The Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA) is a program run by School Curriculum Standards Authority (SCSA). Each year, in March and September students sit an online assessment in reading, writing and/or numeracy, if they have not yet qualified in that area. Once they have demonstrated the required level they do not need to sit that component again.

In the last few years most boys have reached the required level in OLNA after the first round of assessment in March of Year 10. Prior to that assessment all boys will have an OLNA preparation session in whatever component/s they need to sit. The sessions are run by Year 10 English and Mathematics teachers. Students who do not meet the standard in March of Year 10 will receive further support before the next assessment round in September of Year 10. Further support will be offered to boys who need to take the assessment in Years 11 and 12.

The tests are conducted twice a year in March and September. It is compulsory for students to sit the test in Year 10 and the first round of Year 11 if they are not yet qualified. Students have six opportunities to meet the requirement through the March and September rounds in Years 10, 11 and 12.

If your son has been in another school in WA and qualified in any of the literacy or numeracy requirements then this data will come through in the registration process and he will not have to sit the test.

There is no such thing as a ‘pass’ in NAPLAN. Students who have achieved a band 8 or higher in the reading, writing or numeracy components of NAPLAN have prequalified in that component and do not need to satisfy numeracy and literacy requirements through OLNA. Band 8 is above the National average so more than half the students in the state will need to sit OLNA in Year 10.

As the prequalification for OLNA is above the National and state average, more than 50% of students across WA sit the OLNA in Year 10. At Scotch College this has been between 10% and 16% of our students for numeracy, between 22% and 25% sit the reading test, and between 37% and 40% are required to sit the writing test. After the March round in Year 10 about 5.9% of Scotch College students still need to qualify in numeracy, 5.2% for reading and 6.2% for writing.

The most important role for parents is to provide support and encouragement. You certainly can discuss the significance of the assessment but do not overemphasise its importance. SCSA states that “provision of broad and comprehensive teaching and learning is the best preparation” that teachers can provide for students. “Excessive coaching and assessment preparation is inappropriate.” Your son’s teachers have a number of things they include in the preparation sessions before the assessments.

No. The school will provide preparation sessions for each component before each round of testing. In Year 10 in 2016, after the March round there were eight students who still needed to qualify in numeracy, nine for reading and 13 for writing. These students will receive help through their Mathematics and English classes and can get extra support in The Residence and in the Boarding House if applicable. Our students have been given a category 2 status which SCSA describes as “students who have not demonstrated the minimum standard but are expected to do so before the end of Year 12”.

Practice assessments are available online.

Address https://assess.scsa.wa.edu.au

Username 1171

Password prac14