Evidence for Learning is calling on the Gonski 2.0 Review to adopt the major findings from a new Productivity Commission report on how to use evidence to improve education outcomes.
National non-profit, Evidence for Learning, welcomed the report, entitled the National Education Evidence Base, which advocates not just for a strong evidence base but for mechanisms to ensure this evidence is put to use in classrooms.
The Gonski 2.0 Review’s Terms of Reference require the panel to provide advice on:
Matthew Deeble, Director of Evidence for Learning said:
‘This report provides a blueprint for the Gonski 2.0 panel on how to create a solid evidence base, including filling research gaps, as well as how to get the findings into classrooms to generate real results.
‘The Productivity Commission clearly recognises that research that gathers dust on the shelf has no impact, and that this is too often the case in Australia.
‘Many educators already employ great practice, but all educators should be supported with the right tools so that we can make the education gains now that will prepare our children for challenges of the 21st century and will underpin our nation’s prosperity in the future.
‘As the Commission endorses, we need to build a ‘bottom up’ capability for schools and educators to engage with evidence if we actually want to see improved outcomes for students.
‘The Productivity Commission Report recognises the need for our education system to be better at both collecting and applying the evidence of what works and what doesn’t for students.
‘Doing this well gives us a real chance of turning around the statistics that show Australia’s performance in literacy, maths and science has been declining for the past 20 years, compared to similar countries like Canada and the UK.
‘Evidence for Learning has taken models that are working internationally and we are seeing some early wins, working in partnership with teachers, school leaders and systems across Australia,’ Mr Deeble said.
Evidence for Learning is incubated by Social Ventures Australia (SVA) with the support of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the Education Endowment Foundation (UK) as founding partners.