4 research outputs found

    Assessment for learning in the accountability era: Queensland, Australia

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    Developments in school education in Australia over the past decade have witnessed the rise of national efforts to reform curriculum, assessment and reporting. Constitutionally the power to decide on curriculum matters still resides with the States. Higher stakes in assessment, brought about by national testing and international comparative analyses of student achievement data, have challenged State efforts to maintain the emphasis on assessment to promote learning while fulfilling accountability demands. In this article lessons from the Queensland experience indicate that it is important to build teachers' assessment capacity and their assessment literacy for the promotion of student learning. It is argued that teacher assessment can be a source of dependable results through moderation practice. The Queensland Studies Authority has recognised and supported the development of teacher assessment and moderation practice in the context of standards-driven, national reform. Recent research findings explain how the focus on learning can be maintained by avoiding an over-interpretation of test results in terms of innate ability and limitations and by encouraging teachers to adopt more tailored diagnosis of assessment data to address equity through focus on achievement for all. Such efforts are challenged as political pressures related to the Australian government’s implementation of national testing and national partnership funding arrangements tied to the performance of students at or below minimum standards become increasingly apparent

    Community connection and change: a different conceptualization of school leadership

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    Many of our schools are situated in communities characterised by high levels of disadvantage, presenting a range of challenges. One possible response is to acknowledge this disadvantage and to try to address some of the problems it raises for students. Another is for the school to be proactive, recognising the challenges faced by the community and taking a lead in bringing about change. Part of a larger research project, this paper explores the extraordinary leadership role of Prospect Road State School (a pseudonym) in bringing change to a multiply disadvantaged community though collaborative action with other agencies and creative approaches to bringing people together. This school’s experiences and achievement illustrate what may be possible when school leadership proactively sets out to improve a community described by the principal as being ‘in crisis’. The experiences explored indicate ways of rethinking the relationship between school and disadvantaged community – of working synergistically with others to make a significant difference

    Physical activity-academic achievement: student and teacher perspectives on the 'new' nexus

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    Background: The association between physical activity/fitness with cognitive and academic functioning has become a topic of considerable research interest. Increasingly, schooling systems are being expected to respond to these relationships through curricular and extra-curricular interventions.Purpose: This paper reports on the qualitative findings of the impact of the Active Kids Active Minds (AKAM) intervention that included one hour of moderate to vigorous daily physical activity for the promotion of learning in a regional primary school in Australia. It gives student and teacher voice to the corpus of literature on physical activity and academic performance intervention studies that are gaining momentum in the bid to justify and promote forms of school-based physical activity.Participants: Twelve Year 5 students, their classroom teachers, and the school principal's perspectives are shared in this paper. They were key informants from 107 students and 5 teachers who participated in the intervention.Data collection: Students, their classroom teachers, and the school principal were interviewed individually or in groups by a member of the research team. Researcher field observations, along with a diary kept by the dedicated AKAM teacher, were used to interrogate the complexity and pragmatics of both delivering the intervention and succeeding in the intervention.Data analysis: Transcribed interviews were reviewed independently by the authors for recurring themes. Field observations and the AKAM teacher diary were used to triangulate interview data.Findings: Data suggested that the intervention group benefited from and welcomed the additional daily physical activity when it offered high time-on-task, fun, and reflected students' interests. The intervention design with a dedicated physical activity leader and professional development support seemingly promoted teachers' confidence and enthusiasm.Conclusions: While this intervention was designed to complement physical education, we raise questions about how physical activity in schools may be channelled towards a new wave of instrumental outcomes. © 201
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