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News bulletins from the Australian Council for Educational Research published 3134 subscribers Subscribe Now In this issue: Employment experience has strongest influence on labour market outcomes Building teacher quality ACER UPDATE Building teacher quality: What does the research tell us? Promoting teacher quality in the UK Assessing teacher performance reliably and validly Quality teaching matters most Young teachers face bright futures ACER UPDATE Aptitude Test for International Secondary Students (ATISS) Cunningham Library introduces new services Cambodia-Australia National Examinations Project (CANEP) completed ACER UPDATE Year 12 subject selection broadens ACER-led delegation investigates US teacher quality practices ACER Data Interpretation Service Hong Kong Institute of Education training program ACER UPDATE School leavers can do well in the workforce Year 8 mathematics students may not be challenged enough New edition of TORCH released ACER UPDATE Impact of school libraries on student achievement New database aids research of international education A Good Start to Numeracy Understanding and monitoring children’s growth ACER UPDATE International video study of mathematics teaching released National Awards for Quality Schooling Improving the Foundations for Lifelong Learning ACER Research Conference 2003 ACER UPDATE Report shows impact of growing social stratification among Australian schools Young Australians delay transitions to adulthood Australian testing in TIMSS study complete Advancing Literacy Learning Making PISA results more accessible PISA study enters second cycle Educational research available online Employment experience has strongest influence on labour market outcomes Experience of working full-time early in the school-to-work transition has the most positive effect on youth labour market outcomes, more so than completion of Year 12 itself or post-secondary qualifications. This is not to understate the significant positive effect of Year 12 completion on entry to employment and to longer-term labour market outcomes. In addition, early experience of unemployment has a 'scarring' effect on subsequent unemployment. Continue reading » Building teacher quality It is widely recognised that the quality of teaching is crucial to the learning outcomes of students, but what does research tell us about the best ways to build teacher quality? What lessons can Australian educators learn from the experiences of colleagues in other countries? These were among the questions posed at ACER's Research Conference 2003 held in October. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE ACER appoints Research Director of early childhood education ACER has appointed Professor Alison Elliot to the newly created position of Research Director (Early Childhood Education). Professor Elliott comes to ACER from the University of Canberra where she was Professor of Early Childhood Education and Head of School. Professor Elliott has had a long connection with the Australian Early Childhood Association and has been editor of the Association's publication Every Child for the past eight years. Professor Elliott her role with ACER in mid November based in the Sydney office. ACER chief executive Professor Geoff Masters said he was delighted with the appointment, which is in keeping with ACER's objective of expanding its research activities over the next few years. "Alison Elliott's appointment and the prospect of building our research in the early childhood area are exciting developments for ACER," he said. Academic Talent Program (WA) ACER has been awarded the contract to run the Academic Talent Program for the Department of Education and Training in Western Australia for the next three years. The test is designed to assist in the selection of students from primary school into a range of specialist secondary schools. Building teacher quality: What does the research tell us? Some 400 educational researchers, policy makers and practitioners from around Australia and overseas came together in Melbourne from 19-21 October to share knowledge and developments in building teacher quality as ACER hosted Research Conference 2003 , 'Building Teacher Quality: What does the research tell us?' Research Conference 2003 aimed to enhance understanding of the significance of building teacher quality and ways in which efforts to improve teacher quality is best informed by research. Continue reading » Promoting teacher quality in the UK A program of reform in England's Initial Teacher Training (ITT) led to measurable improvements in the quality of teaching and helped to build a stronger teaching sector according to the chief executive of the Teacher Training Agency, Mr Ralph Tabberer. Mr Tabberer gave a keynote address at Research Conference 2003 on the role of the Teacher Training Agency in promoting teacher quality in England. Continue reading » Assessing teacher performance reliably and validly Teacher performance can be assessed reliably and validly and the assessment process can be a powerful form of professional development for teachers, evidence from the United States shows. Dr Lloyd Bond, Senior Scholar with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in the United States, demonstrated this during his presentation at Research Conference 2003 . Dr Bond reflected on his 12 years working closely with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBTS), the US body responsible for certifying teachers, and present evidence from a US study that showed certified teachers outperformed non-certified teachers against a number of criteria. Continue reading » Quality teaching matters most Quality teachers and teaching, supported by strategic professional development, is what matters most in students' experiences and outcomes of schooling, ACER Research Director Dr Ken Rowe said at Research Conference 2003. Dr Rowe presented key findings from Australian and international evidence-based research on educational effectiveness. Continue reading » Young teachers face bright futures Australian teachers currently beginning and in the early stages of their careers are likely to be given excellent opportunities to obtain leadership positions over the next 10-15 years according to a leading education consultant. Speaking at Research Conference 2003 , Barbara Preston, who has been investigating the teaching labour market at various times over more than two decades, presented a study of the career experiences and circumstances of three different cohorts of Australian teachers. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Conference Proceedings and papers online The published proceedings from Research Conference 2003 are available online at the ACER website. The paper by John Hattie of the University of Auckland -Teachers make a difference what is the evidence? Is also available for download from the ACER web site. Follow the evidence The conference paper, "Follow the evidence: What counts as quality literacy teaching in the early years?" by Professor William Louden presented data that is part of a report to be released by the Commonwealth in 2004. ACER International Test Users' Conference 2004 Call for papers Submissions are invited to present a 90 minute workshop at the forthcoming International Test Users' Conference to be held in Melbourne, 19-20 July 2004. The title of the conference is Assessing intelligence, emotion and behaviour and the aim is to provide a forum for the dissemination and discussion of strategies used for measurement and assessment in these domains. Download additional information (PDF: 64kb) Research Conference 2004 Research Conference 2004 will take place in Adelaide from 24-26 October 2004. The conference, titled Supporting Student Wellbeing, will ask 'what does the research tell us about the social and emotional development of young people?' Further information available at Research Conference section. Aptitude Test for International Secondary Students (ATISS) There has been rapid growth in recent years in the numbers of international secondary school students studying in Australia and it seems likely that the visa application process for the sector will become increasingly regulated. The Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) recently commissioned ACER to develop a test which could be used in this process and provide an instrument that would be useful to schools. Continue reading » Cunningham Library introduces new services ACER has one of the most comprehensive educational research libraries in Australia and this is becoming more accessible to the public, here and around the world. Cunningham Library has introduced a number of new membership services that allow researchers to access its extensive databases from their desktop. Continue reading » Cambodia-Australia National Examinations Project (CANEP) completed The Cambodia-Australia National Examinations Project (CANEP) was completed in September after six years. The project, managed jointly by ACER and IDP Education Australia, assisted the Cambodian government to reform the country's examinations system. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Social Outcomes 2003-2005 ACER is undertaking the third phase of a study designed to develop instruments to assess the social outcomes of schooling. The focus of the study is to map and describe growth. Previous work investigated the assessment of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. This phase of the study will refine previous instruments and develop some new instruments for the assessment of intrapersonal understandings. APERA Handbook on Educational Research in the Asia Pacific Region published Kluwer has published the Handbook on Educational Research in the Asia Pacific Region on behalf of The Asia-Pacific Educational Research Association (APERA). The Handbook is edited by John P. Keeves of the Flinders University, South Australia and Ryo Watanabe of the National Institute for Educational Research (NIER) of Japan and is Kluwer International Handbooks of Education Volume 11. The handbook consists of two volumes, more than 90 chapters and 1200 pages. Its aim is to present readily accessible, but scholarly sources of information about educational research in the Asia-Pacific region. Articles included in it provide substantive contributions to knowledge and understanding of education in the Asia region. In so doing, the articles present the problems and issues facing education in the region and the findings of research conducted within the region that contribute to the resolution of these problems and issues and indicate the likely directions of future developments. For further information on the handbook visit Springer APERA is a not for profit organisation founded in 2001 with the aim of promoting increased collaboration on educational research in the Asia-Pacific region. ACER is a founding member of APERA and the current secretariat. For further information on APERA visit the web site or email the secretariat ACER Select released ACER Select is a quick and easily administered test of verbal and numerical reasoning, suitable for recruitment and selection for a variety of occupations from technical and trade to sales and clerical to junior management and graduate selection. A major revision of the well established and best selling ACER Higher and Advanced Tests (ML-MQ, PL-PQ, AL-AQ, BL-BQ), ACER Select has two test forms - Professional and General - each with two separate sections - Verbal and Numerical. ACER Select can be used for selecting: Accounts clerks; Call centre operators; Computer programmers; Customer service operators; Graduates; HR officers; Insurance investigators; Technical and trade; Workplace trainers; Market research interviewers; Personal assistants; and for other occupations where training is involved or there is a moderate to high level of demand on reasoning ability. (Starter Kit Product Code: 0864317298) For further information visit ACER Online Shop by phone on (03) 9837 5447 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Year 12 subject selection broadens Australia's Year 12 students have broadened their subject selections over the past decade. More Year 12 students have turned to vocationally oriented subjects and away from traditional key learning areas of English, mathematics, society and environment and the sciences. This is among the key findings of a new study of Year 12 participation and subject selection released by ACER on 21 August. Continue reading » ACER-led delegation investigates US teacher quality practices ACER recently led a delegation of representatives from Australian education systems and organisations on a study tour to Washington DC to observe the work of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The aim of the visit was to find and share answers to questions on teacher quality in Australia such as what do we mean when we talk about teacher quality and how do we know it when we see it? Research Fellow in ACER's Teaching and Leadership program, Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz, reported on the observations made during the visit. Continue reading » ACER Data Interpretation Service ACER now operates a Data Interpretation Service (DIS) for schools, to assist school leaders and teachers monitor the academic achievements of all their students, in terms of ability, gender and year level. Continue reading » Hong Kong Institute of Education training program ACER recently hosted a group of 13 academic staff from the Hong Kong Institute of Education who were in Melbourne to undertake professional development in educational assessment. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Primary Science Assessment Project Phase II (PSAP II) This new project is the implementation phase of a test development project undertaken by ACER during 2002. In phase I of the project ACER provided trial items and trialing services to generate a suite of items for two composite test forms. The first is the instrument to provide data for the generation of baseline information regarding the standards achieved by Year 6 students in a nation wide science test. The second test is to be a secure monitoring instrument, calibrated in the first implementation, and used in future programs for equating purposes. This project involves drawing a national sample, managing all the logistics associated with printing, distribution and collection of student responses, hand-marking extended responses with a marking team representing all states and territories, analysing the results and working with PMRT and BEMU to establish performance standards and statements. Australian Journal of Education The latest edition of the Australian Journal of Education, published by ACER, is now available. The August 2003 edition (Volume 47 Number 2) is a special issue devoted to principal recruitment with Peter Gronn as guest editor. For information on subscribing to AJE contact ACER Press on (03) 9277 5447 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) National Awards for Quality Schooling ACER's work on the National Awards for Quality Schooling has continued through August. ACER has recently hosted panels of judges charged with assessing the more than 200 applications received. ACER and the Australian College of Educators are jointly managing the NAQS project on behalf of the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). ACER staff developed the judging strategy for the awards, the criteria applied to shortlisting candidates and has trained the judges. One million dollars in prize money, provided by DEST, will reward Australian schools, teachers and school leaders for outstanding contributions to schooling. Graduate recruitment program ACER has introduced a Graduate Recruitment Program (GRP) that provides an opportunity for graduates with an outstanding record of academic and personal achievement to join ACER staff, to contribute to projects, and to develop new knowledge and research skills. Graduates who join ACER will initially participate in a 12-month training and development program. This program includes up to three work placements and access to formal training programs and information sessions. A workplace mentor/coach is appointed to support each graduate during their 12-month program. The inaugural GRP commences on 2 February 2004. School leavers can do well in the workforce Many early school leavers progress well in the first few years after leaving school, according to the latest report from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY). The findings question the widespread belief that students who leave school before Year 12 struggle to make a successful transition to the workforce. Continue reading » Year 8 mathematics students may not be challenged enough The findings of the TIMSS 1999 Video Study suggests that Australian mathematics teachers may be underestimating the ability of Year 8 students and not challenging them enough in class. Continue reading » New edition of TORCH released ACER recently published the second edition of the popular Tests of Reading Comprehension (TORCH). TORCH is a best selling Australian test used by teachers of students in Year 3 to Year 10 seeking information about the reading comprehension of their students. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Smith Family Project ACER has been commissioned by the Smith Family to investigate the post-school plans, parental education level, family structure and lifelong learning orientation of young people. This forms part of their research program into understanding how children and young people from financially disadvantaged backgrounds build on the different forms of support provided by the Learning for Life program to overcome the limits of their disadvantage to make a successful transition into the world of work. The duration of the study will be from July 2003 to December 2003. Global Gateways ACER has been asked by education.au limited to update the publication Global Gateways: A Guide to Online Knowledge Networks , which was published by ACER last year. The Guide looks at education gateways/portals and at broad trends within the industry and in e-learning more generally. Enquiries about the guide are welcome. WAMSE English 2003 This project is the next in a series of Western Australia Monitoring Standards in Education projects, building on a collaboration that is over ten-years old. This project has two components: a) Sampling design and selection of students for Reading and Writing in Year 10 and Speaking and Listening in Years 3, 7 and 10. b) Data analysis and reporting of the Speaking and Listening data, including equating to the historical scale. The testing of Speaking and Listening was previously undertaken in 1995 and 1999. Impact of school libraries on student achievement The library is an important, but sometimes overlooked, part of a school. Research shows that school libraries can have a positive impact on a range of learning areas, including reading scores, literacy, and broader learning. ACER Research Fellow Dr Michele Lonsdale recently conducted a review, Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement: A Review of the Research, for the Australian School Library Association. Continue reading » New database aids research of international education ACER's Cunningham Library has been contracted by AEI - The Australian Government International Education Network of the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) to develop a database on research on international education. Continue reading » A Good Start to Numeracy ACER researchers recently completed a literature review of the research and practice in early childhood numeracy. A Good Start to Numeracy examines research projects into effective early childhood numeracy practices that have been conducted in the last ten years, both within Australia and overseas, and reports key findings related to numeracy at home, numeracy in the pre-school and numeracy in the early years of schools. Continue reading » Understanding and monitoring children’s growth No concept is more central to the work of teachers than the concept of growth writes ACER Chief Executive Professor Geoff Masters and Senior Research Fellows Dr Ken Rowe and Marion Meiers. As educators we use many different terms to describe cognitive, affective and personal growth, including 'learning', 'development', 'progress' and 'improvement'. However we describe it, the concept of individual growth lies at the heart of our work as a profession. Closely linked to the concept of individual growth is our fundamental belief that all learners are capable of progressing beyond their current levels of attainment. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Smith Family Project ACER has been commissioned by the Smith Family to investigate the post-school plans, parental education level, family structure and lifelong learning orientation of young people. This forms part of their research program into understanding how children and young people from financially disadvantaged backgrounds build on the different forms of support provided by the Learning for Life program to overcome the limits of their disadvantage to make a successful transition into the world of work. The duration of the study will be from July 2003 to December 2003. Global Gateways ACER has been asked by education.au limited to update the publication Global Gateways: A Guide to Online Knowledge Networks , which was published by ACER last year. The Guide looks at education gateways/portals and at broad trends within the industry and in e-learning more generally. Enquiries about the guide are welcome. WAMSE English 2003 This project is the next in a series of Western Australia Monitoring Standards in Education projects, building on a collaboration that is over ten-years old. This project has two components: a) Sampling design and selection of students for Reading and Writing in Year 10 and Speaking and Listening in Years 3, 7 and 10. b) Data analysis and reporting of the Speaking and Listening data, including equating to the historical scale. The testing of Speaking and Listening was previously undertaken in 1995 and 1999. International video study of mathematics teaching released A major international video study in seven countries including Australia has identified no single best method of teaching eighth-grade mathematics in high achieving countries. Teaching Mathematics in Seven Countries: Results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 1999 Video Study was released in Washington in late March. Continue reading » National Awards for Quality Schooling ACER is working with the Australian College of Educators to implement a new Commonwealth Government initiative to provide recognition to teachers and schools through a national awards system. Continue reading » Improving the Foundations for Lifelong Learning ACER has released a new report, Engaging Secondary Students in Lifelong Learning , which provides a set of case studies undertaken in a number of secondary schools in South Australia and Victoria. The report identifies ways that the foundations for lifelong learning can be built in secondary schools. Continue reading » ACER Research Conference 2003 ACER's annual research conference will this year focus on the theme of Building Teacher Quality. The conference will take place in Melbourne between 19-21 October. See Research Conference section for more information. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Survey of emotional well-being ACER is to collaborate with Professor Michael Bernard, Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne and currently at the College of Education, California State University, to provide schools with surveys that measure students' social emotional well being. It is hoped to have the questionnaires available to schools within the next two months. Test for the Foreign Affairs and Trade applicants ACER has won the contract to deliver a cognitive abilities test to graduates seeking employment with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The test will be administered both in Australia and at Australian embassies around the world. Report shows impact of growing social stratification among Australian schools Socio-economic status had a significant effect on the reading comprehension and mathematics test scores achieved by Australian 14-year-olds between 1975 and 1998, according to new ACER research. The latest report in the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth research program found that, while overall achievement levels of students remained relatively stable between 1975 and 1998, notable differences were found between students by socio-economic status, both at an individual level and between schools. Continue reading » Young Australians delay transitions to adulthood A recent report released by ACER as part of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) research program found that relatively simple and condensed transitions from education to full-time employment, to moving out of home and into home ownership, from 'singledom' to marriage are no longer the norm for young Australians. Continue reading » Australian testing in TIMSS study complete Around 12,000 students Australia-wide undertook testing of their maths and science achievement levels in late 2002 as part of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2002/3 managed by ACER. Continue reading » Advancing Literacy Learning Approaches to literacy teaching and learning in Year 1 can have effects that last at least until Year 3. Children exposed to particular kinds of literacy teaching not only make greater progress in Year 1, but also display higher levels of literacy achievement by the end of Year 3. These are among the findings of recent research conducted by ACER into Literacy Advance, a reform strategy of literacy teaching and learning introduced in 1997 by the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria. Continue reading » Making PISA results more accessible All educators can take advantage of the information collected in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study of reading, mathematical and scientific literacy through an innovative online data dissemination strategy, developed by ACER for the OECD following considerable international interest in the data. The data are available on the internet in formats tailored to the needs of different potential users. Continue reading » PISA study enters second cycle The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study will enter its second cycle of testing in 2003. Continue reading » Educational research available online Educational researchers can now gain access to a number of research services provided by ACER's Cunningham Library. Services included an easily searchable database of more than 12,000 research articles and documents. Continue reading »
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In this issue:

Employment experience has strongest influence on labour market outcomes

Experience of working full-time early in the school-to-work transition has the most positive effect on youth labour market outcomes, more so than completion of Year 12 itself or post-secondary qualifications. This is not to understate the significant positive effect of Year 12 completion on entry to employment and to longer-term labour market outcomes. In addition, early experience of unemployment has a 'scarring' effect on subsequent unemployment.

Building teacher quality

It is widely recognised that the quality of teaching is crucial to the learning outcomes of students, but what does research tell us about the best ways to build teacher quality? What lessons can Australian educators learn from the experiences of colleagues in other countries? These were among the questions posed at ACER's Research Conference 2003 held in October.

ACER UPDATE

ACER appoints Research Director of early childhood education

ACER has appointed Professor Alison Elliot to the newly created position of Research Director (Early Childhood Education). Professor Elliott comes to ACER from the University of Canberra where she was Professor of Early Childhood Education and Head of School. Professor Elliott has had a long connection with the Australian Early Childhood Association and has been editor of the Association's publication Every Child for the past eight years. Professor Elliott her role with ACER in mid November based in the Sydney office. ACER chief executive Professor Geoff Masters said he was delighted with the appointment, which is in keeping with ACER's objective of expanding its research activities over the next few years.

"Alison Elliott's appointment and the prospect of building our research in the early childhood area are exciting developments for ACER," he said.

Academic Talent Program (WA)

ACER has been awarded the contract to run the Academic Talent Program for the Department of Education and Training in Western Australia for the next three years. The test is designed to assist in the selection of students from primary school into a range of specialist secondary schools.

Building teacher quality: What does the research tell us?

Some 400 educational researchers, policy makers and practitioners from around Australia and overseas came together in Melbourne from 19-21 October to share knowledge and developments in building teacher quality as ACER hosted Research Conference 2003 , 'Building Teacher Quality: What does the research tell us?' Research Conference 2003 aimed to enhance understanding of the significance of building teacher quality and ways in which efforts to improve teacher quality is best informed by research.

Promoting teacher quality in the UK

A program of reform in England's Initial Teacher Training (ITT) led to measurable improvements in the quality of teaching and helped to build a stronger teaching sector according to the chief executive of the Teacher Training Agency, Mr Ralph Tabberer. Mr Tabberer gave a keynote address at Research Conference 2003 on the role of the Teacher Training Agency in promoting teacher quality in England.

Assessing teacher performance reliably and validly

Teacher performance can be assessed reliably and validly and the assessment process can be a powerful form of professional development for teachers, evidence from the United States shows. Dr Lloyd Bond, Senior Scholar with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in the United States, demonstrated this during his presentation at Research Conference 2003 . Dr Bond reflected on his 12 years working closely with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBTS), the US body responsible for certifying teachers, and present evidence from a US study that showed certified teachers outperformed non-certified teachers against a number of criteria.

Quality teaching matters most

Quality teachers and teaching, supported by strategic professional development, is what matters most in students' experiences and outcomes of schooling, ACER Research Director Dr Ken Rowe said at Research Conference 2003. Dr Rowe presented key findings from Australian and international evidence-based research on educational effectiveness.

Young teachers face bright futures

Australian teachers currently beginning and in the early stages of their careers are likely to be given excellent opportunities to obtain leadership positions over the next 10-15 years according to a leading education consultant. Speaking at Research Conference 2003 , Barbara Preston, who has been investigating the teaching labour market at various times over more than two decades, presented a study of the career experiences and circumstances of three different cohorts of Australian teachers.

ACER UPDATE

Conference Proceedings and papers online

The published proceedings from Research Conference 2003 are available online at the ACER website. The paper by John Hattie of the University of Auckland -Teachers make a difference what is the evidence? Is also available for download from the ACER web site.

Follow the evidence

The conference paper, "Follow the evidence: What counts as quality literacy teaching in the early years?" by Professor William Louden presented data that is part of a report to be released by the Commonwealth in 2004.

ACER International Test Users' Conference 2004

Call for papers

Submissions are invited to present a 90 minute workshop at the forthcoming International Test Users' Conference to be held in Melbourne, 19-20 July 2004. The title of the conference is Assessing intelligence, emotion and behaviour and the aim is to provide a forum for the dissemination and discussion of strategies used for measurement and assessment in these domains. Download additional information (PDF: 64kb)

Research Conference 2004

Research Conference 2004 will take place in Adelaide from 24-26 October 2004. The conference, titled Supporting Student Wellbeing, will ask 'what does the research tell us about the social and emotional development of young people?' Further information available at Research Conference section.

Aptitude Test for International Secondary Students (ATISS)

There has been rapid growth in recent years in the numbers of international secondary school students studying in Australia and it seems likely that the visa application process for the sector will become increasingly regulated. The Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) recently commissioned ACER to develop a test which could be used in this process and provide an instrument that would be useful to schools.

Cunningham Library introduces new services

ACER has one of the most comprehensive educational research libraries in Australia and this is becoming more accessible to the public, here and around the world. Cunningham Library has introduced a number of new membership services that allow researchers to access its extensive databases from their desktop.

Cambodia-Australia National Examinations Project (CANEP) completed

The Cambodia-Australia National Examinations Project (CANEP) was completed in September after six years. The project, managed jointly by ACER and IDP Education Australia, assisted the Cambodian government to reform the country's examinations system.

ACER UPDATE

Social Outcomes 2003-2005

ACER is undertaking the third phase of a study designed to develop instruments to assess the social outcomes of schooling. The focus of the study is to map and describe growth. Previous work investigated the assessment of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. This phase of the study will refine previous instruments and develop some new instruments for the assessment of intrapersonal understandings.

APERA Handbook on Educational Research in the Asia Pacific Region published

Kluwer has published the Handbook on Educational Research in the Asia Pacific Region on behalf of The Asia-Pacific Educational Research Association (APERA). The Handbook is edited by John P. Keeves of the Flinders University, South Australia and Ryo Watanabe of the National Institute for Educational Research (NIER) of Japan and is Kluwer International Handbooks of Education Volume 11.

The handbook consists of two volumes, more than 90 chapters and 1200 pages. Its aim is to present readily accessible, but scholarly sources of information about educational research in the Asia-Pacific region. Articles included in it provide substantive contributions to knowledge and understanding of education in the Asia region. In so doing, the articles present the problems and issues facing education in the region and the findings of research conducted within the region that contribute to the resolution of these problems and issues and indicate the likely directions of future developments.

For further information on the handbook visit Springer

APERA is a not for profit organisation founded in 2001 with the aim of promoting increased collaboration on educational research in the Asia-Pacific region. ACER is a founding member of APERA and the current secretariat. For further information on APERA visit the web site or email the secretariat

ACER Select released

ACER Select is a quick and easily administered test of verbal and numerical reasoning, suitable for recruitment and selection for a variety of occupations from technical and trade to sales and clerical to junior management and graduate selection.
A major revision of the well established and best selling ACER Higher and Advanced Tests (ML-MQ, PL-PQ, AL-AQ, BL-BQ), ACER Select has two test forms - Professional and General - each with two separate sections - Verbal and Numerical.
ACER Select can be used for selecting: Accounts clerks; Call centre operators; Computer programmers; Customer service operators; Graduates; HR officers; Insurance investigators; Technical and trade; Workplace trainers; Market research interviewers; Personal assistants; and for other occupations where training is involved or there is a moderate to high level of demand on reasoning ability. (Starter Kit Product Code: 0864317298) For further information visit ACER Online Shop by phone on (03) 9837 5447 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Year 12 subject selection broadens

Australia's Year 12 students have broadened their subject selections over the past decade. More Year 12 students have turned to vocationally oriented subjects and away from traditional key learning areas of English, mathematics, society and environment and the sciences. This is among the key findings of a new study of Year 12 participation and subject selection released by ACER on 21 August.

ACER-led delegation investigates US teacher quality practices

ACER recently led a delegation of representatives from Australian education systems and organisations on a study tour to Washington DC to observe the work of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The aim of the visit was to find and share answers to questions on teacher quality in Australia such as what do we mean when we talk about teacher quality and how do we know it when we see it? Research Fellow in ACER's Teaching and Leadership program, Dr Elizabeth Kleinhenz, reported on the observations made during the visit.

ACER Data Interpretation Service

ACER now operates a Data Interpretation Service (DIS) for schools, to assist school leaders and teachers monitor the academic achievements of all their students, in terms of ability, gender and year level.

Hong Kong Institute of Education training program

ACER recently hosted a group of 13 academic staff from the Hong Kong Institute of Education who were in Melbourne to undertake professional development in educational assessment.

ACER UPDATE

Primary Science Assessment Project Phase II (PSAP II)

This new project is the implementation phase of a test development project undertaken by ACER during 2002. In phase I of the project ACER provided trial items and trialing services to generate a suite of items for two composite test forms. The first is the instrument to provide data for the generation of baseline information regarding the standards achieved by Year 6 students in a nation wide science test. The second test is to be a secure monitoring instrument, calibrated in the first implementation, and used in future programs for equating purposes.

This project involves drawing a national sample, managing all the logistics associated with printing, distribution and collection of student responses, hand-marking extended responses with a marking team representing all states and territories, analysing the results and working with PMRT and BEMU to establish performance standards and statements.

Australian Journal of Education

The latest edition of the Australian Journal of Education, published by ACER, is now available. The August 2003 edition (Volume 47 Number 2) is a special issue devoted to principal recruitment with Peter Gronn as guest editor. For information on subscribing to AJE contact ACER Press on (03) 9277 5447 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

National Awards for Quality Schooling

ACER's work on the National Awards for Quality Schooling has continued through August. ACER has recently hosted panels of judges charged with assessing the more than 200 applications received. ACER and the Australian College of Educators are jointly managing the NAQS project on behalf of the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). ACER staff developed the judging strategy for the awards, the criteria applied to shortlisting candidates and has trained the judges.

One million dollars in prize money, provided by DEST, will reward Australian schools, teachers and school leaders for outstanding contributions to schooling.

Graduate recruitment program

ACER has introduced a Graduate Recruitment Program (GRP) that provides an opportunity for graduates with an outstanding record of academic and personal achievement to join ACER staff, to contribute to projects, and to develop new knowledge and research skills.

Graduates who join ACER will initially participate in a 12-month training and development program. This program includes up to three work placements and access to formal training programs and information sessions. A workplace mentor/coach is appointed to support each graduate during their 12-month program. The inaugural GRP commences on 2 February 2004.

School leavers can do well in the workforce

Many early school leavers progress well in the first few years after leaving school, according to the latest report from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY). The findings question the widespread belief that students who leave school before Year 12 struggle to make a successful transition to the workforce.

Year 8 mathematics students may not be challenged enough

The findings of the TIMSS 1999 Video Study suggests that Australian mathematics teachers may be underestimating the ability of Year 8 students and not challenging them enough in class.

New edition of TORCH released

ACER recently published the second edition of the popular Tests of Reading Comprehension (TORCH). TORCH is a best selling Australian test used by teachers of students in Year 3 to Year 10 seeking information about the reading comprehension of their students.

ACER UPDATE

Smith Family Project

ACER has been commissioned by the Smith Family to investigate the post-school plans, parental education level, family structure and lifelong learning orientation of young people. This forms part of their research program into understanding how children and young people from financially disadvantaged backgrounds build on the different forms of support provided by the Learning for Life program to overcome the limits of their disadvantage to make a successful transition into the world of work. The duration of the study will be from July 2003 to December 2003.

Global Gateways

ACER has been asked by education.au limited to update the publication Global Gateways: A Guide to Online Knowledge Networks , which was published by ACER last year. The Guide looks at education gateways/portals and at broad trends within the industry and in e-learning more generally. Enquiries about the guide are welcome.

WAMSE English 2003

This project is the next in a series of Western Australia Monitoring Standards in Education projects, building on a collaboration that is over ten-years old.

This project has two components:

a) Sampling design and selection of students for Reading and Writing in Year 10 and Speaking and Listening in Years 3, 7 and 10.

b) Data analysis and reporting of the Speaking and Listening data, including equating to the historical scale. The testing of Speaking and Listening was previously undertaken in 1995 and 1999.

Impact of school libraries on student achievement

The library is an important, but sometimes overlooked, part of a school. Research shows that school libraries can have a positive impact on a range of learning areas, including reading scores, literacy, and broader learning. ACER Research Fellow Dr Michele Lonsdale recently conducted a review, Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement: A Review of the Research, for the Australian School Library Association.

New database aids research of international education

ACER's Cunningham Library has been contracted by AEI - The Australian Government International Education Network of the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) to develop a database on research on international education.

A Good Start to Numeracy

ACER researchers recently completed a literature review of the research and practice in early childhood numeracy. A Good Start to Numeracy examines research projects into effective early childhood numeracy practices that have been conducted in the last ten years, both within Australia and overseas, and reports key findings related to numeracy at home, numeracy in the pre-school and numeracy in the early years of schools.

Understanding and monitoring children’s growth

No concept is more central to the work of teachers than the concept of growth writes ACER Chief Executive Professor Geoff Masters and Senior Research Fellows Dr Ken Rowe and Marion Meiers.

As educators we use many different terms to describe cognitive, affective and personal growth, including 'learning', 'development', 'progress' and 'improvement'. However we describe it, the concept of individual growth lies at the heart of our work as a profession. Closely linked to the concept of individual growth is our fundamental belief that all learners are capable of progressing beyond their current levels of attainment.

ACER UPDATE

Smith Family Project

Global Gateways

WAMSE English 2003

This project is the next in a series of Western Australia Monitoring Standards in Education projects, building on a collaboration that is over ten-years old.

This project has two components:

a) Sampling design and selection of students for Reading and Writing in Year 10 and Speaking and Listening in Years 3, 7 and 10.

b) Data analysis and reporting of the Speaking and Listening data, including equating to the historical scale. The testing of Speaking and Listening was previously undertaken in 1995 and 1999.

International video study of mathematics teaching released

A major international video study in seven countries including Australia has identified no single best method of teaching eighth-grade mathematics in high achieving countries. Teaching Mathematics in Seven Countries: Results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 1999 Video Study was released in Washington in late March.

National Awards for Quality Schooling

ACER is working with the Australian College of Educators to implement a new Commonwealth Government initiative to provide recognition to teachers and schools through a national awards system.

Improving the Foundations for Lifelong Learning

ACER has released a new report, Engaging Secondary Students in Lifelong Learning , which provides a set of case studies undertaken in a number of secondary schools in South Australia and Victoria. The report identifies ways that the foundations for lifelong learning can be built in secondary schools.

ACER Research Conference 2003

ACER's annual research conference will this year focus on the theme of Building Teacher Quality. The conference will take place in Melbourne between 19-21 October. See Research Conference section for more information.

ACER UPDATE

Survey of emotional well-being

ACER is to collaborate with Professor Michael Bernard, Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne and currently at the College of Education, California State University, to provide schools with surveys that measure students' social emotional well being. It is hoped to have the questionnaires available to schools within the next two months.

Test for the Foreign Affairs and Trade applicants

ACER has won the contract to deliver a cognitive abilities test to graduates seeking employment with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The test will be administered both in Australia and at Australian embassies around the world.

Report shows impact of growing social stratification among Australian schools

Socio-economic status had a significant effect on the reading comprehension and mathematics test scores achieved by Australian 14-year-olds between 1975 and 1998, according to new ACER research. The latest report in the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth research program found that, while overall achievement levels of students remained relatively stable between 1975 and 1998, notable differences were found between students by socio-economic status, both at an individual level and between schools.

Young Australians delay transitions to adulthood

A recent report released by ACER as part of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) research program found that relatively simple and condensed transitions from education to full-time employment, to moving out of home and into home ownership, from 'singledom' to marriage are no longer the norm for young Australians.

Australian testing in TIMSS study complete

Around 12,000 students Australia-wide undertook testing of their maths and science achievement levels in late 2002 as part of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2002/3 managed by ACER.

Advancing Literacy Learning

Approaches to literacy teaching and learning in Year 1 can have effects that last at least until Year 3. Children exposed to particular kinds of literacy teaching not only make greater progress in Year 1, but also display higher levels of literacy achievement by the end of Year 3. These are among the findings of recent research conducted by ACER into Literacy Advance, a reform strategy of literacy teaching and learning introduced in 1997 by the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria.

Making PISA results more accessible

All educators can take advantage of the information collected in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study of reading, mathematical and scientific literacy through an innovative online data dissemination strategy, developed by ACER for the OECD following considerable international interest in the data. The data are available on the internet in formats tailored to the needs of different potential users.

PISA study enters second cycle

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study will enter its second cycle of testing in 2003.

Educational research available online

Educational researchers can now gain access to a number of research services provided by ACER's Cunningham Library. Services included an easily searchable database of more than 12,000 research articles and documents.

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