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Full-Text Articles in Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research

Developing A Tool For Analysing National Assessment Systems, Ursula Schwantner Aug 2019

Developing A Tool For Analysing National Assessment Systems, Ursula Schwantner

International Developments

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Secretariat appointed the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to develop a tool for analysing national assessment systems and identifying areas for improvement. Known as the Analysis of National Learning Assessment Systems (ANLAS), it provides a framework and tools that help countries, particularly GPE partner developing countries, to examine their national learning assessments and design strategies to address any gaps.


Scottish National Assessments Inform Next Steps For Learning Aug 2019

Scottish National Assessments Inform Next Steps For Learning

International Developments

ACER works with the Scottish Government, in partnership with Twig and SCHOLAR, to develop and deliver assessments of literacy and numeracy learning progress. Since 2017, more than a million assessments have been completed by children and young people throughout Scotland.


Building Capacity For Bhutan’S Learning Assessment, Mee Young Han Aug 2019

Building Capacity For Bhutan’S Learning Assessment, Mee Young Han

International Developments

ACER is supporting development of Bhutan’s National Education Assessment Framework (NEAF) and strengthening local capacity for its implementation. Dr Mee Young Han reports.


International Developments (No.9) 2019 Aug 2019

International Developments (No.9) 2019

International Developments

In this issue of International Developments, we summarise the research evidence gathered through the work of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the impact our projects make around the globe.


Options For Reporting Against 4.1.1 When Using National Assessment Programs, Goran Lazendic Jul 2019

Options For Reporting Against 4.1.1 When Using National Assessment Programs, Goran Lazendic

Assessment and Reporting

The Sustainable Development Goals are 17 broad aspirations for social and economic development set by the United Nations in 2015. One of these goals, enumerated SDG 4, is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The progress towards each goal is measured by a set of indicators. In monitoring progress towards SDG 4, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) is working on an approach to measuring indicator 4.1.1: Proportion of children and young people: (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving …


Pacific Islands Literacy & Numeracy Assessment 2018 Regional Report, Pacific Community Educational Quality And Assessment Programme Jan 2019

Pacific Islands Literacy & Numeracy Assessment 2018 Regional Report, Pacific Community Educational Quality And Assessment Programme

Assessment and Reporting

The Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA) was developed by SPC’s Educational Quality & Assessment Programme (EQAP) to provide a snapshot of how Pacific youth are faring in the skills essential to progress through school and life - reading, writing, numbers, operations, measurements and data. The 2018 assessment is the third to be conducted since 2012, and covers Year 4 and Year 6 students from across 15 Pacific Island countries: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Findings include growth in both …


The Role Of Evidence In Teaching And Learning, Geoff N. Masters Ao Aug 2018

The Role Of Evidence In Teaching And Learning, Geoff N. Masters Ao

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Highly-effective teaching requires evidence-informed decision making at crucial points in the teaching process. First, effective teachers use quality evidence to establish the points individual learners have reached in their learning. This enables teachers to identify starting points for further teaching and learning and to ensure that each student is given learning opportunities at an appropriate level of challenge. In contrast, much teaching instead assumes all students will be appropriately challenged by common year-level curricula. The process of establishing and understanding where students are in their learning often requires detailed diagnostic evidence of individual misunderstandings and obstacles to learning progress. Second, …


From Access To Quality: Improving Learning Outcomes In South Asia, Amit Kaushik Jun 2018

From Access To Quality: Improving Learning Outcomes In South Asia, Amit Kaushik

International Developments

ACER India is working with partners across South Asia to ensure inclusive and quality education for all. Amit Kaushik reports on progress.


Implementing Large-Scale Education Assessments, Geoff N. Masters Jun 2018

Implementing Large-Scale Education Assessments, Geoff N. Masters

International Developments

ACER is helping education researchers, policymakers and practitioners understand the issues related to the inception, design, implementation and reporting of large-scale education assessments, as Geoff Masters explains.


The Unesco Institute For Statistics Reporting Scales: Concept Note, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer) May 2018

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 …


Monitoring Learning Against The Sustainable Development Goals, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer) Nov 2017

Monitoring Learning Against The Sustainable Development Goals, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Monitoring Learning

The Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML) is an international collaboration to improve learning around the world, led by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The Australian Council for Educational Research Centre for Global Education Monitoring (ACER-GEM) has a major role in supporting GAML, as the UIS’s technical partner. This publication outlines ACER’s role in the work plan of the Global Alliance to Monitor Learning.


System-Wide Analysis Of Assessment Practices (Swaap): Concept Note, Australian Council For Educational Research Oct 2017

System-Wide Analysis Of Assessment Practices (Swaap): Concept Note, Australian Council For Educational Research

Global education monitoring

This note is concerned with the development of a process to analyse how assessment practices are integrated into education systems in order for assessment outcomes to be useful for evidence based decision making throughout the system. It examines the quality of learning assessment and the extent to which it is embedded into an education system and acts as an effective contributor to the improvement of learning outcomes. The process is referred to as the System-Wide Analysis of Assessment Practices (SWAAP). The primary objective of SWAAP is to support education systems to develop national assessment strategies that generate meaningful data and …


Opening Or Closing Doors For Students? Equity And Data-Driven Decision-Making, Amanda Datnow Aug 2017

Opening Or Closing Doors For Students? Equity And Data-Driven Decision-Making, Amanda Datnow

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Data-driven decision-making is key pillar of educational reform initiatives in countries across the globe. While approaches to data use vary, the theory of action underlying these efforts is often similar. The common idea is that when leaders and teachers are knowledgeable about how to use data, they will become more effective in reviewing their existing capacities, identifying weaknesses, and charting plans for improvement. In the classroom, data can inform how teachers plan lessons, identify concepts for re-teaching, and differentiate instruction. For all these reasons, data use has significant implications for teaching and leadership. Ensuring equitable opportunities and outcomes for all …


Principles Of Good Practice In Learning Assessment, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer), Unesco Institute For Statistics Jul 2017

Principles Of Good Practice In Learning Assessment, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer), Unesco Institute For Statistics

Monitoring Learning

The Principles of Good Practice in Learning Assessment (GP-LA) are a central element of the international commitment to the management of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 data quality for learning outcomes. The GP-LA is an independent articulation of good practices that accommodates the diversity of large-scale learning assessment activities being undertaken throughout the world. Within SDG 4 reporting processes it serves two purposes. First, it serves as the conceptual framework to evaluate the quality of large scale assessments and data from these assessments submitted for SDG 4 reporting. Second, the principles described in the GP-LA will support the diagnosis of …


National Assessment Program: Sample Assessment: Civics And Citizenship Report: Years 6 And 10: 2016, Julian Fraillon, Eveline Gebhardt, Judy Nixon, Louise Ockwell, Tim Friedman, Michelle Robins, Mark Mcandrew Jan 2017

National Assessment Program: Sample Assessment: Civics And Citizenship Report: Years 6 And 10: 2016, Julian Fraillon, Eveline Gebhardt, Judy Nixon, Louise Ockwell, Tim Friedman, Michelle Robins, Mark Mcandrew

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Under the National Assessment Program, the Civics and Citizenship sample assessment is administered to a representative sample of Year 6 and Year 10 students every three years. It is conducted under the auspices of the Education Council. The National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship assesses students’ skills, knowledge and understandings of Australia’s system of government, civic institutions and the values which underpin Australia’s democracy. It also provides an indication of student attitudes and their engagement in civic-related activities at school and in the community. This report presents the findings of the fifth National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship …


Solomon Islands Standardised Tests Of Achievement (Sista). English And Mathematics. Year 4 And Year 6. Report 1 Main Study 2015, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer) Mar 2016

Solomon Islands Standardised Tests Of Achievement (Sista). English And Mathematics. Year 4 And Year 6. Report 1 Main Study 2015, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Assessment and Reporting

The SISTA program is a key monitoring tool of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development and has the capacity to serve multiple functions to a wide range of educational stakeholders. This report provides analysis of year 4 and year 6 Literacy and Numeracy of SISTA 2015. It is both a technical report for NEAD that includes descriptions of the processes followed in data analysis and reporting and the theoretical underpinnings of the analysis, a summary of the findings of the analysis and the implications for further analysis; and a report for the wider MEHRD staff that …


Monitoring Trends In Educational Growth: Assessment Framework For Afghanistan, Acer Centre For Global Education Monitoring (Acer-Gem) Jan 2016

Monitoring Trends In Educational Growth: Assessment Framework For Afghanistan, Acer Centre For Global Education Monitoring (Acer-Gem)

Monitoring Trends in Educational Growth (MTEG)

The Monitoring Trends in Educational Growth (MTEG) program aims to achieve the breadth and rigour of large-scale international surveys while also addressing the unique needs and context of Afghanistan. The MTEG program will provide an ongoing measure of students’ educational progress at key stages of learning: middle primary school (Class 3), towards the end of primary school (Class 6), and towards the end of compulsory secondary schooling (Class 9). This MTEG assessment framework provides a statement and discussion about what the assessment intends to measure and lays out the principles upon which it has been built. It outlines an approach …


A Review Of International Large-Scale Assessments In Education: Assessing Component Skills And Collecting Contextual Data, John Cresswell, Ursula Schwantner, Charlotte Waters Jan 2015

A Review Of International Large-Scale Assessments In Education: Assessing Component Skills And Collecting Contextual Data, John Cresswell, Ursula Schwantner, Charlotte Waters

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

The OECD has initiated PISA for Development (PISA-D) in response to the rising need of developing countries to collect data about their education systems and the capacity of their student bodies. This report aims to compare and contrast approaches regarding the instruments that are used to collect data on (a) component skills and cognitive instruments, (b) contextual frameworks, and (c) the implementation of the different international assessments, as well as approaches to include children who are not at school, and the ways in which data are used. It then seeks to identify assessment practices in these three areas that will …


Solomon Islands Standardised Tests Of Achievement (Sista). English And Mathematics. Year 4 And Year 6. Report 1 Main Study 2013, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer) Dec 2013

Solomon Islands Standardised Tests Of Achievement (Sista). English And Mathematics. Year 4 And Year 6. Report 1 Main Study 2013, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Assessment and Reporting

The SISTA program is a key monitoring tool of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development and has the capacity to serve multiple functions to a wide range of educational stakeholders. This report provides analysis of year 4 and year 6 Literacy and Numeracy of SISTA 2013. The SISTA results contain a wealth of data about how well students have responded to items that are indicators of curriculum attainment. The observed improvements in overall performances may be attributed to: a. Better tests and improved alignment of the tests with the target population; and b. In the case …


Developmental Assessment: Assessment Resource Kit, Geoff N. Masters, Margaret Forster Jan 1996

Developmental Assessment: Assessment Resource Kit, Geoff N. Masters, Margaret Forster

Assessment Resource Kit

Developmental assessment is the process of monitoring a student's progress through an area of learning so that decisions can be made about the best ways to facilitate further learning. Developmental assessment uses a progress map or continuum that describes the nature of development or progress or growth in an area of learning and so provides a frame of reference for monitoring individual development. Progress is monitored in much the same way as a child's physical growth is monitored: from time to time an estimate is made of a student's location on a developmental continuum, and changes in location provide measures …


Performances: Assessment Resource Kit, Margaret Forster, Geoff N. Masters Jan 1996

Performances: Assessment Resource Kit, Margaret Forster, Geoff N. Masters

Assessment Resource Kit

The assessment of some kinds of learning requires the observation of student performances. Examples include playing a musical instrument, dancing, using scientific apparatus, operating equipment, performing gymnastics routines, diving, problem-solving in a group, applying ball-handling skills, and participating in small group discussions. 'Performance assessment' is the assessment of students as they engage in an activity. It is the on-the-spot evaluation of performance, behaviour or interaction. This issue on the assessment of performances in the Assessment Resource Kit (ARK) magazine series contains five articles: 1. What is performance assessment? 2. Informal classroom observations; 3. Classroom performance assessment 'events'; 4. When comparability …


Projects: Assessment Resource Kit, Margaret Forster, Geoff N. Masters Jan 1996

Projects: Assessment Resource Kit, Margaret Forster, Geoff N. Masters

Assessment Resource Kit

Projects are extended pieces of work completed over a period of time. They are investigations which involve the collection, organisation, evaluation, and presentation of material or data. Projects are usually completed by individuals or small groups of students with the teacher acting as supervisor. This issue of the Assessment Resource Kit (ARK) magazine series is intended to give teachers a deeper understanding of how to assess student projects. Topics covered in the five articles include: what is project assessment, ways of assessing the process of project work, ways of assessing the end products of project work, comparing student projects and …