New publications

Francesca is a first-year teacher in a Boston primary school. In his letters to her, Jonathan Kozol reveals his own most personal stories of the 40 years he has spent in US public classrooms. Together they confront many of the topics that Kozol has addressed in other books, 'from the disheartening resegregation of our schools to the obsessive testing mania and the robotic teaching methods that are turning many schools that serve our poorest children into little more than test-prep factories. But they also share the happiness of teaching children, celebrating the many moments of sheer jubilation in Francesca’s class as her students begin to flourish in the hands of their hardworking teacher'. (Adapted from publisher's description.)

This report considers the VET participation of young people up to 24 years of age, and how it has impacted their transition to work. VET is found to increase the employment prospects of those who do not attend university. In order to obtain the job they wanted, many students undertook further study after foundation courses and so weren’t employed six months after completing VET. However, 80 to 90% are shown to have gained employment within two-and-a-half years of completing initial VET qualifications. School VET programs and paid part-time work are found to aid transition to successful post-school activities for early school leavers. The report suggests that the transition phase could be improved by providing sound career advisory services in schools. (Adapted from key messages.)

Trends in youth labour market performance in OECD countries since 1996 are outlined in this working paper. Based on a range of recent research and reports, the paper discusses the length of transitions to work; wages, working conditions and job stability; and the current extent of 'over-education' among youth. Overall, the average unemployment rate for youth decreased by 0.8%, while 17% of 20–24 year olds are neither in education nor employment. Transition from school to work is found to take up to two years in some European countries. Measures taken to promote sustained youth employment in various countries are discussed, such as vocational education, apprenticeships, job search assistance and strategies to encourage employers to hire youth. (Adapted from report.)

This research was motivated by findings that rural teachers feel professionally isolated and that students in rural areas achieve poorer outcomes in science and mathematics than those in metropolitan schools. For the current research, teachers from over 1,400 primary and secondary schools and almost 1,000 parents from across Australia responded to questionnaires and interviews. Many of the interviews are documented in State and Territory case studies in the report. Findings are reported in terms of teacher attraction and retention; qualifications; connectedness to professional development; access to materials and support; students' learning experiences; and teacher perspectives. Science, ICT and mathematics teachers in rural areas were two to three times more likely to teach subjects for which they were not qualified. Rural teachers were more likely to lack professional development opportunities, such as training to cater for Indigenous, special needs and gifted and talented students. Whether children had adequate access to experiences such as excursions, visits by experts, and variety in senior courses was of greatest concern to parents. Parents commented on teachers' commitment and enthusiasm, but held concerns over inexperience of some of the teachers. Recommendations include the establishment of a National Rural School Education Strategy. (Adapted from abridged report.)

Available in video or DVD format and accompanied by a facilitator's guide, this kit is designed for use in professional development workshops or teacher study groups. The development of the adolescent brain from a scientific point of view is explained, and sample teaching strategies to develop mature thinking included throughout. Three separate programs are offered. The first presents an overview of how brain structures and functions change during the adolescent years, while the second showcases recommended strategies for engaging teens and helping them retain new content. The third program explains how to help adolescents develop the cognitive skills and autonomy necessary for managing their own learning. A short program for schools to share with students and parents is also included. (Adapted from publisher's description.)