The AEU is participating on the My School Working Party in good faith and expects that the advice of the profession aimed at addressing concerns with the misuse of student data and league tables will be respected and acted upon by ACARA and Ministers.

The establishment of the My School Working Party, and the terms upon which it was established was the basis upon which the AEU lifted the moratorium on the administration of NAPLAN tests last month.

As stated in correspondence by the Deputy Prime Minister to the AEU, the role of the working party is to provide advice on the use of student performance data and other indicators of school effectiveness. That advice, and the further development of the My School website by ACARA, will be in line with the commitments of the Federal Government which include “an opposition to the misuse of student performance data including simplistic league tables”.

The AEU has sought the support of a number of leading and prominent academics and researchers to provide advice on matters that will be the subject of deliberation by the My School Working Party. Prof Alan Reid, Prof Brian Caldwell, Prof Allan Luke, Barbara Preston, and A/Prof Margaret Wu have agreed to form an “expert panel”.