Martin Caust
Selected graphs 4.5
At each Year level the trends by gender (based on teacher judgement assessments) are very similar at each Year level. The
major anomalies occur in 2000 when the scale was revised but return to
the basic pattern once interpretation issues were resolved. At
Year levels 7 to 10 (secondary level in Vicoria) teachers observe a
slight advantage for girls on average in their mathematic skills.
Of interest is the consistency of the gaps between Year levels.
The gap between Year levels 2 and 3 is greater than the difference
between Year levels 1 and 2. Students are tested in Year 3.
One speculation is that the Year 3 teachers are better calibrated to
the scale than Years 1 and 2 due to the feedback from test
results. A similar phenomenon applies in Year levels 5, 7 and 9,
adding further support to this speculation.