AERO submission to the Productivity Commission inquiry into the National School Reform Agreement (NSRA)

About the submission

The National School Reform Agreement (NSRA) is a joint agreement between the Commonwealth, states and territories to lift student outcomes across Australian schools. The NSRA outlines a set of strategic reforms in areas where national collaboration will have the greatest impact, builds on current national reform efforts, complements state and territory leadership and supports local implementation.

Scope of the review

In undertaking the review, the commission is assessing:

  1. The appropriateness of the National Measurement Framework for Schooling in Australia in measuring progress towards achieving the outcomes of the NSRA.
  2. The effectiveness and appropriateness of the National Policy Initiatives outlined in Part 3 of the NSRA, recognising that national reform takes time to implement and mature, and for the effects of nationally coordinated reform efforts to materialise.

AERO’s recommendations

AERO recommends the following 4 targeted initiatives:

  1. System-led implementation of evidence-based teaching practices  A consistent and systematic focus on implementation of evidence-based practices in classrooms is required.'
  2. Expert career paths for teachers A comprehensive, large-scale, nationally consistent system should be established for improving the teaching workforce
  3. Intensive learning support for low performing students A systematic and coherent national approach is put in place to improve learning for those not reaching minimum standards
  4. Establishment of a national integrated education dataset   Policymakers should have access to appropriate data to inform system improvement.