The latest information from BES about using evidence to accelerate improvement in education.
Xanthe Sulzberger and her staff utilised NCEA data to track the impact of the learning logs on student achievement. They have documented student improvement in senior Physical Education classes.
Check out the results in her presentation slides Learning Logs: The impact they have on our students' outcomes [PDF, 570kb]
For more on Learning Logs, download BES Exemplar 5 Learning logs- He kete wherawhera [PDF, 1.2mb]
Reciprocal Teaching featured in Edgazette
Julia Westera and her work on Reciprocal Teaching is profiled in an article in the Edgazette.
For more information, check out BES Exemplar 4-Reciprocal Teaching, co-authored by Julia Westera, Adrienne Alton-Lee, and Cathy Pulegatoa-Diggins.
Lessons from abroad
Dr Ashley Lenihan, Fellow of the London School of Economics, makes recommendations about effectively promoting evidence-based policy. See her perspective on the BES Programme on page 10 of Lessons from Abroad.
04 December 2013
Check out this powerpoint on using BES resources to develop more inclusive educational practices.
08 October 2013
Check out our new BES Spotlight on Counter-Bullying Pedagogies.
Most student bullying is invisible to teachers. Real change requires teaching approaches that build students' skills for caring learning communities.
24 September 2013
‘Bobbie maths’ featured in Edgazette
Dr Bobbie Hunter has been working with Mangere East Primary school on the highly effective approach to mathematics teaching featured in BES Exemplar 1- Developing communities of mathematical inquiry.
Read the article on the Education Gazette website.
10 July 2013
What's new for cases
The BES cases are now up online for all to use.
These cases describe actual examples of professional practice and explain the findings. These cases support educators to grasp the big ideas behind effective practice at the same time as they provide vivid insight into their application.
Building as they do on the work of researchers and educators, that has been shown to make a difference, the cases are trustworthy resources for professional learning.
27 June 2013
School Leaders value the BES Exemplars/Ngā Kete Raukura
The BES Exemplars were introduced to school facilitation teams at Te Kotahitanga hui in April 2013. They created this slideshow to capture the positive feedback from leaders and teachers. The waiata was composed and sung by Katarina Reedy, Te Kotahitanga Facilitator, Lytton High School.’
BES Exemplars explain educational approaches that have outstanding results in areas of need and policy priority. They were developed in consultation with teacher unions and leaders’ groups. BES Exemplar 2: Ripene Āwhina ki te Pānui Pukapuka explains a highly effective approach for accelerating progress in te reo Māori. This exemplar features the work of Te Kotahitanga Director, Dr Mere Berryman.
BES Exemplar 5: Learning Logs highlights a way to enable students to draw upon teacher feedback and feedforward to accelerate their learning – a win/win for teachers and students.
Understanding Teachers’ Learning
The University of Sussex, the University of Oxford and the Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education (CUREE) hosted a series of seminars on ‘The Evidence for Understanding Teachers’ Learning’ early last year.
This work informed the 2013 International Summit on the Teaching Profession which was attended by officials from New Zealand’s Ministry of Education and Education sector. This work examines social as well as academic outcomes with a central focus on responsiveness to diversity.
They have shared some really interesting presentations online. Check them out here.
NZ’s own Professor Helen Timperley, from the University of Auckland, was interviewed by CUREE about the use of research and evidence in informing educational practice in 2009.
28 March 2013
Spotlight on Mathematics/Pāngarau: new web page
How does the system support teachers to improve achievement in mathematics/pāngarau?
This page brings together a range of trustworthy resources designed to help those interested in improving students' achievement levels in mathematics/pāngarau.
22 February 2013
Order BES Exemplars for 2013Order free hardcopies of Best Evidence Synthesis Exemplars/ Ngā Kete Raukura here or check out our online copies.
Hard copies of the BES exemplars/Ngā Kete Raukura and the BES Findings Overview are available free for schools and teacher educators in New Zealand.
The exemplars are ‘wonderful, user-friendly resources to help our teachers’ (Intermediate School Principal, Wellington) and the BES Findings Overview is ‘like gold to schools’ (DP Primary School, Dunedin).
4 Feb 2013
Podcast on the use of evidence in policy
The Use of Evidence to Improve Education and Serve the Public Good
Invited BES Seminar, University of Cambridge
This seminar, given by Adrienne Alton-Lee, explores the challenges of mobilising research and development to inform ongoing improvements in valued outcomes for diverse (all) learners across school systems. The Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) Programme is charged with developing trustworthy bodies of evidence about what does and doesn't work in education. The seminar will consider the significance of a new BES innovation - BES exemplars. These have been developed in response to feedback from practitioners about what they need to support their use of evidence to accelerate improvement. This seminar identifies key messages that can be used to inform effective use of evidence in the service of educational improvement for the public good. Adrienne Alton-Lee is the Chief Education Adviser for the New Zealand Ministry of Education's Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) Programme.
|BES exemplars Ngā Kete Raukura are available online.|
BES/Hei Kete Raukura Overview
A quick introduction to the use of BES/Hei Kete Raukura for educational improvement.
This Overview (1 page - two A3 sides for landscape print) has been developed in response to requests from teachers.
Kia nui ake te whaihua ki ngā hua whai uara mō ngā ākonga rerekura (katoa) i ngā kura: He Tirohanga o ngā kitenga o He Kete Raukura.
Making a bigger difference to valued outcomes for diverse (all) learners in schooling: Overview of Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) findings.
High Impact Research and Development BES Spotlight:
Making a bigger difference for our children. Research and development for educationally powerful connections
This is an interview between Michael Deaker and Dr Mere Berryman, Senior Research Fellow, Te Kotahitanga Research Unit, Waikato University and focuses on key aspects of the development, implementation and evaluation of key tools in the Poutama Pounamu programme. These tools include:
- Ripene Āwhina ki te Pānui Pukapuka (RĀPP) See BES Exemplar 2
- Tuhi atu, tuhi mai
- Tatari Tautoko Tauawhi
- Te Tāuta Reta (TATA)
To play this interview please refer to the downloads/links box to the right.
You can read more about the high impact Poutama Pounamu research and development in Chapter 7 of the School Leadership and Student Outcomes: Identifying What Works and Why best evidence synthesis.
If you have any questions about BES, please contact us at:
Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis Programme
Ministry of Education
PO Box 1666
Thorndon, Wellington 6140
Phone: +64 4 463-1542