New publications

This year's report provides parents and the wider Tasmanian community with current information on the government's priority areas of the early years; literacy and numeracy; student retention; school improvement; and equity. Parents and the community can now see annual improvement achieved by our schools and can monitor progress over time as well as celebrate the improvement successes of our schools. From Department of Education's description. See also statement by State Minister for Education Lin Thorpe 29 April 2010. The full report is available online.

A shorter version of the full volume Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners, this book reports the findings of the USA's National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth. The Panel, comprising experts in reading, language, bilingualism, research methods and education, was appointed to identify, assess and synthesise research on the literacy education of language-minority children and youth. Chapters adapted from the original report concisely summarise empirical research about the development of literacy in language-minority children and youth, including development, environment, instruction and assessment. Chapter titles include Cross-Linguistic Relationships, Sociocultural Contexts and Literacy Development, and Instruction and Professional Development. Adapted from publisher's description.

This document is designed as a toolkit for teachers to make the most of new and refurbished school buildings. It offers a range of ways that schools can exploit the building or refurbishing process to improve opportunities for learners. A variety of activities and British case studies are included to help teachers and leaders make the most of the design and planning process. The activities range in duration and are designed to be appropriate to different contexts and situations. Chapter titles include Whole school and longer term activities; Understanding your current school building; Having a say on design decisions; Making the most of learning opportunities on campus; and Creative ways to use your completed building. The full report is available online.

This document reports on a study into local education providers' knowledge of their school and community, and how they helped learners become responsible citizens. Observations were conducted of a range of learning institutions in Britain. Strategic leadership was key to identifying communities and needs, and partnerships were essential to ensuring tailored provision. Opportunities were provided for all learners to develop their skills and knowledge through appropriate curricular vision. However, the consistency and quality of these approaches varied between schools. Barriers were targeted through helping to engage the community, and through broadening students' personal horizons. The full report is available online.

Drawing on a review of the research literature, this report examines the different types of block scheduling and how they influence students' academic achievement. The research indicated that 4 x 4 block scheduling, where students attend four classes of 80–90 minutes each day, resulted in higher cross-subject achievement than traditional schedules. For science, A/B block scheduling resulted in higher results than traditional schedules, however, in mathematics and English, the evidence was unclear, with studies showing both better and worse results for block scheduling compared with traditional scheduling. The full report is available online.

Two researchers detail current thinking and evidence about educational effectiveness. The book examines definitions of educational effectiveness, and analyses the various theories and strands of research within educational effectiveness, especially with respect to the model developed by Creemers. Chapter titles include Essential Characteristics of Educational Effectiveness Research; Empirical Testing of the Comprehensive Model of Educational Effectiveness: Review of Research; The Dynamic Model: Factors Operating at School and Context Level; and Implications for the Improvement of Educational Practice. Adapted from publisher's description.