Gonski Data Lab

An initiative of the UNSW Gonski Institute for Education and the Economics of Education Knowledge Hub @UNSWBusiness

Welcome to the Gonski Data Lab. The purpose of this interactive website is to allow users to visually explore relationships and trends between selected outside the school gate factors and the educational performance of students from individual communities. The site uses publicly available data* to compare communities, not schools, in order to better understand how whole of community, outside the school gate influences impact student performance. Read more below

Here are some insights that have already been identified or use the pulldown menus to freely explore the data.

Educational performance of
Year 3
students measured by
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compared against
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  500 results available. Select is focused ,type to refine list, press Down to open the menu,

Search for a community
Groups
All NSW communities
10 largest regional centres
60 largest regional centres
NSW regional communities
NSW metro communities
5 highest, 5 lowest income growth
Household income $1800 - $2000
All
Adamstown - Kotara
Albion Park - Macquarie Pass
Albion Park Rail
Albury
Albury Region
Armidale
Armidale Region - North
Armidale Region - South
Arncliffe - Bardwell Valley
Ashcroft - Busby - Miller
Ashfield
Asquith - Mount Colah
Auburn - South
Auburn Central
Austral - Greendale
Avalon - Palm Beach
Avoca Beach - Copacabana
Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth
Balgownie - Fairy Meadow
Ballina
Ballina Region
Balmain
Bangalow
Bankstown
Bargo
Bass Hill - Georges Hall
Bateau Bay - Killarney Vale
Batemans Bay
Bathurst
Bathurst Region
Baulkham Hills
Bayview - Elanora Heights
Beacon Hill - Narraweena
Bega - Tathra
Bega-Eden Hinterland
Bellingen
Belmont - Bennetts Green
Belmont South - Blacksmiths
Belmore - Belfield
Berala
Beresfield - Hexham
Berkeley - Lake Heights - Cringila
Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan
Berry - Kangaroo Valley
Bexley
Bidwill - Hebersham - Emerton
Bilpin - Colo - St Albans
Blackheath - Megalong Valley
Blacktown North
Blacktown South
Blaxland - Warrimoo - Lapstone
Blayney
Blue Haven - San Remo
Bolton Point - Teralba
Bombala
Bondi - Tamarama - Bronte
Bondi Beach - North Bondi
Bondi Junction - Waverly
Bonnells Bay - Silverwater
Bonnyrigg Heights - Bonnyrigg
Bossley Park - Abbotsbury
Botany
Bourke - Brewarrina
Bowral/Mittagong
Box Head - MacMasters Beach
Bradbury - Wedderburn
Braidwood
Branxton - Greta - Pokolbin
Broken Hill
Brunswick Heads - Ocean Shores
Budgewoi - Buff Point - Halekulani
Bulahdelah - Stroud
Burwood - Croydon
Byron Bay
Cabramatta - Lansvale
Cabramatta West - Mount Pritchard
Calga - Kulnura
Cambridge Park
Camden - Ellis Lane
Campbelltown - Woodbine
Canley Vale - Canley Heights
Canterbury (North) - Ashbury
Canterbury (South) - Campsie
Caringbah
Caringbah South
Carlingford
Casino
Casino Region
Castle Hill
Castlereagh - Cranebrook
Casula
Cecil Hills
Cessnock
Cessnock Region
Charlestown - Dudley
Chatswood (East) - Artarmon
Chatswood (West) - Lane Cove North
Cherrybrook
Chester Hill - Sefton
Chipping Norton - Moorebank
Chittaway Bay - Tumbi Umbi
Claymore - Eagle Vale - Raby
Cobar
Cobbitty - Leppington
Coffs Harbour
Colyton - Oxley Park
Concord - Mortlake - Cabarita
Concord West - North Strathfield
Condell Park
Condobolin
Coogee - Clovelly
Cooma
Cooma Region
Coonabarabran
Coonamble
Cootamundra
Coramba - Nana Glen - Bucca
Corowa
Corowa Region
Corrimal - Tarrawanna - Bellambi
Cowra
Cowra Region
Cremorne - Cammeray
Cromer
Cronulla - Kurnell - Bundeena
Crows Nest - Waverton
Croydon Park - Enfield
Dapto - Avondale
Darlinghurst
Dee Why - North Curl Curl
Deniliquin
Deniliquin Region
Doonside - Woodcroft
Dorrigo
Double Bay - Bellevue Hill
Douglas Park - Appin
Dover Heights
Drummoyne - Rodd Point
Dubbo
Dubbo Region
Dulwich Hill - Lewisham
Dungog
Dural - Kenthurst - Wisemans Ferry
Eastwood - Denistone
Eden
Edensor Park
Edgeworth - Cameron Park
Elderslie - Harrington Park
Emu Plains - Leonay
Engadine
Epping - North Epping
Erina - Green Point
Ermington - Rydalmere
Erskine Park
Erskineville - Alexandria
Eurobodalla Hinterland
Evans Head
Fairfield - East
Fairfield West
Far West
Figtree - Keiraville
Five Dock - Abbotsford
Forbes
Forestville - Killarney Heights
Forster-Tuncurry Region
Forster/Tuncurry
Frenchs Forest - Belrose
Freshwater - Brookvale
Galston - Laughtondale
Gilgandra
Gladesville - Huntleys Point
Glebe - Forest Lodge
Glen Innes
Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough
Glendenning - Dean Park
Glenhaven
Glenmore Park - Regentville
Glenwood
Gloucester
Gordon - Killara
Gorokan - Kanwal - Charmhaven
Gosford - Springfield
Goulburn
Goulburn Region
Grafton
Grafton Region
Granville - Clyde
Green Valley
Greenacre - Mount Lewis
Greenfield Park - Prairiewood
Grenfell
Greystanes - Pemulwuy
Griffith (NSW)
Griffith Region
Guildford - South Granville
Guildford West - Merrylands West
Gundagai
Gunnedah
Gunnedah Region
Gymea - Grays Point
Haberfield - Summer Hill
Hamilton - Broadmeadow
Hassall Grove - Plumpton
Hay
Heathcote - Waterfall
Helensburgh
Hill Top - Colo Vale
Hinchinbrook
Holsworthy - Wattle Grove
Homebush
Homebush Bay - Silverwater
Hornsby
Horsley - Kembla Grange
Horsley Park - Kemps Creek
Hoxton Park - Carnes Hill - Horningsea Park
Hunters Hill - Woolwich
Hurstville
Illawong - Alfords Point
Ingleburn - Denham Court
Inverell
Inverell Region - East
Inverell Region - West
Jilliby - Yarramalong
Jindabyne - Berridale
Junee
Karabar
Kariong
Katoomba - Leura
Kellyville
Kempsey
Kempsey Region
Kensington (NSW)
Kiama
Kiama Hinterland - Gerringong
Kincumber - Picketts Valley
Kingscliff - Fingal Head
Kingsgrove (North) - Earlwood
Kingsgrove (South) - Bardwell Park
Kingswood - Werrington
Kogarah
Kogarah Bay - Carlton - Allawah
Korora - Emerald Beach
Kurrajong Heights - Ebenezer
Kurri Kurri - Abermain
Kyogle
Lake Munmorah - Mannering Park
Lakemba
Lalor Park - Kings Langley
Lambton - New Lambton
Lane Cove - Greenwich
Laurieton - Bonny Hills
Lawson - Hazelbrook - Linden
Leeton
Leichhardt - Annandale
Lemon Tree Passage - Tanilba Bay
Lethbridge Park - Tregear
Leumeah - Minto Heights
Lidcombe
Lilyfield - Rozelle
Lindfield - Roseville
Lismore
Lismore Region
Lithgow
Lithgow Region
Liverpool
Lord Howe Island
Lurnea - Cartwright
Macksville - Scotts Head
Maclean - Yamba - Iluka
Macquarie Fields - Glenfield
Macquarie Park - Marsfield
Maitland
Malabar - La Perouse - Chifley
Manly - Fairlight
Manly Vale - Allambie Heights
Maroubra
Marrickville
Maryland - Fletcher - Minmi
Mascot - Eastlakes
Mayfield - Warabrook
Merewether - The Junction
Merimbula - Tura Beach
Merrylands - Holroyd
Minto - St Andrews
Miranda - Yowie Bay
Moama
Monterey - Brighton-le-Sands - Kyeemagh
Moree
Moree Region
Morisset - Cooranbong
Mortdale - Penshurst
Moruya - Tuross Head
Mosman
Mount Annan - Currans Hill
Mount Druitt - Whalan
Mount Hutton - Windale
Mudgee
Mudgee Region - East
Mudgee Region - West
Mulgoa - Luddenham - Orchard Hills
Mullumbimby
Murwillumbah
Murwillumbah Region
Muswellbrook
Muswellbrook Region
Nambucca Heads
Nambucca Heads Region
Narara
Narooma - Bermagui
Narrabeen - Collaroy
Narrabri
Narrabri Region
Narrandera
Narromine
Narwee - Beverly Hills
Nelson Bay
Neutral Bay - Kirribilli
Newcastle - Cooks Hill
Newport - Bilgola
Newtown - Camperdown - Darlington
Niagara Park - Lisarow
Norfolk Island
Normanhurst - Thornleigh - Westleigh
North Parramatta
North Rocks
North Ryde - East Ryde
North Sydney - Lavender Bay
Northmead
Nowra
Nyngan - Warren
Oatlands - Dundas Valley
Oatley - Hurstville Grove
Oberon
Old Bar - Manning Point - Red Head
Orange
Orange Region
Ourimbah - Fountaindale
Oyster Bay - Como - Jannali
Paddington - Moore Park
Padstow
Pagewood - Hillsdale - Daceyville
Panania - Milperra - Picnic Point
Parkes (NSW)
Parkes Region
Parklea - Kellyville Ridge
Parramatta - Rosehill
Peakhurst - Lugarno
Pendle Hill - Girraween
Pennant Hills - Cheltenham
Penrith
Petersham - Stanmore
Picton - Tahmoor - Buxton
Pitt Town - McGraths Hill
Port Kembla - Warrawong
Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie Region
Potts Point - Woolloomooloo
Pottsville
Prestons - Edmondson Park
Punchbowl
Pymble
Pyrmont - Ultimo
Quakers Hill
Queanbeyan
Queanbeyan - East
Queanbeyan Region
Queanbeyan West - Jerrabomberra
Quirindi
Randwick
Raymond Terrace
Redfern - Chippendale
Redhead
Regents Park
Revesby
Richmond - Clarendon
Riverstone - Marsden Park
Riverwood
Robertson - Fitzroy Falls
Rockdale - Banksia
Rooty Hill - Minchinbury
Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay
Roselands
Rosemeadow - Glen Alpine
Rouse Hill - Beaumont Hills
Ryde
Sans Souci - Ramsgate
Saratoga - Davistown
Scone
Scone Region
Seaham - Woodville
Seven Hills - Toongabbie
Shellharbour - Flinders
Shellharbour - Oak Flats
Shortland - Jesmond
Singleton
Singleton Region
Smithfield - Wetherill Park
South Hurstville - Blakehurst
South West Rocks
Southern Highlands
Springwood - Winmalee
St Ives
St Johns Park - Wakeley
St Leonards - Naremburn
St Marys - North St Marys
Stockton - Fullerton Cove
Strathfield
Strathfield South
Summerland Point - Gwandalan
Surry Hills
Sutherland - Kirrawee
Swansea - Caves Beach
Sydenham - Tempe - St Peters
Sydney - Haymarket - The Rocks
Sylvania - Taren Point
Tamworth
Tamworth Region
Taree
Taree Region
Tea Gardens - Hawks Nest
Temora
Tenterfield
Terrey Hills - Duffys Forest
Terrigal - North Avoca
The Entrance
The Oaks - Oakdale
Thirroul - Austinmer - Coalcliff
Thornton - Millers Forest
Tocumwal - Finley - Jerilderie
Tomerong - Wandandian - Woollamia
Toongabbie - Constitution Hill
Toronto - Awaba
Toukley - Norah Head
Tuggerah - Kangy Angy
Tumbarumba
Tumut
Tumut Region
Turramurra
Tweed Heads
Ulladulla
Umina - Booker Bay - Patonga
Unanderra - Mount Kembla
Urunga
Valentine - Eleebana
Vincentia
Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga Region
Wahroonga
Walcha
Walgett - Lightning Ridge
Wallsend - Elermore Vale
Wamberal - Forresters Beach
Wangi Wangi - Rathmines
Waratah - North Lambton
Warilla
Warners Bay - Boolaroo
Warnervale - Wadalba
Warragamba - Silverdale
Warriewood - Mona Vale
Warwick Farm
Waterloo - Beaconsfield
Wauchope
Wellington
Wentworth - Buronga
Wentworth Falls
Wentworth-Balranald Region
Wentworthville - Westmead
West Hoxton - Middleton Grange
West Ryde - Meadowbank
West Wallsend - Barnsley - Killingworth
West Wyalong
Wickham - Carrington - Tighes Hill
Wiley Park
Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah
Willoughby - Castle Cove - Northbridge
Windang - Primbee
Windsor - Bligh Park
Winston Hills
Wollongong - East
Wollongong - West
Woolaware - Burraneer
Woolgoolga - Arrawarra
Woollahra
Woonona - Bulli - Russell Vale
Woy Woy - Blackwall
Wyoming
Wyong
Yagoona - Birrong
Yarramundi - Londonderry
Yass
Yass Region
Young
Young Region
For more information, view the data dictionary below

About this tool

Researchers and policy makers are deeply interested in understanding what influences student performance and in what context. While student performance is influenced by what happens inside schools it is also heavily influenced by what happens outside the school gate including by the community within which students live, where their community is located, and by their parents and carers.

The purpose of this tool is not to make causal inferences from these relationships and trends but rather to reframe the question about what influences student performance in different communities and to prompt further investigation of those influences.

Each bubble visually represents an individual town or suburb** in NSW and includes the performance of all students from all schools (Government, Catholic and Independent) within that town or suburb. In effect, students in each town or suburb are treated as though they all attend the same school.

Hover over the bubbles to see which town or suburb they represent. Use the pulldown menus to highlight particular towns or suburbs of interest and to change the data sets you might be interested to explore***. Press the play button to see how the data and the relationships have changed over time.

* Available upon request. There is also the capability to add data sets upon request.

** Each bubble represents an ABS Statistical Area. Note that not every town or suburb name has its own named statistical area.

*** Note that all population-related data such as Household Income (Weekly) is from the 2016 ABS Census.

Data dictionary

NAPLAN
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy

Series of tests focused on basic skills that are administered annually to Australian students

Each variable is an average of school average scores, either weighted or unweighted, within that SA2/year/grade level and particular to a testing domain. Weighting was done by enrolment of the schools in the average. Testing domains are numeracy, reading, writing or narrative, spelling, and grammar. For average, an average of the 5 domains was taken. Where weights are used, domain averages were taken post-weighting.

Income

Mean household income variable was used for 2011 and 2016, respectively. In the years 2008-10, 2012-15, and 2017 an imputation technique was used.

ABS reports weekly household incomes in bands for the 2016 census. This mean was calculated for a particular SA2, or modified group, by taking the sum of the product of the band frequency and the band's middle point in $ and then dividing by the sum of the total SA2's reported frequency.

CALD
Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

This is the percent of residents in an SA2, or modified area, where Census respondents indicated their spoken English Proficiency is "Very Well", or "Well". The number of respondents choosing these answers is divided by the total who provided a proficiency response to spoken English. A large proportion of respondents preferred not to state any response to these Census question items.

GPs per 1000
General Practitioners per 1,000 Residents

This measures the ratio of the number of General Practitioners in an SA2 per 1,000 residents. Source: 2016 ABS Census.

SA2

An SA2 is Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2). These are medium-sized general purpose areas built up from whole Statistical Areas Level 1 (SA1). Further information about these regions can be found in the Australian Bureau of Statistics publications.

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/1270.0.55.001
Communities

The Gonski Institute has modified the names and created aggregated communities for some of the SA2's in the data. In general, we combined SA2's that were near each other, and which appeared to sub-divide a community. For example, the 2016 census data distributed Albury into three different SA2's, by East, North and South. Each bubble represents an ABS-defined SA2 or modified community, where multiple SA2's have been combined. SA2s or modified SA2s are assigned a 'Metro' or 'Regional' geography based on their parent SA3.

Indigenous Status

This is the percent of residents in an SA2, or modified area, where respondents indicated that they identify as indigenous. Respondents could choose from among five answers, Non-Indigenous, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, Prefer not to Say. The percent indigenous includes the total of all forms of indigenous identification divided by the total who stated any identification. The percent Aboriginal and percent Torres Strait Islander are not strictly exclusive, as some respondents indicated the category of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

Unemployment

The unemployment rate is the percent of Census respondents who indicated they were seeking either full-time or part-time work divided by the sum of those who indicated they were employed and the unemployed. Census respondents who indicated they preferred not to state an employment status, or who indicated they were not in the labour force were excluded from this calculation. The adult rate of unemployment is all those age 15 and older who met these criteria. It includes a small portion of those over 65 who indicated they were either still employed or looking for work. We presume those who are retired responded that they were no longer in the labour force. The youth rate of unemployment used the same method of calculation, but included only those in the 15-24 age demographic.

Labour force
Participation rate

The labour force participation rate is the percent of Census respondents who indicated they were either employed or seeking work divided by the sum of the same and those are not in the labour force. Generally, those not in the labour force refers to students, retired individuals, or others who do not work for a wage.

Population

Population figures are based on 2016 Census responses recorded by the ABS indicating a person's place of usual residence. In some cases aggregates have been taken when SA2s have been combined or modified.

Weighted and unweighted items
The NAPLAN scores shown for a community are an average of a school averages. Weighting is preferred because it gives a more accurate picture of the performance of the average student across the community. There are three steps.

1. Within a school we can consolidate an average for each testing domain (subject area). In some cases this consolidation is not done based on a user's selection. 2. Across schools we average the figure for a given community. The second step is grouped by grade level and calendar year. This is the unweighted average. 3. Across schools we weight the average by school enrolment. We start back at step one and multiply each school's score by the student enrolment. The sum of these figures is then divided by the total community's enrolment. For example, consider three schools A, B, C. A's score is 450, B's is 500, and C's is 550. In an unweighted setting the community's average would be 500. Suppose instead that A's enrolment is 200, B's is 200, and C's is 100. Now, the average is ( (200 * 450) + (200 * 500) + (100 * 550)) / ( 200 + 200 + 100) = 245,000 / 500 = 490. This gives a more accurate picture of the performance of the average student within the community.

NAPLAN scoring differences

The NAPLAN test is scored numerically on a scale of 0 to 1000. The scores are scaled based on students' achievement of the national minimum standards set in each testing domain and year. In general, scores for year 3 students will be lower than year 5, and so on, with year 9 students achieving the highest numeric scores, generally. In 2019, the year 3 score average in reading was 428.8 for NSW. The standard deviation was 87.1. This implies that roughly 67% of schools fall within +/- 87.1 of that average reading figure for the state, and closer to 95% of schools fall within +/- 2 standard deviations (+/- 174.2). NSW was above the national average of 425.3.

https://nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/resources/naplan-2019-national-report.pdf?sfvrsn=2.