To read more about CDU's research activities relating to Accelerated Literacy, go to the School for Social and Policy Research website
Program evaluation
The aim of the NALP evaluation project is to evaluate the success of the program in terms of building teacher skills to improve student's literacy progress.
For the purposes of evaluation, the program was conceptualised in two stages. The formative stage was loosely be defined as 2004-2005 and the growth stage, 2006-2008.
The formative stage consists of training practitioners, building support resources, determining and refining protocols and procedures, and engaging stakeholder buy-in. The evaluation of this stage, Stage One, took place in 2005-2006.
By the growth stage, it is expected that the program would have established a solid workforce, developed and disseminated resource packages, and determined and implemented the program’s wider framework. The evaluation of the growth stage is taking place in 2007-2008.
Stage One 2005-2006
Chief investigators: Dr Kaye Lowe (CDU) and Associate Professor Ibtisam Abu-Duhou (CDU)
This stage focused on identifying and reporting on the key issues relating to initial implementation of the program, taking into consideration that the program was in its infancy and developmental period, and therefore anticipating gaps and inefficiencies.
Through interviewing and participation feedback methods, this stage documented areas of concern, overall perceptions and actions that were undertaken during that period, with the intention of providing support to the future program refinement and development through recommendations.
Stage Two 2007-2008
Chief investigators: Associate Professor Gary Robinson, Associate Professor Tess Lea, Professor Bill Louden (UWA), Professor Judith Rivalland (Edith Cowan University)
Project staff: Claire Bartlett, Susan Emmett
Stage Two will focus more closely on the success of the methodology on student progress and the effectiveness of the training and support mechanisms on building a successful literacy intervention.
Using comprehensive assessment data, including sequences over a period of 5 years, progress can be compared over time and therefore an analysis of student success in the program can be adequately determined.
In addition, during this period an evaluation team will undertake classroom observations to determine the ‘AL-ness’ of the teaching practice. This data will be compared to the student outcomes data to give an assessment of whether an effective AL classroom is producing improved student outcomes. Teachers will also be surveyed to capture the teacher assessments of the impact of NALP training and support mechanisms in changing teacher practice and the sustainability of that change. An audit will also be undertaken to assess which resources are accessed by the teachers. This qualitative data will be compared to the quantitative assessment made through student outcomes and teacher training data.
The Stage Two evaluation report will be complete by November 2007, with the publication of results and methods due in December 2007.
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