Memo
Queensland Studies Authority
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24 June 2010 Number: 046/10
Prep – Year 9
Genre for 2011 National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Writing test
Purpose
To advise principals, administrators and teachers that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will be required to write a persuasive text for the 2011 NAPLAN Writing test.
Background
In previous NAPLAN Writing tests, students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 were required to write a story, which is one type of narrative.
The decision to change from a narrative to a persuasive task was taken by all Australian Education Ministers at a Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA) meeting on 15 April 2010. The QSA received formal advice of the change of genre on Friday 4 June 2010.
The change has come about for two main reasons. Firstly, persuasive writing is used increasingly as students progress through school. Testing this form of writing means that NAPLAN is testing a broader range of what is taught in the curriculum. Secondly, the change of genre means that the task is less predictable.
Persuasive writing will be marked in a way that closely parallels the marking of narrative writing.
Information
The NAPLAN website <www.naplan.edu.au> has further information about the change of the writing task genre in 2011. A sample persuasive writing task, the skill focus for each of the assessment criteria and responses to frequently asked questions are available.
Schools should note that scripts, which show a recipe-like format, frequently lack the qualities required to score well as such scripts lack the individual voice of the students. It is evident from the evaluation of previous writing tasks that those students who understood and took control of the contextual factors, showed qualities that made their writing really shine. Therefore, it is important that teachers provide students with opportunities to engage with different types of persuasive tasks during their test preparation, in addition to demand-writing activities.
Materials to support the teaching of writing on demand and resources related to the teaching of persuasive writing are also available on the NAPLAN pages of the QSA website. These can be
accessed from the QSA homepage: <www.qsa.qld.edu.au> select Prep–Year 9 > NAPLAN (Years 3, 5, 7 and 9) >Teaching ideas > Writing.
What you need to do
Advise teachers that the 2011 NAPLAN Writing task will be a persuasive text.
24 June 2010 | Page 2 of 2 Genre for 2011 National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) Writing test
Ensure students learn a range of writing genres, not just persuasive text. The Australian curriculum recognises the importance of students learning a range of writing genres.
More information
If you would like more information, please email [email protected], or phone 3864 0210.
Peter Jordan
Acting Deputy Director
Student Achievement Division
