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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are substantially over-represented in the juvenile justice system in Australia, and this over-representation is highest in the most serious processes and outcomes--particularly in detention. This bulletin examines the numbers and characteristics of Indigenous young people in the juvenile justice system, the types of supervision they experience, recent trends, and associated research findings. Highlights of this report include: (1) Indigenous young people are over-represented in the juvenile justice system, particularly in the most serious processes; (2) They are more likely to experience supervision when aged 10-17; (3) They enter the juvenile justice system at younger ages; (4) They complete shorter periods of supervision, but spend more time under supervision overall; and (5) However, their over-representation in supervision has decreased. Programs and services for Indigenous young people under supervision are appended. (Contains 16 figures and 2 tables.) [Funding for this paper was provided by the Australasian Juvenile Justice Administrators.]

This paper reports that between 2008 and 2009, unemployment rates across OECD countries increased among people at all educational levels, but rose to especially troubling heights among people without an upper secondary education. In 2009, the average employment rate across OECD countries was much higher for individuals with a tertiary (i.e. higher) education--indicating a better match between the skills these people have and the skills the labour market required. Between 2008 and 2009, the earnings advantage for people with a tertiary education remained strong in OECD countries. In some countries, earnings inequality between people with a tertiary education and those without an upper secondary education widened even further.

Whether in flight from conflict, with the hope of building a better life, or to seize a social or economic opportunity, people have been crossing borders for as long as there have been borders to cross. Modern means of transportation and communication, the globalisation of the labour market, and the ageing of populations in OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries will drive migration well into the next decades. The key to maintaining social cohesion during these population movements is to integrate immigrants and their families well into their adopted countries; and education can be a powerful lever to achieve this. Based on information gathered from questionnaires distributed with the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) 2009 assessment, the percentage of 15-year-old students with an immigrant background grew by two percentage points, on average, between 2000 and 2009 among OECD countries with comparable data. This paper reports that: (1) On average among OECD countries, the percentage of students with an immigrant background grew by two percentage points between 2000 and 2009; (2) Immigrant students represent more than 5% of the student population in 13 OECD and partner countries and economies that participated in PISA 2009; and (3) In most countries, immigrant students lag behind native students in performance; in many countries, the difference is considerable. However, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and Switzerland have been able to narrow, and in some cases close, this performance gap.

In Australia, the state and territory governments are responsible for dealing with young people who are involved in crime. One major aspect of the juvenile justice system is the supervision of children and young people who have committed or are alleged to have committed an offence. This report presents information on the young people under juvenile justice supervision, both in detention and under community-based supervision, and the characteristics of their supervision. There are eight chapters in this report. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the report. Chapter 2 provides background information to the juvenile justice supervision system and the young people who are under juvenile justice supervision. Chapter 3 details the data and methods used in the report. Chapters 4 and 5 examine the characteristics of the young people under juvenile justice supervision and the supervision they experience. Chapter 6 contains further information on community-based supervision, while Chapter 7 focuses on detention. Chapter 8 summarises key information for each state and territory. Appended are: (1) State and territory juvenile justice systems, programs and services; and (2) Population data. (Contains 143 figures and 33 tables.) [Funding for this paper was provided by the Australasian Juvenile Justice Administrators.]

This paper is the fourth in a series of national statistical reports on young people aged 12-24 years produced by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). This report provides the latest available information on how Australia's young people are faring according to national indicators of health and wellbeing. Many young Australians are faring well according to the national indicators presented in this report; however, there is considerable scope for further gains, particularly among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. The good news include: (1) Large declines in death rates (mostly due to declines in injury deaths); (2) Declines in asthma hospitalisations, notifications for hepatitis (A, B and C) and improved survival for cancer, with survival for melanoma very high; (3) Favourable trends in some risk and protective factors, such as declines in smoking and illicit substance use, and most Year 10 and Year 12 students using contraception; (4) The majority of young people rate their health as "good", "very good" or "excellent"; (5) Most young people are achieving national minimum standards for reading, writing and numeracy, are fully engaged in study or work, and have strong support networks; and (6) Most young people are able to get support from outside the household in times of crisis. Things to work on include: (1) Rising rates of diabetes and sexually transmissible infections (largely chlamydia), and high rates of mental disorders and, among males, road transport accident deaths; (2) Too many young people are overweight or obese, not meeting physical activity or fruit and vegetable guidelines, are drinking at risky or high-risk levels for short-term or long-term harm, are victims of alcohol- or drug-related violence, or are homeless; and (3) Although there have been improvements in some of these areas, the rates remain too high. Appended are: (1) Methods; (2) Data Sources; and (3) Abbreviations. (Contains 25 tables and 123 figures.)

Explores the professional and intellectual tensions in teaching English in recent times, focusing on Victoria, Australia. Argues that in the past few years all English teachers have been obliged to resist pressures toward reductive versions of literacy. Illustrates some specific literacy practices in secondary English classrooms which seek to enact more complex notions of critical literacy. (RS)

Focuses on educational changes that seem necessary for future graduates to take up the emerging social and ethical challenges of their profession. Summarizes some Australian initiatives, presents some approaches to teaching ethics, and suggests some ways to encourage both the study of ethics and actual ethical practices. Outlines the changes in engineering education in Australia. (Contains 19 references.) (Author/YDS)

Aims to conceptualize issues of text selection and censorship in different terms from those in which it has been constructed by Australian media. Asks how texts get used in classrooms and about the nature of classrooms as sites for negotiating issues of meaning and value. Argues for a culturally inclusive curriculum that is responsive to students' attitudes and values. (NH)

Noting that each individual chooses his own way of making sense, this collection of essays by Australian educators focuses on helping adult learners in literacy programs increase their self-confidence. The essays share a common idea--that the most significant points of departure for learning are students' own messages--their past experiences, present capacities, and views of the world. Following an introduction by the editor, the articles and their authors are as follows: (1) "Doing It Outselves" (Patricia Murphy); (2) "Composing Meaning or 'Football Ain't Just Football'" (Margie Leys); (3) "Aborigines in Gaol" (Ralph Foulds); (4) "Reading Inside" (Roslin Brennan); (5) "Reading: The Role of the Trade Teacher" (Robert Mealyea); (6) "'Teach Me To Spell': A Dilemma" (Pamela Osmond); and (7) "Fear, Resistance and Change in Adult Literacy Learners" (Audrey Grant). (ARH)

In school theater, if children feel that they and not the teachers have created the characters, or have influenced or created the script, songs, sets, and dance--in other words, if they "own" what they act--they act better and enjoy it more. When children do not have ownership, they go through the motions, stand where they are told, say what they are told, and usually dread the experience. When children have ownership, their acting becomes secondary to the main reason for the whole exercise, which is to help them build relationships and to cope more effectively with all the situations life is presenting them. In a school, two musicals ("Mary Poppins" and "Oz") were presented using the notion of ownership. Children were closely involved in every stage of the production; the teachers served as dispensable coaches and facilitators. The children became so deeply involved in the production that many wondered what the teachers would be doing during the performance. Teachers and students shared the responsibility for the productions, for even when the children do own the story, they still need some help in the telling. When children own a production and teachers have genuine roles to play, the process and the production will be fulfilling personally and professionally for both teachers and children. (RS)

Claims that arguments about the invalidity, purposelessness, and misleading nature of ELLA (English Language and Literacy Assessment ) implemented in New South Wales, Australia, remain intact despite attempts to counter the arguments. Presents a detailed critique of arguments presented in an article in the previous of this journal supporting ELLA. (RS)

This document reviews how performance indicators are currently being used in several Commonwealth countries the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, and identifies some of the issues associated with performance indicator development and application. It also examines whether there are any agreed upon "key", or common, indicators that can be applied universally. After briefly discussing the background of the study and defining the terminology of, the audiences for, and applications of performance indicators, the paper reviews sources of higher education data published by government, government agencies, or national university organizations, and discusses developments in the application of performance indicators. Case studies from the U.K., Australia, and Canada are used to examine five types of indicators: student indicators, such as population, progression/completion rates, destination and satiation; staff indicators; resource and financial indicators; research indicators; and estate management/physical resources indicators. The characteristics of "good" indicators and various concerns surrounding the use of indicators are also addressed. Findings suggest that performance indicators need to be related to institution objectives, should be used with other measures, and cannot presently be used to compare institutions in different countries. Appendices include lists of sources, publications, and contacts; a comprehensive list of possible indicators, and core indicators recommended by the Council of Ontario Universities. (BF)

Issues in developing educational policy concerning foreign students in Australia are discussed. It is argued that the economic policy context in which foreign students are received has tended to obscure Australia's liberal democratic values, and that those values must be reasserted so that foreign students can be seen as individuals rather than as products of a business transaction. (Author/MSE)

Discusses strategies designed to increase the instrumental use of program evaluation findings based on experiences in Australian schools. Highlights include an evaluation plan; awareness of the evaluation; timely reporting techniques; guidelines for implementation of findings; and the role of the evaluator as change agent. (Contains 21 references.) (LRW)

This publication presents early estimates of apprentice and trainee commencements for the March quarter 2012. Indicative information about this quarter is presented here; the most recent figures are estimated, taking into account reporting lags that occur at the time of data collection. The early trend estimates are derived from the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection no.71, March 2012. Data are only available for commencements at the national level and have been seasonally adjusted and smoothed. Further information at the disaggregated level for the March quarter 2012 will be released in early September 2012. Early indications for the March quarter 2012 show that: (1) Trade commencements grew steadily from the June quarter 2009 to the September quarter 2010. Since then there has been a decline; and (2) Non-trade commencements declined in the March quarter 2012, after growth over the previous two quarters. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.) [Funding for this paper was provided through the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.]

This paper explains the origin of the University of West Sidney's Bachelor of Applied Science in Social Ecology degree, and describes underlying philosophical framework, the major course organizing principles, and the proposed structure of the course. Highlights the problematic nature of setting up a dialectical, nondisciplinary-based program. (Contains 30 references.) (MDH)

This article describes Readers Theater (a form of group storytelling in which two or more readers present a piece of literature by reading aloud from hand-held scripts) and advocates its use in the classroom. The paper's seven sections are as follows: (1) What is Readers Theater; (2) Readers Theater and Its Conventions (discussing scripts, positioning, action, focus, voice, props and costumes, music and sound effects, and lighting); (3) The Process of Script Adaptation (what to look for, where to begin looking, and adaptation); (4) Copyright--A Publisher's Approach; (5) Some Hints for Successful Presentations (blocking, holding the script, audience participation, economy of movement, miscues, props, advertising the source, and intimacy); (6) The Advantages of Readers Theater; and (7) Conclusion. Seventeen references are provided. (SR)

Mathematical skills and reasoning and their applications are considered as forming one of the basic and essential areas of knowledge and experience that should be available to all Australian children. This collection of essays explaining problem solving in mathematics as an organizing theme for current and future curriculum development is a means of informing people of the centrality of the theme and of beginning the essential task of teacher development. Essays consider real problem solving and a problem-oriented curriculum approach; how habituated behaviors and memory contribute to the development of heuristic strategies; using developmental efforts to emphasize problem solving; criteria for real-life problems; important variables in increasing school emphasis on mathematical modeling; and selecting content based on adult needs and immediate interests. Finally, a position paper on problem solving is given. (MNS)

A discussion of language testing focuses on how proficiency scales are constructed and applied to communicative language assessment in Australian secondary schools. A variety of rating scale types are described and distinguished according to how they are constructed, what they attempt to measure, and what criteria they contain. A more detailed analysis of testing criteria provides models of proficiency in writing and listening. The process of constructing a scale is examined, with examples from the Australian Second Language Proficiency Ratings and other commonly used proficiency scales. The ways in which learner proficiency can be rated are enumerated, including analytic matching, interpretation of indirect and semi-direct test scores, checklists, non-structured observation, structured interview, criteria subscales, and self-rating. Five key areas in which proficiency scales have a role in communicative assessment are examined, including assessment of language use in carrying out communicative tasks, syllabus design, measurement of individuals' language learning progress, formative and summative assessment, and tracking. Finally, identification of appropriate scales for secondary school communicative language courses is discussed, particularly as they relate to grading. The rating scale for speech from the Queensland Senior Italian syllabus is appended. (MSE)

Guidelines are presented for modifying basic instruction of subtraction facts for elementary level learning disabled students. A detailed case study is used to illustrate a five-step structured program: (1) find a way to work it out; (2) add to check; (3) learn the partner facts; (4) study families of facts; (5) review and practice. The selection of appropriate sequences, techniques, and activities that incorporate students' learning strengths is emphasized. Appendix A lists specific strategies for modifying activities to meet individual learning needs (auditory, visual, kinesthetic/tactile) and address receptive, expressive, and abstract reasoning difficulties. Appendix B offers memorization strategies tailored to auditory, visual, and kinesthetic/tactile learners. Activities using mechanical aids (calculator, language master, tape recorder) are described in Appendix C, while Appendix D suggests activities to help children speed up their responses once they have mastered strategies. Management strategies for teacher and child, described in Appendix E, focus on organization and use of facts, application of basic facts to computation, self-management (staying on task), and record keeping. (JW)

"Journeys Unlimited," a piece of theater-in-education performed by Australia's Bouverie St. Theatre-in-Education team during one term in 1979 and described in this paper, formed an integral component of a larger curriculum development program undertaken in Australian primary schools. This analysis of "Journeys Unlimited" is intended to apprehend the multidimensional nature of a dramatic experience. The criticism that appears in this analysis allows teachers to plan for and be prepared to accommodate both the possible and the unusual and to avoid dead end situations that undermine the whole fabric of drama. The analysis is divided into five columns. The narrative/script column provides the verbal interaction between actors and actors, and actors and children. The structure column describes the space and everyone's movements around it. The actor/teacher's role column outlines the way the teachers function within the drama and the effect they directly have on the meaning that can be extracted from it. The student's role column explores the position in which the children are placed in relation to both the content and the actors and the learning which results from this arrangement. Finally, the language development column extracts the specific linguistic demands which are placed on the students. (HOD)

The public reaction to the proposal that the Australian government should reintroduce fees for tertiary education was surveyed in 1985. The influence of the proposal on the way people would vote in a federal election was also investigated. The fee would be between $900 and $1,500 per year for full-time tertiary education. As part of a McNair Anderson survey, house-to-house interviews were conducted with 1,279 people, using a probability sample design. The respondents were distributed by state, age, and sex. The poll found that 74% of Australians opposed fees, and 21% indicated that reintroduction of fees by the federal government would affect the party they would support in voting. About 36% of 18-24 year old and about 27% of 14-17 year olds said that they would change their vote over fees. Tables show separate results by sex, five age groups, geographic region, level of education completed, four occupational categories, number of people in household, and marital status. For each questionnaire item, the percent of students who agreed/disagreed with the statement or didn't know is shown. Included is an edition of the Australian Teachers' Federation's Research Notes, which summarizes the poll's findings and implications, with attention to youth policy problems, and roles of teacher's unions. (SW)

Intended primarily for student teachers and beginning teachers, this paper provides a base from which teachers may develop their own approach to classroom management and suggests ways of fostering a classroom climate conducive to effective management and student self-discipline. The discussion begins by considering four factors influencing classroom practices in New South Wales, Australia: the school system, the school, the classroom, and the home. Managerial and disciplinarian approaches to controlling students are differentiated, and a list of questions designed to help teachers organize classrooms is provided. Three basic causes of misbehavior and four purposes of student attacking and defending behaviors are identified in a discussion indicating the hazards associated with using reward and punishment in instructional settings. Behaviorist, motivational, and Adlerian models for managing behavior are sketched, and various suggestions are offered about nonverbal messages, principles for effective management, ways of facilitating self-discipline, and teacher self-appraisal. Supplementary "Do's" and "Don'ts" and other hints are also offered. In conclusion, guidelines for student teachers and their cooperating teachers are offered. (RH)

Complementing existing regulations, this policy statement for South Australian schools presents educational goals and priorities for the decade and general implications for classroom, curriculum, and resource allocation. Background discussion covers factors influencing recent developments in South Australian education, a summary of the role of schools in society, and some considerations for educational planning in the 1980's. Basic aims for schools involve promoting the balanced development of students' cognitive, creative, physical, social, and vocational skills, as well as healthy psychological qualities. A framework of eight curriculum areas is given for school planning: environmental education, health and personal development, human society, language studies, mathematical studies, science and technology, the arts, and transition education. Schools are encouraged to adapt curricula to local needs, but four priorities are set for planning and teaching: basic numeracy and literacy, communication skills, skills for social living, and problem-solving skills. These priorities mark a shift in emphasis away from college preparatory education and toward students' social development. Community expectations to be observed by schools and important factors in curriculum planning are reviewed. Responsibilities of teachers, the Education Department, and parents in facilitating the best possible education are listed. A final summary underscores major policy issues. (MJL)

Youth unemployment is hardly new, but in the 1980s it poses unprecedented problems because economic growth no longer seems to provide the necessary jobs. Youth labor markets are being stripped of entry-level jobs by new technologies, changes in the global division of labor, and the upgrading of occupational structures. This paper describes government policies and practices on youth in selected countries that have a bearing on the transition from youth to adulthood. Data were gathered in extensive interviews with embassy officials and through analysis of documents provided by them, national education authorities, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The countries surveyed were: Australia; Britain; Canada; Finland; France; Federal Republic of Germany; Hungary; Ireland; Japan; Norway; and Sweden. Findings are presented in the following areas: (1) Demography of Youth; (2) National Policies; (3) Administrative Structures; (4) Education and Training; (5) Socioeconomic and Gender Inequalities; (6) Guidance, Counseling, and Placement; (7) Financial Support; (8) National Service; and (9) Youth Organizations. Data are presented on five tables and three appendices. (BJV)

This book is the first in a set of three study guides designed to help students of educational administration critically analyze contemporary theory in the field, examine the field from a new viewpoint, and develop their own, more practical knowledge base. The first of this volume's two sections, by W. John Smyth, focuses upon the traditional or positivistic approach to the study of educational administration and guides the student through a reading of "Educational Administration: Theory, Research and Practice," a textbook by W. Hoy and C. Miskel identified as typical of the traditional approach. Particular attention is devoted to the book's emphasis on scientific research and theory as the necessary basis of knowledge, to the exclusion of practice and values. The second section, by Laurie Rattray-Wood and June Parrott, argues that the disintegrating consensus of traditional views about the theory of educational administration is leading to the adoption of a revised approach in which the real substance of educational administration includes determination of values, evaluation of ideas, and negotiation of ideas through discourse. Crisis theory is discussed, including its application to the social context of education. The impact of technology, the mass media, and new concepts of work are also reviewed, and future issues and problems are anticipated. Articles from the literature are reproduced for consideration, readings and activities are recommended, and over 75 relevant references are cited. (PGD)

Describes a Costume Project wherein Australian Grade Six students and Prep students collaborated to produce costumes from paper, which were later paraded by the Preps at the school Opening Evening. (NH)

Documenting an educational experiment that began in Sydney, Australia, this book presents essays by theorists and practitioners in the genre literacy movement that describe this approach to literacy instruction in a clear, practical, and accessible way. The book notes that the genre approach to literacy teaching emphasizes content, structure, and sequence in literacy learning, moving beyond traditional literacy pedagogies (which stress formal correctness) and beyond the process pedagogies (which stress "natural" learning through "doing" writing). After an introduction ("How a Genre Approach to Literacy Can Transform the Way Writing Is Taught" by Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis), chapters in the book are (1) "Genre as Social Process" (Gunther Kress); (2) "Histories of Pedagogy, Cultures of Schooling" (Mary Kalantzis and Bill Cope); (3) "The Power of Literacy and the Literacy of Power" (Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis); (4) "Gender and Genre: Feminist Subversion of Genre Fiction and Its Implications for Critical Literacy" (Anne Cranny-Francis); (5) "A Contextual Theory of Language" (J. R. Martin); (6) "Grammar: Making Meaning in Writing" (J. R. Martin and Joan Rothery); (7) "Curriculum Genres: Planning for Effective Teaching" (Frances Christie); (8) "Genre in Practice" (Mike Callaghan and others); and (9) "Assessment: A Foundation for Effective Learning in the School Context" (Mary Macken and Diana Slade). A Bibliographic essay ("Developing the Theory and Practice of Genre-based Literacy by Bill Cope and others), a glossary of terms, and a 16-page bibliography are attached. (RS)

A social studies unit and student workbook explore changes in land use that have occurred over time in a semiarid area of eastern Australia, the Back Lachlan District. Part of the "outback," the District consists of a huge level plain with low rainfall, only one river, and vegetation ranging from timber to grass and shrub. Chapter I elaborates on its physical characteristics. Chapter II explains that it was inhabitated by Aborigines from 30,000 years ago until the 19th century. They roamed in small nomadic groups, looking for edible plants and animals, camping near water. They had a Stone Age technology. Chapter III characterizes the white pioneer grazing stage from 1820-1866 as a period of increasing cattle grazing. Graziers moved cattle into the District from northern breeding areas to use it as a fattening area before the stock was driven south to market. Chapter IV relates a stage of deteriorating environmental conditions from 1866-1900 due to overgrazing. sheep raising replaced cattle grazing, expensive technological apparatus were required, operating costs increased, rabbits overran the land, and the human population decreased. Chapter V describes 20th century subdivision of the sheep-raising properties into smaller single-family farms. The government has introduced controlled stocking policies to prevent further environmental deterioration. The student workbook contains activities and questions to enhance student comprehension of each chapter. (AV)