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News bulletins from the Australian Council for Educational Research published September 2011 3134 subscribers Subscribe Now In this issue: Growth targets and students numbers in higher education Beginning teacher standards in Saudi Arabia Monitoring the post-school destinations of students Assessing Student Learning: Why Reform is Overdue ACER Update Growth targets and students numbers in higher education The Federal Government’s higher education targets are likely to be very difficult to achieve unless Bachelor degree attainment of 25 to 34 year olds can increase at twice the rate of population growth, according to a research review paper by ACER Senior Research Fellow Dr Daniel Edwards. In the fourth research briefing for the Joining the Dots series Dr Edwards examines the expansion of Australia’s higher education sector and how this might affect student numbers. Continue reading » Beginning teacher standards in Saudi Arabia Prospective teachers in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will soon have to demonstrate they meet benchmarks of teacher quality. ACER is assisting the Saudi Arabian National Centre for Assessment in Higher Education (NCAHE) with the development of a framework for beginning teacher standards. The beginning teacher professional standards will describe the skills, knowledge and values necessary for effective teaching. The standards will be used to design assessment tools for the purposes of selection among teaching candidates and will determine training needs for accredited beginning teachers. Continue reading » Monitoring the post-school destinations of students It has long been acknowledged that what happens in the immediate post-school years can have important consequences for young people in making their transition to adulthood. The educational and occupational pathways of young people as they progress from school into further study, employment and adult life is therefore an important area for policy-makers and educators to understand. Through a range of research projects, ACER has contributed to understanding the different pathways young people take from school to work and the key factors involved. With this knowledge, policy-makers and educators can assist young people to make successful transitions from school to further education and work. Continue reading » Assessing Student Learning: Why Reform is Overdue Advances in our understanding of human learning require new approaches to assessing and monitoring student learning, ACER CEO Professor Geoff Masters argues in the latest in a series of research-based, expert opinion articles. The ACER Occasional Essays series aims to provide thought leadership that can create a positive impact on learners and their needs, on the learning profession and on places of learning, and fosters a learning society in which every learner experiences success and has an opportunity to reach their potential. Continue reading » ACER Update ACER Student Engagement & Experience Conference ACER has teamed up with Criterion Conferences to present a two-day conference, Measuring and Improving Student Engagement and Experience: Increasing the quality of teaching & learning to encourage retention in higher education. Recent developments such as the advent of TEQSA and the Government’s participation and attainment targets have brought the intersection between teaching, learning and student engagement to the fore. With presentations from over a dozen experts from a range of higher education institutions and research organisations, this conference will address: The impact of the wider reform agenda on projects aimed at improving student engagement Debate of the effectiveness of measures and standards of higher education teaching and learning Issues with monitoring and strengthening quality student transitions across diverse access pathways Institutional strategies to support student cohorts most at risk of high attrition. Pre- and post-conference workshops will explore how to use data on students’ learning to improve education an on engaging postgraduate coursework students. The conference runs from 21-24 November at Melbourne’s Novotel on Collins. Discounted early bird registrations are available until 21 October. Further information about the conference is available from http://www.improvingstudentengagement.com NAB Schools First winners announced This month 110 schools were declared NAB Schools First award winners in recognition of their outstanding school-community partnerships. From a field of 863 high-quality applications, 50 schools won $25,000 Seed Funding Awards for partnerships in their early stages, and 60 schools won $50,000 Impact Awards for established partnerships that are having a demonstrated impact on students. All Impact Award winners are now eligible to become their respective State/Territory Impact Award winner and receive an additional $50,000 towards their school-community partnership. The State/Territory winners will be announced in October. Each State/Territory winner will then be in the running for the National Impact Award, to be announced on 24 November, where their total aggregate awards funding will be $500,000. Established in 2009, NAB Schools First is a partnership between NAB, ACER and the Foundation for Young Australians. ACER is responsible for judging all of the applications, a process that involves over 50 judges each year. ACER also provides individualised feedback for each unsuccessful school. This feedback provides schools with advice on not only how to improve their application but also how to strengthen and develop their partnerships. ACER conducts an evaluation of the NAB Schools First program each year to research the benefits of school-community partnerships. By the end of this year, the program will have awarded $15 million to 310 schools around Australia. This year’s award announcements coincides with confirmation that the program will continue for a further three years. For more information visit http://www.schoolsfirst.edu.au ACER Institute to host Bill Lucas seminar In October 2011 the ACER Institute in conjunction with Tenderbridge will host a seminar presented by University of Winchester Professor of Learning Bill Lucas, on the topic New Thinking about Intelligence and Learning: New ideas for resourcing new thinking in schools. A former school leader and best-selling author, Lucas has helped to create five organisations: Learning through Landscapes, Campaign for Learning, The Talent Foundation, The Centre for Real-World Learning and, most recently, the English Project. During his seminar, Lucas will share his experiences of turning good ideas into resources - money, time and talents. He will discuss well-tested practical ideas drawn from across the world designed to put educational visions into practice and will suggest how educators might access funds to do this. For more information on this seminar or to register your interest please visit http://www.acerinstitute.edu.au/ CEET Annual Conference ACER Research Director Dr Phillip McKenzie and ACER Senior Research Fellow Justin Brown will present on the topic ‘The Changing Destinations of Low SES School Leavers – the Contribution of VET in Schools’ at the 15th annual conference of the Monash University Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET), on Friday 28 October 2011 at Ascot House in Ascot Vale, Melbourne. The theme of the conference is The contribution of Vocational Education and Training (VET) to a more inclusive Australia. Further information about the conference is available from http://www.edu.monash.edu/centres/ceet/conferences/2011.html
Copyright © Australian Council for Educational Research 2013 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 Subscribe Unsubscribe Australian Council for Educational Research Private Bag 55, Camberwell, Victoria Australia 3124 Tel: + 61 3 9277 5555 Fax: + 61 3 9277 5500 Web: www.acer.edu.au

News bulletins from the Australian Council for Educational Research published September 2011
3134 subscribers
Subscribe Now

In this issue:

Growth targets and students numbers in higher education

The Federal Government’s higher education targets are likely to be very difficult to achieve unless Bachelor degree attainment of 25 to 34 year olds can increase at twice the rate of population growth, according to a research review paper by ACER Senior Research Fellow Dr Daniel Edwards.

In the fourth research briefing for the Joining the Dots series Dr Edwards examines the expansion of Australia’s higher education sector and how this might affect student numbers.

Beginning teacher standards in Saudi Arabia

Prospective teachers in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will soon have to demonstrate they meet benchmarks of teacher quality.

ACER is assisting the Saudi Arabian National Centre for Assessment in Higher Education (NCAHE) with the development of a framework for beginning teacher standards. The beginning teacher professional standards will describe the skills, knowledge and values necessary for effective teaching. The standards will be used to design assessment tools for the purposes of selection among teaching candidates and will determine training needs for accredited beginning teachers.

Monitoring the post-school destinations of students

It has long been acknowledged that what happens in the immediate post-school years can have important consequences for young people in making their transition to adulthood. The educational and occupational pathways of young people as they progress from school into further study, employment and adult life is therefore an important area for policy-makers and educators to understand.

Through a range of research projects, ACER has contributed to understanding the different pathways young people take from school to work and the key factors involved. With this knowledge, policy-makers and educators can assist young people to make successful transitions from school to further education and work.

Assessing Student Learning: Why Reform is Overdue

Advances in our understanding of human learning require new approaches to assessing and monitoring student learning, ACER CEO Professor Geoff Masters argues in the latest in a series of research-based, expert opinion articles.

The ACER Occasional Essays series aims to provide thought leadership that can create a positive impact on learners and their needs, on the learning profession and on places of learning, and fosters a learning society in which every learner experiences success and has an opportunity to reach their potential.

ACER Update

ACER Student Engagement & Experience Conference

ACER has teamed up with Criterion Conferences to present a two-day conference, Measuring and Improving Student Engagement and Experience: Increasing the quality of teaching & learning to encourage retention in higher education. Recent developments such as the advent of TEQSA and the Government’s participation and attainment targets have brought the intersection between teaching, learning and student engagement to the fore.

With presentations from over a dozen experts from a range of higher education institutions and research organisations, this conference will address:

The impact of the wider reform agenda on projects aimed at improving student engagement
Debate of the effectiveness of measures and standards of higher education teaching and learning
Issues with monitoring and strengthening quality student transitions across diverse access pathways
Institutional strategies to support student cohorts most at risk of high attrition.

Pre- and post-conference workshops will explore how to use data on students’ learning to improve education an on engaging postgraduate coursework students.

The conference runs from 21-24 November at Melbourne’s Novotel on Collins. Discounted early bird registrations are available until 21 October. Further information about the conference is available from http://www.improvingstudentengagement.com

NAB Schools First winners announced

This month 110 schools were declared NAB Schools First award winners in recognition of their outstanding school-community partnerships. From a field of 863 high-quality applications, 50 schools won $25,000 Seed Funding Awards for partnerships in their early stages, and 60 schools won $50,000 Impact Awards for established partnerships that are having a demonstrated impact on students. All Impact Award winners are now eligible to become their respective State/Territory Impact Award winner and receive an additional $50,000 towards their school-community partnership. The State/Territory winners will be announced in October. Each State/Territory winner will then be in the running for the National Impact Award, to be announced on 24 November, where their total aggregate awards funding will be $500,000.

Established in 2009, NAB Schools First is a partnership between NAB, ACER and the Foundation for Young Australians. ACER is responsible for judging all of the applications, a process that involves over 50 judges each year. ACER also provides individualised feedback for each unsuccessful school. This feedback provides schools with advice on not only how to improve their application but also how to strengthen and develop their partnerships. ACER conducts an evaluation of the NAB Schools First program each year to research the benefits of school-community partnerships. By the end of this year, the program will have awarded $15 million to 310 schools around Australia. This year’s award announcements coincides with confirmation that the program will continue for a further three years. For more information visit http://www.schoolsfirst.edu.au

ACER Institute to host Bill Lucas seminar

In October 2011 the ACER Institute in conjunction with Tenderbridge will host a seminar presented by University of Winchester Professor of Learning Bill Lucas, on the topic New Thinking about Intelligence and Learning: New ideas for resourcing new thinking in schools. A former school leader and best-selling author, Lucas has helped to create five organisations: Learning through Landscapes, Campaign for Learning, The Talent Foundation, The Centre for Real-World Learning and, most recently, the English Project. During his seminar, Lucas will share his experiences of turning good ideas into resources - money, time and talents. He will discuss well-tested practical ideas drawn from across the world designed to put educational visions into practice and will suggest how educators might access funds to do this. For more information on this seminar or to register your interest please visit http://www.acerinstitute.edu.au/

CEET Annual Conference

ACER Research Director Dr Phillip McKenzie and ACER Senior Research Fellow Justin Brown will present on the topic ‘The Changing Destinations of Low SES School Leavers – the Contribution of VET in Schools’ at the 15th annual conference of the Monash University Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET), on Friday 28 October 2011 at Ascot House in Ascot Vale, Melbourne. The theme of the conference is The contribution of Vocational Education and Training (VET) to a more inclusive Australia. Further information about the conference is available from http://www.edu.monash.edu/centres/ceet/conferences/2011.html

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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Private Bag 55, Camberwell, Victoria Australia 3124
Tel: + 61 3 9277 5555
Fax: + 61 3 9277 5500
Web: www.acer.edu.au