A few years ago, we shared with you a research conducted in 2018 and evaluating the whole-school implementation of an explicit language-based pedagogy in one of the most economically disadvantaged schools in Victoria, Australia.
We are excited today to be sharing with you two exciting updates regarding this research project:
- We are now able to share with you the name of the school: Pakenham Secondary College. The school is situated in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. As of 2018, 12% of students were classified as English as an Additional Language, and 2% as Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders. The College receives a disproportionate number of students from families with low socio-economic profile.
- Their Year 12 VCE Median Study Score increased from 25 in 2013 to 29 in 2023, which is an incredible result.
Before the implementation of 3L, the College was for many years producing literacy results that were well below expectations and reflected poor outcomes for students. The whole-school, strategic implementation of an explicit language-based pedagogy managed to turn the outcomes for students in this school around. There is now clear data that overwhelmingly supports the success of this language-based approach.
Lexis Education continues to bring an evidence-based, whole-school, language-based pedagogy to more classrooms in Australia and around the world to take teaching and learning to the next level.
We are excited to be sharing the research conducted in 2018 by Dr. Dorota Pomagalska, ‘Evaluation of the whole-school implementation of a language-based pedagogy at Pakenham Secondary College‘.
This report summarises the evaluation of the whole-school implementation of an explicit language-based pedagogy at Pakenham Secondary College, one of the most economically disadvantaged schools in Victoria, Australia. In late 2013, the school began to adopt an explicit language-based pedagogy as a potential solution to improving students’ writing. Lexis Education’s Literacy for Learning (LfL/3L) course was chosen as the vehicle for implementing this pedagogical model across the whole school.
Analysis of the results over a period of five years has shown that, over time, the school has achieved significant improvement in students’ writing across all learning and literacy areas, suggesting the implementation has been highly effective. In fact, the literacy outcomes achieved by the school in the national literacy test, the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) and the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) showed significant improvement across all areas, exceeding the expectations of literacy leaders.
There have been several factors that have led to this achievement. The training provided by Lexis Education – the LfL/3L course – and Brian Dare’s expertise have formed a sound and well-informed base for this program. At the same time, many steps taken by the school have enabled the implementation to unfold in the most effective and least challenging ways.
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