The Preschool Outcomes Measure is a joint initiative of the Australian and state and territory governments and is a key reform under the Preschool Reform Agreement. It includes a new national formative assessment tool to help teachers and educators support children's learning and development in the year before full-time school.
On this page:
A national trial of the Preschool Outcomes Measure is underway.
Find out how to get involved in your state or territory.
About the Preschool Outcomes Measure
Development
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), in partnership with Goodstart Early Learning and Ninti One, is leading the development of the Preschool Outcomes Measure.
Ninti One will work alongside ACER to ensure Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander perspectives are included throughout the development and validation process. This will ensure the Preschool Outcomes Measure is inclusive and works well for all children.
The partnership with Goodstart Early Learning will ensure that teacher and educator perspectives are incorporated, and consultation and validation processes are not burdensome for the sector.
Objective
The objective of the Preschool Outcomes Measure is to maximise the benefits of the preschool year by supporting everyday teacher and educator practice.
The Preschool Outcomes Measure will help teachers and educators:
- measure a child’s learning and development in the year before full-time school
- make evidence-based decisions about a child’s learning pathway.
The Preschool Outcomes Measure:
- is not a test
- will be voluntary
- will support teachers’ and educators’ everyday practice.
There are 4 parts to the Preschool Outcomes Measure:
National learning progressions
There will be new learning progressions developed in 2 age-appropriate domains:
- executive function
- oral language and literacy.
These are foundational skills that support children to thrive. Supporting children to build these skills is critical to a child’s development.
They were selected because they have a strong evidence base, and will align with existing benchmarks of quality preschool, including:
- National Quality Standard
- Early Years Learning Framework V2.0, or state-approved equivalents.
National formative assessment tool
A new national formative assessment tool (the national tool) has been developed to support teachers and educators. It will help them understand a child’s learning and development against the new national learning progressions.
Alignment criteria
Some states and territories already use a formative assessment tool. Criteria and a supporting guide will help determine whether (and how) existing equivalent assessment tools can be aligned to the new national learning progressions. This guide was endorsed by Education Ministers on 11 April 2025.
Professional development
Resources will help teachers and educators use a more developed version of the national tool for the first time. These will include:
- teaching ideas
- examples of children’s learning
- other resources to support planning and teaching.
Consultation
In 2024, ACER consulted with teachers, educators and education experts to develop the new national learning progressions, the national tool, and support resources. ACER consulted with:
- First Nations communities
- culturally and linguistically diverse communities
- regional and remote communities
- representatives of children with disabilities, developmental delay or additional needs, and their families
- teachers and educators
- early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers and preschool services, including services in schools
- ECEC representative bodies
- educational leaders.
Expert advisory group
The Preschool Outcomes Measure Expert Advisory Group was reappointed to provide expert advice to the Australian Government on the development, trial and potential future directions for the Preschool Outcomes Measure. The group is made up of members with local and international experience in early childhood development and education.
National trial
A national trial of the Preschool Outcomes Measure will take place from July 2025. This will occur in three stages:
- April to July – expressions of interest open
- June to August – professional development underway for participating teachers and educators
- July to September – the national trial commences in services.
The way services take part in the trial will depend on the approach taken in their state or territory. Options for participation include:
- trialling the national tool
- trialling a tool that is already in use that aligns with the new national learning progressions, or
- trialling a combination of tools.
Who can participate in the trial?
Services can participate if they deliver a preschool program for children in the year before full-time school. They can be delivered under the following settings:
- schools
- community preschools
- centre-based day care.
Participation in the trial is voluntary.
What will the trial be measuring?
Participants will trial a more developed and integrated version of the national tool for the first time across Australia. ACER will use feedback from the trial to inform the design of the national tool, which will be completed in 2026.
The data collected during the trial will be used solely to refine and improve the national tool. It will not be used to compare the performance of children, teachers and educators, services, or jurisdictions.
What are the benefits of participating in the trial?
Participating in the trial is an opportunity to shape the design of the Preschool Outcomes Measure.
It is also an opportunity to deepen your understanding of children’s learning and explore evidence-based ways to support their progress.
The more teachers, educators and children who participate in the trial, the better informed the Preschool Outcomes Measure will be for everyone.
By participating in the trial, you will have access to a range of professional development opportunities and resources suitable for all levels of teaching experience.
How do we participate in the trial?
To find out more about how the Preschool Outcomes Measure is being trialled in your region, contact your local education department.
Evaluation
Nous Group has been contracted to undertake an independent and comprehensive evaluation of the development and trial of the Preschool Outcomes Measure.
Questions and answers
When will the Preschool Outcomes Measure be ready?
The development of the national tool will be completed in 2026.
How will the Preschool Outcomes Measure be used?
The national tool will be designed to support everyday teacher and educator practice, including play-based learning. It will be designed to give insights into children’s learning and capability in:
- executive function
- oral language and literacy.
Teachers and educators will continue to support children’s learning by:
- drawing on their own pedagogical knowledge
- incorporating evidence and resources from the national tool with other observations.
The Preschool Outcomes Measure is not a test. It will not be used to compare or rank the performance of children, teachers and educators, services or jurisdictions.
The national tool will be designed so that it can be used at times that suit teachers and educators, and children.
How will the Preschool Outcomes Measure benefit teachers and educators?
Teachers and educators draw on a rich repertoire of pedagogical practices for children's early learning. This includes assessing and monitoring children's learning.
The national tool will be designed to support this work. It will provide a nationally consistent methodology for teachers and educators to:
- understand a child’s strengths and capabilities
- plan the next steps in a child’s learning and development
- meet National Law requirements for assessing and documenting children’s learning
- minimise workload through streamlined processes.
The national tool will be free, evidence based, and available nationally.
How will the Preschool Outcomes Measure benefit children?
We know that children who engage in quality preschool are better prepared for school and enjoy better educational outcomes.
Supporting teachers and educators to understand a child’s progress means they can:
- understand a child’s strengths and capabilities
- tailor their programs for a child’s unique needs and ongoing development.
Consultation activities that occur during the development and trial period have been undertaken to ensure that the Preschool Outcomes Measure is appropriate for all children, including:
- First Nations children
- children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- children of varying abilities.
The Preschool Outcomes Measure will be designed to support a nationally consistent measure around children’s learning and development. This will also make it easier for teachers and educators to support children who move between services or across jurisdictions.
What happens to data collected during the National Applied Trial?
All data gathered through the trial will be handled in accordance with national data protocols. The data will only be used to improve the Preschool Outcomes Measure. Data collected during the trial will not be used to rank children, teachers and educators, services or jurisdictions.
Find out more
If you would like to find out more about the Preschool Outcomes Measure, you can email PreschoolOutcomesMeasure@education.gov.au.
To find out more about how the Preschool Outcomes Measure is being used in your region, contact your local education department: