This report was commissioned by the Department of Education, Science and Training to investigate the perceived efficacy of middle years programmes in all States and Territories in improving the quality of teaching, learning and student outcomes. Volume 2 contains the detailing mapping data of the systematic literacy and numeracy strategies and the case studies.
Appendix 1 identifies policies, curriculum documents and research reports for each State and Territory as well as each employing authority in the general areas of the middle years of schooling, literacy, numeracy, students at educational risk, and assessment and reporting.
Each State and Territory employing authority was visited between August and November 2001. Interviews were conducted with relevant personnel regarding key policy issues. Analysis and synthesis of the data around major themes was amalgamated into final State Visit reports and is contained in Appendix 2.
An analysis of the key findings in each report informed the construction of a national middle years policy matrix and assisted in the selection of school case studies. Researchers collected data in a range of schools from each State and Territory, based on the following key elements: case study at a glance; the site; policy and programme context; pedagogical practice; and learning outcomes. Qualitative data analysis resulted in a narrative constructed for each of these elements that comprised the case study report, as seen in Appendix 3.
Overall analysis and synthesis of the case study reports informed the construction of a matrix based on the middle years structural arrangements for each school.