The ICT Literacy Report represents the findings from the first national assessment of the ICT literacy of Australian school students. It is the third to be published as part of the National Assessment Program (NAP), which includes a cyclical three-yearly program of sample assessments of student outcomes in three critical learning areas—science; civics and citizenship; and information and communications technology. These assessments are in addition to the annual literacy and numeracy assessments conducted since 1999. The first of the sample assessments to be published was the 2003 National Year 6 Science Assessment Report, followed by the Civics and Citizenship Years 6 and 10 Report 2004.
The ICT Literacy Sample Assessment was conducted in October 2005. A total of 7,393 students in Years 6 and 10 from 517 schools participated in the assessment which measured their ability to use ICT appropriately to access, manage, integrate and evaluate information; develop new understandings; and communicate with others in order to participate effectively in society. Results of the assessment show that nationally, 49 per cent of Year 6 students achieved the Year 6 proficient standard and 61 per cent of Year 10 students achieved or bettered the Year 10 proficient standard. The ‘Proficient’ standard is a “challenging but reasonable” level of performance that would be expected for a student at that year level.
