In this issue:

• ACER celebrates 75th anniversary
• Junior secondary school students and the world of work
• Managing challenging behaviours workshops
• ACER UPDATE

ACER celebrated its 75th anniversary on 1 April 2005. ACER was established in the 1930s with a grant from the US based Carnegie Corporation and for 75 years has been undertaking a wide range of research and development and providing services and materials in support of educational policy-making and improved professional practice.

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A report that investigated the educational and occupational plans of junior secondary students prepared by ACER for The Smith Family was released in March. The study surveyed 3271 financially disadvantaged students in years 8 and 9 who are part of the Smith Family's Learning for Life Program.

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The challenge of finding ways to assist children to behave considerately, cooperatively and positively was addressed at a workshop presented by ACER in Taree, NSW on 19 March. The workshop was funded by the Telstra Foundation.

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ACER assists US school reform program

ACER is working with America's Choice, a whole school reform project operating in many schools in America, to develop assessment items for the Ramp-up facet of the program. Ramp-up is a withdrawal program designed to assist students whose literacy and numeracy skills are two or three years behind that of their peers. ACER will develop assessments for Ramp-up programs at Grade 6 and Grade 9 that will provide feedback on student progress over time. ACER will be adapting items from its iAchieve mathematics assessments and developing new reading items plus assessments for fluency and writing. The initial implementation will involve pen and paper assessments with on-line data entry by schools and automatic report generation. The administration of the tests is likely to go on-line in the second year of operation.

 

Research Conference 2005

ACER's Research Conference 2005 will take place in Melbourne from 7-9 August at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The theme of this year's conference is 'Using data to support learning.' The conference will consider issues currently being confronted by Australian schools in their collection and use of data. It will examine international best-practice solutions to these issues. It will identify future challenges and promising directions in the collection, analysis and use of data to support learning in schools. Download Conference Brochure for conference program and registration form. Enquiries can also be directed to Kerry-Anne Hoad, ACER Centre for Professional Learning,

Tel: 03 9277 5402 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Computers, Thinking and Learning

The latest title from ACER Press, Computers, Thinking and Learning by David Nettelbeck, was launched on 12 April by Garry Barker, Technology Editor for The Age newspaper. Computers, Thinking and Learning is a collaboration of engaging ideas from  both teachers and students to help meet the challenge of new curriculum requirements. 

 

ACER Corporate Profile

ACER's corporate profile brochure has been updated and reprinted. Download Corporate Profile. To request a print copy please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with your mailing address. Please state clearly in your email that you would like a copy of the new corporate profile brochure.