CSSE Research Studies
Since its inception in 1964, the Com- monwealth Secondary Scholarship Scheme has aimed to select students who appear most likely to be suc- cessful both at university entrance or similar examinations and in tertiary studies.
The effectiveness of the CSS scheme as a predictor of scholastic success has been investigated in two research studies conducted by ACER. These studies were funded by special research grants from the then Commonwealth Department of Education and Science. Reports on the two studies were published dur- ing 1972.
1964 CSSE
In The Predictive Validity Of The 1964 Commonwealth Secondary Scholarship Examination, W. T.
Renehan reported on a follow-up study of Victorian candidates for the special one-year scholarships awarded in the first year of the CSS scheme.
Two samples were selected for the study. One sample consisted of the first 4,221 students in order of CSSE score and therefore included all 2,750 students who took up one- year scholarships in 1965. The other sample, of 778 students, was repre- sentative of all candidates and there- fore covered the whole range of CSSE scores.
Subgroups in both samples were compared on their performance at the matriculation examination and
also on academic achievement at university.
The results of the study show a clear positive relationship between 1964 CSSE scores and subsequent performance in the matriculation examination. For example, the sample comprising the first 4,221 students was divided into four groups on the basis of CSSE scores.
The percentages passing the matri- culation examination in the four groups, taken in order of their CSSE score level, were 90, 80, 72, and 62 respectively.
Another aspect of performance in the matriculation examination was the winning of a Commonwealth Uni- versity Scholarship. There was a clear positive relationship between CSSE scores and success in winning these scholarships.
Assessment of the CSSE as a pre- dictor of success at university was complicated by the problems of es- tablishing a satisfactory criterion of success. When a pass in three con- secutive years of a university course was taken as the criterion, a positive relationship between CSSE score and success at university was evi- dent. This relationship, although statistically significant, was not par- ticularly strong.
1966 CSSE
In The Predictive Validity Of The 1966 Commonwealth Secondary Scholarship Awards, R. E. Wilkes and T. E. Noble reported on a follow-
ACER
flVSup study of candidates for two-year awards from South Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria.
In each state a representative sample of approximately 450 CSS award winners was compared with an equal-sized sample of high-scor-- ing non-winners.
These comparisons showed that the CSS award winners were much more likely to have remained at school to present for the matricula- tion or HSC examination, to have passed that examination, to have been offered a Commonwealth Uni- versity Scholarship, and to have undertaken tertiary study.
Within the groups of winners and non-winners there was a positive relationship between level of CSS award score and the criteria of pre- senting for the matriculation exami- nation, passing the examination, be- ing offered a Commonwealth Uni- versity Scholarship, and undertaking tertiary study.
Unlike the 1964 study, no attempt was made to use success in tertiary study as a criterion for assessing the predictive validity of the CSS scheme.
All analyses in the study were car- ried out for girls and boys sepa- rately. Some interesting information on sex differences in retention at school, academic performance, and destination on leaving school emerged.
Although these two studies sug- gest a fairly high degree of predic- tive validity in the CSS scheme, it must be emphasized that this con- clusion is based on general relation-
ships only. Like all selection devices, the CSSE is less than perfect as a predictor of future academic suc- cess.
Some students may win a CSS and perform poorly in subsequent studies while others who fail to win an award will excel. The evidence of the studies reported above is that such cases are exceptional.
ACER: Policy Priorities Activities
1 This statement began as a working document for the use and information of the mem- bers of the Council and staff of ACER. It has been found to be of interest to a much wider circle. Its purpose is to set out the policy which directs ACER work, present priorities within that policy, and the program and activities arising from these which are planned for the years 1973 to 1975.
2 ACER policy is based on the premise that, because it is in- dependent of governments, par- ties, or other institutions or or- ganizations, has nation-wide interests, and has built up a certain expertise and estab- lished certain expectations, it is in a position to make a signifi- cant contribution to education in Australia and elsewhere. 3 At the present stage of develop-
ment in Australian education, the Council of ACER believes that the contribution can be best made by a program which:
3.1 provides an adequate
2
range of measuring instru- ments of high quality which assist pupils, par- ents, teachers, and ad- ministrators to receive or to provide an effective education within the limits of perceived objec- tives, keeps these instru- ments under constant re- view, and undertakes the necessary research to en-
sure their quality, appro- priateness, and effective use;
3.2 adds to curriculum theory, demonstrates through the development of materials how such theory can be applied to classroom prac- tice, and evaluates the effectiveness of other materials of actual or po- tential wide use;
3.3 reports, on a regular or occasional basis, on signi- ficant segments of Austra- lian education, as a result either of careful surveys of practices and achieve- ments or of analysis of public data and reports;
3.4 contributes to understand- ing how and what children learn as they develop, par- ticular emphasis being placed on cognitive de- velopment and the de- velopment of competence and skill in the use of lan- guage.
4 In presenting to the Common- wealth and to the states in 1970 and 1971 a request for a substantial increase in their annual grants to ACER, the Council pointed out that in its view there was an urgent and unsatisfied demand in all kinds of educational institutions for more evaluation instruments to help in guiding and appraising learning. It saw its top priority therefore as research into and development of such instru- ments, which would include but comprise more than tests and examinations. In such work, studies of cognitive and language development and of the educational achievement of human beings under different conditions at home and at school would of necessity play an important part.
5 · Its other priorities it saw as
• surveys of educational prac- tices and activities and of the achievement by schools of their declared objectives;
• work in curriculum and par- ticularly in developing some
materials and evaluating others;
• critical and comparative stu- dies of Australian education both within its own geogra- phic limits and in relation to worldwide views and trends.
6 In developing measuring instru- ments it was agreed by the Council in 1972 that during the following three years any pro- gram made possible by in- creased grants wou Id concen- trate on:
• reviewing the tests and other assessment procedures at present available for use in preschools and child centres, in primary schools, and in secondary schools, and
• developing either procedures of a similar kind appropriate for Australian schools, or others considered necessary.
7 In addition to research and de- velopment work funded by an- nual grants from the Common- wealth and the states, ACER also uses for research and de- velopment activities that por- tion of income received from sales which is not used directly for procurement, publishing, distribution, and advisory ser- vices, and undertakes special projects on commission (e.g.
the development of tests) which are wholly funded by the commissioning agency. It re- ceives also special grants for research work from bodies like the AACRDE, the ARGC, or De- partments of State such as Im- migration or Aboriginal Affairs.
These latter usually provide for the salaries of research assis- tants and for some but not all of the costs of the specific pro- jects.
8 The activities listed in the pro- gram, printed as an insert to this newsletter, are therefore those, with known funding, upon which the ACER plans at present to proceed irrespective of any new contractual work or special grants. Some provisos however are required.
8.1 Some of the studies will inevitably lead to sequels,
ACER Newsletter No 17: June 1973
reviews, experiments, de- velopments, and comple- mentary studies which will be essential if the original ones are to be useful or to have their full effect. Some of these ad- ditions will be taken up in the normal annual updat- ing of the program, but some may require that a part of the former program be retarded or suspended.
8.2 Some research and de- velopment lends itself to programming, and it is possible if sufficient re- sources are deployed to keep to planned time- tables and to meet plan- ned deadlines. Not all of ACER 's work can, how- ever, be so programmed.
Some will take less and some will take more time than was originally fore- cast.
8.3 ACER is asked from time to time to take on a par- ticular job of relatively short duration which is seen to be one of con- siderable potential im- portance, or to be a con- tinuation or expansion of a current activity. It may decide to accept the re- quest, seeing the likely re- sults of the work involved to be more important than the resulting delay in other work.
8.4 Because neither the pro- cess nor the substance nor the organization of educa- tion is fixed, and the cur- rent rates of change in theory and practice are rapid, the Council's judg- ments of priorities in ACER's program are not irrevocable. The present procedure of annual re- view provides a necessary flexibility. It can lead either to change in direc- tion or to change of prio- rities without change in direction.
9 In addition to the specific items
listed in the program there are other activities undertaken by ACER officers concerned with testing and advisory services, and by the library staff. These include inter alia the norming of various tests, the Primary· Evaluation Program conducted in conjunction with the Depart- ment of Education in New South Wales, the servicing of the CSSE and the Co-operative Scholarship Testing Program, and the preparation of the Bulletin for Psychologists and other bulletins of advice, for all of which the ACER Testing and Advisory Services staff are re- sponsible.
Apart from its central task of providing a service to staff, the ACER library lends to other libraries and to some indi- viduals and is open to outside readers not able to find materials elsewhere. In addi- tion, however, it is responsible for preparing the regular Aust- ralian Education Index, a series of bulletins dealing with par- ticular topics like Reports on Education, a Bibliography of Australian Education, and an annual edition of Serials in Education, Held in Australian Education Libraries: a Union List. As a special activity in 1973 it is also preparing a re- vised Directory of Philanthropic
Trusts, updating an earlier ACER publication.
10 ACER is also a publisher with a considerable volume of work.
In addition to reports, studies, tests, bulletins, indexes, biblio- graphies, and other material prepared by its own staff, it publishes selected tests and other material offered to it which it considers will benefit education in Australia, and re- publishes overseas books, pamphlets, and tests of a simi- lar kind. Some of this publica- tion is subsidized from its Pub- lication Fund.
Most of its publications are of ACER work. There are now 92 numbers in its research series and over 100 general
pub I ications have appeared. In addition it publishes Occa- sional Papers on general issues, and Progress Reports on some of its own studies. Regular pub- lications include its Annual Re- port, the Bulletin for Psycholo- gists referred to above, a quar- terly Newsletter, and the Quar- terly Review of Australian Edu- cation begun in 1969.
It is also the publisher and business manager of The Aus- tralian Journal of Education, begun in 1957, although the editorial work on the three numbers per year has been voluntarily done since its first number by senior members of staff of the School of Education at the University of Sydney.
Just off the press
Bibliography of Australian Educa- tion ($7.70), compiled by Cecily Brown, is the first comprehensive published list of books on Australian education. It covers the period from colonial times to 1972 in two main sections-nineteenth century views of Australian education, and Austra- lian education in the twentieth cen- tury.
Books for the Retarded Reader ( $2.30), by J. A. Hart and J. A.
Richardson, appearing in its fifth edition, classifies and describes books ' that are available to help children with reading difficulties- books that will give useful practice at a wide range of age and interest
levels.
From Testing to Teaching in the Humanities ( $2.40), by Audrey Grant and Graeme Withers, provides useful resource material for teachers from the 1971 Commonwealth Scholarships Humanities Test. The actual 1971 paper has been repro- duced and discussed unit by unit.
These three books are now avail- able from ACER. All orders are sub- ject to a freight and packing sur- charge of 5 per cent of invoice value
(minimum 25 cents).
Towards Alternative
Learning: Within the School Grounds
This is the second of a series of four articles by Ron Fitzgerald who in 1972 undertook an overseas tour to study and to examine alternative ways of educating adolescents.
For the purposes of this article, let us define 'alternative learning' in terms of approaches which involve structural change-that is, a basic shift in the nature of formal relation- ships. Such approaches may affect the entire school program. They may reflect a change in underlying philo- sophy and incorporate new forms of organization, curricula, and methods.
It remains to be seen how far school systems can introduce radical change within their traditional con- fines. This is linked with the need to provide a program of formal learn- ing under a fully organized system of controls. It is the style of man- agement and degree of control that tend to distinguish the secondary school from the universities and col- leges. The latter may sometimes set the student a ful I day's timetable but rarely, if ever, does a tertiary insti- tution assume the task of exercising custodial care over its students. By contrast, the secondary school typi- cally maintains a child-minding function even for older adolescents.
The nature of this function may vary according to type of institution.
A neighbourhood or comprehensive high school which houses a fairly wide age range-say between 12 and 18 years-may be reluctant to grant special liberties to its seniors on the grounds that younger students will also seek them. With a more mature population, the private aca- demy or senior high school or matri- culation college may feel more able to relax supervisory controls and permit greater personal initiative.
SCHOOL CLIMATE
These policies are especially sub- ject to school climate or nature of relationships among staff and stu- dents. Traditional forms of control which rely heavily on rigid rules and
4
routines do not readily encourage self-directed approaches from ado- lescents, whereas more open methods built on a mutual recogni- tion of the essential boundaries of authority and responsibility can per- mit radically different types of time- tabling and a wide diversity of activi- ties. Such conditions require from school administrators and their staffs a well thought out philosophy of approach as well as the manage- ment ski I ls and other resources needed to give it effect in a favour- able cultural setting.
Strong social pressures operate to limit the scope for alternative learning at the senior secondary level. Many of these pressures come from the school's need to rank and assess the younger generation in terms of academic progress. The competitive spirit has been con- stantly employed to motivate stu- dents to improve themselves.
Teachers can readily adopt such a practice on the grounds that it truly accords with the spirit of private enterprise and endeavour in a demo- cracy.
Adolescents become increasingly aware of the sorting process at work in society. They learn that they must meet certain conditions or criteria laid down by outside authorities- whether they be examination boards or employing bodies. Some em- ployers may seek only high school graduates or matriculants in the be- lief that they have proved to be not only intelligent but also constant and industrious. Educators have tended to promote this attitude.
CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT Greater opportunity for structural change in the senior secondary school may largely depend on the willingness of teachers, academics, and employers to distinguish be- tween real and artificial demands.
There seems a wide gap in know- ledge and understanding between the world of learning and the world
of work. Selection processes based on public examination performance do not usually bear much apparent relationship with future career. In North America, for example, the trend towards delaying entry into the work force by having adolescents undertake longer periods of general education has recently come under strong attack.
Vagueness of purpose and the penalties involved in 'dropping out' of school stand out as two major obstacles to alternative learning.
While these remain, the force of new curricula and methods seems likely to be limited. It is possible that moves being made in some places to give students, parents, and other citizens a voice in formulating school policy may help to bring about greater clarity. But it is also likely that basic differences in philo- sophy towards the goals of achieve- ment and personal growth will also emerge. The issues will need to be resolved in social as well as peda- gogic terms.
Ian Fraser, officer in charge of ACER's publishing since 1964, leaves the staff in July to pursue his career overseas.
He first joined ACER in 1962 as a research officer in test development, and worked mainly on a set of study skills and listening tests for use in what was then the NSW Basic Skills Testing Program.
In 1964 he was asked to set up ACER's Publishing Division. In this capacity he has been responsible for the editorial and physical quality of the variety of publications published by the Council-books, tests, jour- nals, reports, teaching kits, mono- graphs, manuals, brochures, cata- logues.
ACER publications have earned high praise for their presentation and accuracy, and this has been due in no small way to Ian Fraser's con- cern for their quality and appearance.
~he ACER Newsletter is pub-
~1shed quarterly by the Austral- ian Council for Educational Research, Frederick Street, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122. Com- munications should be ad- dressed to the Editor at this address.
ACER Newsletter No 17: June 1973
Supplement to ACER Newsletter no 17, June1973
ACER PROGRAM 1973-74-75
Duration
Divisions Senior Officers Concerned Program etc. Commen- Expected Nature of
apart from Director • Commissioned enced Duration Publication
{Dr W. C. Radford) • *Supported by grants Test Research and Dr M. L. Clark {Associate A. Current Involvements
Development Director in Charge) 1 ••Completion of diagnostic and {Revision) 1973 Published tests Testing Services Mr B. Rechter { Chief achievement tests in science 1971 and remedial Advisory Services Research Officer in Charge {biology, physics, chemistry) and aids -Educational of Test Research and accompanying aids for Grades 11
-Psychological Development) and 12
Publishing Mr. W. T. Renehan (Chief
Research Officer in Charge 2 Diagnostic and achievement tests 1972 1975 Published tests
of Testing Services and in mathematics {concentrating on and remedial
Educational Advisory topics rather than survey tests) in aids
Services) early secondary grades and at
Mrs D. M. Bradshaw Grades 11 and 12 {Senior Research Officer,
3 ••Completion of a test in music 1972 1974 Experimental Psychological Services)
Mr I. Fraser {Publishing for use at Grade 12 level in all edition of test
Officer) Australian states in 1974
in collaboration for
4 Completion of topic tests in 1969 1974 Published tests particular projects with
Dr J. P. Keeves {Associate mathematics at primary school Director-Research and level and of survey tests in reading
Curriculum) and mathematics
Dr M. de Lemos {Chief 5 • Completion of CSSE tests for To May Tests printed for
Research Officer-Cog- 1974 examination 1974 examination
nitive Development) only
6 • Completion of a new form of the 1972 1973 Special printings
Australian Scholastic Aptitude Test, for approved
and of a new form of a Written users
Expression Test, for use at Grade 12 level
7 • Exploratory work in generalized 1973 1974 achievement tests at Grade 12 level
B. Further Developments
Completion of range of reading 1973 1974 Published tests tests by the addition of wide-range
survey tests for use up to and including Grade 10, and of tests of special skills
2 Preparation of evaluation instru- 1973 1975 Published tests ments for assessing stages of de-
velopment in language-oral and written, and spelling
3 Extension of range of materials Subject to current
available for assessment of study negotiation with
skills such as map reading, NSW Depart-
reference procedures, and inter- ment of Educa-
pretation of tables tion re Primary
Education Program 4 Preparation or adaptation of 1973 1975 Published tests
diagnostic and readiness tests for use of teachers of children begin- ning schooling
5 Collaboration with appropriate 1973 1974 Publication and
officers in all states to develop other forms of
banks of questions in social distribution
sciences, mathematics and one or more of the natural and biological sciences
6 ••Review and development of 1973 1974 materials to assist in the evaluation
of teaching in the social sciences
7 Review and revision of the range 1973 1975 Published tests of general ability and other tests
used for counselling, and develop- ment or adaptation of necessary additions
8 Review, adaptation, and prepara- 1973 1975 Published tests tion of non-cognitive measures and
instruments likely to be of use in both primary and secondary schools
9 Explore the extension of the New Subject to negotia-
South Wales Primary Evaluation tions with edu-
Program and the Victorian Basic cation depart-
Skills Testing Program beyond the ment concerned
area of basic skills to include syllabus content areas for mastery and diagnostic tests, and assess-
ment of attitudes
10 Review the use of data gathered in Subject to negotia- such programs in the evaluation of tions with edu-
curricula and curricular changes cation depart-
ment concerned
c.
Research Activities••Research study on the structure 1973 1974 Published report or
of abilities being tested by the article
CSSE tests
2 ••Definition and measurement of 1972 1974 Published reports, skills involved in listening, includ- and Quarterly ing a review of current courses in Review for Dec-
schools, teaching practices, and ember 1972;
courses for preparing teachers experimental
tests
3 ••Aspects of the structure of 1971 1973 Published report;
reading skills particularly those experimental
requiring comprehension tests
4 Aspects of writing ability at the 1971 1973 Published reports
secondary school level and articles
5 The reliability and usefulness of 1971 1975 Possible art,icle Piaget-type tests of conservation
as research instruments for use in studies of achievement and of child development
6 • *The effects of special instruction 1972 1974 Monograph or
A. Experimental and Analytical Studies
Experimental and Dr J.P. Keeves (Associate Environment and Student 1973 1974 Monograph or
ana lytica I studies Director in Charge) Achievement articles
Surveys Dr M. de Lemos (Chief
2 Survey of effects of design in 1972 1973 Article Curriculum and Research Officer-Cog-
Materials Develop- nitive Development) educational surveys, with particular ment Mr R. T. Fitzgerald (Chief reference to I EA survey
Comparative and Research Officer- Com-
3 The role of instruction in the 1973 1975 To be determined critical studies of parative and critical
development of cognitive and Australian education studies)
Mr M. Rosier ( Chief Re- conceptual abilities with particular search Officer-Surveys) reference to Piaget's theories in collaboration for
particular projects with B. Surveys Dr M. L. Clark (Associate
Educational achievement in science 1968 1974 Newsletters, Director- Measurement,
Advisory and Publishing) at secondary school level and some Progress Re-
Mr B. Rechter (Chief Re- of its correlates (the IEA Project) ports, articles,
search Officer-Test Re- (a) for the complete terminal Monographs
search and Development) secondary population ( Pop. Mr W. T. Renehan (Chief IV) and for the 14-year-olds
Research Officer-Testing (Pop. 11) tested in 1970 (on Services and Educational which there will also be data Advisory Services) published in international
Mr R. Wilkes (Senior reports);
Research Officer-Testing (b) for the specialist science
Services) students in Pop. IV ( Pop. IVS),
on which there will be no pub I ished internationa I data
2 **Follow-up of the IEA study to 1972 1973 Monograph ascertain relations between aspects
of that study and the education and vocational decisions of mem- bers of the 14-year-old population tested in 1970
3 Follow-up of IEA study to ascertain 1972 1973 Monograph relations between achievement,
educational aspirations, and career choices of the pre-university population tested in 1970
4 Survey of school leavers in 1971 1973 Monograph Australia 1971-72
5 * *The educational achievement of 1970 1973 Monograph migrant children in schools in New
South Wales and Victoria
6 * *The educational achievement of 1970 1973 Progress Reports
aboriginal children in primary and and Monograph
secondary schools in Victoria and New South Wales
7 * *The conceptual and language 1972 1974 Monograph abilities of pre-school children
8 •*Aspects of the oral and written 1971 1973 Monograph language of children in primary
schools in Victoria
c.
Curriculum and Materials DevelopmentFurther development and tria I of 1970 1975 Published teaching and learning materials in materials for
the social sciences in secondary the classroom
schools, related to the theme of use
social change
2 Revision of units of the Junior 1972 1973 Published
Secondary Science Project materia Is for
classroom use ( Cheshire's Pty Ltd) 3 Revision and metrication of 1968 1973 Published
materials, for use in the upper materials for
levels of primary schools and lower classroom use levels of secondary schools, to
assist in the development of skills in interpretating graphical materials (Graph Skills Kit)
D. Comparative and Critical Studies of Australian Education
Factors related to change and 1968 1973 Monograph development in Australian educa-
tion in two periods of marked change 1945-50 and 1965-70
2 Analysis of the general pattern of 1971 1973 Occasional Paper expenditure on education in Aus-
tralia to 1972, including an examination of various indices used in Australia and elsewhere
3 ••A study of the structure of the 1972 1974 Monograph school in relation to the forces of
change coming to bear upon it as a social institution
4 A critical review of continuing 1972 1974 Monograph education and its relation to
secondary schooling and work experience, in Australia and some selected overseas countries
5 Quarterly Review of Australian Continuing series Education (partly commissioned,
partly prepared by ACER staff)
