The schools Benchmarks and Reporting Branch provides advice and expertise on measurement and assessment of schools performance and educational outcomes. The Branch manages the broad accountability framework for Australian Government funding of schools, including the implementation of key performance indicators.
This includes the implementation, analysis and reporting of student assessment in Australian Schools. This is achieved through the development of a nationwide literacy and numeracy assessment, common to all states and territories from 2008, reporting on the outcomes of national and international sample assessments, and the improvement of student achievement information given to parents through plain English reports. The Branch is also responsible for administering a tertiary entrance aptitude test pilot, a national school starting age for students, and interstate student transfers.
The Australian Government role in the Performance Measurement and Reporting Taskforce of the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) is managed by the Branch, including the preparation of the Annual National Report on Schooling published by the MCEETYA for each school year, the development of data collection and reporting instruments, and innovations in performance measurement.
The Branch monitors Australian schools and education authorities in relation to their compliance with the non-financial requirements of funding agreements made under the Schools Assistance Act and developing improved compliance monitoring arrangements for the 2009-2012 Quadrennium.
The branch is comprised of five sections:
- Data Services Unit
- Education Accountability Section
- National Assessment (Technical) Section
- Regulation and Reporting Section
- School and Student Reporting Section
The Direct Grants to Schools branch is responsible for the development of the following three programmes’ policy, risk and evaluation, as well as the administration of the programmes to Australian schools.
The Investing in Our Schools Programme 
(IOSP), the objective of the state government school element of IOSP is to provide funding for much needed smaller scale infrastructure projects which meet the priorities identified by school communities in conjunction with school principals.
The Rewarding Our Schools Programme (ROSP), the programme (and therefore the communication mix) aims to improve literacy and numeracy achievement in Australian Schools. The initiative is open to all eligible primary and secondary schools and rewards are given on improvement rather than the level of achievement so that all schools have an opportunity to apply and share their learning journey.
The Flagpole Funding Initiative, as part of the legislation governing Australian Government federal funding to schools, it is a condition that all schools have a functioning flagpole flying the Australian flag. The initiative is assisting schools meet this requirement by providing up to $1,500 per school to install, replace or repair a flagpole.
The branch is comprised of five teams:
- ACT, VIC - SAAP Management and Flagpoles Team
- Communications and Parliamentary Team
- NSW and IT Support Team
- Rewarding Our Schools Programme & IOSP - QLD and TAS Team
- WA, SA and Finance Team
This Branch is responsible for the development of high level strategic policies relating to school education to achieve the Australian Government’s objectives of improved education outcomes for all students. A key focus for the branch is the planning for the next Quadrennium and the development of the schools legislation for 2009-2012.
The branch also has overall responsibility for the coordination of strategic planning processes such as Business Plans, Annual Reports and the Portfolio Budget Statements for the Schools Resourcing Group and the Schools Outcomes Group. In addition, the branch provides support to both Schools Groups by supporting the flow of work from the Minister’s and Parliamentary Secretary’s offices and central coordination for requests for information about schools issues.
Corporate and financial/administrative support is also provided to both Schools Groups and the Indigenous and Transitions Group.
The branch is comprised of four teams:
- Budget and Financial Reporting Team
- Communications, Parliamentary and Workflow Support Team
- Finance, Operations and Logistics (GAU)
- Schools Quadrennium and Legislation Team
The Capital, Rural and Information Branch improves school education outcomes by:
- providing targeted assistance to improve access for rural areas; and
- making sure DEST’s systems support DEST’s role in schools in an effective and integrated way.
Our role in systems support includes:
- ensuring that existing systems are maintained and supported to meet policy objectives;
- analysing and developing small purpose built systems (Access databases);
- ensuring schools information is informative, user friendly and current on the intranet and internet; and
- ensuring that the redevelopment of DEST’s schools systems into a new system (SEMIS) will meet current and future business needs.
The Branch is responsible for the following programmes:
- Capital Grants Programme
- Investing in Our Schools Programme for non-government schools
- Non-government School Term Hostels
- Country Areas Programme
- Assistance for Isolated Children (in partnership with Strategic Analysis and Evaluation Group and Centrelink).
The branch is comprised of three teams:
- Business Applications Support Team
- Capital Grants Section
- Capital Policy and Rural Education Section
This branch is responsible for policy advice, programme monitoring and liaison with education authorities on schools resourcing issues, including schools legislation. The branch’s business also includes research and analysis of educational issues, budget monitoring and management.
The branch is comprised of three teams:
- Corporate Reporting and Stakeholder Management Team
- Schools Grants and Data Team
- SES Policy, Monitoring and Review Team