Using two newspaper articles/professional publications (see below)

Using two newspaper articles/professional publications (see below), and drawing on the Whitin & Whitin (2011) framework, critically analyse and discuss how the ‘findings’ or ‘outcomes’ of a standardised test/survey were used to persuade the public or the profession of a particular point of view.

Using two newspaper articles/professional publications (see below)

“Students will investigate the way in which standardised tests or standardised achievement goals are implemented and understood in an educational setting. They critique these understandings, drawing on current research literature in support of their own critical philosophical position on standardised tests or standardised achievement goals”.

The assessment task (1800-2000 words):
Using two newspaper articles/professional publications (see below), and drawing on the Whitin & Whitin (2011) framework, critically analyse and discuss how the ‘findings’ or ‘outcomes’ of a standardised test/survey were used to persuade the public or the profession of a particular point of view.

Reflect on how you will integrate what you learned from this assignment into your own critical philosophical position on standardised tests or standardised achievement goals.
Articles (Primary and Secondary)
Article 1: Let’s abandon NAPLAN
Article 2: Five things we wouldn’t know without NAPLAN.

In your essay address these points:

1. Firstly, why is competence in evaluating and interpreting data sets important for a professional educator in current times? (I.e. why do professional educators need to be able to accurately interpret NAPLAN/AEDC/TIMMS/PISA results?).

2. Secondly, what arguments for and against NAPLAN/AECD are present ed in each of the two articles?

3. Thirdly, identify and discuss points you consider to be problematic/inaccurate/missing in each of the two articles. When arguing discussing these points, use the Whitin & Whitin (2011) “Heuristic for a Critic’s Orientation towards Statistics”, p. 10 to develop your critical analysis. Use two or more of the following points to guide your analysis and discussion:
Firstly, what data NAPLAN collects and how it is collect ed,
Secondly, when NAPLAN data is collect ed and when the data are available,
Thirdly, the ways that NAPLAN is or can be analyse d,
Fourthly, the ways it can or could be interpret ed and used by policy makers/teachers/parents,
Further, the ways in which these interpretations and/or uses could impact on students.

4. Reflect on the critical perspective you have developed from doing this assignment and the ways in which this has influenced your philosophical position on the impact of standardised tests or standardised achievement goals on education.

        Note:
What attracts high marks is the quality of what you write, not the number of points you make.