"It's Not Rocket Science - A Guide to the School Improvement Cycle: With Examples From New Zealand and Australian Schools" presents an easy-to-read, practical guide to effectively leading school improvement. It walks leaders through each step of 'The School Improvement Cycle' developed by Bendikson and Meyer, providing case studies,…

Develop equity, excellence, "and" well-being across the whole system! The world is troubled! We need to combine a moral imperative and a system transformation to survive for the better. Education is crucial to our future but needs to play a more direct role in shaping our future. "The Devil is in the Details" shows how we can…

The Mathematics Competency Test is a 46-question written test assessing mathematics achievement for groups or individuals aged 11 to adult. It is suitable for use with groups or individuals in school, college and workplace contexts. The questions are open-ended and require constructed responses rather than recognition of a correct answer in a…

This monograph provides teachers and teacher trainees with practical assistance in evaluating and documenting school-level innovations. Authentic and concrete illustrations culled from reports of evaluations of innovative projects funded by the Australian Schools Commission are featured. Examples are used to illustrate seven major aspects which…

This document presents guidance for protecting Tasmanian schools, buildings, and property from damage through vandalism, arson, and negligence; clarifies responsibilities; and provides advice to those who manage or use the schools. The extent of the school damage problem is outlined, along with an assignment list of responsibilities and an…

Preliminary research investigating alcohol education throughout Australia was translated into a set of curriculum materials. A critical analysis of the process that was used to develop the materials and the program as a whole is presented; the stages of implementation of the program are described. The nature of the curriculum model and its…

Aims to conceptualize issues of text selection and censorship in different terms from those in which it has been constructed by Australian media. Asks how texts get used in classrooms and about the nature of classrooms as sites for negotiating issues of meaning and value. Argues for a culturally inclusive curriculum that is responsive to students'…

This packet of research information for educators consists of 13 reports including the following: (1) "What Secondary School for My Child?" describes the problems Australian parents face in selecting either a government or a non-government secondary school; (2) "Who Gets to Teach?" examines factors in the selection and training…

This document provides detailed guidelines for implementing the Tasmanian government's policy on computers in schools and identifies the building planning issues to help schools develop realistic budget estimates when creating their Learning Technologies Plan. The document's scope covers computer placement and building modifications; furniture…

Reports on how OECD Member countries are rethinking their school labs with a move toward more flexible approaches in areas such as incorporating new technology, design, safety, and classroom flexibility. Switzerland, France, Ireland, South Australia, and the state of Maryland are covered. (GR)

Discusses implications of the issues of continuity and discontinuity, commonality and difference, congruity and paradox as they engage the research team, the industry partners, and the teachers around Australia who constitute the STELLA (Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia) project. (RS)

A progress map describes the nature of development in an area of learning and thus serves as a frame of reference for monitoring individual growth. An essential feature of a progress map, which is an integral component of Developmental Assessment, is that it describes and illustrates developing competence. The first step in constructing a progress…

Addresses the tension between the two assessment goals of measurement and instruction and how they relate to standardized testing in general. Suggests that this tension is writ large in Australia's current literacy-policy environment, with the scales tipping to the measurement goal. Argues that these goals need to be aligned in the best interests…

Discusses the administrative role and the social role of three listserv student moderators as they mediated discussions about literature with Year 12 students in Australia. Suggests student moderators can facilitate discussion by initiating topics, contributing to existing discussions, and modelling effective discussant behavior. (NH)

Explores the professional and intellectual tensions in teaching English in recent times, focusing on Victoria, Australia. Argues that in the past few years all English teachers have been obliged to resist pressures toward reductive versions of literacy. Illustrates some specific literacy practices in secondary English classrooms which seek to…