Funded by the Australian Government, the ACT Department of Education and Training (DET), the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Catholic Education Office (CEO), and the Association of Independent Schools (AIS) of the ACT, in partnership with the University of Tasmania, developed a comprehensive assessment regime to inform numeracy teaching and learning that could be applied across the whole school.
A variety of alternative modes of assessment were used including Checklists, Student Journals, Interviews, Portfolios and Work Samples, Observations, Use of Rubrics to Assess Problem-Solving, Assessment of Attitudes as well as widening the scope and formats of Written Tests.
The project also developed a website, Assessable Moments 
, as a professional development resource for teachers.
Report: PDF 
(954.9 KB, 48 pages) RTF 
(638.1 KB, 46 pages)
The Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training commissioned the Catholic Education South Australia Office numeracy report to undertake an investigation of effective constructivist teaching strategies to support students in improving their numeracy outcomes. The project investigated how teachers can best assist students to use their previous learning and experience to build and develop their understanding of mathematics and numeracy concepts.
Report: PDF (2.6 MB, 229 pages)
Appendix A: PDF (3.1 MB, 78 pages)
The Australian Government commissioned the Tasmanian Department of Education, the Catholic Education Office (Tasmania) and the Association of Independent Schools of Tasmania, in partnership with the University of Tasmania, to explore introducing students to informal written computation methods.
The project found that developing computation led to:
- improvements in mental computation results for the students involved in the project in all grade levels and gender groups (boys, girls and combined); and
- a marked improvement in students’ attitudes to mental computation and in students’ confidence in their mental computational ability.
Report: PDF (1.0 MB, 60 pages)
The project also developed the Developing Computation booklet, as a professional development resource for teachers. For a hard copy of the booklet, phone 03 6233 7033 or email denise.neal@education.tas.gov.au
Booklet: PDF (2.2mb, 58 pages)
The Evaluation examined activities under the National School Drug Education Strategy (NSDES) and the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Agreed Measures from 1999 to 2003. It found there has been an increased level of participation of schools in NSDES activities; increased interest in and support for school drug education in schools; the development and adoption of a nationally consistent approach to school drug education; the adoption of a whole school approach which involves engaging school staff, parents and other community members; provision of professional development opportunities; enhanced educational resources; development of a partnership approach; and an increase in the profile of school drug education.
Download: PDF (798.2 KB, 166 pages)
Funded by the Australian Government, the Western Australian Department of Education and Training, The Western Australian Catholic Education Office and the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia in association with Murdoch, Curtin and Edith Cowan Universities and Redgum Consulting Pty Ltd investigated the teaching of student numeracy across the whole curriculum in Year 5 and Year 7 in WA primary schools.
Teachers were encouraged to recognise that numeracy is not just knowing and doing mathematics in the mathematics lesson, but that it underpins learning in other areas of the curriculum. Teachers came to see numeracy as important, and at times essential, for understanding and learning in cross-curricula situations.
The project presents practical ideas for improving the teaching of numeracy across the curriculum drawn from suggestions by project teachers and from the literature review. Strategies to identify and analyse numeracy situations arising in the classroom have been derived from teacher experience as the project progressed.
Report: PDF (2.2mb, 139 pages)
Appendices: PDF (3.6mb, 120 pages)
Brochure: PDF (767.9 KB, 6 pages)
This project was funded by the Australian Government and undertaken by the South Australian Department of Education and Children's Services, in conjunction with the South Australian Primary Principals Association and Flinders University.
The project developed a ‘profile’ of structural, cultural and teaching practices contributing to improved numeracy outcomes based on an investigation of four schools achieving good numeracy outcomes. The ‘profile’ is available online at the South Australian Literacy and Numeracy network .
Report: PDF (5.5 MB, 180 pages)
Teachers enhancing numeracy was the research focus of a cross-sectoral project funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training and undertaken by Education Queensland, the Queensland Catholic Education Commission and The Association of Independent Schools of Queensland Inc. in conjunction with a consortium of four Queensland universities.
The project aimed to determine the elements of learning environments that promote enhanced student numeracy outcomes. The key elements were:
- teacher mathematics knowledge;
- teacher pedagogy knowledge;
- school and classroom planning;
- active learning environments;
- effective classroom enquiry and teacher student classroom engagement; and
- professional development.
The project involved significant professional development activities with researchers collaborating with and mentoring teachers with a view to improving student numeracy outcomes.
Report: PDF (747.4 KB, 120 pages)
The Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training commissioned the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, Catholic Education Commission, New South Wales and the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales Ltd to investigate what numeracy practices in NSW schools were achieving outstanding numeracy results. The project then trialled these practices in schools that wished to improve their numeracy outcomes.
In order to measure changes in the numeracy outcomes of students the project developed a numeracy assessment instrument for students in Kindergarten to Year 6. This involved testing of over 3,000 primary school students. The scaled assessment instrument can be used to assess school numeracy development in a range of contexts.
An important outcome of the project was the finding that quality professional development of teachers that improves their specific knowledge of numeracy teaching and their ability to direct and embrace change leads to measurable improvements in the numeracy outcomes of students. The key practices that lead to improved student outcomes within the classroom, throughout the school and beyond the school are described.
Eight New South Wales universities were involved in the project research.
Report: PDF (1.3 MB, 174 pages)
Appendices: PDF (8.1 MB), 169 pages)