Putting evidence into action Bridging the gap between research and practice Dr Kevan Collins Institute of Education, 16th October 2013
info@eefoundation.org.uk www.educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk
Introduction • In 2011 the Education Endowment Foundation was set up by Sutton Trust as lead charity in partnership with Impetus. The EEF is funded by a Department for Education grant of £125m and will spend over £200m over its fifteen year lifespan. • The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.
The attainment gap 2011: 19%
School readiness at 5
2011: 20%
Attainment at 11
2011: 27%
Attainment at 16
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
6000
650
5500
610
5000
570
4500
530
4000
490
3500
PIRLS Score
Spending per pupil (2010 prices)
Is more spending the solution?
450 2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08 2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
In England, spending has increased by 47% since 2001, but over this period improvements in pupil outcomes have been marginal.
International context 550 Korea 539 PISA 2009 Reading Score
530
Finland 526 Canada 524 Netherlands 508
510
England 495
490
470
Israel 474
Ireland 486
USA 500
Spain 481 Luxembourg 472
450 $5000-$6000
$6000-$7000 $7000-$8000 $8000-$9000 Public spend per student (PPP US$)
$9000+
Capturing the benefits of increased spending is difficult. Internationally, the relationship between spending and outcomes is very weak.
League tables
Or more accountability?
Parents
Ofsted
We believe that more evidence can help…
33 1,800
topics in the Toolkit
schools participating in projects
56 projects funded to date
£200m estimated spend over lifetime of the EEF
300,000 …but what does it mean for you?
pupils involved in EEF projects
7
We believe that more evidence can help. An evidence-informed approach can help us: • Capture the maximum possible benefit from spending • Focus our effort where it will make the most difference • Resist fads and fakes But what does it mean in practice?
Applying evidence in practice Step 1: Decide what do you want to achieve Identify school priorities using internal data and professional judgement.
Step 5: Securing and spreading change Mobilise the knowledge and use the findings to inform the work of the school to grow or stop the intervention.
Step 4: Did it work? Evaluate the impact of your decisions and identify potential improvements for the future.
Step 2: Identifying possible solutions
External evidence summarised in the Toolkit can be used to inform choices.
Step 3: Giving the idea the best chance of success Applying the ingredients of effective implementation.
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Applying evidence in practice
Step 1: Decide what you want to achieve Generate a question using data, professional judgement and values. How can we engage and support struggling readers in Year 7?
Applying evidence in practice
Step 2: Identify possible solutions
Ensure that you start from the best position by seeking internal and external knowledge. Would small group tuition make the same difference as one to one?
Teaching and Learning Toolkit • The Toolkit provides free, accessible, independent summaries of educational research. • Practice focused: giving schools in the information they need to make informed decisions and narrow the gap. • Based on meta-analyses provided by Durham University.
The Toolkit is a starting point for making decisions
Applying evidence in practice Step 3: Give the idea the best chance of success Implementation matters: have you thought about what the approach means for teaching and learning? What are the ‘active ingredients’ for effective small group tuition for struggling readers? How much training do teachers need?
? How will you organise the feedback during classtime?
Is there disruption to other learning?
Applying evidence in practice
Step 4: Put energy into evaluation Did the approach work, what made it work, and how can it be improved next time? Can we demonstrate that our readers are making progress? Is it worth the effort?
Supporting “DIY evaluation”
• We’ve published a DIY Evaluation Guide with Durham University, which introduces the principles of evaluation.
Applying evidence in practice
Step 5: Making innovation stick Moving from what we know to what we do. Have we captured and embedded effective small group tuition in our school? Could it make an impact in other areas?
Applying evidence in practice Step 1: Decide what do you want to achieve Identify school priorities using internal data and professional judgement.
Step 5: Securing and spreading change Mobilise the knowledge and use the findings to inform the work of the school to grow or stop the intervention.
Step 4: Did it work? Evaluate the impact of your decisions and identify potential improvements for the future.
Step 2: Identifying possible solutions
External evidence summarised in the Toolkit can be used to inform choices.
Step 3: Giving the idea the best chance of success Applying the ingredients of effective implementation.
Closing questions 1. Does the use of evidence inform your theory of school improvement? 2. Should using evidence form a part of your leadership approach? Taking part in EEF research: kevan.collins@eefoundation.org.uk
56 projects funded to date