This month's school NAPLAN testing will reach an important milestone that will change the nature of results, but calls to scrap the test remain.
On May 10 students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 will sit the national literacy and numeracy test online, using adaptive testing that matches questions to a student's ability.
It means if a student answered a question incorrectly, the child would follow a different pathway of questions.
According to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), it would provide a better read-out of students' abilities.
And from next year, the controversial assessment tool would be rescheduled to occur during March in a bid to reduce so-called hot-housing — or teaching to the test — and to allow for the earlier return of data to teachers and school administrators.
Online testing 'more accurate'
ACARA chief executive David de Carvalho said the changes would improve student engagement.
"Adaptive online testing allows for a more accurate record of ability," he said.
"Teachers will be able to make more effective use of results.
"It helps parents, teachers and system authorities make decisions about the education of young people."
Mr de Carvalho said schools should not be teaching to the test.
"NAPLAN is not suppose to be something that students feel under pressure to study for, but it's really important we have this valuable data," he said.
Under the current NAPLAN system, each student received an individualised report from the test.
Online results, however, would show broad data for each school and highlight how schools of a similar socio-economic profile were performing in comparison.
A 'waste of time and energy'
Despite the changes, some parents and the teachers' union believed the test should be scrapped.
Former primary school teacher Wendy Minto objected to her daughter taking part in NAPLAN testing.
The Sunshine Coast woman said she had made a conscious effort to withdraw her daughter from participating in the national test.
"It's a total waste of time and energy," Ms Minto said.
"The data isn't used in the right way; it's used to rank schools, which is ridiculous.
"It doesn't help children's learning."
Ms Minto said she believed teachers were told to teach to the test.
"The pressure it puts on kids and teachers is unnecessary," she said.
Outside the 'NAPLAN box'
Mother Nicole Gillman, whose daughter Quinn did not participate in NAPLAN during Year 3, also objected to the test.
"It's difficult for children like my daughter, who is at a different level due to medical things happening in her life," she said.
"It's a deflating process at the ripe old age of eight years old."
A spokesperson for Education Queensland said NAPLAN tests were an important tool to help schools identify how education programs were working and what needed to be improved.
The spokesperson said it assisted schools and the government to recognise curriculum programs that were effective in improving student outcomes.
Union renews calls to scrap test
Some 1,151 Queensland schools, including 749 state schools, were moving to NAPLAN Online this year.
But Queensland Teachers Union president Cresta Richardson did not believe the changes did anything to make NAPLAN a worthwhile tool.
She said it was time to scrap the test.
"It wastes student time, time to teach, and it actually doesn't really lead to key indicators to improve student education."
