New publications

The policy issues relating to early school leaving, such as further education and employment pathways, are outlined in this document, which comprises case studies of eight early school leavers. The wider policy context and the Life Chances longitudinal study, of which the school leavers were part, are outlined, and findings and policy implications relating to school leaving, pathways, income support, and training and employment are addressed. View full text online.

The under-representation of girls studying physics, and factors contributing to their decision to continue or discontinue with physics are outlined in this report, which provides an evaluation of interventions used by the Girls into Physics Action Research program to engage female students in physics. It provides detailed analyses of the different intervention programs, and offers recommendations for implementation. Appendixes include suggestions for teachers, project summaries, and action research plan templates. Full text available online.

The text presents views of parents regarding the primary school curriculum in England and Wales, and the possible changes that may be made following the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum. The report comprises a breakdown of 918 parents' responses to questions regarding changes to the primary curriculum, with topics covering the ranked importance of subjects, school starting age, and the perceived importance of ICT and life skills. Full text available online.

Young children's language and problem-solving skills are analysed in this report, which draws on data from the Growing Up in Scotland study. The study examined how children's cognitive ability differs within the population, and how and at what stages interventions might have a positive effect on children's development. The report examines affective factors such as household income, parents' ethnicity, social class, and educational level on children, as well as parenting approaches and children's activities. Full text is available online.  

The second of two reports, this document outlines from a New Zealand perspective the findings of the 2005/2006 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) undertaken by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Research. Where the first report positioned New Zealand students' achievement against students from other countries, this report analyses the results of Grade 5 students' literacy results from a national perspective. The mean literacy score for New Zealand students was higher than the PIRLS mean; Asian and European students' scores were significantly higher than those of Pasifika and Maori students. Topics covered include a breakdown of the PIRLS benchmarks, students' reading attitudes and the home context, purposes and processes of reading, and an appendix detailing student improvement since the 2001/2002 PIRLS. Full text available online.

The ways in which teachers and administrators can effectively promote change in their school are outlined in this text, which draws on case studies of successful school improvement across a variety of areas. The book provides detailed planning models for change, methods of establishing an effective leadership team, and strategies to sustain long-term change. Topics include cultural change, building capacity with coaching, building stakeholder support, teacher leadership, and the risks and rewards of change. Adapted from publisher's description.