Partnerships change teaching practices

STATE and territory governments say teaching practices are changing as a result of partnerships with the federal government

TEST results are yet to show dramatic improvement, but state and territory governments report that teaching practices in schools are changing as a result of the $1.6 billion national partnerships with the federal government.

Released today, the 2011 annual reports on the three partnerships to improve the quality of teachers, lift the performance of disadvantaged schools and improve literacy and numeracy skills, show the states and territories have gone backwards in some areas of student test scores and attendance rates.

The reports follow the findings of the Australian National Audit Office last month that the partnership targeting literacy and numeracy had failed to lift standards nationally or in the schools receiving extra money under the funding agreements.

But the NSW report makes the point that any changes in school results are indicative only and it is too soon to make definitive judgments about performance or make firm conclusions about the meaning of the data.

"It is certainly too soon to make any assessment of the success or otherwise of the national partnership initiatives. Good research and evaluation practice would suggest that at least five -- and ideally 10 -- years of trend data is required before performance data of this nature can be reliably used to inform decision-making," it says.

The reports vary widely from state to state, and between school sectors, of the detail provided and the goals set. The Queensland government reported only one milestone under the literacy and numeracy partnership related to appointing specialist coaches in state schools, which was achieved. Of nine milestones set for improving teacher quality, all were achieved, including attracting the best entrants to teaching, with the launch of a scholarship program.

The West Australian report says about 70 per cent of schools in the literacy and numeracy partnership have improved, while NSW schools increased the percentage of students meeting the minimum standards in literacy and numeracy from 88.5 per cent in 2008 to 90.55 per cent in 2010.

In the Northern Territory, while school attendance rates have failed to improve overall, the report says individual schools are showing dramatic rises in student attendance, by more than 20 per cent from one year to the next in some communities.