Key performance indicators
Effectiveness indicators
Key performance indicators
Key performance indicators enable senior management to assess and monitor the extent to which we achieve our Government desired outcome, and enhance our ability to account to the community for our performance.
Government Goal |
|---|
Strong Communities: Safe communities and supported families |
Desired Outcome |
|---|
School students across Western Australia have access to high quality education |
Services |
|---|
1. Public Primary Education |
This section presents effectiveness indicators that show how well we met our desired outcome and efficiency indicators that show how efficiently we delivered our four services in 2019–20. The indicators are as per our Outcomes-Based Management (OBM) reporting structure. We revised our OBM reporting structure in 2018–19 to better reflect our current operations.
Supplementary information relating to our key performance indicators in the appendices is not audited by the Office of the Auditor General.
Effectiveness indicators
Outcome: School students across Western Australia have access to high quality education
We aim to provide everyone aged four to 17 years (at 30 June) in Western Australia with access to education through the public school system, irrespective of their location, circumstances and whether that provision is taken up or not.
Two approaches are used to measure how well we achieve this aim.
The rate of participation in education gives an indication of the extent to which school-aged Western Australian residents are engaged in some form of education during the senior secondary years. The rate includes data spanning the main forms of education including public and non-government schools, vocational education and training, and university.
The apparent retention rate is the second measure of our success in providing access to education through the public system. It provides an indication of the proportion of students in Year 8 that completed Year 12 at public schools four years later.
Our other indicators provide measures of the extent to which students achieve high standards of learning.
The WACE achievement rate shows the percentage of Year 12 public school students who achieved the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) qualification, the criterion for overall success in school in WA.
Student achievement prior to Year 12 is shown using indicators that measure the percentage of public school students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 who achieve proficiency standards in national reading and numeracy tests.
- Rate of participation in education
- Retention in public schooling
- WACE achievement by Year 12 public school students
- Student proficiency in reading and numeracy
This rate shows the proportion of the State’s estimated resident population of 15, 16 and 17 year olds who are participating in some form of education.
These ages align to Years 10, 11 and 12. The rate includes young people of these ages who (i) were enrolled in public and non-government schools at the Semester 2 student census; (ii) attended vocational education and training during the year; or (iii) attended university during the year. To ensure students are only counted once, students attending both school and vocational education and training are only counted in the school data.
Participation rates for 2015 to 2019 are in Table 17 with rates by gender in Appendix 3.
The target in the 2019–20 Budget Papers is based on the higher of the preliminary actual for 2017 and the estimated actual for 2018, rounded up to the next integer, using the latest available data at the time of the 2019–20 State Budget.
Table 17: Participation rate (%) of persons aged 15 to 17 years engaged in some form of education 2015 to 2019(a)(b)| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018(c) | 2019 | Target for 2019–20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96.7 | 96.8 | 96.2 | 98.1 | 97.8 | 97 |
(a) Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics preliminary estimates of resident population (age at 30 June) and data collected from public and non-government schools (Semester 2 student census, age at 1 July), universities (age at 30 June), and vocational education and training providers (age at 30 June).
(b) University enrolment data for 2019 is an estimate based on 2018 university enrolment data and an annual compound growth factor calculated from university enrolment data across the previous four years.
(c) Revised rate for 2018 due to updated data for 2018 university student enrolments and estimate of resident population. The 2018 rate published in our 2018–19 annual report was 98.0%.
The extent to which students continue to participate in public school education is indicated by the apparent Year 8 to 12 retention rate. This is the number of full‑time students in Year 12 as a percentage of the number of full‑time students who enrolled in Year 8 four years earlier (the start of secondary school at that time). Retention rates for 2015 to 2019 are in Table 18, with rates by subgroup in Appendix 3.
The apparent retention rate does not account for net changes to the school population caused by interstate and overseas migration, or students moving between school sectors.
The target in the 2019–20 Budget Papers was based on the higher of the two most recent years’ performance at that time (2017 and 2018), rounded up to the next integer.
Table 18: Apparent retention rate (%) of public school students from Year 8 to Year 12, 2015 to 2019(a)(b)| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Target for 2019–20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80.4 | 77.7 | 80.1 | 81.4 | 81.6 | 82 |
(a) Excludes Canning College and Tuart College students, part-time and international students, and mature‑aged students at senior campuses.
(b) Semester 2 student census.
To achieve the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) qualification, students must meet criteria established by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority. For 2019, students had to:
- demonstrate the Authority’s minimum standards of literacy and numeracy
- complete at least 20 units (or equivalent) that met breadth and depth of study requirements
- complete at least four Year 12 Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) courses or complete a certificate II (or higher) vocational education and training (VET) qualification
- achieve a grade of C or better in 14 course units (or equivalent) of which at least six must be completed in Year 12.
The WACE achievement rate shows the percentage of Year 12 students enrolled in a public school in Semester 2 who achieved the WACE qualification that same year. The rates for 2015 to 2019 are in Table 19 with further breakdowns in Appendix 3.
The introduction of higher requirements for WACE achievement affected results from 2016. From 2016, Year 12 students had to meet designated standards in reading, writing and numeracy through either the Year 9 National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) or the School Curriculum and Standards Authority’s Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA) to achieve the WACE.
The target in the 2019–20 Budget Papers was based on the higher of the two most recent years’ performance at that time (2017 and 2018), rounded up to the next integer.
Table 19: WACE achievement rate (%) of Year 12 public school students 2015 to 2019(a)(b)| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 (c) | 2019 | Target for 2019–20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87.7 | 79.8 | 79.5 | 80.5 | 80.7 | 81 |
(a) Year 12 full-time students in the Semester 2 student census.
(b) Year 12 WACE achievement data from the School Curriculum and Standards Authority and taken at a point in time. Data may be updated after this time for a variety of reasons such as students successfully appealing their results.
(c) A few registered training organisations did not complete VET certification for some public school students in time to be included in the 2018 data. This may have affected the data reported for 2018.
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is conducted annually across all states and territories by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority.
Full cohorts of Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students across the country undertake common tests in May.
This program provides valuable information for parents on their children’s achievements as well as useful information at school level and Australia-wide. The national and state/territory results are reported in the 2019 NAPLAN national report.
The key performance indicators for reading and numeracy are defined as the proportion of public school students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 achieving proficiency standards in NAPLAN Reading and Numeracy.
The proficiency standards were set by the Department based on provisional work conducted nationally. They represent challenging but reasonable reading and numeracy achievement expectations for a typical student in Years 3, 5, 7 or 9. Proficiency indicates students are on track to meet the curriculum expectations for the year level and assessment area. Proficiency standards are more challenging to achieve than national minimum standards and we consider them to be better indicators of the quality of students’ reading and numeracy skills.
Results for WA public school students for 2015 to 2019 are in Table 20.
The targets in the 2019–20 Budget Papers were based on the higher of the two most recent years’ performance at that time (2017 and 2018), rounded up to the next integer.
WA public school students’ NAPLAN results are summarised online and in Appendix 2 of this report.
Table 20: Percentage of Western Australian public school Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students achieving proficiency standards in NAPLAN Reading and Numeracy, 2015 to 2019(a)| Assessment | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Target for 2019–20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 3 | Reading Numeracy | 63.8 60.9 | 64.6 63.5 | 67.3 67.6 | 70.0 69.2 | 68.8 68.8 | 71 70 |
| Year 5 | Reading Numeracy | 58.1 61.4 | 62.8 62.2 | 65.0 64.5 | 68.4 66.3 | 70.2 66.1 | 69 67 |
| Year 7(b) | Reading Numeracy | 62.0 52.8 | 60.6 58.7 | 62.6 61.1 | 64.3 62.1 | 67.3 64.1 | 65 63 |
| Year 9 | Reading Numeracy | 63.2 64.0 | 65.1 63.8 | 64.3 65.3 | 71.1 70.5 | 69.8 67.8 | 72 71 |
(a) From 2018 NAPLAN began transitioning from pen and paper to online assessments.
(b) Year 7 became part of public school secondary education in Western Australia from 2015, having previously been part of primary education.
Efficiency indicators
Efficiency indicators
Efficiency indicators show how efficiently we delivered our four services in 2019–20. The indicators have been calculated based on costs of services excluding any non‑cash revaluation decrement, extraordinary asset write-offs and any other costs that are not related to the approved efficiency indicators.
Service 1: Public Primary Education
This service provides access to education in public schools for persons aged generally from four years and six months to 11 years and six months.
Cost per student full-time equivalents of public primary education
This indicator is the total cost of services for primary education in public schools divided by the average full-time equivalent of public school primary students across the two semesters of the financial year.
The 2019–20 result is higher than 2018–19 mainly due to:
- An increase in employee benefits expense due to salary cost growth in accordance with State Government’s Public Sector Wages Policy. An increase in leave liability expense also contributed to the higher expenditure and was due to a decrease in the discount rate for long service leave liabilities and the combined impact of an increase in leave accruing over the year and less leave being taken during the year due to employees deferring their leave in light of the COVID-19 travel restrictions.
- An increase in depreciation expenditure due primarily to the costs associated with Right-of-Use Assets following the introduction of AASB 16 Leases; higher building impairment expense due to fire and accident damage; and the accelerated depreciation for assets that were disposed of during the year.
The 2019–20 result is higher than the 2019–20 budget target primarily due to:
- Increased maintenance expenditure following the post budget announcement of the High Priority Maintenance and Minor Works program in September 2019.
- Additional depreciation expenditure associated with the impairment of various buildings damaged due to unforeseen events, such as fire; and the accelerated depreciation of assets that were disposed of during the year.
- An increase in leave liability expense due to a decrease in the discount rate for long service leave liabilities and the combined impact of an increase in leave accruing over the year and less leave being taken during the year due to employees deferring their leave in light of the COVID-19 travel restrictions.
| 2017–18(b) | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | Target for 2019–20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15,155 | 15,242 | 16,207 | 15,582 |
(a) Figures are not adjusted for inflation.
(b) The 2017–18 actual varies from what was published in our 2017–18 annual report due to a change in the calculation methodology as a result of the Department’s revised OBM reporting structure.
Service 2: Public Secondary Education
This service provides access to education in public schools for persons aged generally from 11 years and six months. It includes the provision of accommodation, care and services for students from rural and remote areas who have to board away from home to attend a public school.
Cost per student full-time equivalents of public secondary education
This indicator is the total cost of services for secondary education in public schools divided by the average full-time equivalent of public school secondary students across the two semesters of the financial year.
The 2019–20 result is higher than 2018–19 mainly due to:
- An increase in employee benefits expense due to salary cost growth in accordance with State Government’s Public Sector Wages Policy. An increase in leave liability expense also contributed to the higher expenditure and was due to a decrease in the discount rate for long service leave liabilities and the combined impact of an increase in leave accruing over the year and less leave being taken during the year due to employees deferring their leave in light of the COVID-19 travel restrictions.
- An increase in depreciation expenditure due primarily to the costs associated with Right-of-Use Assets following the introduction of AASB 16 Leases; higher building impairment expense due to fire damage; and the accelerated depreciation for assets that were disposed of during the year.
| 2017–18(b) | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | Target for 2019–20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18,383 | 18,488 | 19,094 | 19,018 |
(a) Figures are not adjusted for inflation.
(b) The 2017–18 actual varies from what was published in our 2017–18 annual report due to a change in the calculation methodology as a result of the Department’s revised OBM reporting structure.
Service 3: Regulation and Non-Government Sector Assistance
This service provides regulatory and assistance services, as required by legislation or government policy, to support provision of quality services by non-government schools, universities and teachers across all Western Australian schools. It also includes the provision of accommodation, care and services for students from rural and remote areas who have to board away from home to attend a non-government school.
Cost of non-government school regulatory services per non-government school
This indicator shows the cost to the Department of regulatory services provided for non-government schools divided by the number of Independent non‑government schools.
The higher 2019–20 result compared to the 2018–19 is due to a refinement in the cost allocation methodology in 2019–20, which resulted in an increased allocation of office accommodation costs.
The 2019–20 result is lower than the 2019–20 budget target due to lower than expected corporate costs associated with the delivery of regulatory services.
Table 23: Cost ($) of non-government school regulatory services per non-government school 2017–18 to 2019–20(a)| 2017–18(b) | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | Target for 2019–20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7,407 | 6,747 | 7,316 | 7,841 |
(a) Figures are not adjusted for inflation.
(b) Includes expenditure associated with the Training Accreditation Council secretariat function and staff which transferred to the Department of Training and Workforce Development on 1 January 2019.
Cost of teacher regulatory services per teacher
This indicator is the cost to the Department of providing secretariat support to the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia divided by the number of registered teachers at 30 June.
The higher 2019–20 cost compared to 2018–19 and the 2019–20 budget target is as a result of the approved budget increase allocated during 2019–20 to meet the operational costs of increased activity associated with a large cohort of teachers’ registrations falling due for renewal in the year. An increased allocation of office accommodation costs following a refinement in the cost allocation methodology also contributed to higher cost in 2019–20, compared to 2018–19.
Table 24: Cost ($) of teacher regulatory services per teacher 2017–18 to 2019–20(a)| 2017–18(b) | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | Target for 2019–20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95 | 110 | 132 | 109 |
(a) Figures are not adjusted for inflation.
(b) The 2017–18 actual varies from what was published in our 2017–18 annual report due to a change in the calculation methodology as a result of the Department’s revised OBM reporting structure.
Service 4: Support to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority
This service provides resources to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority to assist it to perform its statutory functions under the School Curriculum and Standards Authority Act 1997.
Cost per student of support to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority
This indicator shows the cost to the Department of providing secretariat services to the Authority divided by the average full-time equivalent of all students across the two semesters of the financial year.
The 2019–20 result is lower than 2018–19 mainly due to a reduction in expenditure associated with NAPLAN markers fees, consultant fees and evaluation materials following the cancellation of NAPLAN testing in 2020.
Table 25: Cost ($) per student of support to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority 2017–18 to 2019–20(a)| 2017–18 | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | Target for 2019–20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 77 | 73 | 75 |
(a) Figures are not adjusted for inflation.