In this issue:

• Course change and attrition from higher education
• Educational imperatives for a digital world
• ACER UPDATE

Each year, a number of university students in Australia leave the courses in which they have enrolled. Some change to other courses while others defer their course or leave the university altogether. What motivates students to change or leave their university course and does the decision result in a positive or negative outcome for the students involved? These are among the questions addressed in a new report, Course change and attrition from higher education, the latest study completed in the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) research program. The report was released by ACER on 30 June 2005.

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It is well over 20 years since the widespread introduction of computers in schools. But rarely does a day pass when there isn't debate about information and communication technology (ICT) access, cost, training and quality. Most schools would say they don't have enough computers, that teachers need more training to use them effectively, and students have more information and communication technology expertise than many teachers.

ACER Research Director of Early Childhood Education Alison Elliott presented a paper on these issues, Educational Imperatives for a digital world, for the Australian School Library Association XIX Biennial Conference in Canberra in April.

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Consultancy on Advanced Standards for Teaching

Members of ACER's Teaching and Leadership research program have been commissioned by the National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership (NIQTSL) to conduct a project to provide advice on current developments in relation to advanced standards for teaching. The study will be used to identify a range of options for the development of a nationally consistent system of advanced standards for the education profession. The final report will aim to assist the Institute in its exploration of the possibility of a national approach to the assessment and certification of highly accomplished practice.

 

West Australian Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (WALNA)

ACER has secured the latest tender with the Department of Education and Training in Western Australia to develop and trial test items for the West Australian Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (WALNA). WALNA is a curriculum-based assessment administered annually to students in years 3, 5 and 7. It tests students' knowledge and skills in numeracy, reading, spelling and writing. In 2005 ACER will develop test items in reading, spelling and numeracy in close consultation with WA Monitoring Standards in Education personnel. The project will also involve conducting marker training in WA, reporting on the trials, selecting the final WALNA tests and developing Teacher Administration Instructions for each year level. Further information on the WALNA program is available on this website. www.eddept.wa.edu.au/walna/

 

Assessing the Value of Additional Years of Schooling for the Non-academically Inclined

A new report based on data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) questions whether completing Year 12 is really of benefit to all young people. Assessing the Value of Additional Years of Schooling for the Non-academically Inclined (LSAY Research Report No 38) by Alfred Michael Dockery of Curtin University of Technology provides estimates of the benefits to additional years of schooling for young people who seem to be non-academically inclined. The effects of additional years of schooling on earnings and on the probability of being in employment are estimated. The report argues that alternative pathways and institutional arrangements need to be available to meet the varying needs, abilities and preferences of all young people, as well as the information they require to make informed decisions on what is appropriate for them. The full report, which was funded by the Department of Education, Science and Training and released on 30 June 2005, is available for download from the ACER website. 

Setting the Pace report

A recent study conducted by the Monash University-ACER Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET) examines the extent to which the substantial reforms introduced in Victoria since 1999 have improved transition opportunities and outcomes for 15-24 year-olds. The report examines a wide range of education, training and labour market indicators for teenagers and young adults. Although focused on Victoria, the analytical framework should prove useful across Australia as governments grapple with how to engage all their young people in meaningful learning and work. The report, Setting the Pace by CEET's Michael Long, was prepared for the Dusseldorp Skills Forum (DSF) in association with the Education Foundation and the Business Council of Australia (BCA). It was released on 4 July.
CEET is a joint research centre of the Monash University Faculties of Education and Business & Economics and the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The Setting the Pace report is available at www.dsf.org.au or www.bca.com.au

National Awards for Quality Schooling

ACER, along with the Australian College of Educators, is again coordinating the judging in 2005 of the National Awards for Quality Schooling (NAQS). ACER will develop the judging strategy for the awards, the criteria applied to shortlisting candidates and train the panels of judges. One million dollars in prize money will be awarded to Australian schools, teachers and school leaders for outstanding contributions to schooling. The Commonwealth Government initiative recognises and supports schools and teachers committed to sustainable school improvement.