Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting

Australian Curriculum

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority is responsible for the development of an Australian curriculum for all schools from Foundation to Year 12 (F-12). ACARA is directed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Education Council and reports to all Australian Education Ministers through this Council.

The Australian Curriculum sets the expectations for what all Australian students should be taught, regardless of where they live or their background.

Schools and teachers are responsible for the organisation of learning and they will choose contexts for learning and plan learning in ways that best meet their student’s needs and interests.

Catholic schooling authorities in Queensland take responsibility for supporting school leaders and staff to meet the learning needs of every student by using effective planning, teaching, assessing and reporting practices.

For more information see our fact sheet on the Australian Curriculum.

In Queensland, the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) supports all schools, including Catholic schools, in implementing the Australian curriculum by providing access to resources.

Assessment

National Assessment Program

The National Assessment Program  (NAP) is run at the direction of Education Ministers. Australian assessments are managed by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) in collaboration with Test Administration Authorities and international assessments are managed by the Australian Government Department of Education. The NAP includes the following:

Australian assessments 

• The National Assessment Program –Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 
• Three-yearly NAP sample assessments for Year 6 and Year 10 in science literacy, civics and citizenship, and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy 
• NAP Opt-in assessments will be phased in from 2024 and are optional assessments for schools with all three test domains listed above available from 2026.

International assessments 

• Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 
• Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 
• Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). 

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) annually tests all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in the domains of Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation) and Numeracy.  

Replacement student NAPLAN reports

Schools can access an additional copy of a student report for the current year from the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authorities (QCAA) Portal fileShare app if a parent, other than the primary carer, requests a copy or if a report is lost. Principals can also contact the QCAA to request a NAPLAN report from a previous year. Please note that the QCAA can only take requests from, and provide replacement student reports to, schools for issue to parents/carers. 

New Queensland Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance systems

The Queensland Government introduced a new Senior Secondary system in 2019. This has commonly been referred to as the New QCE (Queensland Certificate of Education). This has involved the introduction of new subjects, syllabus and a new assessment program, comprising both internal and external assessments. The QCE is Queensland’s senior secondary schooling qualification. It is internationally recognised and provides evidence of senior schooling achievements. The QCE allows students to choose from a wide range of learning options to suit their interests and career goals.  

To receive a QCE, students must achieve the set amount of learning, at the set standard, in a set pattern, while meeting literacy and numeracy requirements.  

From 2020, graduating Queensland secondary students were given the opportunity to gain an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR), replacing the OP and bringing Queensland into line with other states and territories. ATARs are calculated by Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). Details regarding Tertiary entrance are available through the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s website. 

Reporting

A – E reporting

The Australian Curriculum is designed to help all young Australians to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens. Presented as a developmental sequence of learning from Foundation – Year 10, the Australian Curriculum describes to teachers, parents, students and others in the wider community what is to be taught and the quality of learning expected of young people as they progress through school.

To fulfil the legislative requirements of the Australian Education Act and Regulation 2013 schools must report to parents on student achievement and progress at least twice a year using a five-point scale. Teachers use standards and social moderation processes to describe how well a student has demonstrated their learning based on a collection of evidence.

Achievement standards

The Australian Curriculum sets out what all young people should be taught through the specification of curriculum content and the learning expected at points in their schooling through the specification of achievement standards. 

An achievement standard describes the quality of learning (the depth of understanding, extent of knowledge and sophistication of skill) expected of students at points in their schooling. In Queensland, the achievement standard represents the C Standard (or equivalent) on a five-point scale (A-E), representing the student’s knowledge and understanding and application of skills.  

Annual School Report

All Queensland schools are required to publish annually a minimum set of information for parents and the community.  The Annual Reporting Policy for all Queensland Schools incorporates both the Queensland Government and Australian Government annual reporting requirements for schools. To view a specific school’s annual report visit the school website. Find school details here.  

My School website

The My School website is hosted by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. It provides information that helps parents/carers and the community understand the performance of schools over time. My School contains data on every school in Australia. This includes information on a school’s student profile, its NAPLAN performance and funding. Enrolment numbers and attendance rates are also available. The My School website provides information that supports national transparency and accountability of Australia’s school education system through publication of nationally consistent school-level data.