Research and Evaluation Evidence

Research and Evaluation Evidence

 

During 2009-2011, 147 schools from the government, Catholic and independent sectors in NSW participated in the National Partnership on Literacy and Numeracy . This Partnership, supported by both the Commonwealth and NSW State Governments, aimed to deliver enhanced and sustained literacy and numeracy outcomes for students, particularly those who were falling behind. Key reforms focused on high quality teaching, strong leadership and the effective use of student performance data.

Evaluations of the effectiveness of these reforms, undertaken on behalf of the NSW Minister for Education by Erebus International, included a review of current national and international research, and a study of the take-up, effectiveness and sustainability of new literacy and numeracy practices in schools across all three sectors in NSW.

The Erebus evaulation revealed that many of the schools were implementing a common suite of effective practices. While nine key practices were identified, the evaluation noted that the critical factor was that they were most effective when implemented as a whole suite of initiatives across the school.

For the purpose of clarity, the nine key domains described by the Erebus study have been presented in this resource in alignment with the nine inter-related domains of effective practice outlined in the National School Improvement Tool . (Note that the original Erebus work identified similar domains but with slightly different descriptors).

The Erebus evaluation noted that these practices occur in the context of a range of factors which may be present at the system level, across a whole school, within classrooms, with teachers and with individual students. These factors are outlined on the Effective Practices in Context page.

The evaluation also undertook a series of case studies in schools across all three NSW school sectors, in a range of metropolitan and regional areas, which are presented as examples of one or more of the domains of effective practice.



References


Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (2013). What works? First findings from the independent evaluation of the National Partnership on Literacy and Numeracy. Learning Curve Issue  2

Erebus International (2012). Evaluation of the take-up and sustainability of new literacy and numeracy practices in NSW schools – Final Report for Phase One, undertaken on behalf of the NSW Minister for Education

Erebus International (2013). Evaluation of the take-up and sustainability of new literacy and numeracy practices in NSW schools – Final Report for Phase Two, undertaken on behalf of the NSW Minister for Education