The Australian Studies in Student Performance project was a response by the Australian Education Council to community concern about Australian education standards. It was intended that the results of an empirical study in literacy and numeracy would make a useful contribution to the continuing debate about student achievement. Thus, a study was…

Looks at school-based assessment within a norm-referenced framework which replaced external examinations for all year levels of high school in Queensland (Australia) beginning in 1973. Suggests that changes have made little advance, have used an enormous amount of resources, but have acted as an impetus to examine assessment and curriculum. (PK)