Lessons learned
Scotland, like many other countries, faces inequality in its schools with children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds tending to do worse than those from wealthier areas. This is known as the poverty-related attainment gap.
To help schools learn from each other about effective methods that help all children, regardless of background, have an equal chance of reaching their potential a groundbreaking school improvement partnership programme (SIPP) was trialled in Scotland.
Researchers from Glasgow’s Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change worked with teachers, local authorities and the Scottish Government to develop and assess a range of school-to-school partnerships. These partnerships were designed to build relationships, develop and embed new evidence-based strategies to tackle educational inequality, and spark sustainable change.
Teachers were encouraged and supported to use research evidence, experiment in the classroom and monitor the impact of changes they made. The programme also provided structured opportunities for teachers to share learning.
Impressive results
Schools running the programme saw improvements in pupils’ maths and literacy scores, confidence and engagement, and also in parental involvement. One school reported a positive increase in maths for target pupils from 40% to 68%, while another reported that parent surveys showed children’s attitudes towards maths and problem-solving had improved.
A key finding across all the partner schools was the importance of creating networks for collaboration that allowed teachers to share effective strategies with each other. This type of sharing made it possible for one school to increase reading age, with students in the SIPP group having a reading age 5.9 months higher than peers in the control group.
“Tackling educational inequity is one of the most significant challenges of our time. This can only be achieved by researchers working across disciplines and in partnership with policymakers and practitioners to develop new theoretical insights and practical approaches that level the playing field so that all children can achieve their full potential irrespective of their background.” Chris Chapman, Professor in Educational Policy & Practice in the Robert Owen Centre
Legacy
The timing of SIPP was important for Scottish education. It was developed as the Scottish Government made a clear commitment to improving educational outcomes for all children, “ensuring every child has the same opportunity to succeed”. SIPP was strategically aligned with the Scottish Government’s explicit intentions for the Scottish education system.
The programme formally ended in 2016, but its impact is ongoing. The Educational Governance Review, published in June 2017, featured lessons from SIPP about using evidence, collaboration and networking between teachers to foster cultural change and capacity building. SIPP demonstrated positive impacts in Scotland and continues to gain the attention of educators and policymakers both locally and globally.
The impact of this research goes far beyond the initial partnerships and three-year project. Focus on pioneering collaborative educational strategies with researchers working alongside key policymakers and practitioners is one way to ensure a bright future for all children and young people. SIPP has evolved into the Network for Social & Educational Equity. Schools and local authorities are now using Pupil Equity Fund and Scottish Attainment Fund resources to continue this important work.
The positive impact of the programme has led to interest from a number of other systems including Chile where the programme is being implemented in two regions.
This article was first published November 2018.