ACER eNews


ACER UPDATE Appointment of new Research Director for Teaching and Leadership Professor Stephen Dinham has joined ACER as Research Director in the Teaching and Leadership research program. Professor Dinham joined ACER on 1 July. Professor Dinham’s most recent appointment was Professor of Educational Leadership and Pedagogy at the Australian Centre for Educational Leadership, University of Wollongong. He has also held senior academic roles at the University of New England and the University of Western Sydney. His main research interests include educational leadership and change, pedagogy/quality teaching, professional teaching standards, teachers’ professional development and teacher satisfaction, motivation and health. . He also holds the position of Visiting Professorial Fellow, Australian Centre for Educational Leadership, University of Wollongong. Read Professor Dinham's profile. Indicators of training quality The Australian Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) has awarded ACER the contract for the Development of Instruments and Collections to Support Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) Indicators. This work has been endorsed by the National Quality Council, which is the body that oversees quality assurance and ensures national consistency among public and private training providers. ACER has been commissioned to develop measures of employer satisfaction, and learner engagement and competency development, and will liaise with NCVER on aspects of the work. The project builds on work done in 2006 with PhillipsKPA for the Victorian Qualifications Authority Employability skills of senior students DEST has awarded ACER the contract for a Study into the assessment and reporting of employability skills of senior secondary students. The purpose of the project is to analyse and evaluate appropriate methods for assessing and reporting, on a nationally comparable basis, Year 12 students’ employability skills. The project derives from Geoff Masters’ 2006 report Australian Certificate of Education: Exploring a way forward (the ACE Report). The new project is in the Assessment and Reporting program area. A small piece of work by the University of Western Sydney will complement the ACER work. As was the case with the ACE Report and the recent CAS Report (Year 12 Curriculum Content and Achievement Standards), DEST will set up a project advisory group. The work is to be completed by the end of 2007. Database of learning providers ACER has signed a contract with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) for ACER to design and develop a data base of professional learning providers. The data base will support teachers to source appropriate professional learning activities to advance their skills and knowledge and to meet the requirements for renewal of registration. Literature review on standards for teaching published The New Zealand Teachers Council has published a major literature review on standards for teaching by Elizabeth Kleinhenz and Lawrence Ingvarson of ACER entitled, Standards for Teaching: Theoretical Underpinnings and Applications. The publication is also available on the Council's website. Research Conference 2007 ACER’s Research Conference for 2007 will be held in Melbourne from 12-14 August. This year’s conference will address the them of The Leadership Challenge - Improving learning in schools. This conference will address key issues related to building leadership in schools that makes a difference to student learning outcomes. International and Australian presenters will provide news about the latest research on leadership practices that enable conditions for quality teaching and student learning and stimulate discussion about the resources and conditions that need to be in place if effective forms of leadership are to flower and be sustained in our schools. More than 500 delegates have registered for the conference so far. Limited places are still available. For further information and to register visit the conference website « Back to eNews
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Appointment of new Research Director for Teaching and Leadership

Professor Stephen Dinham has joined ACER as Research Director in the Teaching and Leadership research program. Professor Dinham joined ACER on 1 July. Professor Dinham’s most recent appointment was Professor of Educational Leadership and Pedagogy at the Australian Centre for Educational Leadership, University of Wollongong. He has also held senior academic roles at the University of New England and the University of Western Sydney. His main research interests include educational leadership and change, pedagogy/quality teaching, professional teaching standards, teachers’ professional development and teacher satisfaction, motivation and health. . He also holds the position of Visiting Professorial Fellow, Australian Centre for Educational Leadership, University of Wollongong. Read Professor Dinham's profile.

Indicators of training quality

The Australian Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) has awarded ACER the contract for the Development of Instruments and Collections to Support Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) Indicators. This work has been endorsed by the National Quality Council, which is the body that oversees quality assurance and ensures national consistency among public and private training providers. ACER has been commissioned to develop measures of employer satisfaction, and learner engagement and competency development, and will liaise with NCVER on aspects of the work. The project builds on work done in 2006 with PhillipsKPA for the Victorian Qualifications Authority

Employability skills of senior students

DEST has awarded ACER the contract for a Study into the assessment and reporting of employability skills of senior secondary students. The purpose of the project is to analyse and evaluate appropriate methods for assessing and reporting, on a nationally comparable basis, Year 12 students’ employability skills.

The project derives from Geoff Masters’ 2006 report Australian Certificate of Education: Exploring a way forward (the ACE Report). The new project is in the Assessment and Reporting program area. A small piece of work by the University of Western Sydney will complement the ACER work. As was the case with the ACE Report and the recent CAS Report (Year 12 Curriculum Content and Achievement Standards), DEST will set up a project advisory group. The work is to be completed by the end of 2007.

Database of learning providers

ACER has signed a contract with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) for ACER to design and develop a data base of professional learning providers. The data base will support teachers to source appropriate professional learning activities to advance their skills and knowledge and to meet the requirements for renewal of registration.

Literature review on standards for teaching published

The New Zealand Teachers Council has published a major literature review on standards for teaching by Elizabeth Kleinhenz and Lawrence Ingvarson of ACER entitled, Standards for Teaching: Theoretical Underpinnings and Applications. The publication is also available on the Council's website.

Research Conference 2007

ACER’s Research Conference for 2007 will be held in Melbourne from 12-14 August. This year’s conference will address the them of The Leadership Challenge - Improving learning in schools. This conference will address key issues related to building leadership in schools that makes a difference to student learning outcomes. International and Australian presenters will provide news about the latest research on leadership practices that enable conditions for quality teaching and student learning and stimulate discussion about the resources and conditions that need to be in place if effective forms of leadership are to flower and be sustained in our schools.