School study reveals conditions for 'exceptional outcomes'

September 28, 2007

Seven books that analyse the conditions leading to "exceptional outcomes" in secondary education are being delivered to every high school in NSW.

The books are the result of a four-year study, conducted by researchers from the University of New England (UNE), the University of Western Sydney (UWS), and the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET), with funding of more than $1 million from the Australian Research Council and DET.

The project leader, UNE's Professor John Pegg, said that one important finding of the study was the strong link between exceptional outcomes for students and effective teamwork among teachers. "When teachers in a team share resources, discuss issues, support each other, and mentor colleagues there is a consistently positive impact on educational outcomes," Professor Pegg said. "People looking at such a team from the outside would see it as a 'family'."

Professor Pegg, the Director of the National Centre of Science, ICT and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR), based at UNE, said that every secondary school in NSW would get copies of the seven books designed to inform teachers about the results of the study.

The books, known collectively as the "AESOP Series" (from the name of the project – "An Exceptional Schooling Outcomes Project"), include volumes on exceptional outcomes in English, ESL/literacy, mathematics and science education, exceptional equity and student welfare programs, and leadership for exceptional educational outcomes. They were launched in Sydney earlier this month by the NSW Minister for Education and Training, John Della Bosca and the NSW Director General of Education, Michael Coutts-Trotter.

Professor Pegg said that the project had focused on educational outcomes for students in Years 7-10. "Using data from all 458 secondary and central schools in NSW, we selected a sample of schools to visit," he explained. "Research teams comprising academics from UNE and UWS and personnel from NSW DET spent a week in each of these schools, visiting more than 40 sites in 23 districts throughout the State where outstanding student learning outcomes were occurring."

He said that the common factors behind these outstanding outcomes included highly-qualified and experienced staff, well-structured lessons that maximise "time on task", a clear mission of high expectations for students supported by parents teachers and students alike, and teachers who care for students as learners and individuals.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at September 28, 2007 11:32 AM