after some educators found the exams were putting undue stress on students.

Mr Lee said while data collected was useful for informing areas of improvement, the tests were not the "end all, be all".

"Lots of kids have many, many other really excellent achievements across the school," Mr Lee said.

"We celebrate the whole child and not just literacy and numeracy results.

"If [parents] really want to know how their child's faring at any school...speak to the teacher."

with Australian Associated Press