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This paper examines student retention in Australian schools from the early 1980s to the late 1990s. The paper looks at: who is staying at school; what these young people are studying and the consequences of curriculum choices; school students and part-time work; whether there are benefits for young people to stay longer at school; and student attendance. During the 20 year period, participation in senior secondary schools has more than doubled, with participation increasing most significantly for young people whose parents work in lower-status occupations and among those with lower achievement in the earlier years of schooling. The introduction of programs such as VET in schools, work experience and structured workplace learning have been one option to increase school retention and completion and it has been the stated policy of State and Commonwealth governments to promote the completion of Year 12 or its vocational education and training (VET) equivalent for all young people. The author questions whether this is the best option for all young people and says that policies and practices need to be reassessed to best meet the needs of young people in post-compulsory years. Show less

This paper analyses longitudinal data on the education and training activities of a cohort of 13,613 young Australians from the time they were around age 14 until they were around age 24. The paper follows these young people through post-school study, concentrating on vocational and technical education (VTE) in apprenticeships or in nonapprenticeship study. These groups are compared to university students and those who did not complete any post-school study. Examination of the initial work experiences of these young people after their post-school study indicates that some programs of post-school study provide a more direct transition into the workforce: university study and most apprenticeships. For those who do not complete Year 12 at school, VTE study offers some benefits upon entry to the labour force.

Selected papers from this workshop are indexed from TD/TNC 88.267 to TD/TNC 88.273. Show less

This paper examines the influence of [socioeceonimc status] SES on student achievement using data from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), a national program of research on the transitions young people make from school. LSAY encompasses data from earlier Australian longitudinal studies - Youth in Transition (YIT; 1978-2002), the Australian Longitudinal Survey (ALS; 1984-1987), and the Australian Youth Surveys (AYS; 1989-1997) - and earlier studies of student achievement - Australian Studies in School Performance (1975 ASSP), the Australian Studies in Student Performance (1980 ASSP). At present, there are two active cohorts: those who were in Grade 9 in 1995 (1995 LSAY) and those who were in Grade 9 in 1998 (1998 LSAY). A new cohort will be added in 2003, based on participants in the OECD's Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA).

All of the studies included in the LSAY program begin with extensive questionnaires that collect student background information, such as parents' occupations, home language spoken, and student's and parents' birthplaces, in addition to the achievement tests administered. Only 14-year-old students were included in the present analysis. It is also important to recognise other changes in the educational and social landscape during the period in question. Between 1975 and 2002, the proportion of students attending non-government schools rose from less than 21.2 percent to 31.6 per cent, and the apparent retention rate increased from 34.1 to 75.1. State governments expanded their provision of selective high schools, particularly New South Wales, the most populous state, and relaxed restrictions on local school zones. Immigration increased from countries where English is not the main language spoken, especially from Asian countries after 1975. The socioeconomic map of the major metropolitan areas also changed, with some suburbs becoming more exclusive because of housing affordability and others becoming less desirable.

Published abstract. Show less

This report provides details of the experiences of the 1995 Year 9 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth [LSAY]. Information on this cohort was first collected in 1995, when these young people were Year 9 students in Australian schools. The reference period for this report is 2003, when the modal age of respondents was 22 years. Highlights in the report include: 27 per cent of cohort members were engaged in study during 2003, a decrease from 36 per cent in 2002 - much of this decrease is because cohort members are at an age at which they are completing their post-secondary study; 18 per cent were located at a university, four per cent at a TAFE institution; another five per cent were undertaking an apprenticeship or traineeship or another form of study, such as short courses or individual units; a greater percentage of females than males had completed a post-secondary qualification such as a university degree, TAFE diploma or apprenticeship or traineeship, while a greater proportion of males than females were in apprenticeships; the majority of the cohort were not studying in 2003, with 30 per cent having completed a qualification and another 22 per cent having participated in other forms of study, such as short courses and single modules, since having left secondary school; overall, 85 per cent of cohort members were employed, with 65 per cent working full-time and 20 per cent working part-time; approximately six per cent of cohort members were unemployed (that is, they were not employed and were looking for work) at the time they were interviewed; most members of the cohort were happy with their lives; as in previous years, they were least happy with the state of the economy and the running of the country.

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This report provides details of the experiences of the 1998 Year 9 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth [LSAY]. Information on this cohort was first collected in 1998, when these young people were Year 9 students in Australian schools. The reference period for this report is October 2003, when the modal age of respondents was 19 years. Highlights in the report include: in October 2003, 44 per cent of members of the 1998 Year 9 LSAY cohort were participating in full-time tertiary study at a university or TAFE institution; a further three per cent of cohort members were engaged in part-time study at university or TAFE; 13 per cent were undertaking an apprenticeship or traineeship, or were engaged in some other form of study, including short courses; 39 per cent of the 1998 Year 9 LSAY cohort were employed full-time, including three per cent who were also studying full-time at university or TAFE; 40 per cent of the cohort were employed part-time; approximately five per cent of the cohort were unemployed, a rate similar to that reported in previous years; 71 per cent of cohort members were living with either one or both of their parents, representing a decrease since 2002; and the overwhelming majority of cohort members reported high levels of satisfaction with various aspects of their lives, including their relationships with others and their standard of living.

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How do young people engage in courses of study at institutions of technical and further education (TAFE)? Who studies at TAFE after school? When do they start their studies? What else do they do before and during their TAFE studies? Where do they go once they complete their studies? Are there different patterns for different qualifications? Using data from the 1995 Year 9 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), this paper traces the pathways of TAFE students not participating in apprenticeships or traineeships, examining entry into their courses, progress through their study and completion/non-continuation. Factors influencing course persistence are also reported.

Published abstract.

The collected proceedings are indexed at TD/TNC 82.500; the collected PowerPoint presentations are indexed at TD/TNC 82.501; available papers are indexed from TD/TNC 82.502 to TD/TNC 82.528. Show less

On Track is a Victorian Government initiative which surveys school leavers who have left school in the last six months to find out if they are on track to a bright future. On Track ensures school leavers are contacted within six months of leaving school to see if they are on a path to further education, training or employment. This report presents results from the 2010 interviews with 4299 young Victorians, as part of the longitudinal component of the On Track program. These young people either completed a Year 12 or equivalent certificate in 2007 or left school before receiving a Year 12 certificate during 2007. All of those interviewed in 2010 had been interviewed in 2008 as part of the regular On Track program and in 2009 as part of the longitudinal program. This cohort of young people will be interviewed again in 2011, and a final report on their post-school pathways will be released in late 2011.

Excerpts from publication. Show less

On Track is a Victorian Government initiative which surveys school leavers who have left school in the last six months to find out if they are on track to a bright future. The On Track survey is designed to provide a tool for guiding program policies both at the government and school level and at a local or regional level.

This report examines the pathways of young people who left a Victorian government school in 2007. The participants in this On Track longitudinal survey comprised 2346 Year 12 or equivalent completers and 1130 early school leavers. These young people were first contacted in 2008 as part of the annual On Track survey and were interviewed in each subsequent year until 2011. In the first year after leaving school, 70 per cent of Year 12 or equivalent completers were participating in education and training, comprising 39 per cent at university, 20 per cent studying for a certificate and 11 per cent in an apprenticeship or traineeship. By the fourth year of the study, 93 per cent of Year 12 or equivalent completers had participated in some form of education and training, including 56 per cent who had attended university for at least one year. Among early school leavers, 78 per cent had participated in education in the four years. In the first year after leaving school, 56 per cent were in education and training. Apprenticeship was the most common form of education and training among early school leavers.

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This report provides details of the activities and experiences of the Year 9 class of 1995 in the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) project at a single point in time. Information on this cohort was first collected in 1995, when the respondents were Year 9 students in Australian schools. The reference period for this report is 2005, when the modal age of respondents was 24 years.

Summary from NCVER website. Show less

In 2000, ACER introduced cohort reports as part of its Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) program to ‘provide an overview of the education, training and labour market experiences of the whole cohort on a regular basis, contributing to discussions of issues that affect young people’. Cohort reports supplement data already available from government statistics on enrolments and apparent retention rates. These reports are aimed at helping researchers to see the potential of the database as they use a wider range of the variables than may be used in the LSAY research reports.

This report, the third in a series of annual reports on the activities of the Year 9 class of 1998 in the LSAY project, provides information about the experiences of the cohort in 2001. Highlights from this report include: 80% of the cohort were still attending secondary school; 10% of the cohort were engaged in other study, including study at a TAFE or some other educational institution or in an apprenticeship; 23% of school students were undertaking some sort of vocational education and training (VET); of all cohort members who were no longer at school, 47% were in full-time or part-time study, or in an apprenticeship or traineeship; 56% of the cohort were employed in 2001, with nearly 45% working part-time and nearly 12% working full-time; of those cohort members still at secondary school, 51% were employed; among cohort members no longer at school, males worked an average of 37 hours and earned $324 each week, and females worked an average of 31 hours and earned $243 per week; 45% of all cohort members received some form of workplace training in their jobs, with more than one-half of full-time workers receiving training; and cohort members still at school scored higher than those no longer at school on a measure of curiosity, and lower on a scale of interest in work skills - female members scored slightly higher on the curiosity measure, but there were no differences on the work skills measure. The contents are: Executive summary; Introduction; The Year 9 class of 1998 in 2001; Education and training; Employment; General attitudes and activities; Concluding comments; References.

Cohort reports relating to the Year 9 class of 1998 are indexed at TD/TNC 78.212, TD/TNC 78.215, TD/TNC 78.218, TD/TNC 78.219 and TD/TNC 91.562. Show less