Education Commons^™

Year-Level Expectations Can Impede Learning, Expert Warns, Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

Some of the ways in which school education is organised and delivered may be contributing to our highest and lowest achieving students making little annual progress in their learning.

Improving Consistency In Teacher Judgements : An Investigation For The Department Of Education, Victoria, Marion Meiers, Clare Ozolins, Phillip Mckenzie

Clare Ozolins

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) was commissioned by the Department of Education in Victoria to undertake an investigation of current best-practice approaches to ensuring consistency of teacher judgements against P-10 state-wide standards. The investigation encompassed national and international approaches that had been implemented or were under development. A key objective of the investigation was that the approaches identified should be based on current information, research and best practice, and that they should be supportive of the continued development of a learning and assessment culture in Victorian schools. The report of the investigation was required to provide key baseline …

The Effects Of Doubling Instruction Efforts On Middle School Students' Achievement: Evidence From A Multiyear Regression-Discontinuity Design, Timothy J. Bartik, Marta Lachowska

Timothy J. Bartik

We use a regression-discontinuity design to study the effects of double blocking sixth-grade students in reading and mathematics on their achievement across three years of middle school. To identify the effect of the intervention, we use sharp cutoffs in the test scores used to assign students to double blocking. We find large, positive, and persistent effects of double blocking in reading, but, unlike previous research, we find no statistically significant effects of double blocking in mathematics either in the short run or medium run.

The Effects Of Doubling Instruction Efforts On Middle School Students' Achievement: Evidence From A Multiyear Regression-Discontinuity Design, Timothy J. Bartik, Marta Lachowska

Marta Lachowska

We use a regression-discontinuity design to study the effects of double blocking sixth-grade students in reading and mathematics on their achievement across three years of middle school. To identify the effect of the intervention, we use sharp cutoffs in the test scores used to assign students to double blocking. We find large, positive, and persistent effects of double blocking in reading, but, unlike previous research, we find no statistically significant effects of double blocking in mathematics either in the short run or medium run.

Teacher Performance Incentives And Student Outcomes, Randall W. Eberts, Kevin Hollenbeck, Joe Allan Stone

Randall W. Eberts

This paper reviews the evidence on the effectiveness of individual merit pay systems for teachers on student achievement, and it presents new empirical results based on a system established within a collective bargaining environment. While many merit pay systems have been established in school districts across the U.S., very little empirical evidence concerning their influence on student achievement exists. A natural experiment arose in a county in which one high school piloted a merit pay system that rewarded student retention and student evaluations of teachers while another comparable high school maintained a traditional compensation system. A difference-in-differences analysis implies that …

An Examination Of Student Achievement In Michigan Charter Schools, Randall W. Eberts, Kevin Hollenbeck

Randall W. Eberts

Since their inception in 1991, the number of and the student enrollment in charter school have burgeoned. However, little attention has been paid to their effects on student achievement. Proponents hypothesize direct and indirect positive impacts of charter schools on student achievement. The direct effect is through the restructuring of teaching and learning processes. The indirect effect operates through peer effects on learning and through the market forces of competition. This paper focuses on student achievement in charter schools in Michigan. The analyses presented here suggest that students attending charter schools in Michigan are not reaching the same levels of …

Teacher Performance Incentives And Student Outcomes, Randall W. Eberts, Kevin Hollenbeck, Joe Allan Stone

Kevin Hollenbeck

This paper reviews the evidence on the effectiveness of individual merit pay systems for teachers on student achievement, and it presents new empirical results based on a system established within a collective bargaining environment. While many merit pay systems have been established in school districts across the U.S., very little empirical evidence concerning their influence on student achievement exists. A natural experiment arose in a county in which one high school piloted a merit pay system that rewarded student retention and student evaluations of teachers while another comparable high school maintained a traditional compensation system. A difference-in-differences analysis implies that …

An Examination Of Student Achievement In Michigan Charter Schools, Randall W. Eberts, Kevin Hollenbeck

Kevin Hollenbeck

Since their inception in 1991, the number of and the student enrollment in charter school have burgeoned. However, little attention has been paid to their effects on student achievement. Proponents hypothesize direct and indirect positive impacts of charter schools on student achievement. The direct effect is through the restructuring of teaching and learning processes. The indirect effect operates through peer effects on learning and through the market forces of competition. This paper focuses on student achievement in charter schools in Michigan. The analyses presented here suggest that students attending charter schools in Michigan are not reaching the same levels of …

Location, Location: Student Achievement And Regionality, Petra Lietz

Dr Petra Lietz

The further schools are from larger cities, the more challenging it is for their students to excel, but some buck the trend. Petra Lietz explains.

Why A To E Grades Paint The Wrong Picture, Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

Geoff Masters makes the case for a new approach to assessment so that teachers can better monitor the progress their students make and the effectiveness of their own teaching.

Improving Consistency In Teacher Judgements : An Investigation For The Department Of Education, Victoria, Marion Meiers, Clare Ozolins, Phillip Mckenzie

Dr Phillip McKenzie (retired)

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) was commissioned by the Department of Education in Victoria to undertake an investigation of current best-practice approaches to ensuring consistency of teacher judgements against P-10 state-wide standards.

The investigation encompassed national and international approaches that had been implemented or were under development. A key objective of the investigation was that the approaches identified should be based on current information, research and best practice, and that they should be supportive of the continued development of a learning and assessment culture in Victorian schools. The report of the investigation was required to provide key baseline …

Beyond Pisa : Improving Student Outcomes, Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

The latest PISA results indicate that we must focus on strategies to improve what happens in every classroom, every day of the school week if we are to improve student outcomes, says Geoff Masters.

Back To School For Lessons On Teaching, Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

Reforming schools and improving student achievement levels are priorities for governments around the world, but the question is which reform strategies are proving most effective?

Improving Consistency In Teacher Judgements : An Investigation For The Department Of Education, Victoria, Marion Meiers, Clare Ozolins, Phillip Mckenzie

Marion Meiers (1941-2018)

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) was commissioned by the Department of Education in Victoria to undertake an investigation of current best-practice approaches to ensuring consistency of teacher judgements against P-10 state-wide standards. The investigation encompassed national and international approaches that had been implemented or were under development. A key objective of the investigation was that the approaches identified should be based on current information, research and best practice, and that they should be supportive of the continued development of a learning and assessment culture in Victorian schools. The report of the investigation was required to provide key baseline …

Mapping Student Achievement, Geoff Masters, Ray Adams, Jan Lokan

Prof Ray Adams

The analyses, publications and reports of quantitative data in education and the social sciences usually omit basic information on the construct measured. Probabilistic models for test data make it possible to delineate coherent and richly described measurement continua that facilitate interpretation of student achievement. The potential of conjoint measurement to bring about fundamental advances in educational testing practice lies in part in the opportunities it provides to build useful maps of learning domains and to use those maps in communicating student achievements. This chapter presents two applications of conjoint measurement aimed at constructing and describing achievement variables, developing insights into …

Pm's Education Goals Mired In Underachievement, Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

International test results released this week highlight the magnitude of the challenge we face in raising the level of educational achievement in Australia. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) add to the publicly available information about how students in our schools are performing. The results include the first data on how reading levels in Australian primary schools compare with standards in other countries.

The Digest Edition 2008/2 : Using Data To Improve Student Learning, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This Digest is focused on studies that have investigated how data can be used in schools to examine teaching practices in order to improve student learning. A selection of relevant websites is listed, and a full reference list is provided. Links to those references for which full-text online access is freely available are also included. School systems, principals and teachers have access to an extensive range of data that can be used for a variety of purposes. Accountability processes and data have come to play a significant place in policy development and reform efforts. There is a large body of …

Quality Of Education In Madrasah : Main Study, Mohammad Ali, Julie Kos, Petra Lietz, Dita Nugroho, Furqon, Asmawi Zainul, Emi Emilia

Dr Petra Lietz

This report covers the main phase of the ‘Quality of Education in Madrasah’ (QEM) study. The study aimed to provide high quality research into various dimensions of quality of education in Madrasah in Indonesia. The focus of the study was on Year 9 students in Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs; Islamic Junior Secondary School). Quality of education was measured through: (1) level of student achievement, comparing three regions in the country and to some extent using international benchmarks, as well as the identification of variables that are linked to achievement; (2) students’ views of their schooling experience; and (3) the extent to …

Quality Of Education In Madrasah : Main Study, Mohammad Ali, Julie Kos, Petra Lietz, Dita Nugroho, Furqon, Asmawi Zainul, Emi Emilia

Dr Julie Kos

This report covers the main phase of the ‘Quality of Education in Madrasah’ (QEM) study. The study aimed to provide high quality research into various dimensions of quality of education in Madrasah in Indonesia. The focus of the study was on Year 9 students in Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs; Islamic Junior Secondary School). Quality of education was measured through: (1) level of student achievement, comparing three regions in the country and to some extent using international benchmarks, as well as the identification of variables that are linked to achievement; (2) students’ views of their schooling experience; and (3) the extent to …

Measuring Student Learning Achievement In Madrasah : Findings From The Study : Quality Of Education In Madrasah (Qem) 2010, Julie Kos

Dr Julie Kos

This policy brief arises from a national study which measured the learning outcomes of Year 9 Madrasah students in Maths, Science, English and Bahasa Indonesia together with the influence of student, family and school background factors.

Perceptions Of Parental Involvement In Schooling, Student Milieu And Student Achievement In Mathematics, Nicole Wernert

Nicole Wernert

This study builds on recent research that has found that teacher perceptions of parental involvement in schooling are an important influence on student outcomes, in addition to the effects of parent reports of their involvement. Using data from TIMSS 2003, this study explores the relationship between principal perceptions of parental involvement and student milieu and the impact of both on student achievement in mathematics. Moderated multiple regression analyses were used to explore these relationships. A significant relationship was found for mean school mathematics achievement regressed on principals’ perceptions of parental support and involvement at both Grades 4 and 8. However, …

High-Stakes Testing: Can Rapid Assessment Reduce The Pressure?, Stuart S. Yeh

Stuart S Yeh

This article presents findings about the implementation of a system for rapidly assessing student progress in math and reading in grades K–12—a system that potentially could reduce pressure on teachers resulting from high-stakes testing and the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. Interviews with 49 teachers and administrators in one Texas school district suggest that the assessments allowed teachers to individualize and target instruction; provide more tutoring; reduce drill and practice; and improve student readiness for, and spend more time on, critical thinking activities, resulting in a more balanced curriculum. Teachers reported that the assessments provided a common …

Mapping Student Achievement, Geoff Masters, Ray Adams, Jan Lokan

Prof Geoff Masters AO

The analyses, publications and reports of quantitative data in education and the social sciences usually omit basic information on the construct measured. Probabilistic models for test data make it possible to delineate coherent and richly described measurement continua that facilitate interpretation of student achievement. The potential of conjoint measurement to bring about fundamental advances in educational testing practice lies in part in the opportunities it provides to build useful maps of learning domains and to use those maps in communicating student achievements. This chapter presents two applications of conjoint measurement aimed at constructing and describing achievement variables, developing insights into …

Setting And Measuring Performance Standards For Student Achievement : Australian Experience., Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

No abstract provided.

Reforming The Assessment Of Student Achievement In The Senior Secondary School, Geoff Masters, P Hill

Prof Geoff Masters AO

The challenge that confronts agencies responsible for assessment and reporting in the senior secondary school is to extend systematic assessment procedures to broader range of learning outcomes than those currently assessed by public examination, to develop methods of reporting which are more descriptive of individual achievement and which provide a better basis for describing and maintaining standards, and to provide results which are sufficiently comparable across schools to enable fair comparisons of applicants for tertiary study. Some recent developments in assessment and reporting practice are considered with a view to identifying methods and approaches capable of satisfying this diverse set …