Hundreds of schools to roll out year 1 maths checks next term

More than 400 Victorian primary schools will roll out a new year 1 numeracy checks next term as the state expands its screening programs designed to identify students at risk of falling behind in maths.

The rollout will coincide with the first year 2 reassessment of children who did not reach the benchmark in last year’s phonics check, giving schools new data on students who may need extra help with literacy and numeracy.

The year 1 numeracy check, which will become mandatory in all public primary schools from next year, is being piloted and will help assesses what experts describe as a child’s “number sense”.

But some principals will wait until it is mandated, claiming the check is a strain on resources given they already implement several other tests.

The evidence-based numeracy check is aligned with Victoria’s revised curriculum. It tests how a child orders, compares or recognises a collection of numbers, rather than only their counting or calculation skills.

It will complement a phonics screening check introduced for year 1 students last year, which is now being followed by a year 2 check for students who did not meet the benchmark.

A Grattan Institute analysis published last year found one in three school students failed to achieve proficiency in maths, and that in Victoria and the ACT, nearly 30 per cent of students were not proficient in NAPLAN numeracy.

Kelly Norris, manager of early numeracy research at the Centre for Independent Studies, said the checks were a “strong first step”.

“However, identifying children at risk is not enough on its own. It’s what we do next that really makes the difference – whether that identification leads to timely and effective support for those children,” she said.

Norris said there was a problem with maths proficiency in Australian schools.

“Victoria does perform relatively well compared with many other Australian states and territories, but Australia’s overall performance in international assessments has declined over the longer term,” she said.

She said early identification and intervention was important.

“The goal is not just to find students who are struggling, but to provide support early enough to prevent small gaps in number sense from becoming entrenched achievement gaps later on,” she said.

Norris said numeracy checks had the potential to be less time intensive than assessments used in the past, but individual administration was still a costly choice.

“The goal with a numeracy check, ideally, is to get the most useful information in the least practical time,” she said. “It will be interestin