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The Innovation and Best Practice Project (IBPP) is one of the first large scale research and development projects that has specifically focused on innovation in schools, and one of the largest educational research projects ever undertaken in Australia. Each of the 107 participating schools developed and implemented a significant innovation aimed at improving learning outcomes for students. Each school researched and provided a report on its innovation, with a specific focus on its success in improving student learning outcomes.
The main output from the project was the benefits that students and teachers gained from their experience in the innovations in each of the schools. The majority of the innovations were able to demonstrate that they had been successful in improving learning outcomes for students hence the ultimate benefits from the project were the learning gains made by students, who participated in the innovations. Teachers and principals gained significant benefits from the professional learning they gained in the various roles they played in the innovations and in the conduct of the school-based research.
This volume provides an analysis and synthesis of the innovations and the findings of the 107 research reports produced by the participating schools over a two-year period. It is the product of the work of hundreds of teachers, principals and other staff in schools, plus more than 100 researchers across the country. The list of participating schools is provided in Appendix 1. For privacy reasons, pseudonyms have been used for all schools referred to or quoted in the various chapters of this report.
Each of the schools engaged researchers and consultants to assist directly in researching and developing their innovation. Many of the researchers learnt new ways of working from undertaking specific tasks rather than directing the research in pursuit of their own research interests. Because the project was undertaken through a `devolved network' in which schools researched and developed their innovations and provided the research consortium with a report as the deliverable product, many of the consultants and researchers engaged by schools are not known to the research consortium. Their contributions, however, are acknowledged as an important contribution to the project.
The project would not have been possible without the foresight of the Commonwealth Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA) who called tenders for the research to be undertaken and provided funding for the research and development of the innovations in the schools that were selected to participate in the project.
The IBPP Consortium consisted of four teams led by Professor Max Angus (Edith Cowan University), Professor Peter Hill (University of Melbourne), Professor Peter Cuttance (Chair) (University of Sydney), and Professor Frank Crowther (University of Southern Queensland).
Dorothy Bramston, Graeme Jane, Glynis Jones, Anthony Mackay, and Harriet Olney were responsible for managing the interface between the research consortium and the participating schools across the nation. Their role was invaluable in keeping the research consortium in touch with such a large number of schools and assisting schools by acting as the conduit between them and the research consortium. They were also, for schools, a primary source of support and advice about the project.
Shirley Stokes managed the project nationally, and was responsible for keeping it on schedule and liaising between the research team, project managers and the schools. Her role was the critical factor in ensuring the diverse range of innovations undertaken by the schools were informed by a rigorous development and evaluation framework through an effective communications structure and the workshops attended by schools to support the development and evaluation of their innovations. She was responsible for managing the website for the project, managing the receipt of the research reports from the participating schools and establishing and indexing the database containing all the research reports. She also played a significant role in planning and a major editorial role in finalising this volume.
This volume was written by the members of the IBPP Consortium, for some chapters in conjunction with University colleagues. Peter Cuttance was responsible for integrating, coordinating and developing the volume into a single coherent research volume based on original contributions from the members of the Consortium. Although they agree with the key points and the overall conclusions, not all members of the Consortium necessarily agree with all of the points expressed in various parts of the volume. Each chapter is based on drafts prepared by subgroups of researchers following discussions by all members of the Consortium. Although editorial changes have been made in the interests of coherence and a commonality of style, the attribution for authorship is as indicated at the commencement of each chapter.
The Executive Summary was authored by Shirley Stokes and Peter Cuttance. The first chapter, authored by Peter Cuttance and Shirley Stokes, provides an overview of the project and a brief survey of the relevant research literature. Chapter 2 on innovations in the teaching of early literacy was authored by Peter W. Hill and Graeme Jane. Chapter 3 on innovations in mathematics was authored by Glynis Jones. Chapter 4 on innovations in the integration of information and communications technologies in school learning environments was authored by Peter Cuttance. Chapter 5 on innovations in teaching and learning in the middle- years was authored by Peter W. Hill, Anthony D. Mackay, V. Jean Russell and Vic Zbar. Chapter 6 on the role of leadership in school innovation was authored by Frank Crowther, Leonne Hann and John McMaster. Chapter 7 on the flexible use of resources and of organisational structures in instructional environments was authored by Max Angus, Rod Chadbourne, and Harriet Olney. Chapter 8, also authored by Max Angus, Rod Chadbourne, and Harriet Olney, analyses the issues faced by the schools in managing their innovations. Chapter 9, authored by Peter Cuttance and Shirley Stokes, and Chapter 10, authored by Peter Cuttance, draw the volume together by considering the lessons to be learnt for teaching and learning practice in schools, and for policy in supporting school- based innovation in the future.
A reference group was established to inform the research and coordinate the participation of school systems across the nation. The reference group comprised: Lois Sparkes and Paul Byrne (Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs); Phil Billington (National Catholic Education Commission); Barbara Stone (National Council of Independent Schools Associations); Peter Allen, Gerry Cullen, and Trevor Wootten (Conference of Education Systems Chief Executive Officers); Peter Cuttance (Project Director & Chair); and Shirley Stokes (National Project Manager and Executive Officer).
The Consortium acknowledges the work of Hedley Beare, Keryn McGuinness, Patricia Morgan, Grant Prowse, Robin Prowse, Christine Rakvin, Therese Sullivan, Patricia Spring and Jean Thompson who supported the project through various means such as data coding, administrative support or manuscript review.
The research was undertaken in schools across all systems and sectors in Australia and the IBPP Consortium acknowledges the agreement and support of school systems that authorised the research to take place in their schools.
Peter Cuttance
Max Angus
Frank Crowther
Peter Hill
May 2001