If you feel like you're trying to learn another language when reading about your child's schooling, we explain some of the jargon you may encounter.

There's always a lot going on in the education sector, so it can be hard to keep up. To help you out, we've summarised some of the biggest news items affecting school education.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has released the preliminary results from the 2014 National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) test.

A report released by the New South Wales Auditor-General has indicated that no significant progress has been made over the past ten years in terms of improving literacy among Indigenous students.

With the Olympics having come to an end, media reports continue to discuss suggestions that there is too little emphasis on sport in Australian schools.

With NAPLAN testing over for the year, opposition against the testing regime continues.

The federal government's annual report detailing initiatives to close the gap between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous population has found that a number of the goals listed in the 2011 report have seen improvement.

The second stage of the 2011 NAPLAN testing results have been released, following the September release of the initial NAPLAN Summary Report and the distribution of individual student reports.

The Review of Funding for Schooling has found that Australian schools are failing to get the best results for their students. It made several recommendations to reform school funding priorities at a total cost of $5 billion.

The preliminary results from the 2011 NAPLAN tests are looking promising, with more than 90 per cent of students who took part in the literacy and numeracy testing meeting the minimum national standard.

National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy

If you have an idea about how to improve things, a desire to take an active role in the school generally, or just want to stay informed, here are some questions and ideas to get you started.

As this year's NAPLAN tests took place in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 classrooms around Australia, the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) confirmed that is investigating the possibility of offering the tests online in the future.