Synopsis of the project proposal

This project will investigate how primary schools serving disadvantaged communities can most effectively deploy resources to ensure that low performing students reach nationally acceptable standards in literacy and numeracy.

The project will be undertaken in two phases.

In the first phase during 2009, 30 primary schools from all sectors and three states will identify the extra support they require to redress the underperformance of students unable to meet minimum standards. This profile of need will be matched against the suite of interventions proposed by the Productivity Working Group in its plan for the National Partnership for low-SES communities. Potential problems in delivering and targeting the support will be canvassed with principals and state and sector officials. Gaps will also be identified. In the second phase during 2010-11, the implementation of the National Partnership will be evaluated in the 30 schools with specific reference to the academic progress of individual students who were the beneficiaries of the additional support. The backgrounds of targeted students, the form of the interventions adopted, their impact on the performance of students, and the difficulties encountered by the schools in putting their plans into effect will be monitored.

The project will yield microeconomic analyses that inform government policies for funding disadvantaged schools. As well, it will provide practical feedback to education authorities from the participating schools that can be used to refine implementation plans for the roll out of the National Partnership program in 2009.

Click here to download the complete project proposal (142Kb pdf file).