I recommend the use of Value Added Learning, or VAL, indexes to compare the performance of Australian schools using the My School website data.

VAL indexes are ratios of mean scaled scores converted to percentages. They can be used to compare the improvement made by the same cohort of students across two years on any or all of the five NAPLAN scales of Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation, and Numeracy. For example, the VAL indexes for Numeracy* from 2009 to 2011 are as follows:

The Numeracy VAL index for all Australian primary schools is 123.9. On average, primary schools across Australia improved the numeracy performance of their students by 23.9 per cent between Year 3 in 2009 and Year 5 in 2011. The Numeracy VAL for Victoria’s 2009 Year 3 cohort is 121.6. From Year 3 in 2009 to Year 5 this year, Victoria’s primary school students improved their numeracy skills by 21.6 per cent. Northern Territory students improved the most with a 31.5 per cent improvement across the two years.

The Numeracy VAL index for NSW’s secondary schools matches the all Australian secondary schools VAL of 107.4. NSW’s students improved their numeracy skills by 7.4 per cent between Year 7 in 2009 and Year 9 in 2011. Northern Territory students improved the most, showing a 9 per cent gain across the same two year period.

How to calculate a primary school’s VAL index using the My School website data:
  Find the primary school's 2011 Year 5 average numeracy score
  Find the primary school's 2009 Year 3 average numeracy score
  Divide the first score by the second score and multiply by 100
Compare this figure with the numeracy VAL index for all Australian primary schools of 123.9
(If the calculated VAL is higher than 123.9 then the school is performing above the national average)

How to calculate a secondary school’s VAL index using the My School website data:
  Find the secondary school's 2011 Year 9 average numeracy score
  Find the secondary school's 2009 Year 7 average numeracy score
  Divide the first score by the second score and multiply by 100
Compare this figure with the numeracy VAL index for all Australian secondary schools of 107.4
(If the calculated VAL is higher than 107.4 then the school is performing above the national average)

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