TY - JOUR
T1 - Investigating ten years of equity policy in Australian higher education
AU - Coates, Hamish
AU - Krause, Kerri-Lee
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - This paper reports issues arising from a longitudinal study of 1991 to 2002 Australian higher education equity data. The national equity framework uses an empirical performance indicator system to monitor access, participation, success and retention of six designated equity groups. The paper examines three possible approaches for defining new groups. It finds no support for an exploratory empirical approach, or for an approach based on definitions of multiple disadvantage, but supports an approach which takes account of secondary school attendance. A case is made for a more sophisticated and contextualised approach to national reporting, to increase the responsiveness and productivity of the policy framework. While the benefits of a national equity policy framework are acknowledged, the paper proposes possibilities for new approaches to monitoring and measuring disadvantage in higher education.
AB - This paper reports issues arising from a longitudinal study of 1991 to 2002 Australian higher education equity data. The national equity framework uses an empirical performance indicator system to monitor access, participation, success and retention of six designated equity groups. The paper examines three possible approaches for defining new groups. It finds no support for an exploratory empirical approach, or for an approach based on definitions of multiple disadvantage, but supports an approach which takes account of secondary school attendance. A case is made for a more sophisticated and contextualised approach to national reporting, to increase the responsiveness and productivity of the policy framework. While the benefits of a national equity policy framework are acknowledged, the paper proposes possibilities for new approaches to monitoring and measuring disadvantage in higher education.
UR - http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/539741
U2 - 10.1080/13600800500045810
DO - 10.1080/13600800500045810
M3 - Article
SN - 1360-080X
VL - 27
SP - 35
EP - 47
JO - Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management
JF - Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management
IS - 1
ER -