ACER’s Dr Sue Thomson joins IEA Standing Committee

ACER congratulates Deputy CEO (Research) Dr Sue Thomson, who has been elected to join the Standing Committee of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA).

The IEA is an international cooperative of national research institutions, governmental research agencies, scholars and analysts working to research, understand and improve education worldwide. ​The IEA conducts high-quality, large-scale comparative studies of education across the globe in order to provide educators, policymakers and parents with insights into how students perform.

The IEA conducts several major international studies, including:

• Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)
• Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)
• International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS)
• International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS)
• Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (LaNA)

Dr Thomson’s election at the 59^th IEA General Assembly Meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, in October 2018 acknowledges her expertise in large-scale international assessments. Dr Thomson has led Australia’s involvement in TIMSS, PIRLS and the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), among others, for many years.

“I am honoured to be elected to this position within the IEA, providing input in particular from a non-European perspective,” Dr Thomson said.

The IEA Standing Committee consists of the IEA chair and six General Assembly representatives, elected for a three-year term. Other ACER personnel working with the IEA at a high level include: Julian Fraillon, Research Director (Assessment and Reporting), who is Study Director for ICILS and Assessment Coordinator for ICCS; Research Director (International Surveys), Dr Wolfram Schulz, who is a member of the IEA Technical Executive Group, Study Director for ICCS and Assessment Coordinator for ICILS; and Principal Research Fellow Dr John Ainley, who sits on the Publications and Editorial Committee.

For more information, see https://www.iea.nl/about-us.