Our assessment tool explained

Our assessment tool explained

• Our assessment tool explained

• Our program – Being the Best Learner You Can Be

• Our context – The Partnership

• Using the Impact Tool - Resources & Research

• Activities From One Classroom

• Using the Impact Tool - Results

Educational change occurs in a complex environment

• Educational change occurs in a complex environment

• Change cannot always be measured through accepted methods of quantitative data collection

• Formal qualitative data collection can be highly time consuming

• Project evolution alters the ‘change focus’ – what data is collected and why

‘The Impact Tool aims to identify the potential impact of a proposal by articulating the process by which research leads to impacts on the end-user and/or the broader community.

• ‘The Impact Tool aims to identify the potential impact of a proposal by articulating the process by which research leads to impacts on the end-user and/or the broader community.

• The Impact Tool is, therefore, built on the concept that in order to assess the value of research, it must be possible to track the process along a chain, from inputs to impacts. The input to impact chain model involves a systematic grouping of information types.

• The model recognises that what is being measured (and the type of data required) will depend on the life-cycle stage at which it is used (i.e. proposal stage – projected data vs. mid-cycle performance review – real and projected data vs. wind-up stage – real data).

• The projection of future impacts is not an exact science and ‘value’ can not always be expressed in economic terms. The intent of the Impact Tool is not to generate precise estimates of all CRC costs and benefits, but rather to assist the consideration of the potential costs and benefits in a systematic way and to enable key issues that impact upon the potential projected value to be consistently addressed.’

Adelaide inner north metropolitan suburbs

• Adelaide inner north metropolitan suburbs

• Category of Disadvantage:

• Cat 2 = Wandana and Northfield
• Cat 4 = Para Vista
• Cat 5 = Dernancourt (40% on various assistance programs)

• All schools attract an Aboriginal Education worker

• Populations vary between 200 – 400 students

• 3 sites include onsite preschools

• 2 have both a junior primary and primary special class

• All schools are impacted by the number of students with disability & with languages other than English spoken at home

• Focus on ‘wellbeing for learning’ – (what next after breakfast club, support with clothing/school supplies, fresh fruit supplies)

Ways to improve specific skills (eg working memory)

• Ways to improve specific skills (eg working memory)

• Activities to promote student engagement

• Brain Breaks, Sport & Fitness – importance of movement on attention and cognition

• Vocabulary development

Posters

• Posters

• Postcards

• Handbook of Neuroscience Games for the Classroom

• Newsletter articles

• Shared staff meetings once a term

• Key cards from shared staff meetings

• Changes to adult perceptions re learning & behaviour

• Being the Best Learner excursions each term

• Formal university-based research

• My continued employment over 7 years

PD for schools outside the 4 in our group

• PD for schools outside the 4 in our group

• Planned & incidental skills practice (eg Marshmallow Test)

• Cirkidz – ‘circus’ training for children

• Executive function cards at break times

• Internal Professional Development

• Site Improvement Plans

• Feedback from formal system school review process

• To underpin in-house policy development & procedures

• Development of school community ethos (eg the Wellbeing & Community Learning Policy)

• Counselling approach & on site weekly clinical psychology

• Use (eg fliers, information packs) and sale of our materials

• Fish oil study

Behaviour statistics improved

• Behaviour statistics improved

• Changes to support within classroom in relation to ‘learning’ interventions

• Consolidated approach by staff

• Changes in staff attitude to some struggling students

• Improved student engagement

• Improvement in executive function skills (various measurement tools)

• Recognition of lifelong learning (& skills improvement) for the whole school community, including staff