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Jenny Donovan discusses AERO's analysis of NAPLAN writing data and the importance of writing instruction. Originally published in The Mandarin.

Nobody knows more about students’ learning needs than their teachers and educators. So how should teachers and educators respond to research evidence about effective practice that is broad and does not appear to take account of contextual factors?

How do we close equity gaps in learning and development, and best support children from disadvantaged backgrounds to catch up to their more advantaged peers?

A new analysis of NAPLAN data reconfirms that while students’ backgrounds influence their literacy and numeracy achievement, their results are not wholly determined by socio-economic background.

Schools and services often have cultures of sharing and discussing evidence, but less support exists for practitioners to actively change their practice based on evidence.

Explicit instruction breaks down what students need to learn into smaller learning outcomes and models each step. It allows students to process new information more effectively.

In formative assessment, you gather and interpret information about student learning as it is happening in your classroom. It helps you to adapt your teaching to meet student needs. 

AERO has partnered with the National Outside School Hours Services Alliance (NOSHSA) to support continuity of learning and development for school-aged children as they move between out of school hours care (OSHC) services and school.

There is broad consensus in the research community that certain practices such as formative assessment and explicit instruction improve student outcomes. But these practices are often complex and hard to implement, involving many different elements.

Evidence-based intentional teaching can help educators and teachers progress and support children’s learning. It is also important for educators and teachers to incorporate the intentionality of children and their families into their planning for children’s learning.

Building on family engagement practice guides for early childhood, primary and secondary school levels, AERO has released a new suite of promising approaches audit tools, family engagement implementation checklists and case studies.