Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

Quality And Equity In Vocational Education And Training (Vet), Sheldon Rothman, David Curtis, Lori Hocking, David Tout

2009 - 2019 ACER Research Conferences

Concurrent Session

Financing The Future: Australian Students’ Results In The Pisa 2012 Financial Literacy Assessment, Sue Thomson

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

This report reveals that Australia is in the top five in the world’s first international assessment of young people’s financial literacy. Conducted in 2012 as part of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) of the OECD with support from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission as the Australian Government agency responsible for financial literacy, the supplementary PISA financial literacy assessment measured 15-year-olds’ knowledge of personal finances and ability to apply it to financial problems. A total of 29 000 students from 18 countries and economies participated in the assessment, including approximately 3300 Australian students from 768 schools. According to …

Independent Evaluation Of Asic’S Implementation Of The Helping Our Kids Understand Finances Initiative, Robert Simons

Program monitoring and evaluation

In May 2013, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to conduct an independent evaluation of its implementation of the Helping Our Kids Understand Finances (HOKUF) initiative. The purpose was to conduct an independent evidence-based assessment of whether ASIC implemented the HOKUF initiative in a way that met the following key criteria: 1) Appropriate – the extent to which the program developed by ASIC was useful and ‘fit for purpose’ in supporting the delivery of the consumer and financial literacy content aligned to the Australian Curriculum. 2) Effective − the extent to …

Finding Time For Teachers, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

The life of a teacher can be hectic, so what can you do to free up time for development? Take a look at this infographic.

Towards The Acwp Questionnaire : The Australian Child Wellbeing Project : Final Phase Two Report, Petra Lietz, Elizabeth O'Grady, Mollie Tobin, Alice Mcentee, Gerry Redmond

Wellbeing

This is the Phase Two report of the Australian Child Wellbeing Project (ACWP) which is a child-centred study that started with young people’s perspectives to design a major nationally representative survey of wellbeing among 8 - 14 year olds. The survey will benchmark child wellbeing in Australia and provide information that contributes to the development of effective services for young people’s healthy development. This document reports on Phase Two of the project: development of the wellbeing indicators. The development of indicators was informed by the findings of the first qualitative phase of the project, a review of literature and existing …

The Acwp Questionnaire : Results Of The Field Trial : The Australian Child Wellbeing Project : Draft Phase Three Report, Petra Lietz, Elizabeth O'Grady, Mollie Tobin, Helen Popple, Myra Hamilton, Gerry Redmond

Wellbeing

This is the Phase Three report of the Australian Child Wellbeing Project (ACWP) which is a child-centred study that started with young people’s perspectives to design a major nationally representative survey of wellbeing among 8-14 year olds. The Phase three report describes and presents analysis on the field trial of the ACWP survey which occurred in ten schools in New South Wales and Victoria in March 2014. The chapters in this report cover: sample characteristics and missing data analysis, descriptive and frequency analysis, factor and reliability analysis, examination of specific questions or items and question order, measuring affluence deprivation, inserting …

Described Proficiency Scales And Learning Metrics, Ross Turner

Assessment GEMS

We see the process of educational measurement as one of defining dimensions of educational progression and locating learners on those dimensions. Such dimensions are variously referred to as proficiency scales or learning metrics. When we measure something using a scale we can express how much of a given attribute is possessed by that something. We use a scale of centimetres or inches to describe the length of an object. We use a scale of hours and minutes to describe an amount of time. This is also the case for educational measurement: when we measure proficiency in a subject area we …

Promoting Regional Education Services Integration: Apec University Associations Cross-Border Education Cooperation Workshop: Workshop Report: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20 – 22 May 2014, Sarah Richardson

Higher education research

This report has been prepared to summarise discussions at the APEC University Associations Cross-Border Education Cooperation Workshop. The workshop was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia between 20 and 22 May 2014 and was attended by delegates from Australia; Canada; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; Papua New Guinea; The Philippines; Singapore; Thailand; Viet Nam; and the United States. The workshop brought together representatives from university associations, universities and governments to support, pursue and work towards the achievement of the priorities outlined by APEC Economic Leaders. The workshop focused on four key themes within cross-border education cooperation – student mobility, …

Comparison Of Piaac And Pisa Frameworks For Numeracy And Mathematical Literacy, Iddo Gal, David Tout

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

This paper describes key aspects of the frameworks for the assessment of adult numeracy and mathematical literacy in PIAAC and PISA, which are OECD two flagship programs for international comparative assessment of competencies. The paper examines commonalities and differences in how the constructs of adult numeracy and mathematical literacy were assessed in PIAAC and PISA, and sketches selected challenges associated with interpretation of results from these surveys.

Improving Learning In China

International Developments

Research cooperation between Australia and China is providing insights into educational practices for researchers in both countries.

Building Connections In South East Asia, Sarah Richardson

International Developments

Sarah Richardson reports on ACER’s recent collaborative work with institutions in South East Asia to support higher education.

Informing Policy In Developing Countries, Petra Lietz, Mollie Tobin

International Developments

Petra Lietz and Mollie Tobin discuss the impact of large-scale assessment programs on education policy in developing countries.

Educational Progress For All, Ray Adams

International Developments

ACER’s ongoing work in global educational monitoring is supporting educational progress for all learners, worldwide, as Ray Adams explains.

Pacific, Elizabeth Cassity

International Developments

ACER is working with Ministries of Education in the Pacific to develop institutional capacity to deliver comprehensive assessment systems at the national and school levels, as Elizabeth Cassity reports.

Student Assessments In India, Richa Jain

International Developments

ACER is working with social enterprise Gray Matters to deliver strong student assessments for school improvement in India. Richa Jain reports.

Supporting Educational Progress For All Learners, Peter Mcguckian

International Developments

ACER’s work in global educational monitoring is helping to identify effective policies, strategies and practices, and collaborative approaches that support improved practice in education and ultimately improved student outcomes, as Peter McGuckian explains.

International Developments (No.4) 2014

International Developments

Table of contents for this issue: (a) Supporting educational progress for all learners; (b) Student assessments in India; (c) Pacific; (d) Educational progress for all; (e) Informing policy in developing countries; (f) Building connections in South East Asia; (g) Improving learning in China; (h) Current international projects.

Focus Groups For Informing Awpa’S Engineering Workforce Study 2014: Final Report, Daniel Edwards, Jacob Pearce, Kate Perkins, Justin Brown

Higher education research

This report highlights the findings of a project undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for the Australian Workplace and Productivity Agency (AWPA) that will contribute to a wider study of the Engineering Workforce. The project involved the development, coordination, implementation of focus groups and the reporting of outcomes in a way that generates first-hand information about the experiences and attitudes of specific groups of people in relation to the engineering labour market – women, mature-age workers and new graduates. The work here also explored the views of the next generation of engineers, gathering information from school students …

Profiles Of Teachers In Selected Curriculum Areas: Further Analyses Of The Staff In Australia’S Schools 2013 Survey, Paul R. Weldon, Julie Mcmillan, Glenn Rowley, Phillip Mckenzie

School and system improvement

This report was commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education (formerly the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations). It was designed to analyse the characteristics and profiles of the teachers teaching in selected learning (or curriculum) areas in primary and secondary schools. The intent was to use the data collected through the Staff in Australia’s Schools 2013 (SiAS) project to provide a more detailed analysis of the teachers concerned than was provided in the main survey report (McKenzie et al., 2014 ) . The SiAS project was designed to provide a detailed picture of the Australian teacher workforce, …

Promoting Regional Education Services Integration: Apec University Associations Cross-Border Education Cooperation Workshop: Discussion Paper, Sarah Richardson, Ali Radloff

Higher education research

This discussion paper was prepared to inform the APEC workshop on Promoting Regional Education Services Integration: APEC University Associations Cross-Border Education Cooperation held in Kuala Lumpur from 20–22 May 2014. The workshop brings together university associations to support, pursue and work towards the achievement of the priorities outlined by APEC Economic Leaders. This includes the recognition of best practice in cross-border education (CBE), the identification of existing barriers to CBE, and an examination of ways to progress the priority areas identified. The paper highlights the key considerations for APEC economies in strengthening collaboration around CBE in the university sector and …

Assessment: Getting To The Essence, Geoff N. Masters

Assessment and Reporting

The author argues that assessment in education has become over-conceptualised and overcomplicated, and assessment concepts and terminology introduced over the past half century sometimes now function as impediments to clear thinking and good practice. The one fundamental purpose of assessment in education, he says, is to establish and understand where learners are in an aspect of their learning at the time of assessment. When this is recognised, many supposedly important distinctions become less significant. Currently, however, such distinctions tend to result in fragmentation of the field, with proponents championing one assessment purpose or method while denigrating others. He explains why …

Staff In Australia’S Schools 2013: Main Report On The Survey, Phillip Mckenzie, Paul R. Weldon, Glenn Rowley, Martin Murphy, Julie Mcmillan

School and system improvement

This report provides an overview of the results obtained from the Staff in Australia’s Schools (SiAS) 2013 survey commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education and conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The work was supported by an Advisory Committee of government and non-government school authorities and other stakeholder groups. The survey was intended to provide a detailed picture of the Australian teacher workforce, and to gather information to assist in future planning of the workforce. It was also designed to provide comparative and updated data following on from the previous SiAS surveys conducted in 2006-07 …

Monitoring Trends In Educational Growth In Afghanistan, Stephanie Templeton

Assessment GEMS

While access to schooling is crucial, it is widely recognised that if students are to realise the full benefits of education, then attending school must involve learning. In 2004, the Government of Afghanistan established the Education Quality Improvement Program (EQUIP). Through school grants, teacher training and institutional capacity building, EQUIP aims to increase equitable access, especially for girls, to quality basic education. As part of this program, ACER is working with the Ministry of Education to design and conduct the first ever sample-based national assessment of learning outcomes in Afghanistan. This study assesses Grade 6 students’ abilities in mathematics, reading …

The 'Literacy' Idea, Ross Turner

Assessment GEMS

A central reason why researchers and practitioners refer to domain literacy is to draw attention to the kinds of things students learn in the domain. In a traditional learning domain the focus might be on the acquisition of discrete facts, skills and procedures that have little obvious connection or utility. In a learning domain with a literacy orientation, the focus is on applying the domain’s facts, skills and procedures to support creativity and inventiveness, to solve novel problems and to deal with the kinds of challenges that life presents outside the classroom. In the case of mathematics, for example, a …

The Early Grade Reading Assessment: Assessing Children's Acquisition Of Basic Literacy Skills In Developing Countries (Superseded Version), 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 (Gove & Wetterberg, 2011), in addition to resources provided by RTI. The 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 first implemented in The Gambia and Senegal …

The Annual Status Of Education Report Survey: Monitoring Learning Levels Of Children In Rural India, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Assessment GEMS

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) survey is a household-based survey of school-aged children in all rural districts in India. It is the only annual survey that yields data on children’s basic learning levels in this country. It evolved out of the work of a non-governmental organisation called Pratham. The ASER survey aims to obtain reliable, district-level estimates of the status of rural children’s school enrolment and skills in reading and arithmetic, and to measure the change in these estimates over time.

The Latin-American Laboratory For Assessment Of The Quality Of Education: Measuring And Comparing Educational Quality In Latin America (Superseded Version), Australian Council For Educational Research

Assessment GEMS

The Laboratorio Latinoamericano de Evaluación de la Calidad de la Educación (Latin-American Laboratory for Assessment of the Quality of Education or LLECE) is the network of national systems for the assessment of education quality in Latin America, created in 1994, and coordinated by UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (OREALC). LLECE’s purpose is to produce data and knowledge that inform educational policy in the region, contribute to capacity building, and serve as a forum for reflection, exchange and generation of new ideas and good practices in education evaluation. LLECE assessments aim to provide information about …

Acer 2012-2013 Annual Report, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

ACER Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Professional Certification For Accomplished Principals: Directions For Australia, Lawrence Ingvarson

Educational leadership

This review was commissioned by Principals Australia Institute. Its purpose is twofold: to review approaches to assessing and evaluating principals internationally; and, to draw on this review in developing recommendations for building a rigorous and beneficial professional certification system for accomplished principals in Australia. There is widespread agreement that our society needs to place greater value on the important and complex work of teachers and principals (Productivity Commission 2012). Whether that happens will depend in large part on our capacity to develop standards for successful practice and rigorous methods for assessing those who meet them. Our ability to recognise and …

Unfinished Business: Pisa Shows Indigenous Youth Are Being Left Behind, Tony Dreise, Sue Thomson

Indigenous Education Research

The latest international assessment of students’ mathematical, scientific and reading literacy – the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) – shows that the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students has remained the same for the last decade. In short, Indigenous 15-year olds remain approximately two-and-a-half years behind their non-Indigenous peers in schooling.

This essay provides a précis of the results and analysis of some of the issues; it compares Indigenous performance in 2012 with that from previous PISA cycles; and discusses a range of implications for policy and practice.