Professional learning is a common strategy for influencing and supporting the use of evidence-based practices in schools and early childhood education and care services, and enhancing learning outcomes for children and young people. This research summary outlines early evidence from a research project on coaching in the Australian education context.

The plan outlines the approach to cutting through the red tape impacting teachers and school leaders in Queensland Government schools across years K–12. It comprises a series of targeted actions, organised under nine overarching commitments. The nine commitments represent a framework for immediate action while providing scope to address new and emerging issues as they...

This policy insights paper examines the rising trend of school suspensions in New South Wales (NSW) and their connection to student interaction with the criminal justice system. It identifies practical, evidence-based strategies – as alternatives to school exclusion – to create safer learning environments for students, teachers and schools to support long-term outcomes.

Schools often manage problem behaviours by enacting exclusionary school discipline policies that remove students via suspension or expulsion. This study characterises exclusionary school discipline practices in a representative, longitudinal, population-based cohort of 71,955 students attending New South Wales public schools in Australia. The findings indicate that suspending and expelling children does not address problem behaviour.

This research summary provides an overview of how professional learning can influence and support the use of evidence-based practices in schools and early childhood education and care services, to enhance learning outcomes. It outlines early evidence from a research project on coaching. Coaching is a promising strategy for supporting improvements in teacher practice.