No League Tables
What do we oppose School League Tables?
Posted 19/2/2010
For a summary of the reasons why the AEU - ACT Branch is opposed to School League Tables click on the following link.
What did the AEU place a moratorium on NAPLAN 2010?
Posted 13/04/2010
View Teachers take action on league tables - a video message from AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos explaining the decision to impose a moratorium on the 2010 national tests at: http://www.aeufederal.org.au/
What did the AEU propose to resolve concerns about the misuse of student data to create League Tables?
Posted 13/04/2010
The AEU has provided a proposal to Deputy Prime Minister Gillard to resolve our concerns about the misuse of data obtained from the My School website to create League Tables. Read the AEU Proposal here.
Advertisement in 13 April 2010 Newspapers
Posted 13/04/2010
The AEU placed ads in all the national dailies on the League Tables issue. Read the ad that appeared in The Canberra Times on 13 April 2010.
The AEU distributed a DVD about the League Tables issue to all Sub-Branches.
To view excerpts from the DVD click on the link below.
AEU DVD ON LEAGUE TABLES
PARENT LETTER
MEMBER LETTER
AEU Federal Conference League Tables Decision
Posted 18/2/2010
AEU Federal Conference considered the matter of League Tables at its Conference in January 2010. The Conference called on Minister Gillard to take steps to protect the data generated through NAPLAN from third-party use to create League Tables, and indicated that the AEU would consider not cooperating with NAPLAN in 2010 if such protections were not forthcoming.
The full text of the Federal Conference Decision can be read at this link.
Why do we oppose School League Tables?
Posted 19/2/2010
For a summary of the reasons why the AEU - ACT Branch is opposed to School League Tables click on the following link.
Federal League Tables Campaign
Posted 8/12/2009
League tables which rank schools based on raw test scores are bad for students, schools and education. Naming and shaming schools that don't get high marks in the tests is devastating for those school communities and makes it much harder for students and teachers. That is why teachers, parents and principals are calling for urgent action to stop the creation of league tables in Australia.
League Tables and the Federal Government's "Transparency Agenda"
Posted 18/11/2009
On 17 November 2009 the AEU and a range of other stakeholders wrote to DPM Gillard about the Government's "transparency agenda". The letter generated significant media interest.
Read what the education community said to the DPM here.
The AEU Federal Office issued a media release on this issue. Read it here.
AEU Federal Media Releases on League Tables
Posted 29/4/2010
Minister Unwilling to Act to Protect Students
Posted 19/4/2010
Education Ministers Should Agree to Talk
Posted 12/4/2010
Teachers Place Moratorium on NAPLAN Tests
Posted 12/4/2010
AEU to Decide on NAPLAN Action
Posted 12/4/2010
Failure to Meet Must be Explained
Posted 23/2/2010
Action Needed to Stop All League Tables
Posted 16/2/2010
Damaging League Tables Must Be Stopped
Posted 8/2/2010
Students Must Be Protected From League Tables
Posted 29/1/2010
Why Won't Julia Gillard Protect Students?
Posted 19/1/2010
Teachers Resolve to Act on League Tables
Australian Teacher Warns About New York
Posted 10/12/2009
An Australian teacher who worked in New York has warned about the dangers of following their system of high stakes testing and school rankings. Education Minister Julia Gillard has repeatedly expressed her admiration of New York's chancellor of school education Joel Klein and his testing regime which gives schools a single number score, grades them between A and F and allows them to be ranked on their scores in league tables. But in a new video union member and teacher Mary Ellen-Betts said her time working in schools in the Bronx convinced her that Australia had nothing to learn from the approach taken in the city. She said the whole focus in schools in disadvantaged areas was trying to improve test scores - an approach that narrowed the curriculum and undermined teacher collegiality. "It wasn't about teaching kids to be more literate, more numerate, it was about improving the number", she says.
You can watch the video here: http://www.aeufederal.org.au/LT/index2.html#LT2
Ms Gillard claims the approach in New York is working, evidenced by improved test scores. But it was recently revealed that passing grades had been dropped substantially to make it easier for students. The New York Times reported the threshold for passing the 7th grade maths test decreased so much students who guessed the answers stood a good chance of moving to the next grade. In addition, recent national exams showed New York students had made no notable progress. In state exams 80% of eighth graders had met learning standards in maths, a jump from 59% in two years. However, national tests showed only 34% were proficient, up from 30% in 2007. Fourth grade students actually performed worse than in 2007. A parent in new York, Martha Foote who is a member of the group Time Out from Testing said there was widespread opposition to Mr Klein's approach. She said the granting of a single letter grade for schools was "demeaning", and the fact that 97% of elementary and middle schools received an A or a B in 2009 was "further proof of how invalid and useless these grades are".