
News bulletins from the Australian Council for Educational Research published 3134 subscribers Subscribe Now In this issue: School system designed for the past won’t prepare young Australians for the future Young scientists disinterested in academia AUSSE 2009 insights ACER UPDATE Economic downturn forces school leavers to rethink plans Concern for VET recurrent funding ACER UPDATE Informing mathematics pedagogy Language learning must focus on personal not economic benefits ACER UPDATE Recognising and rewarding teachers Quality standards and regulation discussed ACER UPDATE Culture-fair assessment issues examined Whatever the source - assessment data can inform teaching and learning Measuring non-academic outcomes of schooling How can an international large-scale test help our students and teachers? High regard for education a key to Finland’s success National assessment data meaningful for schools ACER UPDATE PISA shows Indigenous students face substantial disadvantage The future of higher degrees by research ACER UPDATE Masters warns against league tables Studies of Asia in Australia ACER UPDATE Uni degrees pay off in workforce, for men more than women A national curriculum needs national teaching standards ACER UPDATE University students living on campus more engaged: AUSSE One in three tertiary students considers non-completion: AUSSE Reporting and comparing school performances Pre-school must have educational focus, says UK early learning expert ACER UPDATE Early years care must improve teaching strategies Transform schools through powerful learning, urges UK expert ACER UPDATE Slight improvement in students’ civics and citizenship knowledge Victorian bushfires claim leading educational researcher Schools do matter, say ACER education experts ACER UPDATE Varying pay-offs to post school education and training Accountability and transparency key to education quality Inclusion and exclusion in VET and higher education ACER UPDATE Introduction School system designed for the past won’t prepare young Australians for the future To prepare for the future young Australians need an education that is holistic, flexible and encompasses a commitment to both work and life a new review of research concludes. But, according to Australian Education Review 55, released by ACER in early December, there is emerging consensus that a school system designed to meet the needs of Australia in the past cannot prepare today’s youth adequately for future challenges. Continue reading » Young scientists disinterested in academia Australia must foster a new generation of young science academics if it is to meet government targets for university participation, a paper in the peer-reviewed journal Higher Education argues. The paper by Daniel Edwards of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and T. Fred Smith of Monash University’s Centre for Population and Urban Research investigates demographic change and other factors impacting on the desirability of a science or mathematics academic career within Australian universities. Continue reading » AUSSE 2009 insights The Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) has provided the most extensive insights yet into how Australasian students engage in university study. The 2009 collection, involving 35 universities and also including a parallel staff survey, has provided universities with data that they can use for quality improvement. Statistics from the 2009 AUSSE can be found at http://www.acer.edu.au/ausse/australasia.html This data profiles detailed results of around 100 facets of engagement for Australia and New Zealand. It also includes results for ‘Australasia University’, which represents the averages of all students surveyed for the AUSSE in 2009. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE New ACER research program announced ACER is establishing a new research program within its research division. The Psychometrics and Methodology Research Program will provide high quality psychometric and data analytic support to projects; manage externally commissioned data analysis/methodology projects (including the national analysis of NAPLAN); and undertake, publish and present research on psychometric and other quantitative research issues. The new program, headed by Dr Khoo Siek Toon, will commence operation in January. Economic downturn forces school leavers to rethink plans The impact of the global financial crisis has forced many young Victorians to rethink their plans for work and further education, a major survey of school leavers has found. A paper presented to the Monash University-ACER Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET) annual conference in Melbourne on 30 October used data from the On Track survey to show that school leavers from the class of 2008 have experienced the most challenging labour market for many years. Continue reading » Concern for VET recurrent funding Speakers at an education conference in Melbourne last month expressed concern about the outlook for the recurrent funding of Australia’s VET sector. In a presentation to the Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET) annual national conference Peter Noonan an Associate of CEET and Gerald Burke, a former director, provided an update to a 2005 CEET paper on VET funding that had noted a relative decline in recurrent VET funding compared to schools and higher education. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Students take aptitude test in bid for university places Three of Australia’s leading universities will next week administer an aptitude test to identify candidates with the potential to succeed at university who may otherwise have been overlooked. Flinders University will hold a sitting of uniTEST on 30 November. The Australian National University (ANU) will hold its sitting on 1 December followed by Macquarie University on 7 December to select students for their 2010 intake. Close to 700 candidates will take part. uniTEST assesses the generic reasoning and thinking skills that are necessary for successful study at university. It has been developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in collaboration with Cambridge Assessment. This latest administration of uniTEST is taking place as part of stage two of the Federal Government’s pilot National Student Aptitude Test for Tertiary Admission (SATTA). New edition of Research Developments Research Developments issue 22 is now available online and in print. Issue 22 features a cover story on Second languages and Australian schooling based on Australian Education Review 54. Other articles cover the release of PAT Science, ACER's work in support of the MindMatters initiative, the launch of the Tender Bridge service and a new report from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) that takes a closer look at how students answered a selection of mathematics items from the 2007 assessment. Progressive Achievement Tests in Science (PATScience) launched The Progressive Achievement Tests in Science (PATScience) was officially launched at a function held at Melbourne's Scienceworks Museum on 23 November. The launch follows more than two years of development and trial testing. PATScience is the latest addition to ACER’s suite of academic tests. It consists of a series of nationally normed tests to assess the level of achievement in scientific understanding for students in Years 3 to 10. The test questions are designed to assess science knowledge, scientific literacy and the understanding and application of scientific principles. For more information please visit www.acer.edu.au/pat. Informing mathematics pedagogy A new analysis of a selection of mathematics items from the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2007) has illustrated areas of strength and, particularly weaknesses, for Australian students. TIMSS is the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), a cycle of internationally comparative assessments, conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) every four years. The last cycle took place in 2007 with results released in late 2008. Continue reading » Language learning must focus on personal not economic benefits The case for increased second language learning in Australia is better grounded in the personal benefits to individual learners than in arguments about economic and social benefits according to a new review of research released by ACER on 30 September. The new review, Second Languages and Australian Schooling (Australian Education Review 54), authored by University of Melbourne academic Professor Joseph Lo Bianco, traces the history of language learning in Australia, outlines the findings of research from Australia and overseas and proposes a new rationale for language learning policy. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Australia to take part in international primary reading study Australia will join the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) for the first time in 2011. PIRLS 2011 is the latest in the series of international studies undertaken by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) to measure trends in reading literacy achievement at Year 4, when students are expected to be moving on from learning to read and beginning to read to learn. While previous studies have been completed in 2001 and 2006, 2011 is the first cycle that Australian students will be participating in. This will provide the first international benchmarking of reading literacy levels at this age group for Australia, and combined with the data for maths and science that are collected through TIMSS will provide a rich database on achievement levels for this age group. Australia has elected to use the same schools/same students model for introducing PIRLS to the already established assessment portfolio of TIMSS.This will involve testing the same students at Grade 4 level in maths and science for TIMSS and then at a slightly later date, reading for PIRLS.As such, the field trials and main study will involve the same number of primary schools and Year 4 students as the TIMSS 2011 assessment for Year 4 students. The field trial will take place in the first half of 2010, with the main study to follow towards the end of the year.ACER will produce a national report on PIRLS as well as contributing to the international report that will be prepared by Boston College. Leading Australia's Schools evaluation ACER has been appointed by Teaching Australia to conduct an evaluation of the impact of Leading Australia’s Schools participation on school effectiveness. The project team will design the survey and conduct interviews with Leading Australia’s School graduates from 2006, 2007 and 2008. The report will draw conclusions on the effectiveness of the program in meeting its objectives to enhance the skills, motivation and confidence of participating principals and to extend their capacity to make a real difference in student learning and to plan and implement change and improvement within their own school. The project will commence in October 2009 and conclude at the end of February 2010. CEET 13th annual conference The 13th annual conference of the Monash University-ACER Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET) will be held on Friday 30 October at Ascot House, 50 Fenton Street, Ascot Vale. The theme of the conference is 'Education and training in an era of economic uncertainty.' Conference presentations will address a range of topics including the contribution migrants make to labour supply and skills in Australia; Social inclusion and tertiary education; Australia's workforce development strategy; and Has the economic downturn influenced school-leaver destinations? Further information about the CEET conference, including registration details and the conference program, is available from the CEET website. Recognising and rewarding teachers One of the most influential factors in students’ learning is the knowledge, judgement and skill of their teachers. A recent paper by ACER Principal Research Fellow Dr Lawrence Ingvarson in Professional Development in Education reviews the Scottish Chartered Teacher Scheme in the light of international interest in policies designed to promote teacher quality. The Scottish Chartered Teacher Scheme emerged in 2001, designed to recognise and reward teachers who attained high standards of practice. The scheme aimed to attract and retain effective teachers, and to ensure all teachers continue to engage in effective professional learning. Continue reading » Quality standards and regulation discussed Australian Universities already have rigorous quality assurance measures in place that deliver a world-class university system but, according to speakers at a University of Melbourne seminar on August 31, more needs to be done to ensure adequate assessment of student achievement and graduate outcomes. Professor Alan Robson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Australia and current chair of the Group of Eight and Dr Hamish Coates, Principal Research Fellow with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) delivered the third in a series of seminars conducted by the University of Melbourne’s Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) and the LH Martin Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Management on 31 August. The seminar, Quality Standards and Regulation: the start of a new era, examined the role of the new Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) in monitoring quality and institutional performance. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Masters joins expert working group ACER’s chief executive Professor Geoff Masters has accepted an invitation to become Deputy Chair of the Transforming Learning and the Transmission of Knowledge Expert Working Group of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC). The PMSEIC was established in 1997 as the Government’s principal source of independent advice on issues in science, engineering and innovation and aspects of education and training. The council discusses major national issues in science, engineering and technology and their contribution to the economic and social development of Australia with discussion informed by Expert Working Groups’ independent reports focusing on areas of special interest to the Government. Conference to discuss the attractiveness of the academic profession ACER is participating in the LH Martin Institute's first international conference The Attractiveness of the Academic Profession: The Management Challenge, on October 1-2 in Melbourne. The conference will provide the opportunity to explore the relative attractiveness of the Australian academic profession in comparison to its major competitor systems. This conference will draw on the results of a major international comparative study on the changing nature of the academic profession undertaken by the University of New England’s Centre for Higher Education Management and Policy (CHEMP) and the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The Changing Nature of the Academic Profession (CAP) project was conducted in around 20 countries over 2007-2008. It will also be the first opportunity for the researchers involved to use the international dataset that the project has generated. Further information is available from the LH Martin Institute website Schools First awards update The first round of applications for Schools First closed in August and more than 1500 applications were received. ACER has been responsible for evaluating the applications. Schools could apply for an Impact Award, which recognises excellence in school-community partnerships, and/or a Seed Funding Award, which recognises the potential for excellence in these partnerships. According to assessors, applications showed remarkable diversity in terms of the projects that have been set up. The stories were sometimes quite moving; many were inspirational; nearly all showed an excellent understanding of the important contribution that such partnerships can make to improving educational outcomes for students. The three partners – ACER, the Foundation for Young Australians and the National Australia Bank – are all heartened by the level of commitment shown by school communities to harnessing the expertise that exists in these communities. For more information visit www.schoolsfirst.edu.au Culture-fair assessment issues examined A greater emphasis on more ‘culturally inclusive’ assessment and teaching methods for Indigenous students may help to address their pattern of under-achievement in national benchmark data and international testing programs according to a paper presented at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) conference in Perth earlier this month. The presentation, by Professor Val Klenowski from Queensland University of Technology and Ms Thelma Gertz of the Catholic Education Office Townsville, was based on an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage research project examining equity issues as they relate to the validity and fairness of assessment practices. Continue reading » Whatever the source - assessment data can inform teaching and learning While some educators argue that information from system-wide tests is not useful for improving learning, good quality data from a range of sources can and should be used to inform teaching, according to a paper to be presented at the ACER Research Conference in Perth on 17 August. “What matters is the quality rather than the source of information,” said Dr Margaret Forster, Research Director of the Assessment and Reporting Research Program at ACER. “And that means the diagnostic power of the assessment – the power of the assessment to illuminate strengths and weaknesses in students’ understandings. Informative assessment, assessment that can drive teaching and learning, bypasses the division between assessment of learning and for learning.” Continue reading » Measuring non-academic outcomes of schooling One essential flaw in the way many schools and systems attempt to improve some non-academic outcomes of schooling is the assumption that simply providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate the outcomes will be enough for the students to develop them, according to a paper presented at the ACER Research Conference on 17 August. Authors ACER Senior Research Fellow Prue Anderson and Principal Research Fellow Julian Fraillon identify three main challenges in measuring non-academic outcomes of schooling: defining the outcome, measuring the outcome and improving outcomes. Continue reading » How can an international large-scale test help our students and teachers? Large-scale testing programs are sometimes criticised because they are not used to effect change, and may narrow the curriculum as teachers “teach to the test”. However, the framework for the test and interpretation of its results can be used to improve the teaching of reading, according to a paper presented at the ACER Research Conference on 17 August. The paper, by ACER Principal Research Fellow Juliette Mendelovits, Senior Research Fellow Dr Tom Lumley and Research Fellow Dara Searle, focuses on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Programme for International Student Achievement (OECD PISA), which assesses 15-year-olds in several domains including reading every three years. In the current cycle, PISA will be administered in 75 countries. This study can be useful to teachers through international comparisons, the opportunity to compare frameworks, and monitoring new areas included in the PISA survey of student proficiencies. Continue reading » High regard for education a key to Finland’s success Possible reasons behind Finland’s continued success in international tests of student achievement were presented to ACER’s Research Conference by Professor Patrik Scheinin from the University of Helsinki. He presented the case of the Finnish comprehensive school to discuss strategic questions of educational policy, teacher education and teaching. Finland has been a top performer in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) since its inception. The country’s education system has been closely scrutinised by educators around the world, keen to find the answers to why some countries perform better than others on PISA. Continue reading » National assessment data meaningful for schools National assessment programs are useful for improving education, University of Western Australia Dean of Education Professor Helen Wildy told the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) annual conference on 18 August. Professor Wildy has drawn on the experience of several projects conducted in WA over the last 10 years that have aimed to improve the skills of primary and secondary school teachers and leaders to interpret the results of student assessment in meaningful ways. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Conference proceedings and additional papers available online The full conference proceedings and additional individual papers from Research Conference 2009 are now available online. Power Point presentations are also available from most sessions. These can be downloaded from the conference web page. Research Conference 2010 ACER’s fifteenth annual research conference will take place in Melbourne from 15-17 August 2010 at the Crown Promenade Hotel. The theme for Research Conference 2010 is Teaching mathematics? Make it count : What research tells us about effective mathematics teaching and learning. Further information about the conference will be posted on the Professional Learning section of the ACER website as it becomes available. Download the conference flyer. PISA shows Indigenous students face substantial disadvantage A summary of Indigenous students’ results in international tests of reading, mathematical and scientific literacy suggests that initiatives to improve the education of Indigenous students have, to date, had little effect. According to the achievement of Australia’s Indigenous students in PISA 2000-2006 released by ACER on 13 July, Indigenous students remain overrepresented at the lower levels and underrepresented at the upper levels of proficiency. The performance of Indigenous students has not improved over the time from 2000 to 2006. Continue reading » The future of higher degrees by research Australia’s economy is increasingly reliant on highly skilled workers, so it is crucial that supply keeps pace with demand. Governments and industry stakeholders need to understand the relevant issues across industries and disciplines in order for Australia to remain internationally competitive. A recent report Supply, Demand and Characteristics of the Higher Degree by Research Population in Australia examines those in Australia who have a higher degree by research, with particular emphasis on involvement in the labour force and future levels of supply and demand. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE PISA 2009 testing underway Testing for the 2009 cycle of the OCED Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) began in Australia on 23 July. Testing will continue until 2 September. Approximately 18,500 students from 356 schools across Australia are taking part in PISA 2009. PISA assesses how far students near the end of compulsory education (students are aged 15 years when they participate in the assessments) have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in society. In all cycles, the domains of reading, mathematical and scientific literacy are covered not merely in terms of mastery of the school curriculum, but in terms of important knowledge and skills needed in adult life. In 2009 Reading Literacy is the major domain being assessed. ACER is again conducting the Australian national component of PISA on behalf of the Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments. ACER also ACER leads a consortium of research and educational institutions and eminent individuals and holds the major contract to deliver the International PISA project on behalf of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The results of PISA 2009 are due to be released in December 2010. Further information on the Australian national component of PISA Further information on ACER’s role in conducting the international PISA study ACER Research Conference 2009 Research Conference 2009, Assessment and Student Learning; collecting, interpreting and using data to inform teaching, will be held in Perth from August 16-18. Keynote addresses will be delivered by Geoff Masters, Margaret Forster, Helen Wildy (UWA) and Patrik Scheinin (University of Helsinki). The conference will be attended by more than 650 delegates from across Australia with international representation from New Zealand, India, Indonesia and Chile. For further information on the conference program please visit the conference web page. Schools First award applications closing soon Schools throughout Australia are invited to apply for a Schools First award and be in the running to share in the $5 million pool of award money. Award applications are now open and close on 14 August. Schools First, developed by NAB, ACER and the Foundation for Young Australians, is designed to recognise excellence in school-community partnerships. It is Australia’s largest ever corporate-backed education initiative and is open to all schools around the country. To find out more about Schools First and to download application forms, awards criteria, guidelines and Terms and Conditions visit www.schoolsfirst.edu.au or call 1800 649 141. ARACY Conference 2009 The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) will hold its 2009 National Conference in Melbourne from 2-4 September. ACER is an institutional member of ARACY. Dr John Ainley, ACER Deputy CEO (Research) is a founder of ARACY and current member of the scientific committee. ARACY Conference 2009will focus on how we can best learn from one another and work together to innovate and take action to improve outcomes for young Australians. The Conference aims to build links between international and national experts, researchers, policy makers, practitioners, social entrepreneurs, marketers, business and financiers. It will explore pathways to success, and showcase preventive innovations that are improving the lives of children and young people. For further information please visit the ARACY conference website. Master class in assessment ACER will be hosting a Master Class in Assessment in Brisbane on Saturday 19 September. The Master Class will be delivered by Dr. Randy Bennett from Educational Testing Service in the US and Dr Yoav Cohen and Dr Anat Ben-Simon both from the National Institute for Testing and Evaluation in Israel. The 3 key focus areas of the Master Class will be “Marking practices with particular reference to multiple marking”, “Assessment of Learning Difficulties: diagnostic issues, provision of test accommodations and regulatory procedures” and “Moving existing assessments to computer and using the computer to measure new things”. The Master Class is designed for those with deep involvement in assessment. For further information contact Margaret Taylor at the ACER Centre for Professional Learning on by phone on (03) 9277 5544 or by email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Research Developments issue 21 now available Issue 21 of Research Developments, ACER’s news magazine, is now available both online and in print. The cover story for this edition features a case by ACER against the use of simple league tables to compare schools. Other articles include our recent research into the use of Indigenous languages in Australia, the recommendations of the review of primary school education in Queensland by Geoff Masters and a review of evidence into the effectiveness of middle schools. Research Developments issue 21 can be read online . If you would like to join the mailing list to receive print copies, please email your contact details to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Masters warns against league tables Australia must avoid the allure of simple but potentially misleading approaches to comparing the performances of schools, according to the chief executive of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), Professor Geoff Masters. Speaking ahead of the first in a series of nation-wide seminars for school leaders on the use of student achievement data, Professor Masters said Australia had the opportunity to learn from overseas experience and avoid simple but problematic approaches to the construction of school league tables. Continue reading » Studies of Asia in Australia Across Australia, very few Year 12 subjects focus on Asia, according to a report completed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for the Asia Education Foundation. The report, Studies of Asia in Year 12, by Jenny Wilkinson and Gina Milgate, found that Year 12 subjects are significantly more likely to contain content on Europe than they are on Asia. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Queensland Government accepts recommendations of Masters Review The Queensland Government announced on 29 June that it had accepted all five key recommendations from a review of the state’s primary school education conducted by ACER’s chief executive, Professor Geoff Masters. Professor Masters made the recommendations in a report, A Shared Challenge: Improving Literacy, Numeracy and Science Learning in Queensland Primary Schools, which was delivered to the Queensland Government in late April. Professor Masters recommended that: aspiring primary teachers be required to demonstrate through test performances, as a condition of registration, that they meet threshold levels of knowledge about the teaching of literacy, numeracy and science and have sound levels of content knowledge in these areas; the Queensland Government introduces a new structure and program of advanced professional learning in literacy, numeracy and science for primary school teachers; additional funding be made available for the advanced training and employment of a number of ‘specialist’ literacy, numeracy and science teachers to work in schools (and/or district offices) most in need of support; standard science tests be introduced at Years 4, 6, 8 and 10 for school use in identifying students who are not meeting year-level expectations and for monitoring student progress over time; and the Queensland Government initiates an expert review of international best practice in school leadership development with a view to introducing a new structure and program of advanced professional learning for primary school leaders focused on effective strategies for driving improved school performances in literacy, numeracy and science. The full report is available at http://education.qld.gov.au/mastersreview Fair and Flexible Employer recognition ACER is pleased to announce that it is one of 16 employers to receive a Fair and Flexible Employer Recognition Award 2009–2010, presented by Workforce Victoria and the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development. Victorian Minister for Industrial Relations, Martin Pakula, announced the awards on 23 June. The Fair and Flexible Employer Award recognises employers who have developed innovative programs in policy and practice that improve the work and family balance of their employees. ACER has been recognised for its many flexible arrangements including part time work, flexible leave, paid and unpaid parental leave, carer’s leave and leave without pay as well as flexible provisions for mothers returning from maternity leave and other family-friendly arrangements. ACER’s case study can be read on the Victorian Government’s Ways2Work website. Schools First applications to open Schools throughout Australia are invited to apply for a Schools First award and be in the running to share in the $5 million pool of award money. Award applications open on 1 July and close on 14 August. Schools First, developed by NAB, ACER and the Foundation for Young Australians, is designed to recognise excellence in school-community partnerships. It is Australia’s largest ever corporate-backed education initiative and is open to all schools around the country. Sixty local Impact Awards worth $50,000 each are available. The most outstanding state and territory school–community partnerships will receive $100,000, and one outstanding school-community partnership will be judged the national winner and will receive an award valued between $500 000 - $1 million. In addition, a series of 20 Seed Funding Awards, worth $25,000 each, will be available for schools that require initial funding to get their community partnership started. To find out more about Schools First and to download application forms, awards criteria, guidelines and Terms and Conditions visit www.schoolsfirst.edu.au or call 1800 649 141. Uni degrees pay off in workforce, for men more than women Men are more likely than women to gain highly-paid, full-time work after completing university, according to a recent study conducted into university outcomes. The Graduate Pathways Survey, conducted by ACER for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, canvassed more than 9,000 bachelor degree graduates five years into their careers. Continue reading » A national curriculum needs national teaching standards ACER’s Dr Lawrence Ingvarson argues in a recent paper that because curriculum standards go hand in hand with standards for teaching, a partnership between these two areas would be of great benefit to Australian education. Two significant developments in this area have recently taken place: the creation of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and the National Partnership on Quality Teaching (NPQT). Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Masters awarded Australian College of Educators' Medal ACER CEO Professor Geoff Masters has been awarded the 2009 Australian College of Educators' Medal. The College awards this medal annually in recognition of sustained contributions to Australian education by an outstanding educator. The College recognised Professor Masters as an international authority on educational measurement and student assessment; noting that he has made a distinctive contribution to education through his leadership of ACER and his active involvement nationally and internationally on many task forces and expert working groups. Professor Masters’s response to the award citation can be read on the Australian College of Educators website ACER establishes Ken Rowe Fund Following the tragic death of Dr Ken Rowe in the Victorian bushfires on 7 February 2009, ACER has established the Ken Rowe Fund to commemorate Ken's significant contribution to ACER and to education nationally and internationally. Funds received will be used to support two activities which were close to Ken's heart. They will provide support for research training in quantitative methods (for example, through a scholarship managed by ACER for attendance at ACSPRI courses) and practical support to schools, kindergartens and early childhood centres in the Marysville area. Details of how to donate to the fund are available on ACER’s website. University students living on campus more engaged: AUSSE Collegiate education is a growing trend in Australian higher education, and for good reason, according to the latest briefing paper from the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE). The AUSSE paper has found that university students who live on campus are more engaged, feel more supported, and have better general development. Continue reading » One in three tertiary students considers non-completion: AUSSE A third of Australian and New Zealand tertiary students seriously consider leaving their institutions before graduation, according to results from a new study of student engagement conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and released on 24 April. A representative sample of more than 25,000 students from 29 Australian and New Zealand universities participated in the latest cycle of the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE), conducted in 2008 – the largest and most advanced survey of its kind. Continue reading » Reporting and comparing school performances Nationally comparable data about school performances should be reported to the public, but should not be used to create league tables, according to a new paper from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The paper, Reporting and Comparing School Performances, has been prepared for the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs to provide advice on national schools data collection and reporting for school evaluation, accountability and resource allocation. Continue reading » Pre-school must have educational focus, says UK early learning expert Early childhood learning and school systems should promote young children’s cognitive as well as social and emotional development and focus on improving transitions for young children, UK early childhood learning expert Professor Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of London and President of the British Association for Early Childhood Education, told educators in a series of seminars for the Australian Council for Educational Research in March and April. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Supply of and demand for HDR qualifications in Australia ACER is the successful bidder for the Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) project on the current and future supply of, and demand for higher degree by research (HDR) qualifications. The research will examine the current situation of people with HDR qualifications who are already in the workforce, identify factors that influence demand, and identify factors that influence supply of people with HDR qualifications. The project will be completed by the end of June. The Centre of Policy Studies at Monash University will provide input into the work. Leading Lights of Learning ACER Chief Executive, Professor Geoff Masters, will present Recommendations and Directions from the 'Masters' Review-Improving Literacy, Numeracy and Science in Queensland Schools'at a breakfast hosted by ACER's Brisbane office as part of its Leading Lights of Learning series on 27 May. Early years care must improve teaching strategies Early years education systems must focus on effective teaching and learning strategies and improving staff qualifications to ensure successful outcomes for all children, Professor Collette Tayler will tell educators at two Early Learning State Conferences for the Australian Council for Educational Research in March and April. Continue reading » Transform schools through powerful learning, urges UK expert Everyone agrees that schools should be preparing all young people to be lifelong learners – but, Professor Guy Claxton wants to know, what does lifelong learning mean to a 37-year-old hairdresser in Bacchus Marsh? UK education expert, professor of learning sciences and co-director of the Centre for Real-World Learning at the University of Winchester, Professor Claxton brought his brand of “real-world learning” to Australia for a seminar hosted by the Australian Council for Educational Research in March. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE ACER named 'Employer of Choice for Women ACER has been awarded Employer of Choice for Women status by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA). ACER was one of 111 Australian employers to receive the citation on 18 March. ACER was awarded the citation on the basis of its existing policies and practices that were shown to support women across the organisation and have a positive outcome for both women and the business. 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. Continue reading » Victorian bushfires claim leading educational researcher The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is mourning the loss of Dr Ken Rowe who died in Victoria’s recent bushfires. Dr Rowe was alone at his family’s property in Marysville when the town was devastated by fire. Continue reading » Schools do matter, say ACER education experts Education systems must overcome ‘biological social determinism’ to focus on student learning, Professor Steve Dinham of the Australian Council for Educational Research told education leaders in a series of seminars in late February. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE ACER International Institute hosts Qatari education administrators The ACER International Institute hosted a group of data administrators from Qatar in February. The group from the Qatar Supreme Education Council’s Evaluation Institute attended a five-day training workshop in the ACER Melbourne office on the topics of data analysis and management and reporting skills. The main purposes of the Evaluation Institute are to evaluate schools, to assess students, to collect and manage data, to prepare and publish reports, and to manage the registration, licensing and accreditation for teaching and leadership. The workshop aimed to enhance the participants' skills in data analysis and reporting. Research Developments issue 20 available online Issue 20 of ACER's news magazine, Research Developments is now available online and in print. The articles in this edition describe some of the work that ACER is doing in the area of assessing and reporting on skills for the future. Visit Research Developments web page. Varying pay-offs to post school education and training Social background plays only a small role in accounting for differences in occupational status and earnings at age 24, indicating that education is enhancing social mobility, a study by ACER has found. The study, released on 20 January, found that, in general, post-school education and training leads to higher status occupations and higher earnings, compared to not doing any further study or training. Continue reading » Accountability and transparency key to education quality An approach that measures educational ‘outputs’ through student, school and teacher assessment is needed to ensure accountability in the education system, says an ACER paper. Output Measurement in Education, by ACER Principal Research Fellow Dr Andrew Dowling, is the latest in a series of policy papers released by ACER. Continue reading » Inclusion and exclusion in VET and higher education The Australian government has adopted a ‘social inclusion agenda’ that aims to bring together social and economic policies in order to reduce disadvantage in the Australian community. A presentation by Fran Ferrier and Sue North at the Monash University-ACER Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET) Conference held in November reported on progress in an investigation of the relationship between social exclusion and education, with a focus on VET and higher education. Continue reading » ACER UPDATE Universities take part in national student aptitude test trial ACER has been contracted to conduct stage two of the Federal Government’s pilot National Student Aptitude Test for Tertiary Admission (SATTA). ACER will supply uniTEST for 2009 and 2010 entry. Four universities, Flinders University, The Australian National University, Macquarie University and the University of Ballarat recently held test sessions. The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) will subsidise universities’ participation in the pilot by providing funding for universities to test up to 20,000 students, as well as providing up to $10,000, for each university, to promote the scheme. Further information about uniTest is available on the ACER website at http://unitest.acer.edu.au/ Vale Professor Peter Karmel ACER staff were saddened by the recent passing of former Chair of the ACER Council, Professor Peter Karmel, AC, who died on 30 December at the age of 86. Professor Karmel played a very significant role in the history and development of ACER. He was a member of ACER Council for more than 30 years, from 1968 to 1999, and Chair of the Council from 1979 to 1999. During the thirty years in which he was associated with ACER, Professor Karmel worked with four of ACER's five chief executives (Bill Radford, John Keeves, Barry McGaw and Geoff Masters) and was directly involved in the appointment of three. Planning seminars for school leaders February 2009 The ACER Leadership Centre is conducting a series of planning seminars for school leaders in February with education experts, Professor Brian Caldwell and Professor Stephen Dinham. The seminar will provide school leaders with ideas and practical strategies relevant to all school sectors. The seminars will take place in Melbourne (23 February), Sydney (24 February) and Brisbane (25 February). Further information and registrations details are available online or by contacting Stephen Cutting on 03 9277 5791 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Introduction Research Conference 2009 special edition The following articles are based on papers presented at the ACER Research Conference 2009, Assessment and Student Learning: Collecting, interpreting and using data to inform teaching .
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In this issue:

School system designed for the past won’t prepare young Australians for the future

To prepare for the future young Australians need an education that is holistic, flexible and encompasses a commitment to both work and life a new review of research concludes. But, according to Australian Education Review 55, released by ACER in early December, there is emerging consensus that a school system designed to meet the needs of Australia in the past cannot prepare today’s youth adequately for future challenges.

Young scientists disinterested in academia

Australia must foster a new generation of young science academics if it is to meet government targets for university participation, a paper in the peer-reviewed journal Higher Education argues. The paper by Daniel Edwards of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and T. Fred Smith of Monash University’s Centre for Population and Urban Research investigates demographic change and other factors impacting on the desirability of a science or mathematics academic career within Australian universities.

AUSSE 2009 insights

The Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) has provided the most extensive insights yet into how Australasian students engage in university study. The 2009 collection, involving 35 universities and also including a parallel staff survey, has provided universities with data that they can use for quality improvement. Statistics from the 2009 AUSSE can be found at http://www.acer.edu.au/ausse/australasia.html This data profiles detailed results of around 100 facets of engagement for Australia and New Zealand. It also includes results for ‘Australasia University’, which represents the averages of all students surveyed for the AUSSE in 2009.

ACER UPDATE

New ACER research program announced

ACER is establishing a new research program within its research division. The Psychometrics and Methodology Research Program will provide high quality psychometric and data analytic support to projects; manage externally commissioned data analysis/methodology projects (including the national analysis of NAPLAN); and undertake, publish and present research on psychometric and other quantitative research issues. The new program, headed by Dr Khoo Siek Toon, will commence operation in January.

Economic downturn forces school leavers to rethink plans

The impact of the global financial crisis has forced many young Victorians to rethink their plans for work and further education, a major survey of school leavers has found. A paper presented to the Monash University-ACER Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET) annual conference in Melbourne on 30 October used data from the On Track survey to show that school leavers from the class of 2008 have experienced the most challenging labour market for many years.

Concern for VET recurrent funding

Speakers at an education conference in Melbourne last month expressed concern about the outlook for the recurrent funding of Australia’s VET sector. In a presentation to the Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET) annual national conference Peter Noonan an Associate of CEET and Gerald Burke, a former director, provided an update to a 2005 CEET paper on VET funding that had noted a relative decline in recurrent VET funding compared to schools and higher education.

ACER UPDATE

Students take aptitude test in bid for university places

Three of Australia’s leading universities will next week administer an aptitude test to identify candidates with the potential to succeed at university who may otherwise have been overlooked.

Flinders University will hold a sitting of uniTEST on 30 November. The Australian National University (ANU) will hold its sitting on 1 December followed by Macquarie University on 7 December to select students for their 2010 intake. Close to 700 candidates will take part.

uniTEST assesses the generic reasoning and thinking skills that are necessary for successful study at university. It has been developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in collaboration with Cambridge Assessment. This latest administration of uniTEST is taking place as part of stage two of the Federal Government’s pilot National Student Aptitude Test for Tertiary Admission (SATTA).

New edition of Research Developments

Research Developments issue 22 is now available online and in print. Issue 22 features a cover story on Second languages and Australian schooling based on Australian Education Review 54. Other articles cover the release of PAT Science, ACER's work in support of the MindMatters initiative, the launch of the Tender Bridge service and a new report from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) that takes a closer look at how students answered a selection of mathematics items from the 2007 assessment.

Progressive Achievement Tests in Science (PATScience) launched

The Progressive Achievement Tests in Science (PATScience) was officially launched at a function held at Melbourne's Scienceworks Museum on 23 November. The launch follows more than two years of development and trial testing. PATScience is the latest addition to ACER’s suite of academic tests. It consists of a series of nationally normed tests to assess the level of achievement in scientific understanding for students in Years 3 to 10. The test questions are designed to assess science knowledge, scientific literacy and the understanding and application of scientific principles. For more information please visit www.acer.edu.au/pat.

Informing mathematics pedagogy

A new analysis of a selection of mathematics items from the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2007) has illustrated areas of strength and, particularly weaknesses, for Australian students. TIMSS is the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), a cycle of internationally comparative assessments, conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) every four years. The last cycle took place in 2007 with results released in late 2008.

Language learning must focus on personal not economic benefits

The case for increased second language learning in Australia is better grounded in the personal benefits to individual learners than in arguments about economic and social benefits according to a new review of research released by ACER on 30 September. The new review, Second Languages and Australian Schooling (Australian Education Review 54), authored by University of Melbourne academic Professor Joseph Lo Bianco, traces the history of language learning in Australia, outlines the findings of research from Australia and overseas and proposes a new rationale for language learning policy.

ACER UPDATE

Australia to take part in international primary reading study

Australia will join the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) for the first time in 2011. PIRLS 2011 is the latest in the series of international studies undertaken by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) to measure trends in reading literacy achievement at Year 4, when students are expected to be moving on from learning to read and beginning to read to learn. While previous studies have been completed in 2001 and 2006, 2011 is the first cycle that Australian students will be participating in. This will provide the first international benchmarking of reading literacy levels at this age group for Australia, and combined with the data for maths and science that are collected through TIMSS will provide a rich database on achievement levels for this age group.

Australia has elected to use the same schools/same students model for introducing PIRLS to the already established assessment portfolio of TIMSS.This will involve testing the same students at Grade 4 level in maths and science for TIMSS and then at a slightly later date, reading for PIRLS.As such, the field trials and main study will involve the same number of primary schools and Year 4 students as the TIMSS 2011 assessment for Year 4 students. The field trial will take place in the first half of 2010, with the main study to follow towards the end of the year.ACER will produce a national report on PIRLS as well as contributing to the international report that will be prepared by Boston College.

Leading Australia's Schools evaluation

ACER has been appointed by Teaching Australia to conduct an evaluation of the impact of Leading Australia’s Schools participation on school effectiveness. The project team will design the survey and conduct interviews with Leading Australia’s School graduates from 2006, 2007 and 2008. The report will draw conclusions on the effectiveness of the program in meeting its objectives to enhance the skills, motivation and confidence of participating principals and to extend their capacity to make a real difference in student learning and to plan and implement change and improvement within their own school. The project will commence in October 2009 and conclude at the end of February 2010.

CEET 13th annual conference

The 13th annual conference of the Monash University-ACER Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET) will be held on Friday 30 October at Ascot House, 50 Fenton Street, Ascot Vale. The theme of the conference is 'Education and training in an era of economic uncertainty.' Conference presentations will address a range of topics including the contribution migrants make to labour supply and skills in Australia; Social inclusion and tertiary education; Australia's workforce development strategy; and Has the economic downturn influenced school-leaver destinations? Further information about the CEET conference, including registration details and the conference program, is available from the CEET website.

Recognising and rewarding teachers

One of the most influential factors in students’ learning is the knowledge, judgement and skill of their teachers. A recent paper by ACER Principal Research Fellow Dr Lawrence Ingvarson in Professional Development in Education reviews the Scottish Chartered Teacher Scheme in the light of international interest in policies designed to promote teacher quality. The Scottish Chartered Teacher Scheme emerged in 2001, designed to recognise and reward teachers who attained high standards of practice. The scheme aimed to attract and retain effective teachers, and to ensure all teachers continue to engage in effective professional learning.

Quality standards and regulation discussed

Australian Universities already have rigorous quality assurance measures in place that deliver a world-class university system but, according to speakers at a University of Melbourne seminar on August 31, more needs to be done to ensure adequate assessment of student achievement and graduate outcomes. Professor Alan Robson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Australia and current chair of the Group of Eight and Dr Hamish Coates, Principal Research Fellow with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) delivered the third in a series of seminars conducted by the University of Melbourne’s Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) and the LH Martin Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Management on 31 August. The seminar, Quality Standards and Regulation: the start of a new era, examined the role of the new Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) in monitoring quality and institutional performance.

ACER UPDATE

Masters joins expert working group

ACER’s chief executive Professor Geoff Masters has accepted an invitation to become Deputy Chair of the Transforming Learning and the Transmission of Knowledge Expert Working Group of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC). The PMSEIC was established in 1997 as the Government’s principal source of independent advice on issues in science, engineering and innovation and aspects of education and training. The council discusses major national issues in science, engineering and technology and their contribution to the economic and social development of Australia with discussion informed by Expert Working Groups’ independent reports focusing on areas of special interest to the Government.

Conference to discuss the attractiveness of the academic profession

ACER is participating in the LH Martin Institute's first international conference The Attractiveness of the Academic Profession: The Management Challenge, on October 1-2 in Melbourne. The conference will provide the opportunity to explore the relative attractiveness of the Australian academic profession in comparison to its major competitor systems.

This conference will draw on the results of a major international comparative study on the changing nature of the academic profession undertaken by the University of New England’s Centre for Higher Education Management and Policy (CHEMP) and the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The Changing Nature of the Academic Profession (CAP) project was conducted in around 20 countries over 2007-2008. It will also be the first opportunity for the researchers involved to use the international dataset that the project has generated. Further information is available from the
LH Martin Institute website

Schools First awards update

The first round of applications for Schools First closed in August and more than 1500 applications were received. ACER has been responsible for evaluating the applications. Schools could apply for an Impact Award, which recognises excellence in school-community partnerships, and/or a Seed Funding Award, which recognises the potential for excellence in these partnerships. According to assessors, applications showed remarkable diversity in terms of the projects that have been set up. The stories were sometimes quite moving; many were inspirational; nearly all showed an excellent understanding of the important contribution that such partnerships can make to improving educational outcomes for students. The three partners – ACER, the Foundation for Young Australians and the National Australia Bank – are all heartened by the level of commitment shown by school communities to harnessing the expertise that exists in these communities. For more information visit www.schoolsfirst.edu.au

Culture-fair assessment issues examined

A greater emphasis on more ‘culturally inclusive’ assessment and teaching methods for Indigenous students may help to address their pattern of under-achievement in national benchmark data and international testing programs according to a paper presented at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) conference in Perth earlier this month. The presentation, by Professor Val Klenowski from Queensland University of Technology and Ms Thelma Gertz of the Catholic Education Office Townsville, was based on an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage research project examining equity issues as they relate to the validity and fairness of assessment practices.

Whatever the source - assessment data can inform teaching and learning

While some educators argue that information from system-wide tests is not useful for improving learning, good quality data from a range of sources can and should be used to inform teaching, according to a paper to be presented at the ACER Research Conference in Perth on 17 August. “What matters is the quality rather than the source of information,” said Dr Margaret Forster, Research Director of the Assessment and Reporting Research Program at ACER. “And that means the diagnostic power of the assessment – the power of the assessment to illuminate strengths and weaknesses in students’ understandings. Informative assessment, assessment that can drive teaching and learning, bypasses the division between assessment of learning and for learning.”

Measuring non-academic outcomes of schooling

One essential flaw in the way many schools and systems attempt to improve some non-academic outcomes of schooling is the assumption that simply providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate the outcomes will be enough for the students to develop them, according to a paper presented at the ACER Research Conference on 17 August. Authors ACER Senior Research Fellow Prue Anderson and Principal Research Fellow Julian Fraillon identify three main challenges in measuring non-academic outcomes of schooling: defining the outcome, measuring the outcome and improving outcomes.

How can an international large-scale test help our students and teachers?

Large-scale testing programs are sometimes criticised because they are not used to effect change, and may narrow the curriculum as teachers “teach to the test”. However, the framework for the test and interpretation of its results can be used to improve the teaching of reading, according to a paper presented at the ACER Research Conference on 17 August. The paper, by ACER Principal Research Fellow Juliette Mendelovits, Senior Research Fellow Dr Tom Lumley and Research Fellow Dara Searle, focuses on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Programme for International Student Achievement (OECD PISA), which assesses 15-year-olds in several domains including reading every three years. In the current cycle, PISA will be administered in 75 countries. This study can be useful to teachers through international comparisons, the opportunity to compare frameworks, and monitoring new areas included in the PISA survey of student proficiencies.

High regard for education a key to Finland’s success

Possible reasons behind Finland’s continued success in international tests of student achievement were presented to ACER’s Research Conference by Professor Patrik Scheinin from the University of Helsinki. He presented the case of the Finnish comprehensive school to discuss strategic questions of educational policy, teacher education and teaching. Finland has been a top performer in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) since its inception. The country’s education system has been closely scrutinised by educators around the world, keen to find the answers to why some countries perform better than others on PISA.

National assessment data meaningful for schools

National assessment programs are useful for improving education, University of Western Australia Dean of Education Professor Helen Wildy told the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) annual conference on 18 August. Professor Wildy has drawn on the experience of several projects conducted in WA over the last 10 years that have aimed to improve the skills of primary and secondary school teachers and leaders to interpret the results of student assessment in meaningful ways.

ACER UPDATE

Conference proceedings and additional papers available online

The full conference proceedings and additional individual papers from Research Conference 2009 are now available online. Power Point presentations are also available from most sessions. These can be downloaded from the conference web page.

Research Conference 2010

ACER’s fifteenth annual research conference will take place in Melbourne from 15-17 August 2010 at the Crown Promenade Hotel. The theme for Research Conference 2010 is Teaching mathematics? Make it count : What research tells us about effective mathematics teaching and learning. Further information about the conference will be posted on the Professional Learning section of the ACER website as it becomes available. Download the conference flyer.

PISA shows Indigenous students face substantial disadvantage

A summary of Indigenous students’ results in international tests of reading, mathematical and scientific literacy suggests that initiatives to improve the education of Indigenous students have, to date, had little effect. According to the achievement of Australia’s Indigenous students in PISA 2000-2006 released by ACER on 13 July, Indigenous students remain overrepresented at the lower levels and underrepresented at the upper levels of proficiency. The performance of Indigenous students has not improved over the time from 2000 to 2006.

The future of higher degrees by research

Australia’s economy is increasingly reliant on highly skilled workers, so it is crucial that supply keeps pace with demand. Governments and industry stakeholders need to understand the relevant issues across industries and disciplines in order for Australia to remain internationally competitive. A recent report Supply, Demand and Characteristics of the Higher Degree by Research Population in Australia examines those in Australia who have a higher degree by research, with particular emphasis on involvement in the labour force and future levels of supply and demand.

ACER UPDATE

PISA 2009 testing underway

Testing for the 2009 cycle of the OCED Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) began in Australia on 23 July. Testing will continue until 2 September. Approximately 18,500 students from 356 schools across Australia are taking part in PISA 2009. PISA assesses how far students near the end of compulsory education (students are aged 15 years when they participate in the assessments) have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in society. In all cycles, the domains of reading, mathematical and scientific literacy are covered not merely in terms of mastery of the school curriculum, but in terms of important knowledge and skills needed in adult life. In 2009 Reading Literacy is the major domain being assessed.

ACER is again conducting the Australian national component of PISA on behalf of the Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments. ACER also ACER leads a consortium of research and educational institutions and eminent individuals and holds the major contract to deliver the International PISA project on behalf of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The results of PISA 2009 are due to be released in December 2010.
Further information on the Australian national component of PISA
Further information on ACER’s role in conducting the international PISA study

ACER Research Conference 2009

Research Conference 2009, Assessment and Student Learning; collecting, interpreting and using data to inform teaching, will be held in Perth from August 16-18. Keynote addresses will be delivered by Geoff Masters, Margaret Forster, Helen Wildy (UWA) and Patrik Scheinin (University of Helsinki). The conference will be attended by more than 650 delegates from across Australia with international representation from New Zealand, India, Indonesia and Chile. For further information on the conference program please visit the conference web page.

Schools First award applications closing soon

Schools throughout Australia are invited to apply for a Schools First award and be in the running to share in the $5 million pool of award money. Award applications are now open and close on 14 August.

ARACY Conference 2009

The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) will hold its 2009 National Conference in Melbourne from 2-4 September. ACER is an institutional member of ARACY. Dr John Ainley, ACER Deputy CEO (Research) is a founder of ARACY and current member of the scientific committee.

ARACY Conference 2009will focus on how we can best learn from one another and work together to innovate and take action to improve outcomes for young Australians. The Conference aims to build links between international and national experts, researchers, policy makers, practitioners, social entrepreneurs, marketers, business and financiers. It will explore pathways to success, and showcase preventive innovations that are improving the lives of children and young people. For further information please visit the ARACY conference website.

Master class in assessment

ACER will be hosting a Master Class in Assessment in Brisbane on Saturday 19 September. The Master Class will be delivered by Dr. Randy Bennett from Educational Testing Service in the US and Dr Yoav Cohen and Dr Anat Ben-Simon both from the National Institute for Testing and Evaluation in Israel. The 3 key focus areas of the Master Class will be “Marking practices with particular reference to multiple marking”, “Assessment of Learning Difficulties: diagnostic issues, provision of test accommodations and regulatory procedures” and “Moving existing assessments to computer and using the computer to measure new things”. The Master Class is designed for those with deep involvement in assessment. For further information contact Margaret Taylor at the ACER Centre for Professional Learning on by phone on (03) 9277 5544 or by email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Research Developments issue 21 now available

Issue 21 of Research Developments, ACER’s news magazine, is now available both online and in print. The cover story for this edition features a case by ACER against the use of simple league tables to compare schools. Other articles include our recent research into the use of Indigenous languages in Australia, the recommendations of the review of primary school education in Queensland by Geoff Masters and a review of evidence into the effectiveness of middle schools. Research Developments issue 21 can be read online . If you would like to join the mailing list to receive print copies, please email your contact details to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Masters warns against league tables

Australia must avoid the allure of simple but potentially misleading approaches to comparing the performances of schools, according to the chief executive of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), Professor Geoff Masters. Speaking ahead of the first in a series of nation-wide seminars for school leaders on the use of student achievement data, Professor Masters said Australia had the opportunity to learn from overseas experience and avoid simple but problematic approaches to the construction of school league tables.

Studies of Asia in Australia

Across Australia, very few Year 12 subjects focus on Asia, according to a report completed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for the Asia Education Foundation. The report, Studies of Asia in Year 12, by Jenny Wilkinson and Gina Milgate, found that Year 12 subjects are significantly more likely to contain content on Europe than they are on Asia.

ACER UPDATE

Queensland Government accepts recommendations of Masters Review

The Queensland Government announced on 29 June that it had accepted all five key recommendations from a review of the state’s primary school education conducted by ACER’s chief executive, Professor Geoff Masters. Professor Masters made the recommendations in a report, A Shared Challenge: Improving Literacy, Numeracy and Science Learning in Queensland Primary Schools, which was delivered to the Queensland Government in late April.

Professor Masters recommended that:

aspiring primary teachers be required to demonstrate through test performances, as a condition of registration, that they meet threshold levels of knowledge about the teaching of literacy, numeracy and science and have sound levels of content knowledge in these areas;
the Queensland Government introduces a new structure and program of advanced professional learning in literacy, numeracy and science for primary school teachers;
additional funding be made available for the advanced training and employment of a number of ‘specialist’ literacy, numeracy and science teachers to work in schools (and/or district offices) most in need of support;
standard science tests be introduced at Years 4, 6, 8 and 10 for school use in identifying students who are not meeting year-level expectations and for monitoring student progress over time; and
the Queensland Government initiates an expert review of international best practice in school leadership development with a view to introducing a new structure and program of advanced professional learning for primary school leaders focused on effective strategies for driving improved school performances in literacy, numeracy and science.

The full report is available at http://education.qld.gov.au/mastersreview

Fair and Flexible Employer recognition

ACER is pleased to announce that it is one of 16 employers to receive a Fair and Flexible Employer Recognition Award 2009–2010, presented by Workforce Victoria and the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development. Victorian Minister for Industrial Relations, Martin Pakula, announced the awards on 23 June. The Fair and Flexible Employer Award recognises employers who have developed innovative programs in policy and practice that improve the work and family balance of their employees. ACER has been recognised for its many flexible arrangements including part time work, flexible leave, paid and unpaid parental leave, carer’s leave and leave without pay as well as flexible provisions for mothers returning from maternity leave and other family-friendly arrangements. ACER’s case study can be read on the Victorian Government’s Ways2Work website.

Schools First applications to open

Schools throughout Australia are invited to apply for a Schools First award and be in the running to share in the $5 million pool of award money. Award applications open on 1 July and close on 14 August.

Schools First, developed by NAB, ACER and the Foundation for Young Australians, is designed to recognise excellence in school-community partnerships. It is Australia’s largest ever corporate-backed education initiative and is open to all schools around the country. Sixty local Impact Awards worth $50,000 each are available. The most outstanding state and territory school–community partnerships will receive $100,000, and one outstanding school-community partnership will be judged the national winner and will receive an award valued between $500 000 - $1 million. In addition, a series of 20 Seed Funding Awards, worth $25,000 each, will be available for schools that require initial funding to get their community partnership started.

To find out more about Schools First and to download application forms, awards criteria, guidelines and Terms and Conditions visit www.schoolsfirst.edu.au or call 1800 649 141.

Uni degrees pay off in workforce, for men more than women

Men are more likely than women to gain highly-paid, full-time work after completing university, according to a recent study conducted into university outcomes.

The Graduate Pathways Survey, conducted by ACER for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, canvassed more than 9,000 bachelor degree graduates five years into their careers.

A national curriculum needs national teaching standards

ACER’s Dr Lawrence Ingvarson argues in a recent paper that because curriculum standards go hand in hand with standards for teaching, a partnership between these two areas would be of great benefit to Australian education. Two significant developments in this area have recently taken place: the creation of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and the National Partnership on Quality Teaching (NPQT).

ACER UPDATE

Masters awarded Australian College of Educators' Medal

ACER CEO Professor Geoff Masters has been awarded the 2009 Australian College of Educators' Medal. The College awards this medal annually in recognition of sustained contributions to Australian education by an outstanding educator. The College recognised Professor Masters as an international authority on educational measurement and student assessment; noting that he has made a distinctive contribution to education through his leadership of ACER and his active involvement nationally and internationally on many task forces and expert working groups. Professor Masters’s response to the award citation can be read on the Australian College of Educators website

ACER establishes Ken Rowe Fund

Following the tragic death of Dr Ken Rowe in the Victorian bushfires on 7 February 2009, ACER has established the Ken Rowe Fund to commemorate Ken's significant contribution to ACER and to education nationally and internationally. Funds received will be used to support two activities which were close to Ken's heart. They will provide support for research training in quantitative methods (for example, through a scholarship managed by ACER for attendance at ACSPRI courses) and practical support to schools, kindergartens and early childhood centres in the Marysville area. Details of how to donate to the fund are available on ACER’s website.

University students living on campus more engaged: AUSSE

Collegiate education is a growing trend in Australian higher education, and for good reason, according to the latest briefing paper from the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE).

The AUSSE paper has found that university students who live on campus are more engaged, feel more supported, and have better general development.

One in three tertiary students considers non-completion: AUSSE

A third of Australian and New Zealand tertiary students seriously consider leaving their institutions before graduation, according to results from a new study of student engagement conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and released on 24 April.

A representative sample of more than 25,000 students from 29 Australian and New Zealand universities participated in the latest cycle of the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE), conducted in 2008 – the largest and most advanced survey of its kind.

Reporting and comparing school performances

Nationally comparable data about school performances should be reported to the public, but should not be used to create league tables, according to a new paper from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).

The paper, Reporting and Comparing School Performances, has been prepared for the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs to provide advice on national schools data collection and reporting for school evaluation, accountability and resource allocation.

Pre-school must have educational focus, says UK early learning expert

Early childhood learning and school systems should promote young children’s cognitive as well as social and emotional development and focus on improving transitions for young children, UK early childhood learning expert Professor Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of London and President of the British Association for Early Childhood Education, told educators in a series of seminars for the Australian Council for Educational Research in March and April.

ACER UPDATE

Supply of and demand for HDR qualifications in Australia

ACER is the successful bidder for the Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) project on the current and future supply of, and demand for higher degree by research (HDR) qualifications. The research will examine the current situation of people with HDR qualifications who are already in the workforce, identify factors that influence demand, and identify factors that influence supply of people with HDR qualifications. The project will be completed by the end of June. The Centre of Policy Studies at Monash University will provide input into the work.

Leading Lights of Learning

ACER Chief Executive, Professor Geoff Masters, will present Recommendations and Directions from the 'Masters' Review-Improving Literacy, Numeracy and Science in Queensland Schools'at a breakfast hosted by ACER's Brisbane office as part of its Leading Lights of Learning series on 27 May.

Early years care must improve teaching strategies

Early years education systems must focus on effective teaching and learning strategies and improving staff qualifications to ensure successful outcomes for all children, Professor Collette Tayler will tell educators at two Early Learning State Conferences for the Australian Council for Educational Research in March and April.

Transform schools through powerful learning, urges UK expert

Everyone agrees that schools should be preparing all young people to be lifelong learners – but, Professor Guy Claxton wants to know, what does lifelong learning mean to a 37-year-old hairdresser in Bacchus Marsh?

UK education expert, professor of learning sciences and co-director of the Centre for Real-World Learning at the University of Winchester, Professor Claxton brought his brand of “real-world learning” to Australia for a seminar hosted by the Australian Council for Educational Research in March.

ACER UPDATE

ACER named 'Employer of Choice for Women

ACER has been awarded Employer of Choice for Women status by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA). ACER was one of 111 Australian employers to receive the citation on 18 March. ACER was awarded the citation on the basis of its existing policies and practices that were shown to support women across the organisation and have a positive outcome for both women and the business.

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.

Victorian bushfires claim leading educational researcher

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is mourning the loss of Dr Ken Rowe who died in Victoria’s recent bushfires. Dr Rowe was alone at his family’s property in Marysville when the town was devastated by fire.

Schools do matter, say ACER education experts

Education systems must overcome ‘biological social determinism’ to focus on student learning, Professor Steve Dinham of the Australian Council for Educational Research told education leaders in a series of seminars in late February.

ACER UPDATE

ACER International Institute hosts Qatari education administrators

The ACER International Institute hosted a group of data administrators from Qatar in February. The group from the Qatar Supreme Education Council’s Evaluation Institute attended a five-day training workshop in the ACER Melbourne office on the topics of data analysis and management and reporting skills. The main purposes of the Evaluation Institute are to evaluate schools, to assess students, to collect and manage data, to prepare and publish reports, and to manage the registration, licensing and accreditation for teaching and leadership. The workshop aimed to enhance the participants' skills in data analysis and reporting.

Research Developments issue 20 available online

Issue 20 of ACER's news magazine, Research Developments is now available online and in print. The articles in this edition describe some of the work that ACER is doing in the area of assessing and reporting on skills for the future. Visit Research Developments web page.

Varying pay-offs to post school education and training

Social background plays only a small role in accounting for differences in occupational status and earnings at age 24, indicating that education is enhancing social mobility, a study by ACER has found. The study, released on 20 January, found that, in general, post-school education and training leads to higher status occupations and higher earnings, compared to not doing any further study or training.

Accountability and transparency key to education quality

An approach that measures educational ‘outputs’ through student, school and teacher assessment is needed to ensure accountability in the education system, says an ACER paper. Output Measurement in Education, by ACER Principal Research Fellow Dr Andrew Dowling, is the latest in a series of policy papers released by ACER.

Inclusion and exclusion in VET and higher education

The Australian government has adopted a ‘social inclusion agenda’ that aims to bring together social and economic policies in order to reduce disadvantage in the Australian community. A presentation by Fran Ferrier and Sue North at the Monash University-ACER Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET) Conference held in November reported on progress in an investigation of the relationship between social exclusion and education, with a focus on VET and higher education.

ACER UPDATE

Universities take part in national student aptitude test trial

ACER has been contracted to conduct stage two of the Federal Government’s pilot National Student Aptitude Test for Tertiary Admission (SATTA). ACER will supply uniTEST for 2009 and 2010 entry. Four universities, Flinders University, The Australian National University, Macquarie University and the University of Ballarat recently held test sessions.

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) will subsidise universities’ participation in the pilot by providing funding for universities to test up to 20,000 students, as well as providing up to $10,000, for each university, to promote the scheme. Further information about uniTest is available on the ACER website at http://unitest.acer.edu.au/

Vale Professor Peter Karmel

ACER staff were saddened by the recent passing of former Chair of the ACER Council, Professor Peter Karmel, AC, who died on 30 December at the age of 86.

Professor Karmel played a very significant role in the history and development of ACER. He was a member of ACER Council for more than 30 years, from 1968 to 1999, and Chair of the Council from 1979 to 1999. During the thirty years in which he was associated with ACER, Professor Karmel worked with four of ACER's five chief executives (Bill Radford, John Keeves, Barry McGaw and Geoff Masters) and was directly involved in the appointment of three.

Planning seminars for school leaders February 2009

The ACER Leadership Centre is conducting a series of planning seminars for school leaders in February with education experts, Professor Brian Caldwell and Professor Stephen Dinham. The seminar will provide school leaders with ideas and practical strategies relevant to all school sectors. The seminars will take place in Melbourne (23 February), Sydney (24 February) and Brisbane (25 February). Further information and registrations details are available online or by contacting Stephen Cutting on 03 9277 5791 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Introduction

Research Conference 2009 special edition

The following articles are based on papers presented at the ACER Research Conference 2009, Assessment and Student Learning: Collecting, interpreting and using data to inform teaching .

All rights reserved. Except under the conditions described in the Copyright Act 1968 of Australia and subsequent amendments, no part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission. Please address any requests to reproduce information to communications@acer.edu.au

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