Performance feedback to schools of students’ year 12 assessments : the VCE Data Project

This chapter describes a current project conducted in Victoria, Australia, to engender within-school improvements in teaching, learning and student achievement via the provision of performance feedback data from the Year 12 Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) assessment program. With a key focus on improvement, the purpose of the VCE Data Project aims to assist schools to monitor the effectiveness of their within-school teaching and learning programs for students on up to 53 subjects in a given year, and over time. Within the context of a discussion of issues related to the responsible feedback of student performance data to schools for monitoring, accountability and improvement purposes, the chapter outlines the rationale for the particular approach adopted by the VCE Data Project, including methods of data analysis and presentation. Findings related to evaluations of the impact of providing student performance data to schools in this form is reported, together with improvement strategies adopted by schools. [Introduction, ed]