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Jenny Donovan discusses AERO's analysis of NAPLAN writing data and the importance of writing instruction. Originally published in The Mandarin.

We found less than 1 in 5 students who perform below the national minimum standards in literacy and numeracy in the Year 3 NAPLAN tests catch up and stay caught up.

Writing proficiency is central to student success during the school years, and it influences personal and vocational outcomes post-school. The importance of writing as a communication and learning tool cannot be overstated.

We might associate ‘top schools’ with having the lion's share of academic high-achievers. However, when we look at the distribution of achievement across all students within schools and compare it to average differences between schools, the story is not so straightforward.