New publications

In 2009–10 the Department of Education Services continued to provide important services to education and training in Western Australia. It played a crucial role in strengthening and safeguarding the quality of education and training by providing effective and efficient regulation services to approximately 900 education and training providers based in Western Australia. The Department also provided approximately $312 million in financial support to non-government schools in Western Australia, supporting diversity and choice. The Department's major achievements in 2009–10 are summarised in this report. Adapted from report's overview. See also article in The West Australian (yahoo.com) 5 October 2010.

This report examines community attitudes towards independent schooling in Australia. An increase in support for independent schooling was found between 2001 and 2009, with 70% of respondents now in support of independent schools. Misconceptions persist about the levels of funding received by independent schools, and about the responsibilities of State and Federal governments in terms of school funding. The results were split roughtly evenly when parents were asked whether they would send their child to a government or independent school if fees were not an issue. The report emphasises the need to focus on the needs of the individual student rather than the school they attend. The full report is available online.

The Project on Incentives in Teaching (POINT) was a three-year study conducted in the Metro-Nashville Public Schools from 2006–07 through 2008–09. Middle school mathematics teachers voluntarily participated in a controlled experiment to assess the effect of offering financial rewards to teachers whose students showed unusual gains on standardised tests. This report contains a description of the project and a summary of the principal effects of the incentives on student achievement. Adapted from publisher's description. The report is available online.

This report provides a comparative analysis of the three studies of school-based mentoring programs for youth in America. The results of the analysis provided evidence that school-based mentoring can help to improve selected outcomes such as support from non-familial adults, peer support, perceptions of scholastic efficacy, school-related misconduct, absenteeism and truancy. However, significant effects on academic achievement or other outcomes were not noted. The analysis underscores that evidence-based decision-making should take into account the differences taken in the approach of educational research studies and should draw on results from a range of available studies. Adapted from article's abstract. The full article is available online.

Methods to improve teacher effectiveness in the USA are considered in this report. One key approach is to attract 'top talent' teachers. Many countries have increased the desirability of a career in teaching through strategies such as raising admission standards, subsidising pre-service teachers' education costs, ensuring teachers are guaranteed a job upon graduation and providing competitive salaries. While these strategies could be integrated into the US education environment, such efforts would also need to be supplemented with strategies to support teachers once in the classroom in order to lower attrition rates. The full report is available online.

Drawing on results from a longitudinal study, this report examines the experiences of early school leavers in Ireland. School leaving was influenced by gender and social class, with males from unemployed or working class family contexts more likely to leave school early. Academic underachievement was also linked with early school leaving, as were particular school contexts and processes: young people were more likely to drop out early if they felt rejected or unsupported at their school. The post-school pathways of early school leavers varied, with only a small proportion having a clear idea of their future plans and goals. Issues relating to equity and school climate should be addressed if early school leaving is to be reduced; 'second-chance' educational opportunities should also be provided. The full report is available online.