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Slight improvement in students’ civics and citizenship knowledge The latest results from the National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship for Years 6 and 10 reveal a slight improvement in students’ civic knowledge and understanding since the first administration of the assessment in 2004. The assessment was completed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) under contract to the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) and released on 17 February. The assessment was conducted in October 2007 involving 7059 Year 6 students from 349 schools and 5506 Year 10 students from 269 schools. Participating students were from both government and non-government schools. This was the second administration of the assessment, which first took place in 2004. The report identifies a proficient standard representing a ‘challenging but reasonable’ expectations for typical Year 6 and 10 students to have reached by the end of each of those years of study. A proficient standard is not the same as a minimum benchmark. Nationally, 54 per cent of Year 6 students achieved or bettered the Year 6 proficient standard and 41 per cent of Year 10 students achieved or bettered the Year 10 proficient standard. This represents a slight improvement on 2004 results when 51 per cent of Year 6 and 39 per cent of Year 10 students met or bettered the proficient standard set for their year. ACER’s Deputy CEO (Research) Dr John Ainley explained that the use of some repeated test questions – known as ‘link items’ allows researchers to compare results between students assessed in 2004 and 2007, revealing the slight increase in the percentage of students reaching the proficiency level set for their year level. “The Assessments in 2004 and 2007 were conducted in a way to allow accurate comparison between the two sets of results,” said ACER’s Deputy CEO (Research) Dr John Ainley. In general students whose parents worked in managerial and other skilled professional jobs achieved higher scores than students whose parents worked as machine operators. Hospitality staff, assistants or labourers. Girls performed slightly better than boys at both year levels. Higher achieving students were more likely to attend a school that provided more opportunities for participation in either school governance or more general civics related activities outside of school. “These results suggest that schools should be encouraged to provide students with opportunities to learn about how democracy works and to practise that knowledge,” Dr Ainley said. Further information and additional findings are available in the full report, National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship Years 6 & 10 Report 2007. It is available online from http://www.mceecdya.edu.au/mceecdya/ « Back to eNews
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The latest results from the National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship for Years 6 and 10 reveal a slight improvement in students’ civic knowledge and understanding since the first administration of the assessment in 2004.

The assessment was completed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) under contract to the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) and released on 17 February.

The assessment was conducted in October 2007 involving 7059 Year 6 students from 349 schools and 5506 Year 10 students from 269 schools. Participating students were from both government and non-government schools. This was the second administration of the assessment, which first took place in 2004.

The report identifies a proficient standard representing a ‘challenging but reasonable’ expectations for typical Year 6 and 10 students to have reached by the end of each of those years of study. A proficient standard is not the same as a minimum benchmark.

Nationally, 54 per cent of Year 6 students achieved or bettered the Year 6 proficient standard and 41 per cent of Year 10 students achieved or bettered the Year 10 proficient standard.

This represents a slight improvement on 2004 results when 51 per cent of Year 6 and 39 per cent of Year 10 students met or bettered the proficient standard set for their year.

ACER’s Deputy CEO (Research) Dr John Ainley explained that the use of some repeated test questions – known as ‘link items’ allows researchers to compare results between students assessed in 2004 and 2007, revealing the slight increase in the percentage of students reaching the proficiency level set for their year level.

“The Assessments in 2004 and 2007 were conducted in a way to allow accurate comparison between the two sets of results,” said ACER’s Deputy CEO (Research) Dr John Ainley.

In general students whose parents worked in managerial and other skilled professional jobs achieved higher scores than students whose parents worked as machine operators. Hospitality staff, assistants or labourers. Girls performed slightly better than boys at both year levels.

Higher achieving students were more likely to attend a school that provided more opportunities for participation in either school governance or more general civics related activities outside of school.

“These results suggest that schools should be encouraged to provide students with opportunities to learn about how democracy works and to practise that knowledge,” Dr Ainley said.

Further information and additional findings are available in the full report, National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship Years 6 & 10 Report 2007. It is available online from http://www.mceecdya.edu.au/mceecdya/

Slight improvement in students’ civics and citizenship knowledge