The Education System Improvement Project (ESIP) was introduced in 2020 to assist the education system in Australia to achieve its goal of excellence. The ESIP is a collaborative effort between state and federal government agencies and school principals. The aim of the ESIP is to promote quality education by improving the teaching effectiveness and quality and enhancing student learning. The Education System Improvement Project has four phases:

Phase one of the ESIP focuses on developing a program of best practice guidelines and strategies to improve the practice, delivery, management, policies and priorities of education. The Education System Improvement Project also identifies the key drivers that will drive the changes and recommend solutions to improve school leaders’ effectiveness and student outcomes. The main outputs of the Education System Improvement Project are the development of new instructional strategies, the implementation of best practice guidelines, the review of existing programs and guidelines, and the identification of pilot schools that demonstrate great potential. In phase two of the ESIP, school leaders and educators will be asked to co-operate to design and implement performance indicators and practice reviews.

After the identification of key drivers and problems, a strategy will be developed to overcome these barriers. The identified problem areas are then compared with the performance of other countries, to identify lessons to learn and develop strategies to overcome these shortcomings. In phase three, the student achievement data is analyzed using several methods including the PERT approach, multiple regression analysis, and survey sampling. In phase four, the objectives are implemented by revising the instructional manuals and designing teacher training programs.

The PERT approach measures student outcomes in terms of the Paced Learning Regression Test (PLR). The PLR is a standard measure of student achievement used to determine progress over time. The focus of this test is on understanding the concepts and taking action in a planned manner. The primary motivation for developing the PERT approach is to provide school leaders with information about how well learners understand and utilize learning progression models. Since it is a time-consuming test, most school leaders prefer to obtain the results after several weeks or months rather than waiting for the test score at the end of the year.

In addition to using the PERT testing method, several other indicators are also used to monitor improvement efforts. Data on progress in reading, writing, and math is collected on a weekly basis. These data are analyzed by the education system improvement team to determine the overall effectiveness of the education system. Since the focus of the PERT test is on understanding rather than on test performance, it provides important feedback on classroom strategies. Monitoring the progress of initiatives and making appropriate adjustments as needed are important parts of the process of implementing effective instruction.

Another important tool for the education system improvement team is the use of PERT assessments and the associated student assessment tools. These tools can be used to help individuals identify their learning progressions and identify areas of difficulty that they need more support for. It allows them to consider possible future learning goals and develop a plan to reach those goals. As stated by Kelly, the PERT test was originally developed in the social sciences as a tool to assist people in making learning progress through their journals and diaries. Today, this tool is used in education settings throughout the country.