On 15 May 2013 the Senate referred the following matter to the Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee for inquiry and report: the effectiveness of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), with specific reference to: (a) whether the evidence suggests that NAPLAN is achieving its stated objectives; (b) unintended consequences of...

INTRODUCTION The Australia Council for the Arts commissioned this literature review in response to the decline in children’s reading measured by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The review aimed to summarise current knowledge on Australian children’s leisure reading, and identifies gaps in knowledge and opportunities for further research. The literature review explores findings across...

This collection of speeches makes the case that students are not being provided with the most effective evidence-based reading instruction in the early years of school. Executive summary: This collection of edited speeches is from a CIS policy forum held on 14 November 2013 to discuss the article ‘Why Jaydon Can’t Read: The Triumph of...

This research report presents the details and findings of a research project commissioned by Adult and Community Education (ACE) Aotearoa, entitled Pasifika Success as Pasifika in Aotearoa New Zealand (PSAPiA).

Introduction: This paper describes the critical role community psychology theories played in reframing literacy research involving mainly Māori and Pacific peoples’ extended families and communities. Within a critical social constructionist paradigm, ecological systems theory and holistic, integrative theories of wellbeing brought much-needed new thinking to how family-focused adult literacy education might be theorised and practiced...