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- PISA (5)
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- Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study; TIMSS; Progress in International Reading Literacy Study; PIRLS; International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement; IEA; Year 4 (2)
- Victoria (2)
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Articles 1 - 30 of 33
Full-Text Articles in Education
Aqtf Quality Indicator Service : 2011-12 Report, Acer
Aqtf Quality Indicator Service : 2011-12 Report, Acer
Transition and Post-School Education and Training
In 2007 ACER lead a sector-side development, deployment and support of a set of instruments and reporting tools to underpin a new data-driven and outcomes-focused approach to quality assurance in Australia’s vocational education and training sector. The AQTF 2007 Quality Indicator survey resources provide building blocks for a wide range of conversations about the quality of vocational education and training. Such feedback is used in education systems and organisations to obtain information on the quality of education and training.
Broadly speaking, collecting information about performance provides a valuable source of data for RTOs to:
◗◗ gauge how well they are …
Evaluation Of The Assessment And Rating Process Under The National Quality Standard For Early Childhood Education And Care And School Age Care, Sheldon Rothman, David Kelly, Bridie Raban, Mollie Tobin, Jocelyn Cook, Kate O’Malley, Clare Ozolins, Meredith Bramich
Evaluation Of The Assessment And Rating Process Under The National Quality Standard For Early Childhood Education And Care And School Age Care, Sheldon Rothman, David Kelly, Bridie Raban, Mollie Tobin, Jocelyn Cook, Kate O’Malley, Clare Ozolins, Meredith Bramich
Early Childhood Education
This evaluation of the assessment and rating process for early childhood education and care and school age care services had as its focus the validity and reliability of the process. In particular, do the items reviewed with the Assessment and Rating Instrument provide consistent and replicable measures? Would the judgements made by one authorised officer be made by other authorised officers reviewing the same service? Does the process—including use of the Instrument—allow distinctions between rating levels?
The evaluation was undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), which analysed assessment and rating data from both draft and final reports; …
Enhancing The Quality Of Teaching And Learning In Australian Schools : Submission To The Senate Inquiry On Teaching And Learning (Maximising Our Investment In Australian Schools), Geoff N. Masters
School and system improvement
International research identifies several steps that governments can take to enhance the quality of teaching and learning, and thus levels of student achievement and wellbeing, in primary and secondary schools. The steps are:
1. Restrict and raise the quality of student intakes to teacher education
2. Set and confirm the achievement of minimum standards for registration
3. Recognise and reward the development of specialist knowledge and skill
Review Of Townsville Diocese School Renewal Processes, Tony Mcgruther, Geoff N. Masters
Review Of Townsville Diocese School Renewal Processes, Tony Mcgruther, Geoff N. Masters
School and system improvement
Townsville Catholic Education Office in Queensland (TCEO) commissioned ACER to review its current processes for school renewal. TCEO seeks to support its school leaders in the design and implementation of self renewing school improvement. This report focuses on the explicit elements of teaching and learning with a particular emphasis on forming recommendations on the evidence base applied to school led reflection. The report is based on data collected from documentation, the views of diocesan leaders, consultants, principals and the current body of research evidence informing school improvement. The recommendations are noted under the common characteristics of highly effective systems identified …
Starting School : A Strengths‐Based Approach Towards Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Children, Stephanie Armstrong, Sarah Buckley, Michele Lonsdale, Gina Milgate, Laura Bennetts Kneebone, Louise Cook, Fiona Skelton
Starting School : A Strengths‐Based Approach Towards Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Children, Stephanie Armstrong, Sarah Buckley, Michele Lonsdale, Gina Milgate, Laura Bennetts Kneebone, Louise Cook, Fiona Skelton
Indigenous Education Research
This paper highlights the need for a strengths-based approach to school readiness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, in order to recognise the skills, cultural knowledge and understandings they already have when they transition to formal learning. The study, a joint project by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), reviews the literature and uses a strength-based analysis of information from Footprints in Time: The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) to examine Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s abilities and knowledge at 4-6 years of age. …
The On Track Survey 2012: The Destinations Of School Leavers In Victoria. Statewide Report, Sheldon Rothman, Catherine Underwood
The On Track Survey 2012: The Destinations Of School Leavers In Victoria. Statewide Report, Sheldon Rothman, Catherine Underwood
Transition and Post-School Education and Training
The On Track project was initiated in 2003. Since the first large-scale survey in that year, around 385,000 school leavers have participated in the On Track surveys, providing valuable insights into their post-school destinations and pathways. The On Track survey was conducted in April–May 2012 by the Social Research Centre (SRC) in collaboration with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). This involved a short telephone survey of school leavers who had earlier agreed to participate. Separate questionnaires were used for Year 12 or equivalent completers and early school leavers. This report is based on data from telephone surveys of …
Ib Graduates In Australian Universities : Entry And Outcomes : A Case Study Of Two Institutions : Project Report, Daniel Edwards, Catherine Underwood
Ib Graduates In Australian Universities : Entry And Outcomes : A Case Study Of Two Institutions : Project Report, Daniel Edwards, Catherine Underwood
Higher education research
This report explores the entry into and progression through university of graduates from the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP). It focuses on two Australian universities, used as case studies for exploring the higher education pathways of IB DP graduates. The study has been conducted for the International Baccalaureate, the organisation which oversees the IB DP.
This project responds to one key element of the IB research agenda, which focuses on establishing and expanding empirical evidence related to the postsecondary transitions, academic outcomes and experiences of IB DP graduates in the tertiary education sector. This report is intended to provide …
Children’S Independent Mobility : Walking To School And Road Safety Knowledge : 8 To 12 Year Olds, Catherine Underwood
Children’S Independent Mobility : Walking To School And Road Safety Knowledge : 8 To 12 Year Olds, Catherine Underwood
Children’s Independent Mobility and Active Transport
Road safety knowledge is essential for children walking to school so they can safely navigate traffic environments. At the same time walking to school increases children’s awareness of their neighbourhood and also has a positive influence on their health and wellbeing.
Preparing Australian Students For The Digital World : Results From The Pisa 2009 Digital Reading Literacy Assessment, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli
Preparing Australian Students For The Digital World : Results From The Pisa 2009 Digital Reading Literacy Assessment, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli
OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia
In PISA 2009, the assessment of digital reading literacy was offered as an international option for the first time. The digital reading literacy assessment assessed 15-year-old students’ ability to read, understand and apply digital texts. Australia and eighteen other countries or economies participated in this assessment. This report presents the results of the PISA digital reading literacy assessment for Australia. It presents the results for Australia as a whole, and where relevant makes comparisons to the other participants in the study. Results are also reported for the Australian states and territories and for different social groups within Australia. Overall, Australian …
Measuring And Rewarding School Improvement, Geoff N. Masters
Measuring And Rewarding School Improvement, Geoff N. Masters
Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation
There is now a widely held view that the most effective strategy for improving countries’ educational performances is to improve the day-to-day work of schools. This view follows several decades of significant increases in government expenditure on school education in developed countries, often with little or no accompanying evidence of improvements in the quality or equity of educational provision. A number of countries have introduced incentives – both rewards and sanctions – in an attempt to ‘drive’ improvements in the work of schools. Many of these incentive schemes have followed the model adopted in business of specifying and measuring desired …
Students' Participation In And Valuing Of Civic Engagement At School, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon
Students' Participation In And Valuing Of Civic Engagement At School, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon
Civics and Citizenship Assessment
The IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study studied the ways in which young people in lower secondary schools are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens in a wide range of countries including Europe, Latin America, and the Asian-Pacific region. ICCS was the third IEA study designed to measure contexts and outcomes of civic and citizenship education and was linked to the 1999 IEA Civic Education Study (CIVED). A central aspect of the study was the assessment of student knowledge about a wide range of civic-related issues. ICCS gathered data from more than 140,000 Grade 8 (or equivalent) students …
The Role Of Civic Participation In National And School Curricula, John Ainley, Tim Friedman
The Role Of Civic Participation In National And School Curricula, John Ainley, Tim Friedman
Civics and Citizenship Assessment
Civic and citizenship education is increasingly conceptualized in national curricula within a lifelong learning perspective that encompasses formal curricula (that specify content and approaches in a subject or set of subjects), non-formal curricula (through co-curricular activities in schools) and informal curricula (through a school and classroom ethos that embodies citizenship values). One review of education policies in Europe documents attempts to encourage ‘active citizenship’ supported by ‘democratic schools’ offering a ‘participatory school culture’. However, there is evidence of a gap between declarations of principle and the implementation of these principles in schools as well as between policies and practices. This …
Teach For Australia Pathway : Evaluation Report Phase 2 Of 3, Paul R. Weldon, Phillip Mckenzie, Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Kate Reid
Teach For Australia Pathway : Evaluation Report Phase 2 Of 3, Paul R. Weldon, Phillip Mckenzie, Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Kate Reid
Teacher education
The evaluation of the Teach for Australia Pathway was commissioned by DEEWR and commenced in March 2010. The purpose of the evaluation is to assess whether the delivery of the Pathway can be modified to better achieve intended outputs and outcomes, and whether the Pathway is achieving expected outcomes.
This report (Part 2) concerns the second of three phases of the evaluation of the TFA Pathway. The first report (Part 1) was designed to provide a summary of data gathered on the operation of the Pathway in its initial stages. Data for that report were collected via site visits with …
A Framework For Predicting Item Difficulty In Reading Tests, Tom Lumley, Alla Routitsky, Juliette Mendelovits, Dara Ramalingam
A Framework For Predicting Item Difficulty In Reading Tests, Tom Lumley, Alla Routitsky, Juliette Mendelovits, Dara Ramalingam
OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
Results on reading tests are typically reported on scales composed of levels, each giving a statement of student achievement or proficiency. The PISA reading scales provide broad descriptions of skill levels associated with reading items, intended to communicate to policy makers and teachers about the reading proficiency of students at different levels. However, the described scales are not explicitly tied to features that predict difficulty. Difficulty is thus treated as an empirical issue, using a post hoc solution, while a priori estimates of item difficulty have tended to be unreliable. Understanding features influencing the difficulty of reading tasks has the …
How Well Do Young People Deal With Contradictory And Unreliable Information On Line? What The Pisa Digital Reading Assessment Tells Us, Tom Lumley, Juliette Mendelovits
How Well Do Young People Deal With Contradictory And Unreliable Information On Line? What The Pisa Digital Reading Assessment Tells Us, Tom Lumley, Juliette Mendelovits
OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
There is sometimes an assumption that young people, as ‘digital natives’, are able to use online information effectively, including selecting and negotiating digital texts that are not only relevant for what they need, but also are likely to provide reliable information. This paper examines the question of how well young people are in fact able to recognise whether information is likely to be trustworthy. While some small-scale work has been done in this area, this paper draws on data from the first large-scale international assessment of online reading, the Digital Reading Assessment (DRA) that was part of the Organisation for …
Print And Digital Reading In Pisa 2009 : Comparison And Contrast, Juliette Mendelovits, Dara Ramalingam, Tom Lumley
Print And Digital Reading In Pisa 2009 : Comparison And Contrast, Juliette Mendelovits, Dara Ramalingam, Tom Lumley
OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
PISA was administered for the fourth time in 2009. Since in each administration, one of reading, maths or science is chosen as the major domain, the 2009 survey marked the first time that a domain (in this case, reading) was revisited as the major focus of the assessment. This allowed a full review of the framework for reading literacy and the inclusion of new elements to reflect the way that reading has changed since 2000 (OECD, 2009). One such change is the increasing prevalence of digital texts. The assessment of digital reading in the PISA 2009 cycle, undertaken by 19 …
Some Drivers Of Test Item Difficulty In Mathematics, Ross Turner
Some Drivers Of Test Item Difficulty In Mathematics, Ross Turner
OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
This paper is one of four contributions to the symposium session at the AERA’s 2012 Annual Meeting titled Exploring Reading and Mathematics Item Difficulty: Teaching and Learning Implications of PISA Survey Data. The author presents a rubric used to analyse mathematics test items developed for use in the OECD’s PISA survey. The rubric focuses on a set of mathematical competencies that are components of mathematical literacy. The work on which this report is based suggests that demand for activation of these competencies functions as a significant driver of item difficulty, which potentially has implications for the teaching and learning of …
The On Track Survey 2011 Longitudinal Report : The 2007 Cohort 4 Years On, Sheldon Rothman, Catherine Underwood
The On Track Survey 2011 Longitudinal Report : The 2007 Cohort 4 Years On, Sheldon Rothman, Catherine Underwood
Transition and Post-School Education and Training
This report examines the pathways of young people who left a Victorian government school in 2007. The participants in this On Track longitudinal survey comprised 2346 Year 12 or equivalent completers and 1130 early school leavers. These young people were first contacted in 2008 as part of the annual On Track survey and were interviewed in each subsequent year until 2011. In the first year after leaving school, 70% of Year 12 or equivalent completers were participating in education and training, comprising 39% at university, 20% studying for a certificate and 11% in an apprenticeship or traineeship. By the fourth …
The On Track Survey 2011: The Destinations Of School Leavers In Victoria. Statewide Report, Sheldon Rothman, Catherine Underwood
The On Track Survey 2011: The Destinations Of School Leavers In Victoria. Statewide Report, Sheldon Rothman, Catherine Underwood
Transition and Post-School Education and Training
The On Track project was initiated in 2003. Since the first large-scale survey in that year, around 350,000 school leavers have participated in the On Track surveys, providing valuable insights into their post-school destinations and pathways. This 2011 report is based on data from telephone surveys of 35,002 Year 12 or equivalent completers and 3768 early leavers from the 2010 school year. The information was collected in April and May 2011. The report focuses on analyses at the state and regional levels.
Preparing 21st Century Learners: The Case For School-Community Collaborations, Michele Lonsdale, Michelle Anderson
Preparing 21st Century Learners: The Case For School-Community Collaborations, Michele Lonsdale, Michelle Anderson
Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation
Highly effective schools have high levels of parent and community engagement. ‘Community’ here includes parents, business and philanthropic organisations, and various services and not-for-profit groups. How ‘engagement’ is defined and what it looks like in practice will vary from school to school. But, as the growing body of research makes quite clear, support from those beyond the school gates is an essential part of preparing learners for the twenty-first century. Schools are expected to prepare students for a complex and rapidly changing world. In addition to teaching subject content, schools are expected to develop young people who are information and …
Parental Neighbourhood Satisfaction : A Snap Shot Of Parents Of 5 – 12 Year Olds, Catherine Underwood
Parental Neighbourhood Satisfaction : A Snap Shot Of Parents Of 5 – 12 Year Olds, Catherine Underwood
Children’s Independent Mobility and Active Transport
A child-friendly neighbourhood increases children’s confidence to safely negotiate and explore their neighbourhood while enhancing their physical health and wellbeing.
This ‘snap shot’ highlights the extent to which parents of students aged 5 to 12 years living in six Victorian municipalities (3 metropolitan and 3 regional) are satisfied with their neighbourhood. The sample comprised 504 parents. Parents were asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed with a series of statements about their neighbourhood. The data came from a self-completed survey sent home from school with students. Data was collected in 2010 for VicHealth.
With 10 per cent …
Neighbourhood Satisfaction Among Residents : A Snap Shot Of 60+ Year Olds, Catherine Underwood
Neighbourhood Satisfaction Among Residents : A Snap Shot Of 60+ Year Olds, Catherine Underwood
Children’s Independent Mobility and Active Transport
Neighbourhood satisfaction is an important component of life satisfaction and is associated with levels of well-being among older residents. Older resident’s satisfaction plays a significant role in influencing their level of engagement and interaction with neighbours and their feeling of safety within their neighbourhood.
This ‘snap shot’ highlights the extent to which residents aged 60 years and over living in six Victorian municipalities (3 metropolitan and 3 regional) felt satisfied and engaged with their neighbourhood. The sample comprised 816 residents drawn from a total sample of 2,313 residents. The data was collected from a self-completed survey distributed as a letterbox …
Children’S Independent Mobility And Dog Ownership : 8 To 12 Year Olds, Catherine Underwood
Children’S Independent Mobility And Dog Ownership : 8 To 12 Year Olds, Catherine Underwood
Children’s Independent Mobility and Active Transport
Many families are now acquiring pets to encourage children, to spend more time in the ‘real’, rather than the ‘virtual’ world. The rising prevalence in the number of children who are overweight or obese is increasing in importance as a public health issue in Australia (McCallum & Gerner, 2005). Walking and physical activity is strongly linked to improved general health and lower risks of obesity and associated health problems. A growing body of research shows that pet ownership has a number of physical health benefits. Studies now associate pets, and particularly dogs with increased levels of physical activity.
Children’S Independent Mobility : Fact Or Fiction: 8 To 12 Year Olds - Worried About Strangers, Catherine Underwood
Children’S Independent Mobility : Fact Or Fiction: 8 To 12 Year Olds - Worried About Strangers, Catherine Underwood
Children’s Independent Mobility and Active Transport
The rising prevalence in the number of children who are overweight or obese is increasing in importance as a public health issue in Australia. Parental fear as a barrier to children’s independent mobility and physical activity has contributed to the decline in children’s physical activity. Timperio et al. (2004) and Veitch et al. (2006) have reported parents commonly identify ‘stranger danger’ as a barrier to children’s independent mobility within their community. In a recent VicHealth survey it was reported that 63 per cent of participants agreed parents should not let primary school age children move to and from places without …
Phase One Of The Demonstration Project On Course Redesign And Academic Productivity : Final Report, Peter Bentley, Hamish Bennett Coates, Leo Goedegebuure
Phase One Of The Demonstration Project On Course Redesign And Academic Productivity : Final Report, Peter Bentley, Hamish Bennett Coates, Leo Goedegebuure
Higher education research
The objectives of the Demonstration Project on Course Redesign and Academic Productivity (the ‘Demonstration Redesign Project’) are to improve academic productivity and student learning. The project originated out of a series of executive seminars organised by the LH Martin Institute (LHMI) and led by Professor Bill Massy. These seminars highlighted successful academic productivity and student learning improvements achieved through course redesigns led by the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT) in the USA. Building on early 2010 foundation meetings with NCAT in Washington DC, the Demonstration Redesign Project is a partnership between the two participating universities, James Cook University (JCU) …
The Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration: Developing The Foundations For A National Assessment Of Medical Student Learning Outcomes, David Wilkinson, Daniel Edwards, Hamish Coates, Ben Canny, Jacob Pearce, Jennifer Schaefer, Tracey Papinczak, Lindy Mcallister
The Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration: Developing The Foundations For A National Assessment Of Medical Student Learning Outcomes, David Wilkinson, Daniel Edwards, Hamish Coates, Ben Canny, Jacob Pearce, Jennifer Schaefer, Tracey Papinczak, Lindy Mcallister
Higher education research
In late December 2010 the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Ltd (ALTC) provided a grant to The University of Queensland along with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and Monash University to develop foundations for a national assessment that evaluates the learning outcomes of later‐year medical students in Australia. The project, titled ‘Developing the foundation for a national assessment of medical student learning outcomes’ responds to the growing need to prove and improve the standards of medical education by establishing an Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration (AMAC). This project includes scoping work, wide‐ranging sector engagement, development of an assessment framework, …
Pisa 2009 Technical Report, John Cresswell (Ed)
Pisa 2009 Technical Report, John Cresswell (Ed)
OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
PISA is methodologically highly complex, requiring intensive collaboration among many stakeholders. The successful implementation of PISA depends on the use, and sometimes further development, of state-of-the-art methodologies and technologies. The PISA 2009 Technical Report describes those methodologies, along with other features that have enabled PISA to provide high quality data to support policy formation and review. The descriptions are provided at a level that will enable review and, potentially, replication of the implemented procedures and technical solutions to problems. This report contains a description of the theoretical underpinning of the complex techniques used to create the PISA 2009 Database, which …
Highlights From Timss & Pirls 2011 From Australia’S Perspective, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Nicole Wernert, Marina Schmid, Sarah Buckley, Ann Munene
Highlights From Timss & Pirls 2011 From Australia’S Perspective, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Nicole Wernert, Marina Schmid, Sarah Buckley, Ann Munene
TIMSS 2011 and PIRLS 2011
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) are international studies directed by the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement), an independent international cooperative of national research institutions and government agencies that has been conducting studies of crossnational achievement in a wide range of subjects since 1959. In Australia, TIMSS and PIRLS are implemented by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), which is Australia’s representative to the IEA. In Australia, TIMSS is part of the National Assessment Program.
TIMSS has been conducted at Year 4 and …
Monitoring Australian Year 8 Student Achievement Internationally : Timss 2011, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Nicole Wernert
Monitoring Australian Year 8 Student Achievement Internationally : Timss 2011, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Nicole Wernert
TIMSS 2011 and PIRLS 2011
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2011) is an international study directed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). In Australia, TIMSS was managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), and funded by the Australian and state and territory governments.
The goal of TIMSS is to provide comparative information about educational achievement across countries to improve teaching and learning in mathematics and science. It also provides comparative perspectives on trends in achievement in the context of different educational systems, school organisational approaches and instructional practices and to enable this, TIMSS collects …
Monitoring Australian Year 4 Student Achievement Internationally : Timss And Pirls 2011, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Nicole Wernert, Marina Schmid, Sarah Buckley, Ann Munene
Monitoring Australian Year 4 Student Achievement Internationally : Timss And Pirls 2011, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman, Nicole Wernert, Marina Schmid, Sarah Buckley, Ann Munene
TIMSS 2011 and PIRLS 2011
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) are international studies directed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). In Australia, the studies were managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), and funded by the Australian and state and territory governments.
TIMSS and PIRLS share the goal of providing comparative information about educational achievement across countries to improve teaching and learning (in mathematics and science at Year 4 and Year 8 using TIMSS and in reading at Year 4 using PIRLS). They also provide …