Research Developments - Articles online
Towards a national school funding model
Australia needs a clear national model for school funding, based on need and applying equally across the sectors, but this does not seem likely, at least in the short term. Andrew Dowling examines the issues.
In May 2008, the Federal Education Minister, Julia Gillard, referred to an ACER policy brief in a speech to the Association of Independent Schools (AIS) NSW and said that, “Australia’s school funding system is one of the most complex, most opaque, and most confusing in the developed world.” She went on to observe that “this lack of transparency has served to heighten the atmosphere of uncertainty and mutual suspicion which has characterised the politics of education in Australia over the last decade.” The next day, she announced in the daily newspapers that the Federal Government would review its school funding system in 2010-11, in time for the next formal funding model for schools that begins in 2012 (the current four year agreement ends in 2008 but Labor promised during the election campaign that the next agreement, which runs from 2009- 2012, would maintain the existing system).
Exploring scientific literacy
Australia has a world-class education system, according to the latest results from the Programme for International Student Assessment, as Sue Thomson explains.
In 2006, more than 14 000 15-yearold
students from 356 schools across
Australia took part in the third cycle of
the Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA). Schools were randomly
selected from all schools in Australia and
about 50 students were randomly selected
for participation in each school. These
students represented Australia in what
has become known as the world’s biggest
assessment, with a total of 400 000 students
in 57 countries participating in PISA 2006,
including all countries in the Organisation for
Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) and 27 others, ranging from
Azerbaijan to Uruguay.
Staff in Australia’s schools
A major survey of the teaching and leadership workforce in Australia’s schools has provided a detailed demographic picture of the Australian teaching workforce and also highlighted a range of specific issues for future workforce planning. Phillip McKenzie describes the study and its results.
The Staff in Australia’s Schools survey was conducted by ACER with the assistance of the Australian College of Educators (ACE) between October 2006 and April 2007. Around 20 000 teachers and school leaders were randomly selected and invited to participate in the study. The survey included primary teachers, secondary teachers, primary leaders and secondary leaders from Government, Catholic and Independent schools from all states and territories. Leaders were defined as Principals, Deputy/ Vice Principals and their equivalents in the different school systems. Final survey responses were received from 5209 primary teachers, 5394 secondary teachers, 1116 primary leaders and 1393 secondary leaders.
Supporting international capacity building
ACER may be best known internationally for its involvement in large-scale student assessments, such as the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the International School Assessment (ISA), but the organisation is also heavily involved in international capacity-building programs. Peter McGuckian explains.
As well as high-profile testing programs, ACER also provides a wide range of tailored services for international clients including consultancies, development of assessment and curriculum materials, and professional development for teachers and education department officials.
Teach in America
An alliance between the United States’ Visiting International Faculty Program and ACER will give Australian teachers a new opportunity to develop careers abroad.
The Visiting International Faculty (VIF) Program, the United States’ largest cultural exchange program for teachers, has been placing Australian teachers in American schools for nearly 20 years, but the recent alliance with ACER aims to expand recognition for the skills and experience teachers gain abroad.
These teachers contribute to the brain gain for our education system, according to Jennie Hayes, the VIF Program Manager at ACER.
