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Media Releases - 2003

VCAA Initiatives to Save Money and Create Jobs

1 February 2003

Parents, teachers and students will benefit most from two new developments that will save taxpayers' money and create jobs, the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA), announced today.

Chief executive officer Susan Pascoe said the VCAA's recent decision to oversee the state's monitoring program for primary and secondary school students, was a positive outcome for all Victorians.

Known as the Achievement Improvement Monitor (AIM), the program is a vital tool for accurately measuring students' progress in literacy and numeracy at Years 3, 5 and 7.

The program was previously out-sourced by the Kennett Government to a NSW company, Educational Testing Centre (ETC). However that arrangement was plagued with problems concerning inaccurate data and frequent delays.

As a consequence the Authority has now decided to bring the program back in-house. In future the AIM program will be administered by the VCAA.

Ms Pascoe said the decision to bring AIM in house would save about $1 million and create about 50 jobs, but more importantly, it would once again give parents, teachers and students the highest confidence in AIM.

"AIM is part of the Government's commitment to keep parents informed of their child's progress," Ms Pascoe said.

"Importantly, AIM helps to identify students having difficulty at school and provides expertise to help put their education back on track. It is vital that confidence in AIM be restored."

Ms Pascoe said the VCAA's other important development, the 2002-2004 strategic plan, was geared to give Victorian students an excellent preparation for their adult lives as citizens, workers and family members.

"The plan, which identifies innovative education initiatives, is vital for the optimum allocation of VCAA's resources and identifies where we can save money," she said.

"But most importantly, it outlines how we will support students, teachers, schools and the Victorian community to capitalise on opportunities in the global economy and in the knowledge, service and design sectors as well as traditional industries. This strategy is very much about the future and is very much about positioning young Victorians for the labour markets and global communities of the 21 st century."

The guiding principles of the VCAA strategic plan are that:

• all students should have access to knowledge and skills irrespective of background or circumstances
• the establishment of strong learning foundations is crucial to successful participation of individuals in changing work and social environments
• innovative, inclusive programs enable the needs of students and their communities to be met and result in a high standing globally
• the provision of detailed and reliable information on student achievement leads to improved learning and to continuing collaboration with the entire education community
• policies and procedures which govern the organisation should be clearly documented and regularly evaluated
• the Victorian public should have an understanding of the curriculum, assessment and standards frameworks being used in Victorian schools.

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