1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: But the latest naplan results are in and they were 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:06,000 Speaker 1: quite stable for Northern Territory students. It might be a 3 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:08,799 Speaker 1: surprise to some people that after all the COVID interruptions 4 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: in previous years, things have remained pretty steady. To shed 5 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: some further light on those results is the Education Department's 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:19,639 Speaker 1: Deputy Chief Executive said, I mean, good morning to you. 7 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 2: Katie, good morning and good morning to you're listener. 8 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: Great have you on the show now said how did 9 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: our students perform across the various categories? 10 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 2: Do you know what, Katie, You've some very really well. 11 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 2: They actually perform really well in particularly in three and five, 12 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,200 Speaker 2: which are the early years. I do want to acknowledge 13 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 2: the teachers. You've said it's been a couple of tough years. 14 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 2: It certainly has. But the work the teachers have done 15 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 2: in ensuring that our students are still moving ahead has 16 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 2: been exceptional. So our students have actually done really well. 17 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: And so obviously it tests our students, you know, with 18 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: their reading, their spelling, their grammar and punctuation. It can 19 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: be a bit of a stress full time for kids 20 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: in some cases, can't it when they've got to do 21 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: those nap planned tests. 22 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely, And look, I think every jurisdiction doesn't teach 23 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 2: to the test. The test is an assessment to see 24 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 2: how students are going, and it's also an assessment to 25 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 2: see what differences we need to make in our teaching. 26 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 2: So it's a really good test as a point in 27 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 2: time to see how things are going. And we certainly 28 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 2: take the results quite seriously, both from students' performance as 29 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 2: well as what we might need to do differently. 30 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: And so across the year three, five, seven and nine, 31 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: can you talk us through some of those numbers in 32 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: terms of how we've gone in those different areas. 33 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, certainly, you know there's been no major shift 34 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 2: up or down in seven and nine, which has been terrific. 35 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 2: You know, we've we've managed to stay the course in 36 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 2: those in those growth scores for those students. The significant 37 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 2: improvement and great gains have occurred in years three and 38 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 2: five and particularly in reading, spelling, grammar, and punctuation, which 39 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 2: of course is critical because the early years of education, 40 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 2: and if we're able to provide students with a really 41 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 2: good foundation in the early years, two things happen once 42 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 2: we start to close the gap. And secondly, of course 43 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 2: we give students a really good footing and that just 44 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 2: you know, exemplifies the investment and teaching and quality that's 45 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 2: gone into those early children years. Absolutely critical that students 46 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 2: are given the very best opportunity. So earlier, I mean, 47 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 2: some of the scores have been quite outstanding. Look, we 48 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 2: don't really compare to national roles, but I'm about to 49 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 2: because obviously the NT is a little bit different. But 50 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 2: some of our mean scaled scores improvement, you know, thirteen 51 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 2: points above Australia in a year year nine spelling, up 52 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 2: to nine points hiring year three, up to fifteen points 53 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 2: hiring in year five. Just outstanding results in some of 54 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 2: our schools. 55 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:48,399 Speaker 1: Are You're right? Is that the best that we've sort 56 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: of that we've gone before. 57 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 2: Look, there's been there's been really good improvement, you know, 58 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 2: nap Plan and our testing started around two thousand and 59 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 2: eight when we've been comparing our means, and the NT 60 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 2: has stayed increase its scores every year. Now, let's not 61 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 2: get carried away about scores. It's about individual students, but 62 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 2: overall it's a jurisdiction. You know, we can say that 63 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 2: our teachers are just working really hard in this space 64 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 2: and again it's not necessarily about the test. As you said, 65 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 2: it's about understanding where students are and then what we 66 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 2: need to do to keep them progressing. 67 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, and look, I think that you've touched on something 68 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: that's a that's a you know, it's an interesting point. 69 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 1: You know, kids can sometimes get a little bit stressed 70 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: about these tests when it comes to napline. It's probably 71 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: a bit of stress on teachers as well. I'm assuming 72 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: to make sure you know that everybody performs quite well, 73 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: but at the end of the day, if a kid 74 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: is struggling, I would imagine that you know that we 75 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: want those teachers really focusing and helping them out in 76 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:44,119 Speaker 1: the classroom, regardless of napline results. 77 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 2: Absolutely absolutely spot on it. You know, as I said earlier, 78 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 2: it's just a one test in time to give us 79 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 2: an indication. There has to be a sestlement in schools 80 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 2: that of course, to see how we're going and how 81 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 2: students are going, but it just provides another rich source 82 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 2: of data to see what we need to do differ 83 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 2: or better, or more of or even less of. And 84 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 2: absolutely what we found is that from three to five 85 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 2: to seven to nine, which is the national testing times, 86 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 2: what schools do is that they track students, So even 87 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 2: if you haven't performed that well in year three, we 88 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 2: want to see how you've gone in the next couple 89 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 2: of years, the next couple of years, next couple of years. 90 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 2: And what we find is that just because you haven't 91 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 2: performed in a particular test doesn't mean that you're not 92 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 2: going to perform well in the next test. So there's 93 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 2: always time to catch up, which some of our kids. 94 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: Do and said, how do we go in some of 95 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 1: our more remote areas. 96 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:34,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's always the challenge is in a kadi And 97 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 2: of course the NT is characterized by a number of 98 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 2: schools in our remote more than any other jurisdiction in 99 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 2: this country, which is why it's always a little bit 100 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 2: difficult to compare the NT to other states. It's a 101 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 2: lot easier to compare Queensland to WA and Victoria to 102 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 2: New South Wales, but we are in a different position. 103 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 2: It's always been a challenge in our remotes for a 104 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 2: whole host of reasons. Certainly there's been some good growth 105 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 2: in our remotes, but it continues to be a challenge 106 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 2: as something that has a department education. We're very focused on. 107 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: Now said, I understand that there is also at the 108 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 1: moment an Education Leaders Summit happening today. What exactly is 109 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: that going to be focusing on. 110 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, the theme of the fabulous opportunity to bring 111 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,359 Speaker 2: our leaders together from around the NT. It's the primary 112 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 2: event of the Department of Education and a really great 113 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 2: opportunity for all of our leaders both in schools in 114 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 2: the department to connect. The theme is one sky Many Voices. 115 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:27,919 Speaker 2: It's really about voice. So there's a whole bunch of 116 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 2: opportunities over this day and tomorrow where teachers are encouraged, 117 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 2: principals are encouraged to talk about voice, their own voice, 118 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 2: other people's voice, and connect voices together. We've got some 119 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 2: outstanding speakers Jemmy Penn who's just outstanding that encourage their 120 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 2: listeners to google Yemy, doctor Jenny Donovan who's the CEO 121 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 2: of ERA, which is a national organization. And then tomorrow 122 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 2: there'll be showcases where principals will talk about the work 123 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 2: they're doing in school. So it's all about connecting. Katie. 124 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 2: An absolute primary event, and I'm really delized is about 125 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 2: three hundred people in the hall here today and it's 126 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 2: already started to be a great day. 127 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: About three hundred people who exactly is attending principles or 128 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 1: others as well. 129 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, principals and then invited guest. We've got leaders from 130 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 2: our regional teams and from our department teams. We've got 131 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 2: about one hundred and sixty seventy principles in the room 132 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 2: and when delighted say, most of them been able to come. 133 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:23,840 Speaker 2: And it's really important, of course that we're able to 134 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 2: connect people. We obviously haven't connected for a couple of 135 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:29,479 Speaker 2: years yep, through the pandemic. So it's a really really 136 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 2: great thing. Principles love it because it's a chance to 137 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:35,599 Speaker 2: come together, and we find in education that when you 138 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 2: put people in a room together, then that's when the 139 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:40,479 Speaker 2: magic happens. So we do want to create those times, 140 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 2: and it has been something that's been messed over the 141 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 2: last couple of years. So I'm delighted that we've been 142 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 2: able to pull it together this year. 143 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:50,839 Speaker 1: Well said, I mean, the Education Department's deputy chief executive. 144 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: I appreciate your time this morning. Thanks very much for 145 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: having your chat with us. 146 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 2: You're very welcome, Tekie, thank you, thank you.