UNE QuickSmart program a top achiever in Australian research

Published 02 April 2019

QuickSmart, a UNE numeracy and literacy program for schools, has achieved top ratings for engagement and impact in the first national assessment of Australian research.

The QuickSmart program, a face-to-face learning intervention program run by UNE trained instructors in schools across Australia, has been recognised for its success in raising students’ basic numeracy and literacy skills.

The program has operated since 2001, with more than 45,000 students having participated since then. It continues to be developed, researched and administered by the SiMERR National Research Centre, located at UNE.

Professor John Pegg, lead researcher with the QuickSmart program, says it is rewarding to receive this national recognition for the well-known program.

“This is the first time the Australian Research Council has assessed the impact and engagement of university research including programs like QuickSmart, and we are really pleased to have achieved a ‘high’ across all areas of research effectiveness – engagement, impact and approach to impact – and to be one of only four universities to do so in the field of Education,” Professor Pegg said.

“Most of all, we are pleased by the ongoing results for students and schools across Australia. With the commitment of principals and school-based coordinators and instructors, the program consistently shows that students who participate in the 30-week intensive program gain skills normally achieved over 2-3 years,” he said.

Anne Parnell, a Research Fellow for the QuickSmart program, says the program is making a real difference in the lives of many students.

“QuickSmart is closing the achievement gap, particularly for disadvantaged students, that would otherwise have usually widened between lower-performing students and their average-achieving peers, contributing to ongoing disadvantage post-schooling,” Ms Parnell said.

“QuickSmart helps these students develop beyond what they believe they are capable of achieving, improving life opportunity, confidence and self-esteem,” she said.

UNE and the QuickSmart program acknowledge and congratulate the thousands of school principals and instructors who have implemented the program to improve the academic outcomes for their middle school students.

For information about the QuickSmart program, visit simerr.une.edu.au/quicksmart

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