In this issue:

• Using TV to improve Indigenous learning
• TAFE loses ground in post-school landscape
• Curriculum not the cause of inequalities
• Blurred for the better? The future of tertiary education
• ACER Update

A recent ACER report provides an evidence base for the development of a high quality educational television program aimed primarily at Indigenous children aged from three to six years. The report, by Michele Lonsdale, is based on a review of the literature on the importance of early childhood learning, the nature of Indigenous learning needs, and the role of educational television programs in improving outcomes for children.

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Victorian school leavers are changing their preferences for TAFE courses in relation to other education and training destinations, according to a paper presented to a recent conference on the economics of education.

Dr Phillip McKenzie, ACER Research Director, Transitions and Policy Analysis, and Dr Sheldon Rothman, ACER Principal Research Fellow, Program Analysis, used information from the Victorian Government’s On Track annual survey of school leavers to show how vocational education and training (VET) fits into the post-school landscape.

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School sector and socioeconomic inequalities in students’ tertiary entrance performance and university entry cannot be attributed to the structure of the senior secondary school curriculum, a study suggests.

A paper published in the Educational Research and Evaluation journal, written by ACER Principal Research Fellow Gary Marks, examines the role of senior school courses – referred to as the “stratified curriculum” in mediating or accounting for the relationships between socioeconomic status (SES), school sector, and university entrance.

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A new Australian tertiary education sector is likely to see a blurring of lines between the VET and Higher Education sectors as the shape of institutions changes, a recent conference on the economics of education heard.

A panel of experts came together in Melbourne on Friday 29 October to speak at the 14^th annual national conference of the Monash University – Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET) on the topic ‘Education and training for a more productive Australia’.

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ACER announces new Research Division Heads

In late October ACER appointed Dr Sue Thomson to head the newly created Educational Monitoring and Research Division and Dr Khoo Siek Toon to the role of Acting Head of the Assessment and Psychometric Research Division. The new appointments and divisional structure follow the recent retirement of Dr John Ainley after a decade leading ACER’s entire research effort.

Dr Thomson has a distinguished research career, specialising in the study of how and why countries and education systems differ in their educational outputs and performances. The new Educational Monitoring and Research Division that she will lead consists of almost 70 staff undertaking research and development in the areas of national surveys, international surveys, higher education, student transitions, policy analysis, program evaluation, teaching, learning and leadership.  

Dr Khoo also has a distinguished research career, specialising in the development and implementation of quantitative research methods in education. Dr Khoo is an international authority in student growth modelling. The new Assessment and Psychometric Research Division that she will lead consists of more than 70 staff undertaking research and development in the areas of psychometrics, quantitative research methods, assessment and reporting in the humanities and social sciences and in mathematics and science, and system-wide testing.  Dr Khoo becomes Acting Head of Division until a permanent appointment is made.