New publications

Drawing on survey data, this paper examines young people's home literacy resources, how these resources differ according to demographic background, and how home resources relate to reading enjoyment, attitudes and attainment. Having books in the home was associated with enjoyment of reading and positive attitudes towards reading, while reading attainment was associated with having access to books and magazines, a desk at which to work and a home computer. Parental encouragement, particularly from mothers, was associated with higher reading achievement, as were parents' reading habits and whether books and reading were discussed in the home. The full report is available online.

This document reports on the findings of a survey designed to examine the causes of the high levels of attrition among Gen Y teachers in Britain. The participants were 890 Gen Y teachers in Britain. The findings indicated that to retain more teachers of all generations, policymakers and others need to support teachers' ability to be effective with their students, as teachers who can see that they are making a difference in their students' learning are more likely to remain in the profession. Teachers need to be surrounded by effective colleagues, given time to collaborate with these colleagues, provided with constructive feedback on their performance, and provided with rich professional development opportunities. While performance pay may serve as a motivator, such approaches should be accompanied by a comprehensive set of policies and practices that will support their teaching. Adapted from the summary section. The full report is available online.

This report is the first of a series to be published in relation to the implementation of the new National Standards in New Zealand. Drawing on data from 228 schools, it examined school preparedness to develop curricula consistent with the guidelines outlined in the National Standards. While a small number of schools were well-prepared to work with the standards, the majority were preparing to do so, or were as yet unprepared. Those that were prepared tended to be schools that were generally advanced in designing and developing curriculums that had robust self-review processes and strong leadership. Those that were not prepared tended to have more preparation work that needed to be completed, and struggled with issues such as mobility and turnover, and poor leadership and governance. The authors recommend that when schools attempt to align their curriculums with the new standards, they should use formative assesment practices, draw on external support, use self-review processes and ensure that the curriculum is responsive to all students' needs. The full report is available online.

This survey examines the effectiveness of the efforts of the government and other agencies in Britain to locate and support children who are missing, or who are at risk of going missing, from education. The agencies worked to prevent truancy, and to identify and locate truants where possible. Prevention efforts involved promoting good attendance and monitoring children, particularly at key transition points. The agencies tried to forge cross-agency links, but this was often difficult and efforts were often undermined when providers failed to follow guidelines or proceduers. Improved communication and adherence to guidelines are needed; schools and other providers must aim to improve their methods of reporting and dealing with absenteeism. The full report is available online.

In order to meet the emerging demands of the 21st Century, science education needs to ensure that young people with an interest in the subject are supported to pursue scientific careers, and also that other students also have opportunities to learn why science matters to society. This report discusses the outcomes of a survey into faculty-based science professionals' attitudes towards teaching, and makes recommendations for closing the gap between science research and education. The full report is available online.

This report draws on research into early school leaving in Canada and describes 19 accounts of early school leaving. The respondents avoided the terms 'dropout', conceptualising of their school leaving in other ways, such as a path to different types of learning through a career or vocational study; some intended to return to school at a later point. The respondents reflected on whether school completion should be equated with success, and on the difficulty of moving into different paths, in part due to the lack of appropriate support from adults, as well as the fact that the education system was unable to accommodate the particular needs of these individuals. The full report is available online.