Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/53863
Title: The public-private debate: school sector differences in academic achievement from Year 3 to Year 9?
Contributor(s): Larsen, Sally A  (author)orcid ; Forbes, Alexander Q  (author); Little, Callie W  (author); Alaba, Simon H  (author); Coventry, William L  (author)orcid 
Publication Date: 2023-04
Early Online Version: 2022-01-03
DOI: 10.1007/s13384-021-00498-w
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/53863
Abstract: 

A higher proportion of students are privately educated in Australia, compared with many other nations. In this paper, we tested the assumption that private schools offer better quality education than public schools. We examined differences in student achievement on the National Assessment Programme: Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) between public, independent, and catholic schools. Cross-sectional regressions using large samples of students (n = 1583-1810) at Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 showed few sector differences in NAPLAN scores in any domain. No differences were evident after controlling for socioeconomic status and prior NAPLAN achievement. Using longitudinal modelling, we also found no sector differences in the rate of growth for reading and numeracy between Year 3 and Year 9. Results indicate that already higher achieving students are more likely to attend private schools, but private school attendance does not alter academic trajectories, thus undermining conceptions of private schools adding value to student outcomes.

Publication Type: Journal Article
Grant Details: ARC/DP120102414
ARC/DP150102441
NHMRC/1079102
Source of Publication: The Australian Educational Researcher, p. 1-32
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Place of Publication: The Netherlands
ISSN: 2210-5328
0311-6999
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 390201 Education policy
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 160201 Equity and access to education
160205 Policies and development
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Education
School of Psychology

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