Previous projects

Note: The projects mentioned here are limited to those EMS has contributed to which also have results in the public domain.

National Assessment Program - Science Literacy: EMS performed psychometric analyses in relation to the National Assessment Program - Science Literacy for the 2006 cycle through to 2015. This included sampling, equating, test design, scaling of item responses, and the preparation of a report of findings and a database of results (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2008a, 2008b, 2010a, 2010b, 2013a, 2013b, 2017b, 2017c).

National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN): EMS has been involved with NAPLAN nearly every year since it commenced in 2008. This has included data processing and reporting of results to students and schools in 2008 on behalf of Curriculum Corporation; the psychometric analysis of trial test items and tasks (2012-2019); data cleaning, wrangling and validation of item responses (2015, 2016); and the sampling of schools and students for the central analysis of data (2012-2017). (For example, see Appendix A in Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2014, 2015a, 2015b, 2016, 2017a)

Expectations and Destinations of NSW Senior Secondary Students: Computer assisted telephone interviews were used to collect information from a sample of NSW senior secondary students and their parents for this government funded study. Teachers at the same schools as sampled students also completed an online survey. EMS involvement, as a subcontractor to the University of Melbourne, included sample design, calculation of sample weights, data analysis and preparation of a technical report. (Polesel et al., 2013a, 2013b)

Mapping Adult Literacy Frameworks: In collaboration with Victoria University and the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), EMS empirically aligned the Australian Core Skills Framework to the international Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey using survey methodologies and Item Response Modelling. (Circelli, Gillis, Dulhunty, Wu, and Calvitto, 2012; Gillis, Dulhunty, Wu, Calvitto, and Pancini, 2013)

Empirical Validation of the Strengthened Australian Qualifications Framework: As part of a consortium led by Victoria University, EMS conducted research to empirically validate the proposed strengthened Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). (Australian Qualifications Framework Council, 2010; Gillis, Wu, Dulhunty, Calvitto, and Bateman, 2010)

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Previous clients

  • Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
  • Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)
  • Australian Qualifications Framework Council
  • Curriculum Corporation
  • Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (MFB)
  • Northern Territory Department of Education
  • Pearson Asia Pacific
  • Queensland Studies Authority
  • Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
  • Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
  • The Learning Federation
  • University of Melbourne
  • UNSW Global Educational Assessment Australia
  • Victoria University
  • Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority

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References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2008a). National Assessment Program – Science Literacy 2006: Public Report. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu.au/_resources/2006_NAP_SL_Public_report.pdf

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2008b). National Assessment Program – Science Literacy 2006: Technical Report. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu.au/_resources/2006_NAP_SL_Technical_Report.pdf

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010a). National Assessment Program – Science Literacy 2009: Public Report. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu.au/_resources/2009_NAP_SL_Public_report.pdf

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010b). National Assessment Program – Science Literacy 2009: Technical Report. Sydney: ACARA.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2013a). National Assessment Program – Science Literacy 2012: Public Report. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu.au/_resources/NAP-SL_2012_Public_Report.pdf

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2013b). National Assessment Program – Science Literacy 2012: Technical Report. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu.au/_resources/NAP-SL_2012_Technical_Report.pdf

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2014). National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy 2013: Technical Report (p. 638). Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu.au/_resources/NAPLAN_2013_technical_report.pdf

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2015a). National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy 2014: Technical Report. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu.au/_resources/2014_NAPLAN_technical_report.pdf

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2015b). National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy 2015: Technical Report (p. 608). Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2015-naplan-technical-reportcf3f04344b146909a44fff0000c50d63.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2016). National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy 2016: Technical Report (p. 603). Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2016-naplan-technical-report.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2017a). National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy 2017: Technical Report. Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2017_naplan_technical_report.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2017b). National Assessment Program – Science Literacy 2015: Public Report. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/20170309-nap_sl_final.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2017c). National Assessment Program – Science Literacy 2015: Technical Report. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/20170317-nap-sl-tech-report.pdf?sfvrsn=4

Australian Qualifications Framework Council. (2010). Overview of the empirical validation of the strengthened Australian Qualifications Framework, September 2010. Retrieved from http://hdl.voced.edu.au/10707/166352

Circelli, M., Gillis, S., Dulhunty, M., Wu, M., and Calvitto, L. (2012). Does 1=1? Mapping measures of adult literacy and numeracy. Retrieved from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2581.html

Gillis, S., Dulhunty, M., Wu, M., Calvitto, L., and Pancini, G. (2013). Mapping adult literacy performance - support document (p. 133). Adelaide: NCVER VOCED.

Gillis, S., Wu, M., Dulhunty, M., Calvitto, L., and Bateman, A. (2010). Empirical validation of the strengthened Australian Qualifications Framework using item response theory [final technical report]. Retrieved from http://hdl.voced.edu.au/10707/166361

Polesel, J., Leahy, M., Gillis, S., Dulhunty, M., and Calvitto, L. (2013a). Expectations and Destinations of NSW Senior Secondary Students: Research Report Volume II: Data Table Appendices (p. 49).

Polesel, J., Leahy, M., Gillis, S., Dulhunty, M., and Calvitto, L. (2013b). Expectations and Destinations of NSW Senior Secondary Students: Research Report Volume I: Research Report (p. 182).