by Jocelyn Cook Principal Research Fellow Perth Office ACER

What makes An Even Start worth talking about?

An Even Start Assessment Instruments On-screen delivery literacy (reading and writing only) and numeracy Suitable for years 3, 5, 7 & 9 students measured below national benchmark Diagnostic linking to teaching materials and advice Informed by evidence based research program evaluation strategy

Year 3 reading below national minimum standard (%) Australia 7.8% ACT 5.7% Vic 4.8% NSW 4.9% Qld 12.9% SA 8.5% WA 10.6% Tas 8.2% NT 37.2%

Target group Reading Writing numeracy Year 3≈7% ≈ 5%≈5% Year 5≈9% ≈7% ≈7% Year 7≈7% ≈ 8%≈5% Year 9 ≈7% ≈13% ≈6% Target group (tutors/ support teachers)

height weight time benchmark Students Test questions

The consequences Q1Q2Q3Q4Q5TOT S S S S S TOT32210

Particular needs of the target group

Improving diagnostic capacity CoRI ICW Numeracy interviews

CoRI Phonemic Awareness (4 activities) Phonics (2 activities) Fluency (1 activity) Vocabulary (3 activities)

ICW Punctuation Spelling/word knowledge Vocabulary Sentence control Ideas

Numeracy Use of ‘probes’

The instruments Pre tests focus on crucial skills Post tests mirror pre test Time constraints (original thinking framed when delivery of program over 10 weeks)

Equating study calibrate pre and post test items to a common scale a national total of 72 schools provided 36 classes of 25 students for literacy and for numeracy at each year level. Sample constrained by postcode

Equating study (cont)

Reports Test report Progress report

Evaluation To 8 June 2009, 87,057 students received tuition under the Program. Results should soon be available

A note from the sponsor! ‘Tutors, schools and parents are able to continue to use the assessment tools and resources developed for An Even Start - National Tuition Program. Copies of the assessment tools were widely distributed and they may be available through a participating school.’