1. How can evidence contribute to closing the attainment gap? James Richardson & Jonathan Sharples Education Endowment Foundation 16 th March 2015 james.richardson@eefoundation.org.uk www.educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk www.educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk @EducEndowFoundn

2. Outline of session The EEF’s approach Using the evidence in the Toolkit A closer look at Feedback and Meta-cognition The EEF Teaching Assistant Campaign

3. Introduction The EEF is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement. In 2011 the Education Endowment Foundation was set up by Sutton Trust as lead charity in partnership with the Impetus Trust. The EEF is funded by a Department for Education grant of £125m and will spend over £200m over its fifteen year lifespan. In 2013, the EEF was named with The Sutton Trust as the government-designated ‘What Works’ centre for improving education outcomes for school-aged children.

4. The EEF approach The TA Campaign – a £5m investment to support schools in using evidence on TAs

5. The EEF by numbers 93 project evaluations funded to date 4,500 schools participating in EEF trials 34 topics in the Toolkit 16 independent evaluation teams 630,000 pupils involved in EEF trials 16 members of EEF team £220 m estimated spend over lifetime of the EEF 6,000 heads presented to since launch 17 reports published

6. What do we mean by evidence? A teacher undertakes an action research project to understand the impact of introducing a new scheme of work Reflection, informative, a basis for further research A large scale randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a reading intervention involving a number of schools in different regions What is most likely to work in different contexts (‘What works there’) A small DIY RCT between two classrooms on feedback (verbal and written) Indication of promise in your context (‘What works here’) A case study of a new mentoring system Why does it work? Useful to inform implementation A meta-analysis of 12 studies on phonics Multiple studies give more robust estimates: e.g. the Toolkit

7. Evaluation - Is all research created equal? Nesta, Standards of Evidence

8. Teaching and Learning Toolkit

9. True or false? The current state of evidence base suggests that… a) Drinking six to eight glasses of water per day improves pupil outcomes b) Feedback on how pupils complete a task is more effective than general praise c) Reducing class size is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase learning d) The greatest impact on pupil progress is teaching quality e) Grouping pupils by ability improves outcomes for all pupils f) Peer tutoring works better for the tutee than the tutor g) Individuals learn better when they receive information in their preferred learning style (eg auditory, visual, kinaesthetic)

10. Overview of value for money Cost per pupil Effect Size (months gain) £0£0 0 10 £1000 Feedback Meta-cognitive Peer tutoring Pre-school 1-1 tutoring Homework ICT Outdoor learning Parental involvement Sports Summer schools After school Individualised learning Learning styles Arts Performance pay Teaching assistants Smaller classes Ability grouping Phonics Independent learning

11. Research-based Principles of Instruction (Rosenshine, 2010) 1.Begin a lesson with a short review of previous learning 2.Present new material in small steps, with student practice after each step 3.Ask a large number of questions and check the responses of all students 4.Provide models for problem solving and worked examples 5.Guide student practice and rehearsal 6.Check for student understanding 7.Obtain a high success rate (80%) 8.Provide scaffolds for difficult tasks 9.Require and monitor independent practice 10.Engage students in weekly and monthly review 11

12. Three rules of thumb 1. Use the evidence as a starting point for discussion 2. Dig deeper into what the evidence actually says 3. Understand the ‘active ingredients’ of implementation

13. 13 What is it? Planning Scaffolding Self-monitoring Goal setting Sequencing ideas Evaluating Re-drafting

14. Calderdale Excellence Partnership – Metacognition in practice A programme designed to help struggling writers in Years 6 and 7: –Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) provides a clear structure to help pupils plan, monitor and evaluate their writing –Memorable experiences, such as trips to local landmarks or visits from World War II veterans, were used as a focus for writing lessons. Previous US research shows positive effect of SRSD. RCT with 23 primary schools Independent evaluation by Durham University and University of York

15. Calderdale Excellence Partnership GROUP NUMBER OF PUPILS EFFECT SIZE ESTIMATED MONTHS' PROGRESS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT? Intervention vs. control 23 primary schools 3 secondary schools 261 pupils +0.74+9Yes Pupils eligible for free school meals 86 pupils+1.60+18Yes

16. 16 What is it? Feedback is both ways between teacher and pupil Feedback on specific tasks with targeted feedback Feedback is not always marking Questioning is integral Checking for understanding

17. EEF Projects We are working to fund, develop and evaluate projects that: Build on existing evidence. Will generate significant new understanding of ‘what works’. Can be replicated cost effectively if proven to work. Examples: One-to-one support with teaching assistants, lesson observation, using mobile devices for feedback,

18. What is the impact? Aim: A programme to encourage engagement and enjoyment of reading. Intervention: 20-minute one to one sessions with a volunteer coach each weekday for 30 weeks in Yr 6/7 Children were expected to read independently for a further 20 minutes per day Rewarded for attendance with credits that could be used to buy books online. Impact? Overall a negative impact on reading ability for most pupils in the intervention group (-1 month)

19. What is the impact? Aim: A one to one intervention for learners who are struggling with numeracy. Intervention: It consists of two 15-minute sessions per week for 30 weeks, delivered by teaching assistants (TAs) in Yrs 2-6. The intervention breaks numeracy down into ten elements, including counting verbally, counting objects, word problems and estimation. Impact? +3 months for pupils in the intervention group + 4 months for the business as usual TA control group

20. Example: Teaching Assistants

21. Switch on Reading RCT in 19 schools with 300 pupils Attainment measured using standardised literacy measures Independent evaluation by Durham University Observations and interviews to inform how and why the approach might be working http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects/category/primary One to one literacy intervention with children in Year 7 who are struggling with literacy (not achieving level 4 at KS2) Based on Reading Recovery. Delivered by teaching assistants, 20mins/day over 10 weeks. Previous research shows a positive effect (inc. Reading Recovery).

22. Switch On Reading Group Number of pupils Effect size* Estimated months’ progress All pupils308+0.24+3 Lower attainers 156+0.39+5 FSM-eligible98+0.36+4 SEN reported225+0.31+4

24. Using TAs in the classroom

27. The EEF’s TA Campaign A Guidance Report summarises the existing research on TAs and identifies seven practical ways to maximize pupil impact. Advocacy support – Working with local advocate partners in the region to provide support and training to schools to help make the most of the recommendations. Funding for targeted interventions –The EEF’s investment will enable schools in the region to benefit from access to successful evidence-based interventions.

28. Getting involved in the TA campaign in S & W Yorkshire Become an EEF advocate partner £5m investment from the EEF to support primary schools in S & W Yorkshire The EEF is looking to fund and partner with a number of organisations who can lead the advocacy and ‘bring the evidence to life’ in schools through a range of engagement activities. Working across a number of primary schools for one year beginning in summer 2015. They will provide support and training to schools to help them implement the core elements of the Guidance Report.

29. Closing reflections Keeping in touch with EEF publications and research: www.educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk The Teaching Assistant Campaign: jonathan.sharples@eefoundation.org.uk james.richardson@eefoundation.org.uk