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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

In recent years there have been policy discussions of the potential value of businesses engaging in the school education sector. However, the voice of educators is rarely heard and teachers' perspective is vital to understanding what would ensure positive outcomes from such engagement. This research addresses this by engaging directly with school leaders and teachers around what they want from engagement with business, including reflections on experiences to date.

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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.

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This briefing examines: participation in post-school study; pathways through higher education; pathways through non-apprenticeship vocational education and training (VET); and pathways through New Apprenticeships. Findings include: 80 per cent of young people have undertaken some form of post-school study by age 20; more than 75 per cent of young people have completed or are continuing in the course of study commenced after school; those that change courses do so within the first year; young people who are working are more likely than those not working to withdraw from post-school study; and young people tend to stop post-school study because the course was not what they had expected or because personal interests had changed. Show less

This briefing describes the post-school education, training and labour market activities of young people in Australia between 1996 to 2000 and identifies factors that affect their chances of getting full-time employment or not becoming unemployed. It is based on the findings of two LSAY research reports: ‘School leavers in Australia: profiles and pathways’ and ‘Dynamics of the Australian youth labour market: the 1975 cohort, 1996-2000. Highlights include: the early career and labour markets of Australian youth are largely positive; less than 10 per cent of young people remain outside full-time education and training or full-time work over a sustained period of time; completing an apprenticeship lowers the risk of unemployment for those who leave school without completing Year 12; and part-time work can be a stepping-stone into full-time employment. Show less

The On Track project was initiated in Victoria in 2003 and seeks to: offer a consistent and comprehensive approach to monitoring the transitions of school leavers; report the information to schools, TAFE institutions and other education providers, organisations concerned with assisting young people, policymakers, parents and students; provide detailed analyses of the transitions experienced by different groups of leavers; enable education providers to use the findings to monitor and improve their programs; and provide a referral service for school leavers who appear to be experiencing difficulties in the transition process. The latest survey was conducted in April-May 2012 by the Social Research Centre (SRC) in collaboration with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). This report is based on data from telephone surveys of 33,901 Year 12 or equivalent completers and 3552 early leavers from the 2011 school year. It focuses on analyses at the state and regional levels. Year 12 or equivalent completers are defined as those who completed a Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), International Baccalaureate (IB) or Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL, Senior or Intermediate). The sample includes those who completed such qualifications in schools (98.2 per cent), or in TAFE institutions or adult and community education providers (1.8 per cent). For On Track, early school leavers are defined as those students who had registered their details with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) by enrolling in a VCE or VCAL unit, and who left school during 2011 before completing one of the above qualifications. In general, early leavers had been in Year 10, 11 or 12 when they left school. As such, the sample does not represent all early leavers from Victorian schools.

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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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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 is based on data from telephone surveys of 35,002 Year 12 or equivalent completers and 3768 early leavers from the 2010 school year. The report focuses on analyses at the state and regional levels. Show less

This briefing paper looks at participation in (vocational education and training) VET in schools programs by members of three groups of young people who have been part of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) program since 1995, when VET in schools offerings experienced sustained growth. The first group comprises young people who were in Year 9 in 1995 and included VET subjects as part of their Year 11 or Year 12 studies in 1997 and 1998. The second group comprises young people who were in Year 9 in 1998 and included VET subjects as part of their senior secondary studies in 2000 and 2001. Both of these groups participated in VET in schools while the program was still developing and have provided valuable data on their post-school pathways. The third group included in this briefing paper were 15 years old in 2003. At the time, some were in Year 11, but most were in Year 11 in 2004. For this group, data are available for Year 11 only. The three cohorts provide an opportunity to examine changes in participation in VET in schools between 1997 and 2004 and their outcomes. Show less