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Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons™
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Articles 1 - 30 of 49
Full-Text Articles in Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research
Infographic: Basic Literacy Skills And The Gap Between Male And Female Students, Jo Earp
Infographic: Basic Literacy Skills And The Gap Between Male And Female Students, Jo Earp
Teacher infographics
NAPLAN’s National Minimum Standard is the ‘agreed minimum acceptable standard of knowledge and skills without which a student will have difficulty making sufficient progress at school’. Ahead of the 2023 tests, we compare the percentage of male and female students in year 9 achieving at or above the standard in Literacy, over time.
Infographic: Basic Skills And The Gap Between Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Students, Jo Earp
Infographic: Basic Skills And The Gap Between Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Students, Jo Earp
Teacher infographics
In the National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests, the national minimum standard (NMS) is the ‘agreed minimum acceptable standard of knowledge and skills without which a student will have difficulty making sufficient progress at school’. This infographic looks at the performance of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in Year 9, over time.
Mid-Term Evaluation Report (Final): Global Education Monitoring (Gem) Centre Phase 3, Valerie Haugen
Mid-Term Evaluation Report (Final): Global Education Monitoring (Gem) Centre Phase 3, Valerie Haugen
Monitoring Learning
This report provides findings and recommendations from the external mid-term evaluation of Phase 3 of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM Centre) - a long-term partnership between the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The goal of the GEM Centre is to improve learning, by ensuring that education policies, practices and investments are influenced by high-quality evidence. The aim of the mid-term evaluation was to enable reflection on the long-term partnership through the GEM Centre. The findings highlight the successes and achievements of the GEM Centre over the past decade, …
International Standard Setting Exercise, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)
International Standard Setting Exercise, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)
Monitoring Learning
The GEM Centre provides technical support to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics (UIS), which has been mandated to monitor the progress of countries towards achieving the education goals of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). The International Standard Setting Exercise (ISSE) was undertaken to harmonise quantitative data across assessment programs, and to provide substantive information about children’s learning levels and progress benchmarked against international standards. The goal of the ISSE was to place thresholds on empirical reading and mathematics Learning Progression Scales for the Minimum Proficiency Level at the end of lower primary …
Validity Evidence Based On Content: Controversies And Quantification, Agung Santoso, Alice Whita Savira, Robertus Landung Eko Prihatmoko
Validity Evidence Based On Content: Controversies And Quantification, Agung Santoso, Alice Whita Savira, Robertus Landung Eko Prihatmoko
International Conference on Assessment and Learning (ICAL)
Validity is a crucial issue in test development because it represents the accuracy of test score interpretation in describing the measured attribute or construct. Among validity evidence that can be collected to support test score interpretation, the one based on test content incited controversies. The content-based validity evidence includes analyses of the relationship between test content and the construct the test purported to measure. Some authors opposed the use of such evidence in the validation process, arguing that the evidence can only provide hypotheses to be tested in the subsequent processes. Other authors argued that the content validation process provided …
Development Of Educational Quality Mapping Instruments (Ip-Snp) In West Java, Rina Mutaqinah, Bambang Sumintono, Yanti Triatna
Development Of Educational Quality Mapping Instruments (Ip-Snp) In West Java, Rina Mutaqinah, Bambang Sumintono, Yanti Triatna
International Conference on Assessment and Learning (ICAL)
Decision-making must be based on valid data, as well as decision-making in the field of education. It is very important to have a valid instrument, therefore it is necessary to develop an educational quality mapping instrument that can measure the achievement of the quality of education. This instrument was developed based on educational quality standards, namely the competency quality of graduates, content, process, assessment, educators and education personnel, infrastructure, management, and financing. The purpose of this study was to obtain an instrument that has high validity. The educational quality mapping instrument (IP-SNP) uses a rating scale, collecting data through a …
Transforming Assessment And Learning: Making The System Work. Proceeding Of The 2022 International Conference On Assessment And Learning, Acer Indonesia
Transforming Assessment And Learning: Making The System Work. Proceeding Of The 2022 International Conference On Assessment And Learning, Acer Indonesia
International Conference on Assessment and Learning (ICAL)
No abstract provided.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Perception Of Academic Stress Scale (Pas), Damajanti Kusuma Dewi, Miftakhul Jannah, Ira Darmawanti
Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Perception Of Academic Stress Scale (Pas), Damajanti Kusuma Dewi, Miftakhul Jannah, Ira Darmawanti
International Conference on Assessment and Learning (ICAL)
Stress is a condition that must be experienced by humans, including students. This happens because every student will always be faced with a condition to meet the demands of the environment. Students will experience stress if they feel they do not have the ability to meet these academic demands. Therefore, an instrument is needed that can measure academic stress felt by students. This study aims to test the construct validity of the Perception of Academic Stress Scale (PAS)-Adaptation of Bedewy & Gabriel. Before conducting factor analysis, the adaptation and modification process of the instrument was carried out. The adaptation process …
Minimum Proficiency Levels Unpacked, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)
Minimum Proficiency Levels Unpacked, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)
Monitoring Learning
This document draws together work from several initiatives to establish Minimum Proficiency Levels (MPLs) for reading and mathematics, for global use in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goal in Education, SDG 4.1, with a specific focus on indicator 4.1.1. Three educational levels are referred to in this paper as ‘end of lower primary’, ‘end of primary’ and ‘end of lower secondary’. The MPLs are described and elaborated in four ways: nutshell statements; expanded statements; domains, constructs and descriptors; and sample items. A detailed account of the history and evolution of the Minimum Proficiency Levels is provided in Appendix A
Validation Of The Child And Adult Social Support Scale (Casss) Which Measures Social Support In The Indonesian Version, Endah Mastuti, Fajrianthi, Fitri Andriani
Validation Of The Child And Adult Social Support Scale (Casss) Which Measures Social Support In The Indonesian Version, Endah Mastuti, Fajrianthi, Fitri Andriani
International Conference on Assessment and Learning (ICAL)
Social support has an important role, so that students in online learning can reduce the various problems they face. Social support here comes from parents, teachers, classmates, close friends, and the school itself as an institution. Based on this, it is necessary to do research related to social support to get an overview of the support from whom students need in online learning. Furthermore, this can be used as input to intervene in the problems faced by students. To conduct this research, it is necessary to have a measuring tool to conduct social support research. One of the comprehensive measuring …
Teacher Development Multi-Year Studies. Insights On The Challenges Of Data Availability For Measuring And Reporting On Student Learning Outcomes, Elizabeth Cassity, Debbie Wong
Teacher Development Multi-Year Studies. Insights On The Challenges Of Data Availability For Measuring And Reporting On Student Learning Outcomes, Elizabeth Cassity, Debbie Wong
Education Analytics Service
Student learning outcomes are an important source of evidence regarding improved teaching quality. A multi-year teacher development study series was commissioned by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to investigate teacher development initiatives in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos), Timor-Leste and Vanuatu. The overall aim of the study series is to understand the extent to which the Australian investment has improved teaching quality and student learning. This paper outlines the different approaches to sourcing and using data in each country context, and then presents initial insights about the challenges associated with the limited availability of data …
Gem Centre: Completion Report For Phase 2 Funding, 2017–2020, Australian Council For Educational Research
Gem Centre: Completion Report For Phase 2 Funding, 2017–2020, Australian Council For Educational Research
Monitoring Learning
In 2014, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) established a partnership under the Global Education Monitoring Centre. Since then, there have been two funding periods: Phase 1 from 2014–2017 and Phase 2 from 2017–2020. Phase 3 will cover 2020–2023. This report documents the completion of Phase 2 funding and describes the shared priorities of DFAT and ACER through the GEM Centre, followed by the objectives and key outcomes of the work program during this period. The outcomes and lessons learned, together with findings from the GEM Centre mid-term …
Rethinking Measurement For Accountable Assessment, Mark Wilson
Rethinking Measurement For Accountable Assessment, Mark Wilson
2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences
The underlying model for most formal educational measurement (e.g. standardised tests) is based on a very simple model: the student takes a test (possibly alongside other students). The complications of there being an instructional plan, actual instruction, interpretation of the outcome, and formulation of next steps, are all bypassed in considering how to model the process of measurement. There are some standard exceptions, of course: a pre-test/post-test context will involve two measurements, and attention to gain score, or similar. However, if we wish to design measurement to hold to Lehrer’s (2021) definition of ‘accountable assessment’ – as ‘actionable information for …
Interpreting Learning Progress Using Assessment Scores: What Is There To Gain?, Nathan Zoanetti
Interpreting Learning Progress Using Assessment Scores: What Is There To Gain?, Nathan Zoanetti
2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences
Using assessment scores to quantify gains and growth trajectories for individuals and groups can provide a valuable lens on learning progress for all students. This paper summarises some commonly observed patterns of progress and illustrates these using data from ACER’s Progressive Achievement Test (PAT) assessments. While growth trajectory measurement requires scores for the same individuals over at least three but preferably more occasions, scores from only two occasions are naturally more readily available. The difference between two successive scores is usually referred to as gain. Some common approaches and pitfalls when interpreting individual student gain data are illustrated. It is …
Accountable Assessment, Richard Lehrer
Accountable Assessment, Richard Lehrer
2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences
There is widespread agreement about the importance of accounting for the extent to which educational systems advance student learning. Yet, the forms and formats of accountable assessments often ill serve students and teachers; the summative judgements of student performance that are typically employed to indicate proficiencies on benchmarks of student learning commonly fail to capture student performance in ways that are specific and actionable for teachers. Timing is another key barrier to the utility of summative assessment. In the US, summative evaluations occur at the end of the school year and may serve future students, but do not help teachers …
Identifying And Monitoring Progress In Collaboration Skills, Claire Scoular
Identifying And Monitoring Progress In Collaboration Skills, Claire Scoular
2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences
The nature of skills such as collaboration is complex, particularly given that there are internal processes at play. Inferences need to be made to interpret explicit behaviours observed from intentionally designed assessment tasks. This paper centres on the approach to develop hypotheses of skill development into validated learning progressions using assessment data. Understanding a skill from a growth perspective is essential for the effective teaching and development of the skill. The application of Item Response Theory (IRT) allows the interpretation of assessment data as levels of proficiency that we can use to map or monitor progress in collaborative skills.
A Man Of Measure And More: John P. Keeves 1924-2020, Petra Lietz (Ed), Katherine Dix (Ed), Juliet Young-Thornton (Ed)
A Man Of Measure And More: John P. Keeves 1924-2020, Petra Lietz (Ed), Katherine Dix (Ed), Juliet Young-Thornton (Ed)
ACER historical documents
John Philip Keeves was an eminent researcher with a lifelong quest to improve teaching and learning by being a researcher, teacher, supervisor and mentor. He produced a myriad of scholarly publications, many on topics of research design, comparative research and educational measurement. In 1962, John was recruited to the Australian Council for Educational Research and he moved to Melbourne, later becoming Associate Director from 1972 to 1977 and then Director until his retirement in 1984. During this time, he also undertook research fellowships at the Australian National University and the Institute of International Education in the University of Stockholm. After …
Piaac Numeracy Task Complexity Schema: Factors That Impact On Item Difficulty, Dave Tout, Iddo Gal, Mieke Van Groenestijn, Myrna Manly, Mary Jane Schmitt
Piaac Numeracy Task Complexity Schema: Factors That Impact On Item Difficulty, Dave Tout, Iddo Gal, Mieke Van Groenestijn, Myrna Manly, Mary Jane Schmitt
Transition and Post-School Education and Training
This paper describes some lessons learned from international adult numeracy assessments that can help in understanding the challenges that people, including both adults and school students, have when solving numeracy tasks and their levels of performance on functional mathematical problems. The paper presents a theoretical schema of five factors that predict, separately and in interaction, the complexity or level of difficulty of mathematically-related assessment tasks, including tasks that incorporate texts and require literacy or reading skills, which are very common in adults' lives. The model was originally developed as part of the development of the Adult Literacy and LifeSkills survey …
Measuring What Matters: Insights On The Value Of Whole Child Development, Porticus, Australian Council For Educational Research, Pina Tarricone, Yung Nietschke, Kylie Hillman
Measuring What Matters: Insights On The Value Of Whole Child Development, Porticus, Australian Council For Educational Research, Pina Tarricone, Yung Nietschke, Kylie Hillman
Monitoring Learning
This policy analysis report captures how cities and countries value, define, and measure Whole Child Development (WCD) - and equivalent - both broadly and in the context of reaching those in extreme adversity. The WCD conceptual framework of this study refers to 11 key themes: values, life skills, social and emotional learning, spirituality, academic knowledge, student engagement, adult support, community, academically challenging learning, safe environments, and health. The report provides insights into the challenges experienced in embedding WCD in education systems and offers evidence around the growing recognition and momentum globally around WCD and holistic learning. One of the key …
The Early Grade Reading Assessment: Assessing Children’S Acquisition Of Basic Literacy Skills In Developing Countries, Australian Council For Educational Research
The Early Grade Reading Assessment: Assessing Children’S Acquisition Of Basic Literacy Skills In Developing Countries, Australian Council For Educational Research
Assessment GEMS
The Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), administered individually in about 15 minutes, measures the most basic foundation skills for literacy acquisition in the early grades. The assessment was developed by the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) through funding provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank, in addition to resources provided by RTI. In the context of this emerging focus on measuring basic literacy skills, EGRA was developed to provide a battery of assessments of basic reading skills for developing countries to monitor the status of early reading in primary schools. The assessment tool was …
The Southern And Eastern Africa Consortium For Monitoring Educational Quality, Australian Council For Educational Research
The Southern And Eastern Africa Consortium For Monitoring Educational Quality, Australian Council For Educational Research
Assessment GEMS
The Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) carries out large-scale cross-national research studies in member countries in the Southern and Eastern Africa region. SACMEQ aims to assess the conditions of schooling and performance levels of learners and teachers in the areas of literacy and numeracy.
Measurement Of Young Children's Learning For Program Evaluation, Jen Jackson, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake, Petra Lietz
Measurement Of Young Children's Learning For Program Evaluation, Jen Jackson, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Toby Carslake, Petra Lietz
Monitoring Learning
The global commitment to early learning has been expressed in the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals Agenda (SDG) (United Nations, 2016) and access to support for early learning is considered a human right for all children, whether provided by the family, community, or institutional programs (UNESCO, 2013). Inadequate cognitive stimulation has been identified as one of the key psychosocial risk factors associated with poor child development – a factor that is modifiable, with the right interventions (Walker et al., 2007). Thus, insights into how early learning supports may be delivered effectively in various contexts are essential. To explore the …
Key Skills For The 21st Century: An Evidence-Based Review, Esther Doecke, Quentin Maire
Key Skills For The 21st Century: An Evidence-Based Review, Esther Doecke, Quentin Maire
2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences
It is vital that education systems deliver quality outcomes for all young people and prepare them well for their future in the economy and society. To do so, many systems have traditionally had a strong focus on developing academic skills, particularly in literacy and numeracy. In recent years, education systems have developed greater expectations that schools will also equip young people with a broader set of skills for the 21st century (e.g. creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving). This paper addresses these developments and the challenges they present. Building on an evidence-based review, this paper asks what are the key skills required …
Using Learning Analytics To Measure 21st-Century Skills, Dragan Gašević
Using Learning Analytics To Measure 21st-Century Skills, Dragan Gašević
2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences
The unprecedented opportunities to collect data about learning and contexts in which learning occurs has attracted great attention in education. The use of data analytics and machine learning methods have offered much potential to address many relevant questions in education. This talk will focus on the use of learning analytics to measure 21st-century skills in education and outline the types of data commonly used. It will also discuss approaches that are used for analysis and modelling of relevant learning processes and outline the ways in which learning analytics can be used to track learning progression and how the validity of …
The Unesco Institute For Statistics Reporting Scales: Concept Note, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)
The Unesco Institute For Statistics Reporting Scales: Concept Note, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)
Monitoring Learning
Measurement of learning achievement is essential to monitor how well education systems are delivering on the promise of universal quality education. This promise is reflected in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Number 4 (Target 4.1): By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes. Goal 4 can only be meaningful if there is a shared global understanding of quality education, and relevant and effective learning. The various indicators associated with SDG Target 4.1 attempt to translate its key constructs into measurable outcomes against …
Is Setting Higher Standards The Answer?, Geoff N. Masters Ao
Is Setting Higher Standards The Answer?, Geoff N. Masters Ao
Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters
Raising the expected performance standard in each year of school and holding all teachers and students accountable for achieving these higher standards may not be the most effective way to improve levels of performance in Australian schools.
A Different Way To Organise The School Curriculum, Geoff N. Masters Ao
A Different Way To Organise The School Curriculum, Geoff N. Masters Ao
Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters
There are good reasons to rethink how we organise the school curriculum. An alternative would be to structure the curriculum as a sequence of proficiency levels unrelated to age or year level.
Final Report: Development Of An Online Engagement Scale, Darren Matthews, Ling Tan, Daniel Edwards
Final Report: Development Of An Online Engagement Scale, Darren Matthews, Ling Tan, Daniel Edwards
Higher education research
The Commonwealth Department of Education and Training commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to review the Learner Engagement Scale (LES), a key measure of student experience. It is administered as part of the Student Experience Survey, an annual survey of a sample of the 400 000 first and final year undergraduates studying at Australian Higher Education institutions – 80 per cent on-campus and around 8 per cent off-campus. Over the years, LES results have consistently shown substantially lower engagement levels in off-campus students – far in excess of the variation between teaching modes that might be expected – …
Shifting The Focus Of Naplan, Geoff N. Masters Ao
Shifting The Focus Of Naplan, Geoff N. Masters Ao
Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters
The decision to move NAPLAN online provides an opportunity to place less emphasis on comparing the performances of schools and more emphasis on supporting student learning, according to Professor Geoff Masters AO.
But Can We Measure It?, Geoff N. Masters Ao
But Can We Measure It?, Geoff N. Masters Ao
Teacher columnist – Geoff Masters
It’s often asserted that some things can’t be measured, Professor Geoff Masters AO writes in his latest column. But how true is this? And if we can’t measure something, should we stop pretending we can teach or develop it?