NQF Evaluation Framework

The NQF Evaluation Framework was developed so that governments and their regulatory agencies have an agreed way of understanding whether and how the NQF is meeting its objectives.

NQF Evaluation Framework - Program Logic model

Key NQF evaluation questions and sub questions

ACECQA research and evaluation strategy

ACECQA's research and evaluation strategy is a five year strategy and implementation plan which sets out our approach to research and evaluation under the NQF.

National Partnership Annual Performance Report

ACECQA’s second national partnership annual performance report provides analysis against the objectives and outcomes of the National Quality Agenda for Early Childhood Education and Care (NP NQA).

See all Annual Performance Reports.

NQF Snapshots

View current and previous NQF Snapshots, which provide an overview of the Australian children’s education and care sector, including the progress and results of quality assessment and rating against the National Quality Standard (NQS).

Occasional Papers

Education and care sector research

• The Early Advantage 2: Building Systems That Work for Young Children (2019)
  The Center on International Education Benchmarking have produced a book summarising the key elements of six high-performing early childhood systems. Detailed information about early childhood systems and case studies in Australia, England, Finland, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea are also available to download.
• A Smart Investment for a Smarter Australia: Economic analysis of universal early childhood education in the year before school in Australia (2019)
  The Front Project has commissioned a comprehensive analysis of the economic impact of early childhood education. The model looks at the impact of the current Australian system, which provides an early childhood education program for 15 hours a week, delivered by a Bachelor qualified teacher, in the year before school.
• Lifting Our Game: Report to the Review to achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools Through Early Childhood Interventions (2017)
  This report was commissioned by the state and territory governments of Australia to complement the Australian Government’s Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools. The report provides recommendations on the most effective interventions in early childhood, with a focus on school readiness, improving achievement in schools and future success in employment or further education.
• A review of the effects of early childhood education (2018)
  This literature review from the NSW Department of Education’s Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation presents Australian and international evidence on early childhood education and its impacts on children's learning and development.
• Report Card: The Wellbeing of Young Australians (2018)
  The latest report card from the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth presents data on Australia's performance against a range of health and wellbeing indicators as compared with other OECD countries.
• Building the Future: Children and the Sustainable Development Goals in Rich Countries (2018)
  This report card offers an assessment of child wellbeing in a number of domains including access to quality education and care and lifelong learning across 41 countries in the European Union and the OECD.
• Quality is key in early childhood education in Australia (2017)
  This report from the Mitchell Institute explores process quality in Australian early childhood education and care.
• The relationship between teacher qualification and the quality of the early childhood education and care environment (2017) 
  This meta-analysis provides evidence of a significant and positive correlation between teacher qualification and quality with respect to the learning environment for all young children in ECEC settings, including infants and toddlers.
• A critical review of the early childhood literature (2017)
  A critical review of the key and influential evidence on the value of preschool for three year olds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and those from disadvantaged backgrounds and the applicability of the international evidence to the Australian context conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Education and Training.
• Language in Little Ones study (2017-18 onwards)
  A five year National Health and Medical Research Council funded longitudinal study run by Telethon Kids Institute. The study will investigate language exposure in the home environment of South Australian children aged 6 months to 5 years and how the volume and quality of language impacts on children’s learning and development at school. 
• The E4Kids study: Assessing the effectiveness of Australian early childhood education and care programs (Overview of findings at 2016)
  This longitudinal research was jointly funded by the Australian Research Council, Victoria and Queensland Departments of Education and Training, and led by University of Melbourne in collaboration with Queensland University of Technology.  
• Quality Early Education for All: Fostering, entrepreneurial, resilient and capable leaders (2016) 
  This report from the Mitchell Institute explores the challenges and opportunities facing the provision of early education in Australia.
• Preschool – Two Years are Better Than One Developing a universal preschool program for Australian 3 year olds – evidence, policy and implementation (2016) 
  This report from the Mitchell Institute explores the evidence showing the impact of two years of preschool, especially for the children most likely to be developmentally vulnerable. 
• Money, Love and Identity: Initial Findings from the National ECEC Workforce Study (2016)
  A three year national study funded by the Australian Research Council and undertaken by a multi-disciplinary research team from Queensland University of Technology and Charles Sturt University in collaboration with Crèche and Kindergarten (C&K), Goodstart Early Learning and the Queensland Department of Education and Training.

Regulatory Burden Reports

National Partnership Agreements

Operational Activity Report

As part of our ongoing commitment to openness and transparency, we make information publicly available about our operational functions including the number of Excellent rating applications received and awarded, and how many second tier review and qualification assessment applications we have received.

View the most recent ACECQA operational activity data including applications by month, location and outcome. The information is updated quarterly.

NQF foundation and review documents

• Decision Regulation Impact Statement for changes to the National Quality Framework (DRIS) (2017) 
• Summary of all decisions outlined in the DRIS (2017)
• Consultation Regulation Impact Statement for proposed options for changes to the National Quality Framework (CRIS) (2014) 
• Regulation Impact Statement for Early Childhood Education and Care Quality Reforms (RIS) (2009) 
• Putting a value on early childhood education and care in Australia (2014) PwC 
• An economic analysis of the proposed ECEC National Quality Agenda (2009) 
• Evaluation of the Assessment and Rating Process under the National Quality Standard for Early Childhood Education and Care and School Age Care (2012) 
• Information Paper on the Education and Care Services National Law and the proposed National Regulations (2010) 
• Investing in the Early Years (2009) COAG – A National Early Childhood Development Strategy 
• Economic Effects of a 1:4 Staff-Child Ratio for Under Two Year Olds in Child Care (2009) NSW Government 

Explanatory materials for NQF legislation

Early Childhood and Child Care in Summary

• Early Childhood and Child Care in Summary reports Australian Government

Australian Early Development Census (AEDC)

• AEDC data and reports Australian Government 

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