Preschool Outcomes Measure pilot to strengthen teaching practice and national understanding of children's learning

The Australian Government has released further information about the Preschool Outcomes Measure (POM as preparations continue for a national pilot during 2026 and 2027, providing early childhood teachers and educators with a new evidence-based tool to support children's learning and development in the year before school.

Developed under the Preschool Reform Agreement between the Australian Government and state and territory governments, the Preschool Outcomes Measure has been designed to strengthen educators' assessment and planning while also contributing to a more consistent national understanding of children's learning before they commence school.

Importantly, the Department of Education has emphasised that the Preschool Outcomes Measure is not a test. Participation in the pilot is voluntary, and the tool is intended to complement educators' existing observations and professional judgement rather than replace current assessment practices.

The Preschool Outcomes Measure has been developed as a formative assessment tool that supports educators to monitor children's learning and development throughout the preschool year.

The first release of the tool includes learning progressions across two key domains that research has identified as being closely linked to children's later educational success:

• executive function; and
• oral language and literacy.

Using these learning progressions, teachers and educators can observe children's progress over time, identify strengths and areas where additional support may be beneficial, and use the information to inform curriculum planning and teaching.

The Department has also made it clear that the Preschool Outcomes Measure is not intended to rank or compare children, educators, services or jurisdictions. Instead, it is designed to strengthen evidence-informed teaching while preserving educators' professional judgement and existing assessment approaches.

Alongside supporting teaching practice, information generated through the pilot will help governments better understand children's learning and development during the preschool year and inform future early childhood policy.

Currently, Australia relies heavily on the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) to understand children's development at a population level. However, the AEDC is completed during children's first year of full-time school. The Preschool Outcomes Measure is intended to provide earlier insights into children's learning before they transition to school, helping governments identify trends and better target future investment.

The initiative also supports the objectives of the Preschool Reform Agreement, which aims to improve preschool participation, strengthen educational outcomes and ensure more children have access to at least 600 hours of quality preschool in the year before school.

Following successful national trials, the Australian Government has committed $16.3 million to deliver a two-year pilot of the Preschool Outcomes Measure during 2026 and 2027.

The pilot will be delivered by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), with participating teachers and educators using the refined tool at multiple points throughout the preschool year. Feedback gathered during the pilot will help inform any future national implementation.

Individual states and territories will invite eligible preschool services to express interest in participating as implementation progresses.

For early childhood teachers and educators, the Preschool Outcomes Measure represents an additional professional resource rather than a new compliance requirement.

Because participation in the pilot is voluntary, services can determine whether involvement aligns with their existing assessment approaches and educational priorities. The tool has also been designed to align with the Early Years Learning Framework Version 2.0 (EYLF V2.0), enabling educators to integrate it into existing planning and assessment processes rather than creating a separate reporting system.

The initiative also reflects a broader national focus on strengthening school readiness, improving educational equity and ensuring children receive the right support before they commence formal schooling.

As Expressions of Interest open across participating jurisdictions during 2026, preschool services will have the opportunity to help shape the future of the Preschool Outcomes Measure through the national pilot.

While the initiative has been developed primarily as a professional teaching tool, it also represents an important step towards building a nationally consistent understanding of children's learning during the preschool year. The findings from the pilot will help inform future decisions about how the Preschool Outcomes Measure may be implemented more broadly across Australia's preschool sector.

Access information on the Preschool Outcomes Measure (POM) here.