The best evidence syntheses (BESs) bring together research evidence about ‘what works’ for diverse (all) learners in education. Recent BESs each include a number of cases that describe actual examples of professional practice and then analyse 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.
This case provides a range of tools that can help schools interpret student achievement data, investigate competing theories to find the most plausible explanation for current achievement, and improve teacher practices through the collaborative use of action research, videotaped practice, and high-quality feedback. The tools include workshop content and protocols for professional learning communities.
The case explains how a cluster of seven New Zealand schools used an approach that involved professional learning communities to leverage off the work of teachers of years 1–3. Through joint problem solving, the schools significantly raised the reading achievement of the most at-risk students in years 4–8. The case highlights what the schools did to ensure that the new learning was embedded in school processes (for example, teacher induction and appraisal processes).