Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)

ACER is an independent, national, educational research and development agency. It was established in 1930 with a grant from the US Carnegie Corporation and a guarantee of annual funding for ten years. By 1946-47, all States had agreed to join the Commonwealth in providing annual support for ACER. The annual core grant from government has been continued ever since.

ACER's mission is to create and disseminate knowledge and tools that can be used to improve learning.

Underlying this mission is our belief in the importance of ongoing, lifelong learning both for the fulfilment of individuals and for the well-being of society, and our commitment to the use of systematic investigation, evaluation and critical reflection in the search for ways to improve learning.

As an independent, not-for-profit organisation, we are able to bring a high level of expertise and objectivity to our work.

In pursuing this mission, ACER undertakes a wide range of research and development and provides services and materials in support of educational policy-making and improved professional practice.

ACER’s Measurement Division undertakes research and development in assessment and reporting across all areas of the curriculum and throughout all sectors of the education community. Research in the division focuses on issues of test validity, equity, and the effective use of assessment information in decision making. Activities of the division include test development, test administration, data coding and analysis of participant responses, and the development of candidate, school and system reports. The division undertakes large-scale assessment work under contract, but also develops assessment materials for use by practitioners in classrooms and workplaces.

The Policy Research Division reflects an orientation towards research directed to informing policy and practice. The Division is organised around two broad themes. In the area of post-compulsory education and training, ACER collaborates with Monash University in a Centre for the Economics of Education and Training (CEET), conducts a program of longitudinal studies of Australian youth (LSAY) to examine the causes and consequences of educational participation, and evaluates various education and training programs. In the schools and school programs area, research focuses on the effectiveness of schools and programs in areas such as mathematics and science (through international studies), civics education, social development, and information technology.

The Professional Resources Division develops services and products to support the professional work of practitioners. Our services include information services provided by Cunningham Library; fee-based assessment services for schools, higher education institutions and other agencies; and workshops provided through ACER’s Professional Development Unit. Resources in the form of books, kits, tests, and multimedia products in education, parent education, psychology and personnel/human resources are published through ACER Press.

The Teaching and Learning Division undertakes research and development to improve teaching practice and support student learning. ACER has recently been awarded several projects involving evaluations of the Quality Teacher Program, (QTP). These studies also aim to investigate the links between teacher professional development and improved student learning.

ACER has contacts with a range of institutions which engage ACER researchers to work collaboratively on projects. These include State, Territory and Commonwealth Departments of Education and Training, the relevant State and Territory Boards of Study, non-government education authorities, and higher education institutions.

ACER also offers services for international clients. In the past, training programs in educational assessment and evaluation have been provided for personnel from Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, and Oceania. ACER has recently been involved in two major projects: the implementation of the Grade 11 Examinations in Cambodia and the Technical Assistance Project for Preparation of Primary Teacher Training Project in Viet Nam.

ACER is a member of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), and the Australian Consortium for Social and Political Research Incorporated (ACSPRI). It is an Affiliated Centre of the Asia-Pacific Programme of Educational Innovation for Development (APEID) and has worked with the OECD, AUSAID, UNESCO and World Bank on international projects.

EMP/SKILLS - Skills and Employability Department