Policy
ACER questionnaire gives valuable insight into Preschool Outcomes Measure
Freya Lucas
Apr 16, 2025
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An Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) -led questionnaire has provided valuable insight into preschool contexts across Australia, as well as educators’ and teachers’ hopes for the new Preschool Outcomes Measure.
ACER’s Preschool Outcomes Measure project aims to provide a validated formative assessment tool for teachers and educators that can be used with children in the year before full-time school.The formative assessment tool is designed to be voluntary to use and freely available for preschool teachers and educators, and is a joint initiative of the Australian and state and territory governments and a key reform under the Preschool Reform Agreement (PRA), noting that some jurisdictions are implementing alternative assessment tools as allowable under the PRA.
As part of developing the Preschool Outcomes Measure, ACER conducted a national consultation questionnaire between 18 September and 30 November 2024. The questionnaire was advertised and shared across a broad range of public platforms. 583 responses were received, including:
- early childhood teachers, educators and leaders – 427 responses
- early childhood sector leaders and academics – 106 responses
- parents and carers – 23 responses
- general public – 27 responses
The responses to the questionnaire provided a range and depth of insight into preschool contexts across Australia. They also provided valuable insights into educators’ and teachers’ experiences with the 2 domains covered in the Preschool Outcomes Measure – 'oral language and literacy' and 'executive function' – and their hopes for the new Preschool Outcomes Measure.
Nearly all the educators and teachers responding to the questionnaire indicated that they have diverse classrooms, including children with multiple languages, cultures or abilities. They also shared that the Preschool Outcomes Measure will need to be “robust but flexible enough to accommodate children’s individual profiles and identify and build upon their strengths.”
Most respondents indicated they are familiar with the domain of oral language and literacy and understand it well, further demonstrating their proficiency through completing questions within the questionnaire to explore their understanding. Respondents clearly indicated that supporting the development of oral language and literacy skills at preschool is very important. Particularly noteworthy was the emphasis on the importance of children’s home language(s) being acknowledged, supported, and used to enhance their development in English.
“Children will learn literacy more effectively if they learn to read and write in their first language before embarking on learning to read and write in a second language,” one sector leader said.
“There is far too much confusion in Australia about this – many people think that literacy = English literacy, and so require children who don’t yet speak English to learn to read and write English before they have learned to speak and understand English.”
Respondents indicated familiarity with the domain of executive function but reported that their overall levels of understanding were lower than those for oral language and literacy. Educators and teachers still demonstrated a high level of understanding of the domain, however, through answering the questions that explored their knowledge. Most respondents indicated that executive function is quite or very important for children’s learning.
“It is important to have children build the ability to manage their thoughts, actions and emotions,” one educator noted.
Educators and teachers listed a range of assessment tools that they use or see being used in practice. Reflecting on these tools assisted in collating their ideas and hopes for the new Preschool Outcomes Measure. Top of the wish-list are evidence-based tools that are easy to understand and that can be tailored to a child’s needs. Other respondents identified that the tool must be useful in defining children’s progress and easily implemented into the existing formative planning and assessment cycle. They also identified comprehensive and differentiated professional learning as being critical to supporting the Preschool Outcomes Measure’s implementation – including providing time and resourcing for teachers and educators to complete the professional learning.
The outcomes from the survey will be incorporated into ACER's development processes to inform and improve the draft Preschool Outcomes Measure.
A national trial of the Preschool Outcomes Measure is scheduled to occur this year. For more information, visit the Australian Government Department of Education and ACER websites.
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