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Sustainability of effective teaching and school practices developing a model for sustaining and extending literacy achievement

Funding year: 
2008
Duration:
2 years
Organisation: 
Auckland UniServices
Sector: 
School sector
Project start date: 
January 2008
Project end date: 
January 2010
Principal investigator(s): 
Dr. Mei Kuin Lai
Research team members: 
Professor Stuart McNaughton and Professor Helen Timperley, Selena Hsiao, Sophie Kercher, Sasha Farry, Angela McNicholl, Alaisa Pritchard
Research partners: 
Mangere schools cluster: All schools in the Mangere Analysis and use of Student Achievement Data [AUSAD] cluster. Practitioner researchers: Karen Mose, Chairperson and leader of the Mangere Analysis and use of Student Achievement Data [AUSAD] cluster, and Alison Hall, Leader of the Senior Assessment Team in the Mangere [AUSAD] cluster. Otara schools cluster: All schools in the Otara Extending High Standards Across Schools [EHSAS] cluster. Practitioner researchers: Nicky Knight, Coordinator of the Otara Extending High Standards Across Schools [EHSAS] cluster, and Colleen Gray, Principal, Mayfield Primary School.

Project Description

The focus of this TLRI project was on sustaining gains in reading comprehension made through TLRI funded interventions in two clusters of schools in South Auckland. The aim was to develop a model for sustaining effective teaching and school practices so that student achievement continued to improve once the interventions ended. This involved identifying and explaining the conditions that enabled schools to continue improving achievement; explaining how the conditions interrelated; and how these relationships resulted in differing patterns of achievement after the intervention. 

Our research was concentrated around two questions:Can two clusters decile 1 schools with mainly Maori and Pasifika students sustain student achievement gains one year after their participation in TLRI reading comprehension interventions? Sustainability was judged as having sustained gains at the same rate as during the interventions. An associated analysis was whether the gains in achievement were sufficient to reach parity with national expectations and;  What were the practices associated with sustained improvements in achievement? 

Project Outputs

2011

Publications

Lai, M. K., McNaughton, S., & Hsiao, S. (2011). Does ‘It’ Last? Sustainability of Literacy Interventions. In J. Parr, H. Hedges, & S. May (Eds.), Changing trajectories of learning. Wellington: NZCER.

2010

Publications

​Lai, M. K., McNaughton, S., & Hsiao, S. (2010). Sustaining improvements in student achievement: Myth or reality?. SET: Research Information for Teachers, 1, 10-17.

Lai, M. K., Timperley, H. S., & McNaughton, S. (2010, June 1). Theories for Improvement and sustainability. In H. Timperley, J. Parr, & N.Z.C F E. Research (Eds.), Weaving Evidence, Inquiry and Standards to Build Better Schools (pp. 53-70). Wellington, NZ: NZCER Press.

2009

Publications 

Mai, M. K., McNaughton, S., Timperley, H., & Hsiao, S. (2009). Sustaining continued acceleration in reading comprehension achievement following an intervention. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 21(1), 81-10

Lai, M. K., McNaughton, S., Timperley, H., & Hsiao, S. (2009). Sustaining continued acceleration in reading comprehension achievement following an intervention. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 21(1), 81-100.

2008

Presentations, conferences and workshops

Lai, M. K., McNaughton, S., & Timperley, H. (2008, January). Sustaining improved student outcomes. Paper presented at the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI) Annual Conference, Auckland, New Zealand.

Lai, M. K., McNaughton, S., Timperley, H., & Hsiao, S. (2008, September). Sustaining continued accelerations in reading comprehension after a schooling improvement intervention. Paper presented at the British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

Lai, M. K., McNaughton, S., Timperley, H., & Hsiao, S. (2008, November). Sustaining continued accelerations in reading comprehension after a schooling improvement intervention. Paper presented at the New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE) National Conference, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Lai, M. K., McNaughton, S., Timperley, H., Hsiao, S., Mose, K., Hall, A., Knight, N., & Gray, C. (2009, December). How to sustain achievement after an intervention. Paper presented at the New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE) National Conference, Rotorua, New Zealand.

Several sense-making seminars and workshops were held to discuss the findings. These were held with:

  • Practitioners in the two clusters where the research was undertaken. Summary results were shared and discussed with clusters at least twice a year, and the researchers worked closely with cluster leaders to use the information to inform their practices (see Appendix B for detailed information on how the practices were changed as a result of the project). 
  • The wider New Zealand education community. Most notably, this included a presentation and discussion of key findings (co-presented with a Teacher Researcher) at another schooling improvement cluster; and discussions with all the Ministry of Education Schooling Improvement Coordinators and Change Managers. The Ministry of Education was also provided with copies of the 2009 Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability journal article to read.